Best Neighborhoods in Orange County for Young Professionals? (Los Angeles, Long Beach: home, quality of life)

[mdw7410]

What would the best neighborhood be for a mid-20's young professional relocating from NYC to Orange County?

More or less I've heard that the three places I should look into are Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Irvine. I guess because I'm moving across the country and don't know anyone in Orange County (and only a handful of people in LA), I'd ideally want to live in a place that is more conducive to the young professional/post-grad sort of crowd. Having heard comparisons of Long Island (where I grew up) and Orange County, it scares me a little to consider living there because there really isn't anything to do on Long Island, and I always used to end up in Manhattan one way or another.

[RudyOD]

If you don't want a Long Island scenario, then avoid Irvine completely. I wouldn't say that Huntington Beach and Newport Beach have the best nightlife of Southern California, but they have one. I say Huntington Beach is a better choice because you will be more centrally located to other great areas filled with young professionals in their 20's: downtown Fullerton, Newport Beach/Costa Mesa, Long Beach's 2nd st and Pine Ave (short drive from HB just up Pacific Coast Highway). I would say that of all the OC hubs, down town Fullerton is where you are bound to find the most 20 year olds. It is a great location, but it is also more affordable than Newport Beach.

Honestly, in Southern California you will find yourself most likely commuting (depending on the location of your job), and the majority of people have adjusted themselves to this disparate lifestyle where you drive around to different places for entertainment and meeting up, as suppose to walking or thinking locally.

If I may ask, why Orange County? Los Angeles has many communities that are much more vibrant and friendly to a young professional (whereas OC is more family friendly.)

[RudyOD]

So, okay, I came around your other post: you are relocating from Manhattan for a job in Anaheim. This makes a difference.

If you are avoiding a horrendous commute, Newport shouldn't be in your radar. The 55 freeway (from Newport to Anaheim hills) is ridiculous in the mornings and afternoons. The connectors won't be that much better. Downtown Fullertown will provide you with a more than decent crowd of young professionals (mostly locals), and at the same time, it has easy access to both the metrolink and freeways for if you ever wish to make excursions to visit your friends (or explore) the Los Angeles basin.

Huntington Beach and the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach are also excellent alternatives. From HB you would be taking streets up to Anaheim (maybe 30 min drive), from Belmont Shore you have easy access to the 605 and 22 - connecting either to the 91 or the 57, which both lead to Anaheim. Long Beach has recently declared itself "the most bike friendly city in America", though that is yet to be proven, it is taking strides in making the city and its neighborhood quite livable extending its bike paths throughout the city. In terms of best around quality of life for a *young* professional, I recommend Long Beach. What's great about is that it holds its own against LA, and it has very diverse set activities that no OC city (alone) could compete with.

Check out their website for more info: City of Long Beach, CA - Home page (http://www.ci.long-beach.ca.us/ - broken link)