What to Know Before Moving to Riverside

Public Transportation and Getting Around

Riverside is a car-dependent city with a transit score of 37, according to walkscore.com. The convenient Metrolink connects Riverside with various points around Southern California and also runs down to Orange and San Diego Counties. You can purchase tickets and track the trains on the handy Metrolink Mobile App. Riverside Transit Agency runs extensive bus routes around the region. Even with Metrolink and the bus system, only about 2% of residents commute via public transit. With a bike score of 75, Riverside is a cycling-friendly city that provides several bike lanes on most major streets. The overall city walk score is 44, however, Downtown boasts an impressive walk score of 94. 

Riverside Cost of Living

Although the cost of living in Riverside is about 33% higher than the national average, it costs about 40% less to live in Riverside than in Los Angeles. Like almost every city in the country, housing accounts for the highest living cost. The median home cost in Riverside is about 80% higher than the national average but is significantly lower than California in general.

Some of Riverside’s Best Neighborhoods

Each of Riverside’s 28 neighborhoods, ranging from historic to new developments, offers a distinct and unique lifestyle. Downtown is the historical and cultural heart of the city where you’ll find single-family homes, apartments, and condos. Established in 1870, walkable Downtown is home to parks, shopping, great restaurants, and over a dozen historic sites. Wood Streets is a neighborhood established in the 1920s with charming homes on narrow tree-lined streets. Canyon Crest is one of Riverside’s most diverse neighborhoods with parks, trails, and plenty of shopping. Orangecrest is a popular neighborhood for its commuting convenience, lovely parks, and well-kept single-family homes. Victoria is an old, established neighborhood with the fourth-highest homeownership in Riverside. The centerpiece is the Victoria Country Club. 

Museums and Things to Do

The number of Riverside museums indicates the city’s appreciation for culture, art, and natural history. The Riverside Metropolitan Museum focuses on the diverse ethnicities of the city’s residents and their heritage. The Riverside Art Museum features historic Southern California and contemporary artists in its changing exhibits. The UCR California Museum of Photography investigates photography’s connection to art, politics, and society. The Mission Inn Museum showcases the founder’s artifacts from around the world. La Sierra University Stahl Center Museum of Culture also exhibits items from around the world. La Sierra University Museum of Natural History has a vast collection of taxidermied animals. March Field Air Museum exhibits 53 vintage aircraft and air memorabilia. You can also explore earth sciences at the Jurupa Mountains Cultural Center Museum and the living museum at the Jensen Alvarado Ranch.

In addition to museum-hopping, you can visit the California Citrus State Historic Park and the UCR Botanic Gardens. Between the Riverside Municipal Auditorium and the Fox Performing Arts Center, your calendar will be bursting with entertainment options throughout the year. 

Education

In addition to a number of highly-rated public and private K-12 schools, Riverside is home to five colleges and universities and seven vocational schools. The most renowned of these is the University of California, Riverside, a land-grant research university ranked among the top 1% universities worldwide and #12 among all universities in the United States.