Relocating to Orange County, looking for the best family friendly neighborhoods! (San Diego: crime rate, homes)

[movingtoorangecounty]

Originally Posted by Joe Van Fossen

All of the cities you're looking into could work for what you're looking for. It's best to keep your options open considering the relatively tight inventory. There are several neighborhoods throughout all of those cities that could fit your needs/wants.

Thanks Joe, could you please recommend any specific neighborhoods throughout these cities that would be more "family-friendly" with younger kids? We are open to buying in an older area, I just want to make sure that our 3 year old has neighborhood friends to play with. Thanks!

[mrwumpus]

I would recommend RSM at the single-family neighborhoods, such as the ones very close to Trabuco Mesa Elementary (best elementary in RSM). Ladera is probably also worth a look but it always struck me as just too sprawling. RSM feels small enough to where you can wrap your head around it but I do think Ladera has more variety of things to do.

For specific neighborhoods you really have to drive through them on weekends or during summer, or even holidays to see which ones are really happening family-wise.

[movingtoorangecounty]

Originally Posted by pacific2

OP, once you find a house you like, it would probably pay to drive around the neighborhood on a Saturday to see if there are many kids outside, because your children will want to play with others.

That means, that while some cities definitely attract an older population, it is possible that young families could be clustering in certain neighborhoods.

Otherwise, you might find that your neighbors are almost exclusively adults; mostly middle-aged and retirees. No problem if you are an adult, but not much fun for kids.

This could be a double whammy if the city has few gathering spots/activities for kids and young families.

Also, with schools, certain cities, like San Juan Capistrano, may be struggling at the elementary and middle school level.

Again, not much of a problem for an adult, unless the adult has young kids.

Look at the environment. There is, for example, a landfill in Capistrano. How close is the potential home to that? Or, is the area affected by odors from the Water District?

In short, check Redfin.com, do your research, and visit.

Thanks, all very good points! Besides San Juan Capistrano elementary and middle schools, are all of the other area schools comparable? Any areas that have a better school system than others?

[movingtoorangecounty]

Originally Posted by pacific2

Yep, I agree. It really does pay to look at specific neighborhoods. Baker Ranch has another potential issue for those concerned, which may not actually matter much on a daily basis, it's close to Musick Jail.

Baker Ranch Opens / Musick Jail Expands
https://patch.com/california/lakefor...k-jail-expands

Thank you for this information, definitely something that we would want to be aware of in this area!

[movingtoorangecounty]

Originally Posted by saibot

True and true. The OP didn't say that new construction was a must, and there are certainly plenty of "older" (1980s-90s) houses with nice yards in South OC that meet the budget.

Yes, we are definitely open to buying an older home. Are there any specific "family-friendly" neighborhoods for families with small kids in those areas? We don't necessarily need all of the amenities but I definitely want to make sure there are neighborhood kids to play with. Thanks!

[movingtoorangecounty]

Originally Posted by saibot

405 and 22--the Westminster/Seal Beach area? That's going to be quite a slog for all the cities you mentioned, but the 73 definitely helps if you are on the coastal side of the 5/405--Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, or Irvine. It only goes halfway, though, and then you're stuck on the 405.

If you're on the other side of the 5/405 (Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, RSM, Ladera Ranch), it will be a harder trek. You can take the 241/133 (toll roads, like the 73) to the 405, but this will put you on the freeway considerably south of where the 73 meets the 405.

The south beach cities (Dana Point, San Clemente, SJC) are just so far away from where you need to go.

I think the next question is just how long of a commute you are willing to get yourself in to. There are very nice neighborhoods a lot closer to Seal Beach than the cities you have mentioned.

Thanks for the feedback, yes commuting to Westminster/Seal Beach area. What other nice "family-friendly" neighborhoods would you recommend taking a look at closer to Seal Beach? We're coming from San Diego and we were thinking the southern part of Orange County may not feel as congested as further up? Is it not an option to take the 73 from Ladera Ranch?

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by movingtoorangecounty

Thank you for all of this info, very good to know about Aliso Viejo trying to move away from "family-friendly" label and changing demographics.We're not crazy about the cookie cutter homes, small lots, super close proximity to neighbors and small yards in Aliso Viejo but like the location closer to the coast. Do you know if there are any specific neighborhoods that would be more "family-friendly" than others or have larger lots/yards? Thanks!

Aliso Viejo is a very small city (7.47 sq mi; actually a tad bit smaller than Laguna Beach) and they’re all “family-friendly."

Play around with Redfin to see if any of the lot sizes suit you. Very few houses are on the market in Aliso. Also, check Nelli Gail Ranch, Mission Viejo, and Laguna Niguel for older homes with less of the “cookie-cutter” look.

You're not alone in not liking small lots and cookie-cookie architecture. We all have our reasons for moving to South County's newer cities, but I haven't met anyone who lives here because of the housing styles/small lots.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by movingtoorangecounty

Thanks, all very good points! Besides San Juan Capistrano elementary and middle schools, are all of the other area schools comparable? Any areas that have a better school system than others?

Schools are generally good throughout South County. So, that should not be a concern.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by movingtoorangecounty

We're definitely open to purchasing an older home in an older community as Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills. Are there any specific neighborhoods within these communities that are more "family-friendly" with younger kids than others? We have a 3 year old and want to make sure he has neighborhood frineds to play with. Thanks!

I don't know which specific areas in these cities have younger kids around. You might have to drive through them to find out. Generally speaking, compared to AV/RSM/Ladera, they tend to attract older people.

[pacific2]

If you have some flexibility with your budget, then you could get a house in AV with a yard and a canyon view.
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej...6/home/5773043

This AV house has a large backyard, but you'd have to pay for it:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej.../home/17467437