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Old 05-07-2014, 10:27 PM
 
3 posts, read 2,884 times
Reputation: 10

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My husband and I are moving to the OC for my job in a month.
I have corporate Housing to tide us over during a search and will be heading there next week for a full fledge investigation of the area.
I've seen lots of posts from families with kids but not so many for couples, no kids.
We are in our mid 40's, both active, 2 dogs, hate the burbs and planned developments, want a cool neighborhood where we are ideally a bike ride ( mile or 2 is fine) from the beach. Need area dogs can go off leash if possible ( beach friendly or hiking friendly preferred).
Would like a small town vibe where we can walk/ bike/ drive to shops.

Does this exist?!! I'll be working in foothills ranch and would like the commute to be under an hour.

Thanks for suggestions!
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Old 05-07-2014, 11:04 PM
 
Location: LA/OC
1,083 posts, read 2,170,176 times
Reputation: 605
Newport and Huntington have off-leash dog beaches. Either city could probably work.
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Old 05-08-2014, 09:23 AM
 
Location: Placentia, OC
1,487 posts, read 1,787,341 times
Reputation: 691
Don't bring any gang stuff from oakland please..oh and wash your hands before entering
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Old 05-08-2014, 12:42 PM
 
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
5,888 posts, read 13,007,408 times
Reputation: 3974
never call it THE OC.
generally if you stay within 1 mile of PCH you will get the funkier beach town vibe.

Seal Beach
Sunset Beach
Huntington Beach: Huntington Harbour Area
Huntington Beach: Downtown Area (gets stupid crazy during summer weekends)

Newport
Laguna Beach
Dana Point

Huntington Beach is the most dog friendly city.
Laguna Beach and Dana Point are probably your best bets for a job in Foothill Ranch.
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Old 05-08-2014, 01:10 PM
 
Location: Dana Point
1,224 posts, read 1,824,276 times
Reputation: 683
But do use the word "The" before every highway from now on.

i.e - The 405, The 91, The 5, The 101.
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Old 05-08-2014, 02:31 PM
 
22 posts, read 42,076 times
Reputation: 49
The problem with every beach-close city is traffic. And before I had kids, I lived in Huntington Beach a mile from the ocean. HB would be an absolutely terrible place to live because you would have to fight with all the people going south into central OC, and then have to get out to Foothill after that. I guess Laguna Beach would be the best, but there are only 3 ways in/out of there--through the canyon or north/south on PCH. So you will be susceptible to canyon traffic which can be terrible in the afternoon--especially during the summer. And then of course there is a relative expense of all those cities. How much time and money are you willing to give up for those walks on the beach? And by the way, there are virtually no communities dogs can go off-lease (other than the aforementioned dog parks) and beach communities are by far the strictest about dogs. People who pay 2 million dollars+ for their home don't want to be bothered by your dogs barking and poop.

Honestly, if you hate the burbs and master planned communities, OC isn't the best place to move to. Few places are "vibe-y" in the way you are thinking. If you are willing to change your mind about what kind of vibe you need, though, there are some great spots in a short commute of your work. Before buying a beach place, and all of the tourists and traffic that go with it, you should check out the homes adjacent to the lakes in Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, and Rancho Santa Margarita. Most have adjacent dog walking trails as well. Also check out the canyons -- Modjeska Canyon is only about 10 minutes from foothill. Its a whole different world out there, but definitely no master planned and acreage where your dog can run is plentiful.
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Old 05-09-2014, 04:16 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,554 times
Reputation: 14
I live in Laguna Niguel (4 miles from beach) and I love it here. Traffic is light, people are nice and crimes are extremely low. Major shopping is close by.. you are close to everything. Laguna Beach has a dog park but I would not want to live in Laguna Beach. Newport Beach or Dana Point are two of my favorites if you want the true beach experience. Once you come down and explore you will get the feel of what you prefer. Everyone is different
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Old 05-12-2014, 03:05 PM
 
3 posts, read 2,884 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks for the vocabulary assistance everyone as well as the tips.
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Old 05-12-2014, 03:29 PM
 
Location: Laguna Niguel, Orange County CA
9,807 posts, read 11,139,459 times
Reputation: 7997
Quote:
Originally Posted by melodylee View Post
I live in Laguna Niguel (4 miles from beach) and I love it here. Traffic is light, people are nice and crimes are extremely low. Major shopping is close by.. you are close to everything. Laguna Beach has a dog park but I would not want to live in Laguna Beach. Newport Beach or Dana Point are two of my favorites if you want the true beach experience. Once you come down and explore you will get the feel of what you prefer. Everyone is different

We have a dog park in Laguna Niguel. Shhh, I stopped promoting this place since we are full up.
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Old 05-13-2014, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Anaheim
1,962 posts, read 4,484,230 times
Reputation: 1363
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lizzy b View Post
My husband and I are moving to the OC for my job in a month.
I have corporate Housing to tide us over during a search and will be heading there next week for a full fledge investigation of the area.
I've seen lots of posts from families with kids but not so many for couples, no kids.
We are in our mid 40's, both active, 2 dogs, hate the burbs and planned developments, want a cool neighborhood where we are ideally a bike ride ( mile or 2 is fine) from the beach. Need area dogs can go off leash if possible ( beach friendly or hiking friendly preferred).
Would like a small town vibe where we can walk/ bike/ drive to shops.

Does this exist?!! I'll be working in foothills ranch and would like the commute to be under an hour.

Thanks for suggestions!
It's Foothill Ranch, part of the city of Lake Forest.
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