Would OC be a good lifestyle fit? (Los Angeles, San Diego: crime rates, home)

[love4travel86]

This is me:

- Mid 20s
- Loves an active, thriving nightlife scene, or at least a decent variety of fun bars
- Loves little cities and towns with nice, walkable downtowns
- Loves a sense of "community" (I love going to concerts, networking events, festivals, etc.)
- Enjoys accessibility to beach culture and outdoor activities

This is what I don't like:

- Bland communities loaded with chain restaurants and strip malls (a little of that is okay, but if it's a dominant theme, I'm not too into it)
- Areas with a lot of crime
- Areas that are really run-down and not "pretty"

To give you an idea of the culture I'm looking for, I love San Diego County. Any chances of finding something similar to that in Orange County?

[robbybee]

Stay away from Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, etc.

Costa Mesa would be a good spot to consider. Even though there isn't a downtown, you are in close proximity to Newport and Huntington where there is a fair amount of debauchery. But at the same time, CM has some things going for it as well.

But it's not cosmopolitan like downtown LA. It's much more casual and free-flowing - and a lot less pretentious. That downtown feel will be hard to find in OC because OC is so spread out and not centralized.

If you are looking for the urban setting with lots of activity and distractions within a small radius, you might want to consider downtown LA. There is Nokia, LA Live, Staples Center, lots of trendy restaurants and bars and many people find it to be really attractive.

It ain't for me - but it might be for you.

I'm just sayin...

[love4travel86]

Hmm. That's helpful insight, thanks. I will check into Costa Mesa!

Any other opinions?

[BVitamin]

Laguna Beach.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by love4travel86

This is me:

- Mid 20s
- Loves an active, thriving nightlife scene, or at least a decent variety of fun bars
- Loves little cities and towns with nice, walkable downtowns
- Loves a sense of "community" (I love going to concerts, networking events, festivals, etc.)
- Enjoys accessibility to beach culture and outdoor activities

This is what I don't like:

- Bland communities loaded with chain restaurants and strip malls (a little of that is okay, but if it's a dominant theme, I'm not too into it)
- Areas with a lot of crime
- Areas that are really run-down and not "pretty"

To give you an idea of the culture I'm looking for, I love San Diego County. Any chances of finding something similar to that in Orange County?

Where is your job? (Please please please don't write that you work from home in your jammies as I sit here in this van on my 55 mile daily one way commute....)
What is you housing budget?
What type of housing are you looking for?

[Coldjensens]

Most of Orange COunty is one giant matching suburb. It is all about conforming. However that portion comprises only about 60% of Orange County. There are several neat beach communities. They are mostly overbuilt rectangle housing units crammed in side byy side, but there is a lot of activities and some decent resturaunts and bars. Laguna Beach is different. North Orange County is older, less wealthy and more eclectic. It is generally considered not as "Nice" but for people who are not into conformity, it is the olny tolerable part of Oarange County.


There are not many downtowns. Laguna Beach, Old Town Orange, Santa Ana, Fullerton.
Old Town Orange has the best downtown. It is primarily antique stores, but there are a lot of neat shops and cafes. There is a small college ont he edge of old town, so there are some places that cater to the younger crowd. Laguna has a lot of neat shops, but it is very touristy. Santa Ana has a large busy downtown, but it is mostly Hispanic. Loads of hat and boot places, photography studios, wedding dress places, and check cashing. Fullerton's "downtown" is very small. It is pretty neat but you can see it all in about ten minutes.


There is not a great deal of nightlife. There is some. Mostly fashion pagents at bars. Los Angeles has some nightlife and is not too far away. It is not completely dead in Orange County, but there is noting that is exciting or unique.


There is not a strong sense of community in the Midwestern sense. IN fact, most communities lack and form of independant identity. THey all kind of blend from one to the other and it is difficult to discern which community you are in. Many people will answer "Orange County" when asked where they live.


