Ojai

The town was founded as Nordhoff in 1874 and took the Chumash-derived name Ojai in 1917, the same year glass tycoon Edward Libbey rebuilt the downtown in the Spanish Colonial style with the arcade, post office tower and pergola that still define it. Ojai has drawn artists, musicians and spiritual communities for a century, from the Krotona Institute and Krishnamurti to the Ojai Music Festival.

The city is compact. Downtown along Ojai Avenue, the residential streets around it and the Ojai Valley Inn make up most of the incorporated area. The East End along Highway 150 toward Santa Paula, with its orange groves and estates, and the valley communities to the west are outside the city limits but share its schools and identity.

Inside the city, the housing is a mix of early-twentieth-century Craftsman and Spanish homes, mid-century ranch houses and cottages on small lots within walking distance of the arcade. Inventory is small and turnover is low, and a large share of buyers come from Los Angeles looking for a second home or a permanent move out of the city.

The East End and the unincorporated valley hold the larger properties: ranches, estates and homes on an acre or more with orchards and mountain views. Those carry the highest prices in the valley. Water availability, septic systems and fire-zone insurance are part of due diligence on most properties outside the city core.

The Ojai Unified School District serves the city and the surrounding valley, with Nordhoff High School and neighborhood elementary and middle schools. Ojai also has a number of well-known private schools, including the Thacher School and Ojai Valley School. Boundaries follow streets, so check a specific address with the district.

Highway 33 runs south to Ventura and the 101 in about 25 minutes, and Highway 150 leads east to Santa Paula and west toward Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. Los Angeles is roughly 80 miles away. The Ojai Valley Trail runs along the old rail line to Ventura, and Los Padres National Forest trails begin at the valley’s edges.