Edwards AFB

[Guest BK]

I already searched but couldn't find anything helpful.

I'm PCS'ing to Edwards this winter and am trying to find some info about the area. I've already read the AF Crossroads info but it wasn't much help.

From what I've heard, it's best to stay on base to avoid the crime and long commute of the local "communities" like Boron and California City. Any truth to this?

Any other advice for adjusting to living in the Mojave desert? Subscribe to Netflix if I already haven't?

Thanks.

- BK

[AFCS_Actuator]

I grew up not too far from Edwards and have been there many times. Definitely try to get base housing. The local "community" around Edwards consists of a few trailer parks and a mini-mart. The closest towns are Mojave (about 20 mins NW of the base), which consists of fast food, seedy motels, and gas stations, Adelanto (45 mins away), and Lancaster (about 30 mins from the center of the base). The gates are literally several miles from the actual base complex. Your best bet is base housing or Lancaster. It is really out there in the boonies, but the hottest new jets are there too.

You're about 3 hours from Las Vegas, 2-3 hours from Los Angeles, 4 hours from Mammoth Mountain (awesome skiing). Final thought: Edwards is a nice base, but the surrounding area sucks!

PM me if you have more specific questions about living in the Mojave. I spent the first 20 years of my life there!

[ 14. December 2006, 17:23: Message edited by: Goin2UPT ]

[Clayton Bigsby]

I lived at Edwards for a time as well (as a dependent though). I enjoyed it, it wasn't such a bad place to be. Get a 4WD truck or dirt bike, lots of desert and trails to explore...

Also, if you want a quick change of climate ever, just drive up to Tehachepi. About an hour away or so.

[F-15E WSO]

You can live just West of the base in Rosamond if you don't want to deal with the lawn nazis.

[Guest comanche]

Not sure on your rank, but if you stay in G area on Doolittle it is pretty nice. If you go down the main street in the housing area....can't remember what it is the houses seemed to get smaller. I used to live on Rickenbacker but moved over one street for the nicer house. I would definitely live on base. The resale value, at least many years ago wasn't going anywhere. Lancaster is about an hour away if I remember right and many parts were not nice. I'd stay away from Born/CA City/North Edwards. If you need any other help or info let me know. It's been a while and I was a dependant at the time.

[Guest MeowMix]

I was there, I am from San Clemente CA so it was my first baes. It is 30mi from Lancaster to the flightline, one day.

I would recommend on base living too I guess.

Its a remote base but LA is only an hour south, thats not bad considering in TX every city is 2-4hrs apart.

[Guest mr_gordon777]

I worked there as a civvie for almost 2 years. The area takes some adjusting at first, but you'll get used to it.

They got a pretty good aero club over there, so you can fly to pass the time...whether or not you're already a military pilot.

I lived in Lancaster, which is about an hour north of LA...just ride the 14 all the way down (STS). Palmdale is nicer, but a little pricier to live in. Lancaster/Palmdale are about a 40 minute drive south of EDW.

If you like Mexican food, be sure to hit up the Golden Cantina in Rosamond, or Domingos over in Boron. They got a lot of bars scattered all over the AV (Antelope Valley), so there isn't a shortage of places to get drunk.

No offense to anyone from Boron or Cal City, but those places are $hitholes.

I can't comment on living on base, but the amenities there are pretty nice, the BX, O-club, the gym.

[Texaco]

I will be commissioning in June and be on casual status at Edwards while I await pilot training. Can anyone share some info on life as a new butter-bar awaiting UPT in the Mojave desert?

How could I get in a flying squad? And, how do sandbag rides work with Flight Test Squadrons?

Thanks.

-Cucci

[Guest migkilr]

Nobody has mentioned Willow Springs yet! One of the best motorcycle racetracks in America right there in Rosamond. I would love to be stationed there just so I could race at Willow!

[Brewdog]

I'm looking for some updated info about off-base living at Edwards. Anyone in Lancaster, Tehachapi, etc? Is Lancaster/Quartz Hill in decline or are things getting better? Also if you know of reasonable low-cost apartments or efficiencies near to the base such as in Rosemond, that would be great.

[TrainerModel]

I'm looking for some updated info about off-base living at Edwards. Anyone in Lancaster, Tehachapi, etc? Is Lancaster/Quartz Hill in decline or are things getting better? Also if you know of reasonable low-cost apartments or efficiencies near to the base such as in Rosemond, that would be great.

Lancaster/Palmdale is the way to go unless you want to be living in something that looks like a trailer park in the desert. Not sure what your situation is but being in Palmdale/Lancaster leaves you about 1.1hr from LA and about 40min from your office at Edwards. Yea, its a long commute but its pretty standard for folks living out there.

[Dupe]

When I was there, quite a few of the single dudes just lived on base and commuted via mountain bike. Tehachapi is nice if you want to escape all that is Antelope Valley. A few guys lived in Santa Clarita or further to be close to the LA scene. A few guys went in to rent McMansions in Palmdale that would otherwise be foreclosed on. Virtually no single guy I knew lived in Rosamond.

[Brewdog]

I'm married so nightlife, etc. isn't much of a factor for me. I would like to live closer to major shopping etc. to make my wife happier, but I wouldn't do it if it meant an unsafe area to raise a family. My main concern as far as Lancaster were some of the comments I read on city-data that went something like "the gang bangers that can't afford L.A. moved out to Lancaster." Also apparently you have to live west of 14. I take that stuff with a grain of salt since my current location has been pretty enjoyable but on that site it was blasted in the same manner. Thanks for the feedback so far.

