Best places for what?

Here are a few random items:

Condo Communities (wide range of prices, great pools, tennis courts): American Beauty Village
High-End Townhomes: Bridgeport
Parks: Heritage Park (dogs okay)

Dog-Friendly Dining:
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill
Cabo Cabana
Wahoo’s Fish Taco

Pizza: Ameci Pizza
Sushi: Bonsai Garden
BBQ: Stonefire Grill (near Trader Joe’s)
Mexican: El Taco Llama
Bakery & Pastry: Panera Bread
Asian: Pei Wei

Movies: Edwards Cinema
Mini Golf & Fries: The Greens
Shopping: Valencia Town Center
Bargain Prices: Wal-Mart
Groceries: Trader Joe’s
Crafts & Fabrics: Beverly’s

My roommate’s and my primary concern with finding housing in Santa Clarita was cost, so we ended up in Canyon Country. But what we found in the lowest rental rates around has been made up for in dealing with loud neighbors playing loud music at 6am from their truck with the doors wide open, neighbors (and people in no way associated with the complex who sneak in through the code protected gate- so much for security) digging through the dumpsters for recylcables and leaving trash scattered in a 6’ radius, etc. etc. It has a nice pool, nice workout room, close to lots of shopping- just make sure that when you scout for a place to live in SC that you do it at a time of day when the residents are likely to be home so you’re seeing more than the nice stuff! Our neighbors can be very nice, but that’s only when they’re not having screaming fights at midnight with the police showing up, or honking their horns at 6:30am and yelling for minutes at a time out their car windows to people they’re picking up. :(

I like LesaMay’s listing of options- nice places in the nicer parts of the area. To hit on a few other spots in the “more affordable” part of town where yours truly lives ;)...

Pizza: Oggi’s (Soledad/Whites Cyn)
Sushi: Sushi California (Sierra Hwy/Via Princessa), Love Sushi (Sierra Hwy/Soledad)
BBQ: Rattler’s (Soledad/Whites Cyn)
Mexican: Don Cuco’s!! (Soledad/Camp Plenty)
Thai: Tuk Tuk (Soledad, across from cinema)
Mini Golf, Go Karts, Arcade, etc.: Mountasia (Soledad near Wal-Mart)
Bargain Prices: Big Lots, Food4Less (Soledad/Whites Cyn)

Check out my website:
http://www.scvlife.net

I write about Santa Clarita all the time, so you can find a lot of information there.