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When we first started our search for a place in California with clean air, affordable housing, and a good place to raise a kid, I didn’t exactly expect to find it. It was 2015, and we had already been priced out of the housing market in most of California.
The rent prices had also skyrocketed since we had signed our lease for our big one-bedroom apartment in Highland Park, Los Angeles. By the time we started looking for a home, we had a two-year-old. We were drowning in toys in that same LA apartment which had once seemed so spacious to us as newlyweds.
My husband works in the music industry, so we knew we wanted to stay within a certain radius of Los Angeles. Both of us Northern California kids had fallen in love with the sunshine and friendly people here on the southern end of the state.
Even before we had money to buy a house, I would visit Zillow and dream about owning romantic little cottages that I hoped we might be able to afford someday. When we did finally have a down payment on a house, I hopped on Zillow, and Redfin, and every real estate site and started searching for houses we could afford within 100 miles of LA.
That is how I stumbled across Crestline, CA. All the Crestline real estate listings seemed to show cute cabins in a forest. Could they really be that wonderful? I wondered.

So, my husband, son, and I packed a picnic and made the hour-long drive out of the city and up the mountain to Crestline. We parked along the south shore of Lake Gregory, ate our lunch, and decided that we were going to move to the mountain.
I have to admit, we did get pretty lucky. We made such a hasty decision to
The first two years we were here on the mountain were pretty quiet. We didn’t really know how to meet people. Around that time, some energetic folks became more involved in the community and
Suddenly we had weekly farmers markets and live music during the warm weather months and a re-launch of the monthly beer and wine tasting event. All of this in addition to the family-friendly events that were already thriving here have helped foster a real sense of community.
You will talk to folks who will tell you that Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs are the fancier, better places to live. I would argue that if you are someone who likes to be part of a growing, energetic, and creative community then Crestline might be a better choice for you. Crestline is in the process of realizing its potential and the excitement here is contagious.
I’m sure you’ve come across neighborhoods like Echo Park in Los Angeles or Temescal in Oakland and thought – Man, I wish I had been here before this place got so popular.
Yeah. Right now, that up-and-coming, affordable place is Crestline.
Many of the people who move up here from Los Angeles are creative folks. Some people relocate to Crestline for the peaceful forest, clean air, and hiking trails. There are also a lot of families with young kids on the mountain and the incoming kindergarten classes at the elementary school are getting bigger every year.
Prior to purchasing our house, I searched “is Crestline a good place to live” on Google, half a hundred times. During that search, I came across a few specific questions people seemed to have about life in Crestline. Let me help you out if you, too, have similar questions…
Fog
There are times in Crestline and the surrounding communities when the clouds slam into the mountain and turn into a beautiful fog that rolls through our canyons and streets.
Does it make it more difficult to drive? A little. It might even be somewhat intimidating if you don’t have experience driving in fog. As long as you take it slow and drive safely, you shouldn’t have any problems. I promise you will get used to it!

Groceries
Crestline, in my humble opinion, has the best grocery store on the mountain. Goodwin’s resembles a city grocery store in that you can get your organic produce and kombucha, along with all of your grocery staples. They have a great butcher, a soda fountain, and a coffee bar where you can come in between snow storms to talk to locals and soothe your cabin fever. Goodwin’s is a large, well-stocked, and very clean store – definitely not your typical mountain grocery store.
Wildlife
We have a very interesting mix of animals here on the mountain. Squirrels, foxes, and lizards regularly dash around our property. We do get the more intimidating wild animals as well.
We live on the outskirts of Crestline in a community called Cedarpines Park. It’s quieter out here so we tend to have bears come by at night and raid our trash can, but as soon as they hear a noise, they leave. For the most part, the animals up here don’t want anything to do with people.
I know plenty of people in Crestline proper who have never even seen a bear.
To avoid having bears come around, you can build a locked bear box for your trash cans or buy a sturdy plastic one at Costco. I, of course, have yet to take my own advice, so we are a regular on the neighborhood bear’s trash can crawl!
It’s a generally accepted rule that as long as you avoid hiking at night, just after sunrise, and just before sunset, you will do a pretty darn good job at avoiding most of these animals. We have a few motion sensor lights that let us know if there are animals on our property. It’s a great way to avoid a surprise visit by the neighborhood bear!
Winter
The winters on the mountain have varied since we first got here in 2015. This last winter was by far the snowiest, stormiest one yet. Each day felt like an adventure. In other years, winters have been more warm and dry. If there is a rhyme or reason to the winters on this mountain, I haven’t figured it out yet.
Overall, Crestline gets just the right amount of winter weather to give us a good excuse to keep a fire burning in our fireplace, but not too much to where we are snowed in. The communities further up the mountain such as Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs, get more snow.
