Want Ocean Views + Good Schools...where should we live? (Irvine: real estate, cliquey)

[Muffinsw]

Moving to So-Cal this summer from Vancouver, Canada and need advice on which neighborhood to end up in.
LOOKING FOR:
-Good ranking schools with nice parents (not cliquey or fake) - Our kids are in Middle School.
-a fair dose of Asians (maybe 20%? Definitely more than 5%) as we are Chinese-American
-a home we can renovate with a very ocean view (that nice horizon line that separates sea from ocean from my living room), doesnt have to be close to the beach as its views I'm after. PV homes seem to fit the bill.
-No need to commute (work from home)
-hopefully not too sleepy suburban (or am I asking too much?). Not interested in the Burlingame/Hermosa small town feel...
-Budget $2M. We are fortunate that real estate in Canada will allow us this budget.

We have lived in the Bay Area and are looking for Palo Alto with an Ocean View from the living room without the pretentiousness.

Suggestions on where we should we live?


Our research keeps bringing us back to Palos Verdes - I worry it just doesnt have the cache like Manhattan Beach, its too isolated and sleepy. Part of us wants to escape slow Vancouver, yet we have kids that need a safe environment. Malibu is more central and ocean views to die for but not diverse enough. Also, is PV cliquey or down to earth/easy to make friends? Manhattan Beach too expensive and probably no ocean view for our budget, not diverse enough? Anywhere else further up from South Bay in LA? For ocean views, the problem with beach cities (Hermosa, Manhattan Laguna, Newport etc) is the lack of diversity. Not interested in SGV or Arcadia.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by Muffinsw

Moving to So-Cal this summer from Vancouver, Canada and need advice on which neighborhood to end up in.
LOOKING FOR:
-Good ranking schools with nice parents (not cliquey or fake) - Our kids are in Middle School.
-a fair dose of Asians (maybe 20%? Definitely more than 5%) as we are Chinese-American
-a home we can renovate with a very ocean view (that nice horizon line that separates sea from ocean from my living room), doesnt have to be close to the beach as its views I'm after. PV homes seem to fit the bill.
-No need to commute (work from home)
-hopefully not too sleepy suburban (or am I asking too much?). Not interested in the Burlingame/Hermosa small town feel...
-Budget $2M. We are fortunate that real estate in Canada will allow us this budget.

We have lived in the Bay Area and are looking for Palo Alto with an Ocean View from the living room without the pretentiousness.

Suggestions on where we should we live?


Our research keeps bringing us back to Palos Verdes - I worry it just doesnt have the cache like Manhattan Beach, its too isolated and sleepy. Part of us wants to escape slow Vancouver, yet we have kids that need a safe environment. Malibu is more central and ocean views to die for but not diverse enough. Also, is PV cliquey or down to earth/easy to make friends? Manhattan Beach too expensive and probably no ocean view for our budget, not diverse enough? Anywhere else further up from South Bay in LA? For ocean views, the problem with beach cities (Hermosa, Manhattan Laguna, Newport etc) is the lack of diversity. Not interested in SGV or Arcadia.

Although there are few Asians in Laguna Beach, living there would put you very close to Irvine, which certainly has a large Asian population. It's a compromise, because I doubt that you will find any beach cities in SoCal that have many Asians. Just something to consider.

[HB2HSV]

Newport Beach.


Not because you're Asian but just because it's a better quality of life (plenty of Asians there too).


But you only have $2M, so finding one with ocean view while within your budget will be a challenge.

[BRinSM]

If Hermosa is too sleepy for you, PV will be a complete snooze fest. Keep in mind that ocean view communities in CA are either on the sand or in nearby hills. The sand front homes will certainly exceed your budget. The view homes from the hills tend to be in sleepier communities.

[LoveMeSomeSFVHouses]

Agreed, PV is very isolated, if you think Hermosa is quiet, PV is even more so.

I'm a little confused by the request for diversity but wanting a 20% Asian demographic. I'd strongly suggest looking at the demographics on beach towns as well.

Newport sounds like a good suggestion above, but if you decide that you don't mind being near the ocean, you could get all you're looking for (good schools, price point) in Santa Anita area as well.

[Muffinsw]

What do you mean by better quality of life? Any particular aspects?

[Muffinsw]

People have pointed me to Laguna Beach. How would you compare the two - Laguna vs PV? Is Laguna one with more cache? Yuppie?

[Mr. Zero]

I'm not sure what the overall Manhattan Beach demographics are, but the schools definitely feel like they are 20%+ Asian, especially if you include half-Asian households. My oldest is in elementary. There are about 25 kids in the class and I can think of four that have two Asian parents and at least another three that I know have at least one Asian parent. There have been very few other minorities. It's not exactly my definition of diverse, but that's how it is.

For ocean views, you would have had some options at $2MM five or six years ago, but you're probably going to have to compromise these days. Your best chance at scoring an ocean view in that range will be in the El Porto (North MB) neighborhood.

[NeganGrimes]

living in an area specifically because you want to be around people of your own race, isn't that kinda racist? I thought california was supposed to be all about "diversity"?

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by NeganGrimes

living in an area specifically because you want to be around people of your own race, isn't that kinda racist? I thought california was supposed to be all about "diversity"?

Learn to read with comprehension as the OP said 20% the same which means 80% different. That is diversity.