Good/Bad about living in Orange County (Irvine, Mission Viejo: cul-de-sac, to rent)

[corndog]

Most of the people posting are very correct. OC is overcrowded, the freeways are overcrowded to the point that it can easily take up to three hours to go 20-30 miles in someplaces as well as certain places. I live in OC and drive to LA to work and can tell you it isn't worth it anymore. South OC is far more expensive than the north county areas where I live. People can seriously suck! But, the weather is still excellent, which is the reason so many people relocate here to begin with after their employers figure out the obvious as well. The beaches at times are bad, but not as bad as others report unless it's raining.

My wife and I are moving out of state now because we can't afford to buy a house, can't stand all the congestion, way overcrowded, etc.

[sanrensho]

I was born and raised on LA and worked in OC for more than 10 years. Let's see, where do I start?

Good:
If you like almost year-round sunshine and mild temperatures, you will love OC. You can dress lightly all the time. I seldom wore anything heavier than a denim jacket my entire life, and that was only in winter. There is tons of shopping in Southern CA and OC has a very high-end mall called South Coast. Then there is Fashion Island in Newport Beach (me and my friends call it the "fashion island babe fest") Also around the area are tons of nice restaurants if you like eating out...many in Corona del Mar, a very picturesque town near Newport.

There is certainly no shortage of things to do and see. Keep in mind that these areas that I mention are some of the most expensive in OC. Go futher up north, to Huntington Beach, Buena Park, Westminster etc. and the landscape changes dramatically. It's ethnically more diverse, meaning a richer variety of neighborhoods, restaurants etc. and it's much closer to LA as well. There is something for everyone up here.

Also, compared to the San Francisco bay area where I live, property values are lower. Not cheap but definitely lower. A house up here that costs $700k is $500k in OC. OK that's a plus for me but not for anyone coming from anywhere else.

BTW my wife is dying to move back to LA. She hates it up here in the Bay. The weather is not as nice. The culture is different...up here is more conservative and button-down. Down there is more casual. I like both places, but I do miss the pastrami sandwiches, Jewish delis, Mexican and Japanese food that you find in LA and OC. Nothing up here compares to that.

OK the bad. Real estate is expensive compared to anywhere else in CA except for the Bay area, and upper crust areas like Pacific Palisades, Bel-Air etc. Also the traffic sucks. I travel all over the US for business, and I have yet to run into any area that is even half as bad as a normal, sunny day in CA. You will hate LA/OC freeways!

OC/LA is mostly a huge, flat non-descript landscape, at least in the areas where you're likely to spend a lot of time. There's this perpetual haze...not quite smog, but the sky is just not as clear as other places. Even though the weather is mild, at the same time it's sort of hot all the time. Weird. I like cool weather. My wife likes warm weather.

South OC is prettier...Mission Viejo, Coto de Caza, Rancho SM are somewhat hilly and green. But things are really spread out down there. You will need to get in your car if you want to get anywhere.

Overall OC really is a great place. But just like anything else, a lot of it has to do with your own attitude. You can learn to love it even if it takes some getting use to. Look for great things and you will find them. Look for things to hate and you will find those too.

[scottmc]

What's wrong with blondes?

[fastfilm]

But... you have the best Chinese restaurants in the U.S. up there in S.F., don't you?!

[nascarnancy]

If you live in Riverside and have to commute on the 91 to OC, it will take you an hour to go 10 miles if you are lucky. Then you would take the 91 to the 55 and the 55 is like sitting in a parking lot. The 91 is one of the highways that heads people out of town, Vegas, The River, Palm Springs. One Friday night it took my husband and the guys 3 hours to go 3 miles! Unfortunately that's not unusual. Basically the freeways suck their is just no nice way of saying it. That's one reason my husband and I are moving out of state. It's just not worth spending your life on the freeway, oh and make sure you have uninsured mortorist coverage on your car insurance.

[CaliBoy]

Originally Posted by marlene915

I don't really want to relocate to Southern CA but just trying to learn more. The negative responses are certainly disheartening. My current Chicago neighborhood has a mix of houses. A beautiful new 4-5 bedroom house cost about $1 mil and a 50-year old small 3 bedroom house with a one-car garage would cost 500K. I'd guess our lot sizes are larger but not by much--6000-7000 sq ft.

