Moving To OC. Where to Live? (San Diego, Santa Ana: apartments, rental, condos)

[timmyt21]

I got a new job in Irvine. I will be moving there fairly quickly. I am born and raised in Chicago, but moving from Madison, WI (been here for 5 years). My fiancee and I know nothing about the OC area. We are looking for any help/suggestions on where to live. We are looking to rent, not buy. Our max rent would be $1,800 - $2,100 a month (Cheaper if possible). We are looking for a place that is relatively safe. Able to walk down the street at night without being mugged. Preferably in an area that is somewhat walkable. Restaurants, bars, entertainment. Or at least within a quick Uber ride. Would love to be near a beach if possible. Don't really want to deal with too many snobby people though. We want to live a more laid back life style. But, still have some fun things to do nearby. Also, I don't want my commute to work to be insane. My current commute is like 40 mins. I would not want it to be any more than that. I will also need to drive to San Diego every month or so to do things in the office there. I've been looking at a couple places. Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Newport Beach and San Clemente. All these places seem like they might be cool. But, I've been getting all sorts of mixed messages from people. Any suggestions, help or information. Would be awesome.

Thanks.

[Finper]

I'd check out Costa Mesa or Huntington Beach. Santa Ana no for many reasons, Newport Beach expensive and snobby, San Clemente very nice but far drive in heavy traffic. I live in Orange and that area meets all your wishes. I especially like the down town part.

[Electrician4you]

You're not going to find a beach property in the 18-2100 range. Huntington Fountain Valley are close to Irvine and you can still get a one bedroom for 1700 give or take.

[timmyt21]

Thanks for the info Finper. Any areas to avoid in Costa Mesa or Huntington Beach?

Electrician4you. Not looking for beach front property. Just within walking distance or a short drive.

[TimTheEnchanter]

I would look in the new areas of Irvine near the Great Park and north (or is it east) of Irvine Blvd; areas like Portola Springs, Orchard Hills, Eastwood Village, etc.

[OCerik]

If you want something coastal, walkable, and laid back/not stuck up, I would definitely be looking at San Clemente. You can get apartments under $2100/month there. San Clemente has awesome beaches, a pier, and a nice little downtown area with a lot of restaurants and shops. And they have 2 of my favorite places to eat, Pedro's and Pizza Port. Also you'll be that much closer to San Diego which is good for your work and day trips.

Huntington Beach might also fit what you're looking for but it will be way more crowded than down south, which could be a plus or a minus depending on how you look at it.

[Electrician4you]

Originally Posted by timmyt21

Thanks for the info Finper. Any areas to avoid in Costa Mesa or Huntington Beach?

Electrician4you. Not looking for beach front property. Just within walking distance or a short drive.

HB around the pier/Main st is a madhouse these days.
FV is about 6-7 miles away from the beach, you can take a bus or bike there on the main streets or take the Santa Ana river bed it has a bike path. There is mile square park. Westminster is just up the street if you're into Vietnam food and ethnicity. It's very popular for foods.
Costa Mesa blows. It's dirty, full of homeless, and has gone downhill. HB has a section called Slater Slums. It's just a meh so so older area. FV for the most part is very safe. The area bordering SA has a bit more issues from the SA spillover.

[KaraG]

You could also look around Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo. The beach is about a 15 minute drive down Crown Valley. You could get to Irvine on the side streets instead of having to jump on the freeway.

[OpenRider]

Before I moved to Huntington Beach I looked in many Orange County communities. I was living about 45 miles away and had plenty of time to look during an extended time, drive through the areas multiple times to look at properties. My preference was to live within 1 mile of the beach, which I found. A few minutes on your bike. There are a lot of rental condos and Apts in Huntington which made it that much easier to find something available. There may be more desirable cities but it becomes harder to find something decent because not as many vacancies come up near the beach, especially in a reasonable price range. Consider your commute very carefully, don't underestimate the traffic. You'll have to go to work a lot more often than you'll go to the beach. At times the traffic in Orange County can be almost a nightmare depending on your commute distance and route. Avoid the freeway commutes. I remember seeing a number of rental condos and Apts in the Irvine area with quite a few in your price range. Still a pretty short drive to the beach. Good luck. I would stay close to work. You'll enjoy life in So California more that way.

[ysr_racer]

Originally Posted by timmyt21

. Not looking for beach front property. Just within walking distance or a short drive.

You and the rest of humanity.