It’s a good idea to keep a shovel handy, just in case you have to move some snow to get your car out of
If you long for defined seasons while still living in Southern California, Crestline is a great place to get’em. We have winter weather, daffodils in the spring, mild, warm summers, and fall colors as the oak and dogwood leaves get ready to drop. And, if you want to head to the beach or desert in the dead of winter, both are just a short drive away!
The United States Postal Service doesn’t offer home delivery on the mountain. When you buy or rent a home on the mountain, USPS will allow you to have a free PO Box at one of the local post offices. You just have to provide a utility bill to prove you live here.
There are post offices in Crestline, Cedarpines Park, and Valley of Enchantment. We live very close to the Cedarpines Park post office, but our box is in Crestline. I personally love to have a reason to make the short drive into town. The post office is a great place to run into friends.
Sometimes, the greatest drama of the day is deciding who will hold the door of the post office open for others – and that’s the way I like it!
If, like us, you prefer to order things from Amazon to avoid sitting in Southern California traffic on the way to the store, there is a solution for you. If you sign up for Amazon Prime, the shipments come via UPS and they WILL deliver to your home. You just have to make sure you buy items that are eligible for Prime shipping.
Things to Do
A while back, I wrote a post to let visitors to Crestline know what to do here in our mountain town. There are some things I’d like to add to that list that are specifically for those who live here, rather than those who are just visiting.

Yoga at the Library
The local Crestline library surprised me. I did not expect to find a mountain library housed in a nice, modern building. It’s not huge, but you can order any book in the San Bernardino County Library system to check out. And, every Monday and Wednesday they have a free yoga class at noon.
Children’s Events at the Library
If your family includes small humans, there are a few weekly events at the library dedicated to the younger age groups including Kids on the Move for kids under five, Storytime for the family, and Tiny Hoppers for the littlest ones in your family. It is great to get the kids to the library and it’s also a wonderful place to meet parents for future playdates!
Jamboree Days
Every year on Fourth of July, the town celebrates for the entire weekend with events including the Fourth of July Parade and a block party. It’s a charming, small-town celebration and is totally family-friendly.
Farmers Market & Live Music
Also during the warm weather months, there is now a wonderful farmers market and live music on Friday nights. It takes place on the North shore of Lake Gregory in the parking lot and stage areas. You can get good pizza, tri-tip, and other foodie offerings for dinner, and afterwards enjoy drinks and live music overlooking the lake. The shore of the lake is open for the kids to run around and watch the ducks.
Lake Gregory
Lake Gregory is a great place to go for some peace and exercise. The path that encircles the lake is the perfect walking trail. During the summer months, a water park springs up on the south shore. For a fee, you can enjoy the park and beach.
Corks’n’Hops
I may be a little biased since my husband and I are the resident vintage vinyl DJs at this event, but this is my favorite thing to do in Crestline. Corks’n’Hops is a monthly beer and wine tasting event during the warm weather months. Attendees include locals and out-of-towners alike. You can enjoy beer and wine in both the Top Town and Lake Gregory parts of town and take a free shuttle between the two. If you stop by Top Town, you’ll get a nice dose of vintage rock and roll courtesy of my husband and

Rim Bowling
Rim Bowling is not your typical, high tech bowling alley. It is a charming bowling alley with vintage flair. I recently went with my family and we had a wonderful time. They have pizza and an attached Subway for food and a full bar for adult fun. Oh, and be sure to check out the vintage arcade in back!
If you have more questions about life in this wonderful little mountain town, be sure to comment below! Also, check out the other post I wrote about things to do while visiting Crestline.
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Nice blog. I hope to run into you during Corks & Hops or Jamboree Days!
Linda & Tim Richards
I am sure we will see you around. Those are two of our favorite events! Thank you for stopping by my blog!
Hi Linda,
I enjoyed reading about your experience living in Crestline. I have a couple of questions for you but I don’t know if you respond to emails. I will include my email and if you’re able to get back to me through email, I’d appreciate that.
Thank you.
Rachel
Hi Linda,
Is there an area of Crestline that you recommend for people with kids that want wooded views? I have seen a few in the Arrowhead Heights areas but was hoping for an insiders opinion. It seems homes on the north side of the lake are more crammed together and the roads seem worse for snow days. Any thoughts are appreciated as we want to buy in the area soon.
Hi.. I’m so glad I found this on my google search. I’m trying to decide if I’m putting an offer on a home in Crestline tomorrow AM and currently live in Venice Beach. I don’t want to go as far as Big Bear Since I still have to be in LA part of the week but wanted a small community feel and the ability to walk around a lake. I’m so glad you posted these events and perspective 🙂 Thank you!
