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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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Oct 23, 2017 - 08:42am PT
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Yeah...Avoid Monrovia at all costs...! rj
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10b4me
Mountain climber
Retired
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Oct 23, 2017 - 08:49am PT
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Pasadena is hot, smoggy and an inland urban extension of East LA
Hahaha, but somewhat true.
and the drive to Irvine would take an hour and a half
Try two and a half hours, if you're lucky.
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Oct 23, 2017 - 09:09am PT
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In South Laguna I lived in two beach cottages above Woods Cove (rent) and one mansion at Beach of 1000 Steps (free*),
on campus at UCI, in two townhouses in East Bluff (free*)
and one duplex in Costa Mesa near 17th (rent).
*connections, connections, connections
I'd take Laguna by a mile.
If you're on the cheap and dirtbag ready there are caves in Laguna Canyon which will sustain life.
Laguna has history too.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 23, 2017 - 09:23am PT
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Laguna’s great, as long as you don’t have to go anywhere, other than on foot.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Oct 23, 2017 - 09:26am PT
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Welcoming you in advance to Southern California!
I moved here 4 years ago after 30 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and have no regrets. Northern California is wonderful and San Francisco is an amazing city, but for a climber, SoCal has a lot of advantages.
I agree with the advice to rent for a year and get a sense of the communities and most importantly, the traffic patterns. By far the WORST aspect of life down here is the traffic. Until you have experienced it, you cannot even imagine it.
If your job is in Irvine, I disagree with the idea of living in the beach communities. Yes they are gorgeous but much pricier and the commute can be difficult. Rent close to work for the first year. I don't think you have to worry about access to "culture" no matter where you live. The whole of LA and the OC is readily available. I would stay Irvine or north of it because that is closer to your escape to the climbing areas. When you arrive, check out Sender One in Santa Ana (on the border of Tustin). Fantastic climbing gym.
Phyl
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Oct 23, 2017 - 09:39am PT
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Yeah rent at first until acclimatization sets in like I said
and
walk a mile in my flip flops.
Traveling in SoCal is knowing when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em.
I can make it from Chula Vista to La Crescenta in two hours, a trip which can run up to 3-5 hours if done incorrectly.
I ain't telling when I travel.
EDIT:
By car, but getting into and out of two airports is likely two hours itself
↓↓
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10b4me
Mountain climber
Retired
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Oct 23, 2017 - 09:46am PT
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I can make it from Chula Vista to La Crescenta in two hours, a trip which can run up to 3-5 hours if done incorrectly.
Yeah, the flight into Burbank is better than flying into LAX.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 23, 2017 - 10:11am PT
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the flight into Burbank is better than flying into LAX.
Unless yer on an A380! ;-)
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Craig Fry
Trad climber
So Cal.
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Oct 23, 2017 - 10:44am PT
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What's the temp today at all these great places you endorse to move to?
it's F-ing 110 degrees FFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffff
or is it 113 today?
CM, a cool 86 degrees
that's a >24 degree difference
Well I was wrong, the forecast is 101 in Pasadena for today.
But those Mts. out your door are Poison Oak laden scrub chaparral, and there isn't much you can do on them w/out a good trail and a cool day.
The Laguna Hills are way better for Mt. Biking, and you can boulder on real rock at Pirates Cove, a 10 min drive.
We have better road biking trails as well.
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Oct 23, 2017 - 11:12am PT
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There's tiny condos in Sunset Beach right on PCH that sell cheap. When I was looking in 2011 they were going for 135,000. Leased land and all of 450 square feet.
Turk's is right across the street. And so is the beach.
Splitting my time between Huntington Beach and Sierra Madre I see both sides.
Huntington Beach has the perfect climate, but you're buried down there in the belly of the beast. It's two hours just to get to the edge of the megalopolis.
Pasadena gets ungodly hot three months of the year, true. But from the house in Sierra Madre I can throw on a pack and walk out the door and backpack for days. The Gold Line can get you most places in LA. No driving! Unlike Orange County, Pasadena has culture. And Donald Bren doesn't run Pasadena.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Oct 23, 2017 - 12:27pm PT
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Along the coast is going to be cooler and there will be plenty of times you may appreciate that. If you are more inland, look for a location which typically has access to the coastal breezes. So maybe close to work with a bit of elevation compared to the surrounding region. Hah, and Laguna Beach is still very cool, just not as cool as it was in the 60's and 70's.
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Oct 23, 2017 - 07:06pm PT
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One more important point. Pasadena is a lot closer to Dal Rae.
http://www.dalrae.com/
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Oct 24, 2017 - 10:01am PT
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THocking is spot on! Don't pull the trigger! That 405 and 5 exchange is a highway nightmare. I lived in SoCal for many years and simply got tired of the asshats that cut each other off and brandish guns at one another. Southern Sierra livin' for me!!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 24, 2017 - 10:49am PT
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Mooch, we all can’t live at the Kern River Brewery. Jess sayin’...
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Gunkie
Trad climber
Valles Marineris
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Oct 24, 2017 - 11:35am PT
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I almost took a job in Irvine back around 1990 with the Silicon Valley firm I was working with. At the time, Laguna Beach was calling my name as the commute from there wasn't too bad. Had an apartment lined up a block from Brooks Street and that sweet left hand reef break. Then life took a funky turn.
I suspect the commute from Laguna Beach is no longer not too bad. YMMV and good luck.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Lassitude 33
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Oct 24, 2017 - 12:05pm PT
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In general, I would have to agree with Craig. Unlike most posters, he actually lives in CM.
Avoid any areas to more than a few miles the north or northeast of Irvine, if you are going to be working in Irvine - purely because commuting (either 55 or 405) could be very unpleasant.
Personally, I don't like Irvine as a potential place to live, but tons of others think it is great (those with kids and tiger moms). IMHO, overpriced and lacks soul.
Avoid the coastal parts of Newport as it is very expensive and too conservative for my taste.
Lake Forest isn't a bad option, much less expensive, close by and should be an relatively easy commute (you could even bike to work). And, you are http://www.supertopo.com/inc/editforum.php?did=PTw9OyclISsgJyA,&dtid=PTw9OyQnKistISU,close to the 241 Toll road, which will get out out of town towards Tahquitz or Josh more quickly.
Foothill Ranch is about as far as you might want to go south-east and has good access to getting out of town and wilderness parks and national forest. [Rancho Santa Margarita and environs are near toll roads and lots of open space, but are kinda in the hinterlands, have an Irvine vibe, and get pretty warm in summer.]
Laguna is probably the best spot (I'm biased), top quality hiking, Mt. Biking, road rides, nice feel, actually a real "town", but can be crammed with tourists when the weather is nice and is very pricey.
Aliso Viejo is a possibility, but it does has elements of Irvine about it (master planned) but less expensive, close to open space, etc.
If you go too far south, you run into commuting issues, but there are nice options in San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente.
BTW, with that type of income, buying a place is hardly out of reach, but renting initially is always a good idea (but ultimately could be more expensive).
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