If you're moving to South Orange County like, say, Dana Point or further, then you can find comparable properties in the price range you quoted. But we're talking far south. Properties here in Dana Point have skyrocketed like the rest of the county, and it goes up from there. No doubt, we'll see a correction in the market, but it's still going to take some time. Yes, be prepared to spend money if you're looking for a single family residence.

As for us, well, we're visiting North Carolina in a few weeks for possible relocation. I quit my job but am developing online businesses, so I can manage anywhere. My fiancee has job offers all over the country. We fortunately have options.

Why are we moving from a state we grew up in all our lives (nearly forty years)? Too much traffic here! You gotta drive everywhere to get somewhere. Housing too costly! Even if you enjoyed appreciation here, selling your home to buy another doesn't really get you a better property (unless you leave the state). People are too rude when there's really nothing to be rude about. Too many whiners. Too many phonies too. Crime sucks in many areas. More people, more crime.

I characterize L.A./OC as a mouse cage and too many mice are in it. Eventually, when too many rodents (even nice ones) are scrunched together in a cage, they tend to get angry, frustrated and sometimes eat each other. Driving in L.A. traffic, you can see the steak knives readied on dash boards.

Of course, there are great people here too. Great sights. A lot of conveniences spread out all over the place. And more money to be made if you are ambitious (for those, it's unlimited). OC is pretty. It's clean in areas like Irvine, Newport, and areas surrounding. But a lot of it is the same.

However, the traffic just finally got to me. I'm tired of it. If I could afford to live at the beach, and not drive, it'd be a different story. But it's not. And we're both driving way too much. Spending too much time in our cars. Having plans for a baby is making me also realize what's important in life too.

I'm biased of course. If I were wealthy, I might stay (not that I'm poor, but it takes a lot of money to enjoy a good lifestyle here). I've been here all my, so leaving a place no matter how difficult the lifestyle is always hard. It's still hard to leave with all my media contacts here. But for you, your eyes might see something different. They're fresh. The next ten years might see more positive changes and you might benefit from it.

The best thing to do is spend a few weeks here and really stop and talk with people. People will chat with you and will be friendly. But make sure to drive around and see the area. Drive a lot. Drive through morning traffic too to get a feel of things (actually, there's really only a few hours in the afternoon where traffic is minimal). You be the judge.

And, of course, the weather is always fine here 365 days a year (relatively speaking). Don't let us biased ones turn you. We're just a small sampling. But do take our experiences and apply them to your visit.

Forgive me, I'm going on and on since I'm very sleepy -- we had a late night of work and that's what I do -- work, work, work. NC, here I come.

[Lost in L.A.]

I too am about to become an l.a. evacuee--moving to Stockton...I'm an L.A. native and this city has been in a slow decline since the 1980s! What's funny is that the people with the worst attitudes here are not even from here. The real (native) Californians I know are very laid back and not at all phony like the wannabes moving into the area.

Although OC is extraordinarily expensive and becoming very overcrowded, I think Angelenos tend to prejudge those from the Orange Curtain. I have several friends from the OC who are very cool and despite the conservative vein that runs through the county, the majority of them are not the nazi yuppies the media tends to play up as typical. I have to agree with some of the posters...aesthetically, OC has some of the most beautiful areas of SoCal, especially the beaches.

I'm definitely going to miss L.A., but it came to a point where working just to be able to pay my rent with not much left over doesn't equate to the laid back lifestyle the city once offered.

[Pacismakaveli]

Wow, seems like its not all paradise. We're planning a trip to Anaheim in early July and wanted to visit the OC and all its glory...but i guess the real glory belongs to those who can afford it. I've been told by everyone that if we leave reall early and come back late that we can escape the traffic but i gues we'll see.

[smu7070]

I believe that Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Aliso Viejo, Irvine, or Newport Beach are ideal places to live. And the fact they are all close to each other makes them even better. The schools in every one of those areas are excellent, and the quality of life is terrific. The downsides are a somewhat high population density and high amounts of traffic on certain occasions. I've lived there so long, however, that I'm used to it now. I don't even think the prices are that high (except in Newport Beach). Additionally, the shopping is excellent in that area.

[socali]

I currently live in the more affluent parts of san bernardino county, we have seen many orange county transplants move to the following areas for comparable higher standards of living:

Look into Rancho Cucamonga, Glendora, Parts of Riverside County, La Verne..