[Mitch Weaver]

Stay west of 14 and you'll be OK. Tehachapi is a nice town that has all 4 seasons, which is a nice break from the high desert. It's a pain for early show times, though. Pick up a Mossberg 500 for peace of mind and you'll be set.

[Van1]

I was at Edwards for 3 years ('02-'05) and lived on base. I lived in an older house in the "G" area. It wasn't too bad. They were tearing down and building a lot of new houses while I was there. Being on base I still had a 10 minute commute to South Base. My wife had a 35 mile one way commute to work in Lancaster. She put a lot of miles on her car. If you do decide on Palmdale/Lancaster/Quartz Hill, you'll definately want to stay to the west of the 14. There are some nice houses on the west side with lots of gated communities. The east side is pretty Ghetto. Quite a few folks live in Tehachapi which is northwest of base. Puts you all that much farther from LA though which is where all the good shopping is at. Shopping is not that good in the Antelope Valley. The mall there blows. We spent our weekends going down to Santa Clarita, Beverly Hills, and Glendale to go shopping. Rosamond was building up while I was there but it was still not someplace I'd choose to live. Overall, it's the kind of place where your neighbor is likely to have an old primered Camaro up on cinder blocks in his driveway. If you can stomach the commute, a few folks lived down in Santa Clarita. It would be a hike but would be opposite traffic for you. Does your wife work? Depending on what she does, you'll have to take that into consideration to split the commute.

[Guest YJ619]

Heads-up, Antelope Valley (lancaster/palmdale) has really high crime rate. All the scumbags that couldn't afford housing in Los Angeles moved up to the AV. Check out avpress.com for local crime stories. If you have to live in Lancaster, live on the West Side (even that's not a safe area). The major shopping centers are not safe as well.

[Termy]

Crime was way worse for me at ABQ/Kirtland (a break in, a stolen car, and a fun filled episode of me escorting someone off my property at gun point) than here in the AV. Here are my thoughts on the area: Cal city/Mojave: out of the freaking question. Too remote and shitty. Tehachipi: it is ok up there, but not worth the long drive in my opinion. Rosamond: Close to base and Palmcaster...a great compromise for commute to work and close to shopping. (I live in Rosamond.) Lancaster: sucks. Palmdale: There are some nice areas. If I was going to live that far south, I would choose the extra ten minutes to Palmdale over anywhere in Lancaster. The area around the golf course and near the mall are pretty nice. And remember, California is a giant half off sale right now. Feel free to PM me if you want any other Camp Eddie gouge.

[Tonka]

Bump... everything about the same out west? Whats the best place for K-8 schools?

[deaddebate]

Bump... everything about the same out west? Whats the best place for K-8 schools?

Western Lancaster, around Avenue J and 50th west is a good community. I imagine the schools are good too. A little north is the prison, but don't let that throw you. Just south of it is nice. North is desert and nothing.

Avenue I and 40th east is good, but it's a little pocket. All around it is hood. South into Palmdale around R and 60th east is a growing community, wherever the new Target is, but that's probably further from base than you'd want to drive. Stay away from Rosamond, Mojave, North Edwards, California City, and Boron if you want good schools (or civilization). Quartz Hill is pretty and quaint, but again probably too far. Tehachapi is on the edge of sanity for commuting. Only live there if you have some connection to Bakersfield and want to drive there regularly. Most folks live in Lancaster. The area around the Lancaster boulevard would appear to have a "home town" feel--don't be fooled. Wander any distance and it rapidly becomes sketchy. The Lancaster boulevard is great too visit, but a terribly bad choice to live.

Edited March 26, 2015 by deaddebate

[olevelo]

I actually live close to his first suggestion, J and 50th. I love it (well love might be a strong word!), especially compared to living on base. No kids though, so school wasn't a factor. The Quartz Hill schools are the "best". It's really not that much further from here...5-10 minutes depending on exactly where. All of the advice for staying west of the 14 is sound advice. Subscribe to the Antelope Valley Times on facebook and you'll see. Overall crime has gone down the last few years though. I prefer my area over Palmdale. It's only 10 minutes to get to everything there, without the congestion. It's 35 minutes door to flight line for me, and it's an easy drive, cruise control all the way. Believe me, a few months ago before I PCS'd back here I never thought I'd consider voluntarily taking a civilian job here, but here I am!

[scoobs]

https://www.city-data.com/forum/los-angeles/1353944-many-reasons-we-love-lancaster-ca.html

[MC5Wes]

Its been nice having more than one lane open on the west gate before 6am. But with the UEI over. It will probably go back to one lane open and 5 SF inside the building till 7.

[olevelo]

Don't get me started on the retardedness that is the West Gate. Who thought it was a good idea to put concrete medians between all the lanes so no one can change lanes, and you end up stuck in a lane with 15 cars while the other two have 3 each?!

[Stitch]

Don't get me started on the retardedness that is the West Gate. Who thought it was a good idea to put concrete medians between all the lanes so no one can change lanes, and you end up stuck in a lane with 15 cars while the other two have 3 each?!

Wait, what? I was at Eddies from 87-89 (OK a thousand years ago) but back then the west gate was like the Edwards 500 every morning bumper to bumper at 75 with idiots changing lanes like the Dukes of Hazards. So there's a median there now? Crap.

Oh and a big "2" on whoever said Cal City, Rosamond, etc are shitholes. At least some things haven't changed.

But did get the see the space shuttle land returning from space and launch back out again on top of the 747, so that was cool.

[MC5Wes]

Can you imagine what would happen if there wasn't the concrete dividers the last 100 feet before the gate? You already have road rage incidents going on. When there is only one lane open. And a car will drive past the mile long back up. And try to sneak in at the last minute.