You’re welcome! I hope you find the perfect home for yourself. The area around the lake is so beautiful and quick access to the lake would be wonderful. It’s the perfect morning walk. We are especially thankful for our outdoor mountain space these days 🙂 Best of luck to you on your search!
P.S. You’re website and designs are beautiful!
I was so happy to come across this blog post. We are buying a house in Crestline (Valley of Enchantment to be specific) and I’ve been really curious about what it will be like living there–especially trying to meet people during a pandemic! I had no idea about mail delivery–any other unique tips like that?
Hi, Marjorie! Welcome to the mountain! I can’t think of any other unique tips, but I do have a blog post about some of the fun local places to check out. http://litflower.com/things-to-do-crestline-ca/
Things have been a little quiet during the pandemic, but don’t be discouraged. There are so many wonderful local places to check out and many of them are open and have safety measures in place to make you feel comfortable. Some local shops even deliver or have shipping options, so be sure to ask. Hopefully, next year will be back to normal. When that happens, be sure to check out the weekly farmers market/concert and the monthly Corks’n’Hops event that both happen during the warm weather months. Both events are fun for adults, with beer and wine, but also are really great for families and kids. They are both really great ways to meet people in the community.
Please do not hesitate to get in contact with me if you have any more questions!
Hello Linda:
I had an existential crisis last year and left a good job that I had in both Cali and from 2014 to 2019 in Georgia. The comfortable rug was pulled out from under me and I pulled it. I had job prospects here with interviews in place and then Covid hit, those positions actually evaporated. I decided to take early retirement and now, on a fixed income, am looking for a place for my wife and I to retire while I make some money as a writer and podcaster. Because our budget is so low we have been looking in Crestline, Arrowhead and Big Bear but low end cost homes are far and few. Everyone tells me that Crestline has a high crime rate although compared to cities like Brea, Anaheim, and such it does not but those stories of druggies and getting your home or car broken into persist. Maybe I am paranoid but what are your thoughts? You do beautifully paint a nice picture. Need help from an honest person. Thanks in advance. OH< and we will be looking at a property today not far from that market you go to and another farther away at Cederpark- (more remote).
I wish I had seen this post earlier and I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. I am sorry for the troubles you’ve had due to the pandemic. I am very interested in your career in as a writer and podcaster. I am an aspiring podcaster – I just need to work up the courage! As far as Crestline goes – my husband and I are raising two children in Crestline/Cedarpines Park and we have always felt that it is an excellent place for us. I have heard from some that they are worried about Crestline’s reputation for drugs and crime, but, in five years, we have never had any negative experiences. Our experience has been the opposite. Since we moved to the mountain, the sense of community here seems to be growing and there are more and more community events. They have been put on hold because of the pandemic, but I am confident they will return and the town will continue to bloom and thrive.
Hello! Enjoyed reading your blog. My husband and I along with our 2 four legged kids are thinking of buying a cabin in Crestline. It is a big decision and are weighing out the pros and cons. The biggest worry are the fires and living in an area that is a high risk for fires. Can you tell us a little about that concern?
It is a concern when the winds pick up. That doesn’t happen all the time, though. Southern California Edison has been doing LOTS of work on the mountain over the last two years, making sure the electrical equipment is all in good shape and the trees are cleared away from wires. Our winters have been VERY wet these last couple of years which is a huge help. There are some alert systems available for phones that will alert you if there is a fire anywhere near you, so I always feel informed about what is going on in our mountain area. Fires are definitely a concern, but, then again, most of California is fire territory these days and bigger towns and cities have been catching on fire too. Please let me know if you have any more questions and thanks for stopping by!
Thanks! I am considering purchasing a second home for an investment property in this area! Your blog is very encouraging.
Best of luck to your on your (possible) house hunt! It is such a nice place to be right now. A nice, peaceful escape from the craziness!
Hi
Thanks for sharing
We are making a trip to explore Crestline this weekend. An affordable mountain home seems perfect for our family. It was discouraging reading other opinions, so it was very refreshing reading your blog.
You had me at vintage vinyl DJs! <3
Hi there,
Do you still live in Crestline? Do you still love it? Thinking of moving there from Hollywood, I’m an artist and actor…love to hear your thoughts in 2022..
Thanks!
I am currently living in northern California, but many of my friends are still living on the mountain. As we were leaving, the popularity of Crestline went through the roof! There are a lot of former city dwellers who have moved to the mountain. As a result, there are new things to do and many people to meet. Look on the Crestline Chamber of Commerce website for events. I suggest heading up the mountain for Corks n Hops and Jamboree Days. Those events will give you a great feel for the town. I miss it!