recent grad moving to irvine...help! (Santa Ana, Orange: rent, home, neighborhood)

[UGA2012]

Hey guys,

I'm graduating in May from the University of Georgia and have been offered a job in Irvine (close to where highway 405 and highway 5 merge) and was wondering where would be a good place to live.

As a single male in the low 20's, I'm looking for somewhere with a fun nightlife, that also won't be a bad commute to work. From what I have gathered from previous threads, Old Town Orange and Newport Beach (specifically Balboa Village) would be good places to find a place.

Any help/guidance would be much appreciated. Having grown up in Atlanta, I have no idea what to expect from California.

Thanks.

[BVitamin]

What's your budget?

[UGA2012]

I'll be making close to 60k, but I really don't want to spend more than $1,500 on monthly rent. I am willing to go as high as $1,700, but I'd rather not.

[ragnarkar]

What accomodations do you need? 1 bdrm? studio? Need more information.

If you don't mind housemates and can share a house, you'll pay less than $1000/mo in Newport Beach.

[UGA2012]

I was mainly looking for a studio or 1 bedroom because I don't know anybody out there. Having said that, I'm definitely not opposed to housemates if it will significantly decrease the financial burden.

With my job, I'll probably only be out there for about a year so I want to almost treat this as a fifth year of college in the sense of weekend nightlife and really experience the west coast. Having spent my college life in Athens, GA (home of over 90 bars in about 2 square miles), I'm looking for somewhere that has more than just a neighborhood bar and grill.

Thanks again guys.

[BVitamin]

Seems nightlife is priority #1. Generally O.C. shuts down after 10 pm. There are certain spots that go into maybe 1/2 am: Laguna Beach, downtown Fullerton (there's actually a cool live jazz bar there, Steamers, good food too), Irvine Spectrum (certain areas), or even downtown Santa Ana.

Seeing how you don't mind sharing a place and aren't staying here long term, you can pretty much live wherever. I'd go with Laguna Beach but if you want cheap-cheap-cheap, anywhere inland from the coast: Santa Ana, Orange, or Tustin.

I'm not familiar with the north coast OC area so or its nightlife (I just don't find that area interesting), someone else can fill you in.

[UGA2012]

Thanks BVitamin. I appreciate your insight and will definitely take it into consideration.

[Coldjensens]

I woudl shoot for Balboa. Get a roomate or two and your budget might work. If yu shop around you should be able to do it without havig to share a bedroom. Amazingly cool to come home from work and take a walk on the beach, then go hang out at a bar/club for a drink and dinner. In teh winter, balboa gets like a small town. If you get out a lot and are active, everyone will know you.

[hsw]

Not many yuppies in Newport area except the few Pimco and Broadcom workers (not unlike Atlanta which has scant yuppies given its lame economy of KO and UPS)...which influences character of "nightlife" of Nwpt region

Would live wherever such post-college kids live these days

But more importantly figure out next step in career....far more finance industry yuppies are on LA's Westside (as many major offices are in DLA, CentCity and SM)...and world's greatest yuppie concentrations are either PaloAlto corridor (where kids live in either PA or SF) or Midtown Manhattan

[TexasGuy22]

Originally Posted by UGA2012

Hey guys,

I'm graduating in May from the University of Georgia and have been offered a job in Irvine (close to where highway 405 and highway 5 merge) and was wondering where would be a good place to live.

As a single male in the low 20's, I'm looking for somewhere with a fun nightlife, that also won't be a bad commute to work. From what I have gathered from previous threads, Old Town Orange and Newport Beach (specifically Balboa Village) would be good places to find a place.

Any help/guidance would be much appreciated. Having grown up in Atlanta, I have no idea what to expect from California.

Thanks.

sounds like you came from a party "town" atmosphere, oc is not like that, I say parts of HB/costa mesa more for the post college crowd and less expensive then newps. newps is ok but i think you will get bored of it, it is more for "adults" with "money", I dont think you will like it much, personally I would move to belmont shore/LB but you will never get to work due to the traffic,

i say you rent a room for a month, stick stuff in storage and get a taste of different cities in the county