place to live near Irvine, Calif

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ms55401

Trad climber

minneapolis, mn

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 21, 2017 - 02:55pm PT

can anyone suggest a good town/neighborhood to live near Irvine? I have a job opportunity there (currently live in the Midwest and know very little about southern California)
thanks

edit: single guy, no wife/gf (couple mistresses, bridges will be burned), no pets. Would like a house over an apt/townhouse

NutAgain!

Trad climber

South Pasadena, CA

Oct 21, 2017 - 03:07pm PT

I hope it's a high paying job. Irvine is a pre-planned city with super wide streets, perfect curbs and sidewalks and carefully manicured everything, cookie-cutter houses and high prices. Lots of nice places to live near there if you have enough money.

There are lots of little micro-environments with the beach towns along there, and you'll need to explore to figure out what matches the vibe you are looking for.

If money is tight or you want to conserve for a brighter future, look closer toward Garden Grove, Cypress, Cerritos, Lakewood. Then the commute becomes a trade-off.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 21, 2017 - 03:18pm PT

Give us a budget so we can send you to either Santa Ana or Corona.

Gary

Social climber

Desolation Basin, Calif.

Oct 21, 2017 - 03:56pm PT

Irvine is nice if you like stoplights every 100 yards.

Like Reilly said, what's your budget? There's still spots in Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach that are affordable (by SoCal standards)

ms55401

Trad climber

minneapolis, mn

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 21, 2017 - 04:00pm PT

so, couple more notes here:
1. annual income about (but under) $200
2. I'd have to work in Irvine but not live there necessarily
3. I've never been to Tahquitz, like J-Tree well enough, but am mostly keen about blasting off to the Sierra on weekends and want a quick escape
4. like "culture", which basically means having quick access to one good coffeehouse and one good bar and maybe a theater that plays indie stuff

thanks

10b4me

Mountain climber

Retired

Oct 21, 2017 - 04:29pm PT

Huntington Beach, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley come to mind.
The longest part of Sierra trip will be getting thru he OC, and LA traffic.

johntp

Trad climber

socal

Oct 21, 2017 - 04:46pm PT

Lake Forest. Relatively quiet place if you get away from the I5. I lived there for 11 years and have no regrets. For the area it is "reasonably" priced. Much lower cost than Irvine. Are you looking for a house or an apartment?

edit: just noticed you want a house. Be ready to lay out $700k in Orange County. Sounds like you are making an income to swing it, but if I were you I would look elsewhere. SoCal is just way too expensive.

ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Social climber

Wilds of New Mexico

Oct 21, 2017 - 05:20pm PT

I would pay whatever it takes to be in one of the beach communities. The ocean is a great outdoor adventure outlet, learn to surf, etc., Better culture. Avoid the soul crushing inland areas!

zBrown

Ice climber

Oct 21, 2017 - 08:22pm PT

Irvine has grown a lot since I was there (early seventies). You may find that just the daily commute to your job will wear you down.

I would try to rent, maybe buy, somewhere close to work

Get acclimated

Then decide

Check this out about 7:00 am Monday morning

https://www.sigalert.com/map.asp?lat=33.72781&lon=-117.71736&z=1

surfstar

climber

Santa Barbara, CA

Oct 21, 2017 - 09:46pm PT

Rent. For at least a year, and not a house. Save your cash, then see if sinking it into a house is actually worth it and you'll get a better idea of where you want to live.

I'm biased (see avatar), so I say rent a small apt near the beach.

johntp

Trad climber

socal

Oct 21, 2017 - 10:10pm PT

I would pay whatever it takes to be in one of the beach communities.

You must make a lot of cash. $200k/year barely buys you a place in OC. Not going to cut it in a beach area. Even in Santa Ana (the dregs of OC) a house will run you upwards of $550k. Buying an average priced house in inland OC requires $175k/year. In a beach community expect to pay northwards of $1 million easy.

edit: rent near a beach will run about $3000/month. I paid $2000/month in Lake Forest for a 800 sq. ft. one bedroom..

johntp

Trad climber

socal

Oct 21, 2017 - 10:53pm PT

The longest part of Sierra trip will be getting thru he OC, and LA traffic.

No kidding! The drive down (or up) the 5 can take hours from South OC; then you have to deal with the 14. When I moved from Whittier (north OC) to Lake Forest (far south OC) my trips to the sierra dropped dramatically due to hours spent on the I5. The I91 to I15 to 395 looks good on paper but the drive through the high desert is a freaking nightmare; worse than the I5 if you can believe it.

bootysatva

Trad climber

Idyllwild / Joshua Tree Ca.

Oct 22, 2017 - 07:37am PT

Temperature inversion layer keeps the smog in and makes the entire area poisonous.
Even Idyllwild gets smoggy. Especially in July and August.

To many rats in that cage.
Ernesto

Craig Fry

Trad climber

So Cal.

Oct 22, 2017 - 08:35am PT

OMG
You should move to Costa Mesa East Side near 17th Street.
It's the best part of SoCal and cheap in comparison to any other beach areas
The weather is mild, the ocean breeze keeps the air clean, there is no planned BS with stop lights every 10 ft.
We don't even need air conditioning, our electrical bills are $30 a month.
We walk to shopping and dining, it takes 2 minutes to get on the freeways, and most the traffic is going the opposite direction.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 22, 2017 - 08:48am PT

^^^ But it might be hard deciding which gang to join, nawmean?

BTW, the East Bluff area of Newport Beach has townhomes under $1KK (I know, right?) and some rentals. The Upper Back Bay area also has apartments, but you better like 757’s taking off over you. Hey, there’s no free lunch!

Craig Fry

Trad climber

So Cal.

Oct 22, 2017 - 09:06am PT

Sorry to disappoint, the East Side of CM is whiter than Irvine, the gangs hide on the West Side.
Newport Beach is basically 1/4 mile away.

The airport noise is the one draw back, but you can set your watch to the shut down at 10pm and start up again at 7 in the morning.

Gary

Social climber

Desolation Basin, Calif.

Oct 23, 2017 - 07:45am PT

3. I've never been to Tahquitz, like J-Tree well enough, but am mostly keen about blasting off to the Sierra on weekends and want a quick escape

Sounds like you'd be better off in Pasadena.

4. like "culture", which basically means having quick access to one good coffeehouse and one good bar and maybe a theater that plays indie stuff

In Orange County when they hear the word "culture" they reach for their revolvers.

Again, sounds like you'd be better off in Pasadena.

Craig Fry

Trad climber

So Cal.

Oct 23, 2017 - 08:07am PT

disregard all advice about Orange County being filled with what ever.

Pasadena is a hell hole compared to Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar or Laguna Beach.

These places all have culture, and they have the most important thing; cooler climates, if you go inland more than 3 miles it going be almost as hot as F-ing Cucamonga,

Pasadena is hot, smoggy and an inland urban extension of East LA
and the drive to Irvine would take an hour and a half