Where are the best places to live in California and raise a family?

I am interesting in relocating to California with my family and am looking for a few areas to begin looking. I want to make sure I am in a suburban area that is not too far out into the mountains and away from civilization and not too close to LA, but not too far away either, I still want to be able to get to the city. Like now I live in between New York City and Philadelphia in the burbs. Any suggestions as to where I should begin looking?

Public Comments

1. Redlands, outside of San Bernardino...
2. venture county especially simi valley, thousand oaks. See LA in http://www.bayareavisit.com/LA.html
3. Look into North County San Diego in suburbs like Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, San Marcos, Rancho Bernardo, ect... The coastal suburbs are the nicest b/c of the climate and beach but it's a little cheaper inland. It's about a 45-60 minutes away from the mountains, about 45 minutes to Orange County, and about 1.5 hours from Downtown Los Angeles and 30-45 min from Downtown San Diego. I work in North County in Carlsbad and it seems like a great place to raise a family. Low crime, good schools, friendly people, lots to do, ect... It's "cheaper" than OC and LA too.