# Potentially moving to Pomona



## teapotter (Feb 1, 2007)

Hello out there:

I might be moving there. It looks like it's a great place to live with respect to road riding, with the mountains right there. Any of y'all care to comment? How's the air quality?

Thanks in advance!


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Though the air quality isn't nearly as choking and eye-watering as it was twenty years ago (thank you California smog laws!), the Pomona area still probably has the worst air quality in Southern California. Pomona itself has some interesting neighborhoods, and some interesting restaurants and shops. The town existed long before L.A.'s urban sprawl swallowed it up. When it comes to bicycling, not far away is one of SoCal's signature hill-climbs, Mt. Baldy.

Hope this helps.


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## quatre24 (Mar 18, 2008)

I live in Pomona in the Phillips Ranch area up in the hills in the south west part of the city. There are lots of various rides you can do. To the west-south west are great hill rides in Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, Walnut and Covnia Hills. Punete Hills is little more west making for harder hilly ride. Bonelli Park/Fairplex area is just to the north on the border with San Dimas. Mountains are just north of the city with GMR, GRR, foothills, and Mt. Baldy. To the east-south east is falter rides but the wind can pick blowing through the homes,office parks, shopping areas, and whats left of the dairy/farmlands making a tough ride. 

Try to avoid the main streets at rush hour times as most people travel to and from work from much further east where they live and working in places further west like LA basin and the OC. Stay out some local streets as they go through bad areas of the the city. Streets vary from smooth in better parts to really rough,broken pavement in other parts of the the city. There older main streets that use concrete instead of blacktop that is in various conditions. Some streets do not have room for bikes with cars parking next to the sidewalk and cars buzzing to your left on very busy streets. Holt Blvd. east of the 71 is one of the worst for traffic and street conditions. Some streets take through very old well kept neigborhoods that only the residents drive on open roads to the public due their off-beaten path. The homes above Fairplex is nice area with great views looking from the hill ridge. Pomona is one of the biggest cities in the area existing over 150 years of people living. The other cities on the border of Pomona poped up in the last 60 years taking chunks of Pomona with them them.

The weather can go very fogy in the mornings in the fall and winter being cold in the 50s at times. The late summer into early fall can reach into the 100s. Smog does get bad in the summer due to hills limiting its movement. Skies clear in the winter and spring allowing for amazing views of the mountains. Winds usual blow east to west or west to east due the shape of Pomona Valley.

For bike shops they are in the bordering cites of Walnut, San Dimas, and Claremont. Many different brands to choose from and each shop is different form each other. The area is not best the but is not the worst.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

Also, there are bike shops in neighboring cities Chino and Upland also have some worthy-to-mention bike shops. Air quality is my enemy but I ride regualarly. If you need bike lanes. Chino Hills and Chino have a large number of bike lanes. Beautiful scenary for those Saturday morning rides. BTW, I've lived in Chino (right next door to Pomona) for almost a year in and a half now (formerly from Orange County) and I love the area. I find that people in this area are more considerate to cyclists than in OC- well at least from my experience. Pomona has some questionable spots- like many cities do, but there are some really nice areas too. Terrain is the key and this area has it all.


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## teapotter (Feb 1, 2007)

Thanks for the info. Are any of the neighboring areas at all better for air quality? I might be attending school in Pomona (Western Health Sciences) so I can't be too far. And I'd like to still have access to those mountain roads if possible.


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## quatre24 (Mar 18, 2008)

The air quality is about the same all the in all the towns around Pomona. Smog tends to pile up against the mountains first. There are not a lot of good parts of Pomona just outside of the downtown area. The good parts are more along the edges of the city. From Phillips Ranch or Fairplex area it is about about 2-3 miles to downtown. Downtown has improved a lot in the past few years and might have some place to rent down there on the upper floors of building above the busniess, art galleries, resturants, etc. on top of being to right next to the campus. This means you could easliy walk to campus if you have to. Metro train station is right there too. 

Claremont is a college town and might may have some good deals for renting to students. From the southern part of Claremont to downtown Pomona it is about 4 to 5 miles of city/suburban riding. Jax Bike shop is close by at the Claremont Village area across from the metro station.


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