On the good side. Crime is very low. Even the big impoverished city of Santa Ana has crime rates at or above the national average for Cities of its size. Many OC cities are listed on the safest cities list every year.

BEach access is of course excellent. A half dozen or so cities are beach communities. Each Beach community is great in its own way. San Juan Capistrano is quiet and somewhat secluded. Laguna is busy and pretty. Corona Del Mar is great for families. Balboa is fun and touristy. Huntington is the gian beach scene place. Endless stretches of beach packed full of every kind of people. You are better off if you live close and can ride a bike (you probably cannot afford to live right at the beach). Parking can be difficult.

There is some very nice hiking in the local foothills (Silverado Canyon and Whiting Ranch are especially nice). The mountains are only a couple hours drive. You are within a day drive of Kings Canyon, Sequoia National Forest, Las Vegas, Zion Canyon, the Colorado River, even Yosemite and the fast water rivers above Sacremento can be reached in a day.


You description of bland communities identifies most of South Orange COunty. Unfortunately, much of North Orange County might be called run down by some people. South Orange County is certainly not run down or not pretty (unless you believe that open space and nature are necessary for pretty. If planned, orderly, and well kpept are your idea of pretty, then South Orange COunty will be beautiful to you. There are lots of pretty lawns and gardens and parkways and shopping malls and subdivision entrances. There are no forests, rivers, lakes, streams, fields, or plains. In the winter you can often see the mountains and they are beautiful. In the summer they are usually obscured by haze or sometimes smog. The ocean is beautiful to most people. There are quite a few golf courses which some people find attractive. North Orange County is a little more eclectic, more hodgepodge, less planned. It is fully built out. Orange County looks much more pretty from the ground than from the air.

You will need to spend at least several weeks checing out different areas to decide whether you like it. San Diego Count yis far to vast and varied to make any valid comparison. Where in San Diego County are you referring to? Oceanside, La Jolla and Coronado Island are all very different from each other. Econdido and Vista are very different from the ocean areas. When you get up into the hills, it gets pretty empty and again very different. Comparing San Diego County to Orange COunty is like asking whether New York is like Minnesota. Parts are simlar, parts are completely different. It also depends on what you want to compare. Lots of red tile roofs - same. Beach access - same. Orange County is not on the Mexican border, does not have any large miltary bases, is not a naval port nor a shipping port, so it is not simlar in those ways. It does have nice beaches, great weather, loads of rich people, so it is similar in those ways.

[rickc007]

Below is NOT Orange County

- Loves an active, thriving nightlife scene, or at least a decent variety of fun bars
Most consider it Dead

- Loves little cities and towns with nice, walkable downtowns
Very few

- Loves a sense of "community" (I love going to concerts, networking events, festivals, etc.)
Very Transient neighbors, home flippers, out of towners. Not traditional deep seeded communities

- Areas with a lot of crime
Consider it No Crime

- Areas that are really run-down and not "pretty"
Hard pressed to find a really bad looking area, you'd have to dig...

Below IS Orange County

- Bland communities loaded with chain restaurants and strip malls (a little of that is okay, but if it's a dominant theme, I'm not too into it)
Bingo

- Enjoys accessibility to beach culture and outdoor activities
Bingo

[love4travel86]

Charles, a 1 bedroom under $1300/mo. would be fantastic, but I'm noticing that's pretty tough to come by in a nice area close to the water. Commute is irrelevant at the moment in my decision-making

[love4travel86]

Thanks coldjensens, I appreciate your insight. It sounds nice, I think the only disappointment I'll have is the lack of nightlife and downtown areas. But I do love the accessibility to the beaches!

As far as San Diego, my favorite areas (as a basis for comparison) are downtown, the neighboring areas like Hillcrest, North Park, etc., and Mission/Pacific Beach. I also like Del Mar too.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by love4travel86

Charles, a 1 bedroom under $1300/mo.

Out of curiosity, what is your guestimated weekly budget for enjoying restaurants, clubs, shopping, bars, dining, and festivals?