How is Dana Point? (Orange, Mission Viejo: hotels, houses, transfer)

[Headingwestsoon]

Hello all, I am curious as to how Dana Point is for living. I have visited there 3 or 4 times briefly and it seems to be a very nice place. However I have only mainly been close to the coast/beaches. I have searched the forums and found little information on the city. How is it for raising a family? The schooling? It seems generally busy during the day and costly due to it being near the coast. Any information would be great. Thanks!

[SamInSanClemente]

Dana Point is very nice. I live just south of there in San Clemente. You're right though- it is busy and expensive. You can't beat the weather! It's so temperate and nice - not too cold, not too hot. It's amazing how different it is just going inland a few miles. I live about 3 miles in, and on summer days when coastal San Clemente and Dana Point have thick fog until about 10 or 11 AM, we have bright sun and heat. On the other hand, we get uncomfortably hot in the summer, where closer to the coast they rarely have to turn on their air conditioners (if they even have them). There are some nice surrounding communities that are a little less expensive and less crowded, but of course you sacrifice your proximity to the beach.

California doesn't have the greatest reputation when it comes to schools, but Orange County in general does much better than much of the state. My kids went/go to San Clemente High (arch rivals of Dana Hills) and are getting a very decent education. Like many high schools in bigger cities, it all depends on the choices your kids make. There are a lot of good kids, but drugs of all kinds are readily available.

[smellythongs]

I'm 19 and I grew up in Orange County. I think it's the best place to raise your kids especially for school. The universities are good but it's mostly middle school or high school that's the best for your kids. I go to school in NY now and it's made a big difference than going to one of the UC's. Anywhere in Orange County is a good place to live you won't have to worry much about schooling, atmosphere, or the environment.

[mminor]

I was wondering what type a place Dana Point and San Clemente are. We are considering moving to CA in the near future, and have checked out the central coast, but not So. California. From researching the internet, I have narrowed it down to Dana Point or San Clemente as possibilities to look into. Are the residents in Dana Point friendly? San Clemente?, welcoming? We have daughter in high school, she plays soccer, is good academically, and want to make sure she has an easy transition. I was also wondering what the political atmosphere is there, I understand Orange Co. is pretty conservative, is Dana Point more on the moderate, conservative, or liberal ends of the spectrum? San Clemente?

[5FLgirls]

It doesn't sound like too many people live in Dana Point on this forum! I live just north of Dana Point but spend time there for activities and such. Dana Point seems nice and has some cute areas to it. The waterfront is nice. It is not as master-planned as much as the rest of OC is. You will find nice houses next to dumps. Dana Point has a lot of personality and appears to be affordable. We seriously looked into it when we moved here but I just didn't feel it. Dana Point schools are split down the middle between two districts. Dana Hills High has a decent tennis team. Dana Point has a good location if you have to travel because it's close to the toll road and the freeway. Everyone I talk to raves about San Clemente but it's only reachable by the freeway which can be problematic sometimes.

[Parrotpaul]

Dana Point is a nice community. It is expensive to live there, and it is kind of staid and boring unless you like to hang at the marina?

The schools are OK, but if I was moving to CA...I don't need to, I already live here, Dana Point wouldn't be the place I would want to settle into unless I was in my 50's, had a reasonably good income, liked conservative politics, a safe but really boring community, and went to bed at 8:30 every night. Nice place to visit...love to drink vodkas on the patio at Cannon's and walk along the marina...but other than that...BORING!!!!

[Angel Bear]

Which is better if you're a surfer? Probably both are great?

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by Angel Bear

Which is better if you're a surfer? Probably both are great?

Doheny Beach in Dana Point used to be a great surfer beach until they built the break-water. Now the waves are kind of puny.

Trestles in San Clemente is a Mecca for south OC surfers.

[missionhome]

Dana Point is a great small and fairly exclusive city along southern Orange County's coast. The city is home to lots of mansions and multi million dollar homes along the coast clustered around the Ritz Carlton and St. Regis Hotels. The area is known are Monarch Beach, a sub-neighborhood of Dana Point. The city is a beach town and life centers around the beaches, surfing, and golf.
As far as beaches, I think San Clemente's are better, but Salt Creek below the Ritz is great for surfing, but Doheny State Beach is gross. It is the most polluted beach in America due to San Juan Creek letting out there.
Dana is a good place to raise kids since the beach is a real fun place to be. Do not expect picture perfect on the south east side (Monarch Beach looks perfect though) as it is a mix of old beach homes and redone mini mansions.
Schools: If your children will be in middle school, I strongly recommend buying in the small area of Monarch Beach that goes to Niguel Hills Middle School. The rest of the city goes to the infamous Marco Forster Middle School in San Juan Capistrano. Unfortunatly, this is the blight of the excellent Capistrano Unified School District. Neighboring city of San Juan is inland and has a large Hispanic population making Marco 55% Hispanic. The test scores are low (at least by south OC standards) and the API is 757. I have friends whose kids went there and they transfered to private schools or other middle schools in the district due to kids having knives and there were frequent fights at school. It is kind of bizarre to have Dana Point students who generally come from high income families go to school in San Juan causing lots of class tensions, but unfortunatly Dana Point doesn't have its own middle school.
If your kids are past middle school, then Dana Hills High School is excellent. The schools draws from Dana Point and Laguna Niguel and the API is 800 something (you can look it up). The facilities are a little old, but the students have a lot of school spirit and friends that have kids there are happy.
I live in Mission Viejo by the way, not Dana Point, so this isn't a actual native point of view, but I have lived in south Orange County for 18 years so I know the area well and Dana Point is only twenty minutes away. The people that I know who live in Dana Point love it, but again they pulled their kids from Marco Forster Middle and then put them back at Dana Hills for high school.

[Angel Bear]

Oooh, Trestles...mama wants to go there!