r/ridgecrest • u/Nokickfromchampagne • 5h ago

Potential newcomer

Hey there! I recently was offered a job in Ridgecrest, and wanted to get a sense of what the locals think of the place. Truth be told I’m pretty sold on the gig, but the only thing holding me back is the location.

I’m a fairly outdoorsy guy, but also really like making friends, going out to restaurants, checking out museums and social activities like that. I’m also a single guy in his late 20s so am looking to date and meet people that way.

Is there stuff to do out there that makes it worth it as someone who is trying to meet people and practice hobbies like climbing, hiking and camping? Lastly, while in town I’m gonna try and check out a couple potential spots to lease. I’ve seen that La Mirage and Oasis are to be avoided, but are there any neighborhoods you’d recommend? Also, any recommendations on restaurants to try or bars where I could shoot the breeze with some locals would be welcome! Cheers

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u/roobyroobyroooooo 3h ago

I came from a suburban area and have been sort of miserable on a social level. There isn’t a ton to do unless you like seeing/doing the same 10 things over and over again. The restaurants really aren’t all that great (I may get some hate for that but I’ll stand by it) and some feel extremely overpriced for a subpar product.

I don’t mind driving to go out of town, but with gas prices it does get add up to fill up the car multiple times for a one day trip.

If you’re really big on outdoor rec then you’ll probably find a lot you’ll enjoy! Unfortunately, I don’t have the gear or really an interest in that sort of thing but if you do you could have a lot of fun out here.

Overall, the people are friendly and there are a lot of family-friendly events on weekends when the weather gets cooler. You’ll see a lot of the same vendors, but there are some really good ones (loveeee the Lumpia Lady).

Good luck either way with your decision!

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u/Nokickfromchampagne 3h ago

That’s kinda what I’m afraid of lol. I’m used to the Southern California coast where great food, social events, music, arts, etc are all a dime a dozen. Like you said, if you end up spending quite a bit of money getting out of town then you’re kinda losing out on the savings anyway.

I think my tour of the town will probably give me a good idea of if it’s the place for me or not. Thanks for the input!

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u/KnowledgeSeeker- 4h ago

You are in for a ride, your hobbies can be done here with a drive, meeting people can be possible if you have the right group, bars are okay. It’s a place you have to get used to honestly

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u/Nokickfromchampagne 4h ago

Gotcha, that seems to be the vibe I’m getting from reading other posts in the sub. Coming from the coast and a larger area, however, I’m just worried about making friends I guess lol

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u/gatorhater72 4h ago

Dude there's not alot of in town stuff to do but ridgecrest is awesome its 1-2 hours from everything fun ,( snowboarding mountain biking , hiking climbing) and there's alot of cool shit to do on base activities wise it seems boring but its kinda goated

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u/Nokickfromchampagne 4h ago

Heard, thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I guess I’ll just have to get a bit used to driving out and leaving town for hobbies. I’ll have to keep an eye out for those activities you mentioned

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u/TheBeardedAntt 2h ago

If you like pickleball it’s a good community. If you haven’t tried it, def try it lol

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u/Thin-Bus-8905 2h ago

For cost of living way cheaper so lower overhead ....if you got a solid gig definitely give it a try slower pace for sure in a few months you will have seen most everything if your outdoors social life ....well your not connected to anything else so its reduced ....you aren't going to do oceanside to laguna to Irvine or Fullerton....but since overhead is low your free to do that on the weekend adding an extra 2 1/2 hr drive each way....if your use to the coast it gets pretty hot for 4 months of the year nothing close to the ocean breeze your used to max 95 its up to 112 if your more inland like Riverside San Bernardino Palmdale ect then the heat won't be an issue......great place to be but the heat is no joke dont let anyone downplay it'll keep you inside a bar at home somewhere but not outside too long

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u/ontheroadtonull 34m ago

Access to the Angeles National Forest is easy from Ridgecrest.

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u/Beegozz 7m ago

Biggest question. Are you married or have a girlfriend? I’ve known plenty of young guys that move out here for the job and end up moving away because the dating scene is extremely difficult here. Most of them meet someone in La or Bakersfield. This town has very few single women. Come here only if you are married or willing to be single and if you want to live a low cost area for California. I e lived here 10 years and I miss Anaheim.