Desert Villa Mobile Home Park in Barstow, CA

Pros

• They love being there; it's a place where one can be free.
• They feel safe there; it feels like home.
• The place is clean and friendly.
• The atmosphere is friendly.
• It has a great location in Barstow, close to everything, with easy freeway access, stores, and Walmart.
• The space feels cozy.

Cons

• The manager's attitude is described as trash.
• The reviewer had to hang up on the manager mid-phone call due to nastiness.
• Maintenance is left to renters, though it should be the property owner's responsibility.
• The atmosphere is unfriendly, with references to fake, grimy, and heartless people.
• The manager is deemed improper and the place receives a thumbs-down.

Review

Desert Villa Mobile Home Park in Barstow is best suited for older adults who want a compact, homey setting within easy reach of shopping and services, and who can accept a lighter-touch, more self-directed model of management. The vibe is unpretentious and practical, with residents describing a cozy, safe feel that supports a simple, daily routine. For those who own or rent a single lot and value independence, the park offers legitimate appeal, especially given its convenient Barstow location near freeways, big-box stores, and daily necessities. The core constraint is reliance on personal initiative for exterior upkeep and a degree of administrative looseness. Anyone seeking turnkey maintenance, proactive on-site management, or a highly polished community experience should consider alternatives.

The strongest, most durable positives center on atmosphere, cleanliness, and location. Residents repeatedly note a clean, friendly environment and a straightforward, down-to-earth vibe that avoids pretension. The sense of safety, an uncomplicated, neighborly environment, contributes to genuine peace of mind for daily living. Geographically, the park’s placement near major corridors and amenities translates into minimal travel friction for errands, groceries, and routine appointments. The combination of a cozy feel with practical accessibility gives the everyday experience a grounded, workable quality that many budget-conscious movers prize.

Yet several persistent drawbacks temper those advantages. Management behavior and responsiveness emerge as a recurrent concern, casting a pall over what otherwise might be a smooth stay. A number of reviews describe a manager whose attitude hovers around curt or difficult to engage with, which compounds friction when problems arise. More fundamentally, the ownership-to-tenant boundary around maintenance is blurred: lots are largely left to renters to upkeep, even though appearances and exterior condition are expectations the property owners should meet. That misalignment creates ongoing tension and uncertainty, especially for newcomers who arrive expecting a more straightforward, managed landscape.

In evaluating how the positives offset the negatives, the practical equation tilts toward a clear conclusion: location, safety, and a modest, homey atmosphere address many day-to-day needs, but management and maintenance gaps erode long-term confidence. For residents who prize autonomy, privacy, and a low-key living footprint, the park’s model can still work well. The affordability and the sense of belonging that come with a smaller, non-formal community are meaningful rewards. However, for anyone who requires consistent, professional management and a clearly defined maintenance plan, the risks become nontrivial enough to justify exploring other communities first.

Alternatives are worth serious consideration for anyone prioritizing predictable service and professional oversight. Seek parks with explicit, written maintenance responsibilities that separate what owners handle from what on-site staff manages. Look for evidence of responsive management, regular upkeep schedules, and a track record of timely problem resolution. Prospective residents should talk to current tenants about their experiences with issue resolution, request a copy of the park’s maintenance policy, and verify current condition reports for exterior spaces and common areas. If proximity to Barstow amenities remains essential, the field exists for communities that balance convenience with stronger, more reliable governance.

In the end, Desert Villa offers a practical foothold in Barstow for those who want a simple, affordable place to call home and can tolerate a lighter management touch. It rewards personal responsibility, quiet neighborhood dynamics, and a central location that cuts down on daily commuting headaches. The downsides, the challenging management demeanor and the expectation that renters will shoulder exterior upkeep, are nontrivial enough to alter the calculus for long-term residency. Decision-makers should weigh governance clarity, maintenance boundaries, and trust in management as heavily as location and price. If those factors align, Desert Villa can be a solid fit; if not, exploring alternatives with stronger oversight and defined responsibilities will likely yield a more predictable, less stressful living arrangement.

Restaurants

• Frosty Donuts (0.1 miles)
• Just Grill It (0.3 miles)
• Jack In The Box (0.3 miles)
• Burger King (0.5 miles)
• Barstow Burgers (0.5 miles)
• Green Burrito (0.5 miles)
• Los Domingos Restaurant (0.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.3 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (0.6 miles)
• Roy's Cafe (1.7 miles)
• Panera Bread (5.4 miles)
• Starbucks (5.5 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.5 miles)
• Amtrak Station (2 miles)
• BNSF Railway (2.9 miles)
• Rent A Wreck New Sunrise (3.8 miles)
• BNSF Barstow Terminal (4.4 miles)

Theaters

• Barstow Station Cinema 6 (0.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Seventh-Day Adventist Church (0.8 miles)
• Connection Community Church (1.3 miles)
• Assembly Of God Barstow Korean Church (1.4 miles)
• Catholic Church St Joseph (1.5 miles)
• Apostolic Lighthouse of Barstow (1.6 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (1.6 miles)
• Barstow First Assembly (2.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Barstow Community Hospital (1.2 miles)
• Barstow Community Hospital, One Call Scheduling (1.4 miles)

Physicians

• Barstow Surgical (1.2 miles)
• Basa Jessica MD (1.2 miles)
• Thakran Purnima MD PhD (1.3 miles)
• Dr Jessica Basa MD., Barstow Family Care (1.3 miles)
• Barstow Women's Medical Center (1.3 miles)
• Desert Cities Dialysis (1.3 miles)
• High Desert Heart Institute (1.3 miles)

Parks

• Sportspark (1.6 miles)
• Mojave National Preserve (1.7 miles)
• H Street Soccer Fields (3 miles)
• Public Works (3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (1.7 miles)
• Prescription Shoppe (1.8 miles)