Moving to OC?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by luckodeirish

After you come out and look around post the addresses of the places you are considering. We will be able to give thumbs up or down. Safety is key, you also don't want to rent somewhere that has no assigned parking as you don't want to have to park your car blocks away and walk to your place. Make sure when you come out you take the time to really look around the places that interest you. Walk the neighborhood, figure out where you will shop, eat etc, go visit those areas, walk in, take a look at the people, decide if you are comfortable. Don't let the excitement of a new area cloud your decision, meaning if the area is dicey or you don't feel 100% okay with the surrounding areas do not choose the area.
Good luck.

Also, check out places at night. There's tons of areas that look OK during the day but things go downhill after dark.

[denverian]

I lived in the Tustin/Orange/northeastern Santa Ana area for a decade. It would be tough on that salary. As I recall, we left an apartment complex in Santa Ana in 1999 and our rent had been raised to $1200 for a 2 bdr. 1 bath apt. that had turned into an over-packed haven for illegal immigrants. We then paid $1200 or so a month for a mortgage on a condo in a nice part of Orange, but even after the market crash, you couldn't get it today for what we paid in 1999. Although it's pretty close to the same prices today as in 1999

[cupcaketara]

Thanks everyone! I won't have a ton of time to look around (at least not on my own) but I'm definitely going to quiz my new coworkers on the best areas to live - ESPECIALLY since I'm on my own and am a girl in my 20's. I want to feel safe first and foremost. I can live without fancy things and big spaces in exchange for that.

I've had my eye on Towne Centre at Orange because of its proximity to my office - it's just down the street. Anyone know the place, or that general area?

[ragnarkar]

Tustin, Orange, and Santa Ana, all close to where you live, have some of the fastest rising rents in OC:

Where in O.C. are apartment rents dropping? - Lansner on Real Estate - The Orange County Register

If you don't mind commuting, you could try Buena Park or Westminster which has considerably cheaper rents (cheaper than Santa Ana and are somewhat nicer areas.) Westminster would be an easier commute than Buena Park to there.

The Frugal Living forum under the Business section also has some great advice to get the most bang out of your salary..

[cupcaketara]

I'll take a look in those areas - if they're cheaper enough to make up for the commute, it could be a good option. Thanks for the Frugal living tip.

How's gas out there right now? I know CA tends to be more expensive than the Midwest.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by cupcaketara

I'll take a look in those areas - if they're cheaper enough to make up for the commute, it could be a good option. Thanks for the Frugal living tip.

How's gas out there right now? I know CA tends to be more expensive than the Midwest.

The station I regularly go to is about $3.73/gallon but prices are generally in the high $3's. You're probably looking at about $0.10/mile in driving costs on your car with "great mileage" depending on the mpg..

[cupcaketara]

I make about 30-34 in city, and my city is about $.08 lower per mile, so that's not so bad.

[robbybee]

I'm not familiar with that particular development but the area is pretty decent overall. One bonus is that you are adjacent to the infamous "Orange Crush" so you can be on the 5, the 22 or the 57 freeway in no time. Come to think of it, that may or may not be a bonus... ;-}

[Coldjensens]

Assuming that I am thinking of the right place, Towne Center is a complex where lots of people from St. Joes/CHOC live. There are a couple pf places that are closer right on Main Street. Town Center might be a bit far to walk.

There is a place right behind the complex that has Starbucks and Verizon in it. It is almost entirely medical personnel. It is not quiet because it is right on main and La Veta but it is not terrible. Looks like a nice place. The people that we knew who lived there liked it a lot. We used to live in behind the hospital complex. There is a good sized nieghborhood back in there. Not too many apartments, but there are some. quite a few houses for rent. Maybe you can find some room mates. It is walking distance to the hospital and also to old town which is the best part of Orange (possibly the best part of Orange County - depends on you).

Another option are the newish condos on memory lane and main street. Loads of good stuff to walk to. THe condos are ugly and impersonal, but that is true of pretty much every apartment complex built int he last 50 years. Two more options for you are park Santaigo. Just barely in walking distance. Might be a bit far. Stay on the north side or the center of the neighborhood. THe south side (near 17th street is a bit iffy.

My priorities are different than yours, but for me I woudl choose:

1. rent a house in the neighborhood behind the hospital complex. We were at Parker St and Palmyra Street. We really liked it there. An easy walk to old town and the hospital. Mostly 1960s houses. Some apartments. A few aprtmanets in this neighborhood are kinda icky. Pay attention.

2. Th complex behind Starbucks.

3. The newish complex on Memoray Lane.

4. Park Santiago.

5. Towne Center.

The other side of old town orange is much nicer, but more expensive. However that is a bit of a long walk.

Floran Park neighborhood in Santa Ana is one of Orange COunty's nicest neighborhoods, but it is pretty expensive and you are getting into a bit of a walk. THere is a scary area between Floral Park and main place mall (along the Santiago creek). Lots of homelss people live in there and they make that area a bit dangerous. You should be fine if you walk the long way around from Floral Park, but the short way (along the Santiago creek trail), may not be the best place to walk alone.

Once you are outside that immediate area, you are beyond walking distance or a couple of minutes drive. You may as well expend your search to anything within a 15 minute drive and that includes a huge number of places.