Temps. in Laguna Niguel Summer Walk neighborhood (Mission Viejo, Dana Point: for sale, houses)

[KatyinOC]

I’m wondering if anyone knows if the “Summer Walk” area of Laguna Niguel (off of Golden Lantern where it intersects with St. Christopher/Sardinia) has the cool temperatures of the Marina Hills area? I know that some sections of Laguna Niguel stay much cooler than others because of the ocean breeze... wondering if anyone knows if Summer Walk is one of them? Thanks for any and all feedback!

[ElDiabloJoe]

I can't imagine the temps are too terribly different, maybe 5 degrees each way. They are both well on this side of the 5-fwy. It is not like the 10-15-degree swing you might see on a hot summer day if you were in Ladera Ranch or Mission Viejo versus being in coastal Laguna Niguel. Both of these neighborhoods are VERY close to each other (easy walking distance), and they are both along a major artery directly inland from the Dana Point harbor, and both are well on the coastal side of Crown Valley.

That being said, the Marine Hill area gets a straight shot of cool air from the ocean on both sides, the Golden Lantern side straight up from the Harbor, and the Niguel Road side straight up the canyon that runs from Salt Creek Beach to Chapparossa Park.

The Golden Lantern / St. Christopher neighborhood borders GL on the one side, but it is all natural ridge line on the other. That helps to "trap" some of the cooler air and to prevent any heat and noise spill over from the other side of the ridge, which is San Juan Capistrano and the I-5 freeway.

The GL / St. Christopher neighborhood is over the "crest" of GL from Bear Brand, near the fire station and dog park, so there's a chance some of the cooler air will not dip down low enough to have the same affect you would have in Marina Hills. Some of that depends on how far up the hill you are off of Golden Lantern. Some of that also depends where in Marina Hills you are talking about. There are windward and leeward sides there, and I'm sure the leeward sides are quite stagnant and receive few breezes. Depends on the very immediate topography, neighbors' houses across the street blocking views and breezes, and the general layout of the property in relation the aforementioned variables.

Even much-closer-to-the-ocean Niguel Shores has some leeward areas. Only a few though, but still...

This is all nit-picky micro-micro climate differences, the actual felt temperatures are going to be only very slightly varied, IMHO, between the two neighborhoods.

[NewbieHere]

I used to live in Marina Hills, I believe it’s sunny. Not sure about cooler than any other place but it’s ideal. I can walk to the beach and back even when I was pregnant with my first kid.

[LuvSouthOC]

Laguna Niguel in general is close to the ocean and has good weather everywhere, but gets a bit hotter in the northern portions of the city.

[KatyinOC]

Thank you so much for the information! We live far inland right now and have been searching for a house closer to the coast. Our electricity bills are astronomical from running the ac and I’m hoping that we can offset the increased cost of housing in part with a lower electric bill. With home prices as high as they are, every bit counts!

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by KatyinOC

Thank you so much for the information! We live far inland right now and have been searching for a house closer to the coast. Our electricity bills are astronomical from running the ac and I’m hoping that we can offset the increased cost of housing in part with a lower electric bill. With home prices as high as they are, every bit counts!

Hi Katy! I have a house for sale you might like, I'll DM you.

[dwilson123]

I live in LN in a neighborhood off st Christopher and Golden lantern and during the summer (which was worse than most) my bill was still $300+. It is back down to $40-50 the past couple of months but you can feel the difference just driving down a few miles to Dana. Some units in my area don't have ac and I couldn't imagine that in the middle of summer.

[KatyinOC]

Thank you so much for your reply! I’m so happy to hear from someone who lives in the exact neighborhood that I’m wondering about! Do you notice any temperature differences between that neighborhood and the areas on the other side of Golden Lantern? Like where Chapparoosa park is? When I visited the st. Christopher neighborhood, it seemed like the hills that sit between the Summerwalk neighborhood and the 5 freeway might block some of the cooler ocean air. But it was very hard to tell! One day I visited, it was hot everywhere and the next it was cool! We were looking in the Kite Hill neighborhood and the Marina Hills area last year and I could definitely tell that the Marina Hills area stayed several degrees cooler. You’d think that because the st Christopher neighborhood is closer to the beach, it would be cooler. But I’ve been checking a weather station in that neighborhood and it seems to always show 5+ degrees hotter than anywhere else in Laguna Niguel!

[LuvSouthOC]

Kite Hill gets pretty hot even though it is not far from the ocean since it is blocked by Niguel Hill.

[dwilson123]

Originally Posted by KatyinOC

Thank you so much for your reply! I’m so happy to hear from someone who lives in the exact neighborhood that I’m wondering about! Do you notice any temperature differences between that neighborhood and the areas on the other side of Golden Lantern? Like where Chapparoosa park is? When I visited the st. Christopher neighborhood, it seemed like the hills that sit between the Summerwalk neighborhood and the 5 freeway might block some of the cooler ocean air. But it was very hard to tell! One day I visited, it was hot everywhere and the next it was cool! We were looking in the Kite Hill neighborhood and the Marina Hills area last year and I could definitely tell that the Marina Hills area stayed several degrees cooler. You’d think that because the st Christopher neighborhood is closer to the beach, it would be cooler. But I’ve been checking a weather station in that neighborhood and it seems to always show 5+ degrees hotter than anywhere else in Laguna Niguel!

I run a loop basically around st Chris and Golden lantern and the uphill back half is warmer but you're kind of splitting hairs. It isn't like some house 200 yards away will be cool. The places in the valley areas are warmer but it isn't like they're inland empire and houses a bit higher are costal oc.