Kind of looking at the area. Might apply for a job out there. Keep in mind I’m from the sticks of South Georgia. I’m married with two kids (4 and 1), three small dogs, three snakes and a 27-year-old cockatiel. I’ve never been to California.
The “Silicon Valley” of Orange County, a cycling crazy city, the center of the county from which many rides commence, and a place where you can have the opportunity to purchase a 2000 sq ft home with virtually no lot for $1 million. Oh, and if you purchase a newer home, you’ll get the luxury of paying Mello Roos taxes, about 2.3% - 2.8% above and beyond your regualr property taxes (add that up) to pay for parks, schools, etc that you may never get to use!
And you know what, I love living here. If you have a family, it’s as good as the OC gets. Parks, “Lakes”, great schools, endless community activities, central & within easy access to anything else in the county, as safe as it gets (people walking the streets late into the evening without worry), and perfect weather. Very “Stepford,” but better than some other communities in the area. Oh yeah, and it’s the only city in the county where you can legally walk down the street with an open beer in your hand!
I might also add, humbly, that it’s home to Sand Canyon Cyclery!
Ouch. I paid $120K for my 2,200 sq ft home with an acre lot in a nice neighborhood.
There are only two things you need to know.
http://www.socalcycling.com/Group%20Rides/weekly/como_street.htm
http://eteamz.active.com/novamasters/index.cfm?
Get your ass out here ASAP. And bring your A game.
The “Silicon Valley” of Orange County, a cycling crazy city, the center of the county from which many rides commence, and a place where you can have the opportunity to purchase a 2000 sq ft home with virtually no lot for $1 million. Oh, and if you purchase a newer home, you’ll get the luxury of paying Mello Roos taxes, about 2.3% - 2.8% above and beyond your regualr property taxes (add that up) to pay for parks, schools, etc that you may never get to use!
And you know what, I love living here. If you have a family, it’s as good as the OC gets. Parks, “Lakes”, great schools, endless community activities, central & within easy access to anything else in the county, as safe as it gets (people walking the streets late into the evening without worry), and perfect weather. Very “Stepford,” but better than some other communities in the area. Oh yeah, and it’s the only city in the county where you can legally walk down the street with an open beer in your hand!
I might also add, humbly, that it’s home to Sand Canyon Cyclery!
Don’t forget the 8-lane wide roads everywhere and traffic traffic traffic.
You have to go inland (Coto de Caza) or south to get away from the concrete jungle.
Ouch. I paid $120K for my 2,200 sq ft home with an acre lot in a nice neighborhood.
BTW, your definition of “nice” neighborhood may change.
Been a while but loved living there - I was in an “older” part of Irvine called Turtle Rock. Ran miles and miles on bike paths and sidewalks with my son in baby jogger, rode down coast Highway (when the Date Shack was still there!) and up through Laguna Canyon or out by Santiago Cyn on the bike, ran in the hills above Laguna…
House prices are worse now than then… my “oversized/premium” lot was 5000 sqft, an 1800 sqft house.
Loved it though. 15 minutes from the beach and 1 hour from hiking at 4000 ft in trabuco Cyn, 2+ hours from the big mountains. you could surf and ski in the same day.
I live about 20 minutes south in San Clemente. From Irvine east and southward you can find areas that make it hard to remember you’re living in one of the most densely-populated areas in the USA. There are wonderful open spaces in eastern Orange County and some great riding, and if you like the beach, Irvine is only 10-15 minutes from Newport/Laguna. If you like being outside year-round with great weather, very little rain, and centrally located to skiing, Disneyland, the beach, mountains, and desert, you’ll love it!
Sticker shock on housing is all I can say. It will be extremely expensive compared to where you live currently. Other than that, very nice area. Good public schools systems and nice bike/running paths. And you cannot beat the weather in California. No humidity and no snow. You can train on January 1st with no winter clothing!
“I’m married with two kids (4 and 1)”
How do you do that ?
I am one of the proud, the few, the native Orange Countian. When I was growing up, it was rural. Now it is a lot more crowded and still better than a lot of other places. Advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Someone mentioned 8 lanes of traffic. Who cares if you are not moving in two lanes or 4? That said, the normal commute can take you anywhere in less than 45 min. each way.
Irvine is in the business district, even though it is a fairly distributed concept. Really four main areas Airport Area (service industry and closest to Irvine), Spectrum (tech, southern county), Santa Ana (government center) and North county (industrial). All areas have good neighborhoods. Future is bright despite the fact that it has/had more mortgage brokers per capita than anywhere else in the country. LA Times reported that sooner than later, Los Angeles County will be a bedroom community for the OC.
Depending on where you live, you are at most a few minutes from sufficeintly wild space that you have the opportunity to be eaten by a mountain lion. How can you top that? (lots of trails you get to share with animal life, but attacks are the rare exception.) The thing that might freak you out is that it is a desert. Lots of other places in the country the default color is green. Here it is brown, landscaping notwithstanding.
Apply for the job and have a free trip on the company trying to recruit you.