lake forest (Irvine, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach: military, work, homes)

[sassy168]

how is lake forest as a place to live? its next to irvine but not a lot of people talk about it. I hear they have good schools and its a safe neightborhood. Any thoughts, please let me know, i am considering moving there. THe streets look pretty clean and at night its pretty quiet. That's all i know about that city.

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by sassy168

how is lake forest as a place to live? its next to irvine but not a lot of people talk about it. I hear they have good schools and its a safe neightborhood. Any thoughts, please let me know, i am considering moving there. THe streets look pretty clean and at night its pretty quiet. That's all i know about that city.

Ah, my hometown.

Is it safe? Oh, wow. Lake Forest is a place where nothing bad ever happens, as in there are no misdemeanors, everything is a felony. It's next door to one of the top three safest cities in America.

You don't hear much about since it has always been lumped in with Mission Viejo and Irvine ever since it was known as El Toro. It's as much of a hardcore uber-suburbia as you can get. It has undergone so many changes in the past 20 years. It isn't nearly as middle-class now as it is upper middle-class along with the rest of south O.C.

If you're looking for a city that never sleeps, look elsewhere.

[Unkllars]

There are some lower end areas, but then there are beautiful, uber-suburbia areas in the Portola area. The further from the 5 the better. It is surrounded by nice cities, so that's why you hardly hear about it.

[sassy168]

i am starting a family soon and so good schools are important to me. I know irvine has good schools but i wanted to know what are my other options. what are the cities/communities you would recommend for starting a family?

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by sassy168

i am starting a family soon and so good schools are important to me. I know irvine has good schools but i wanted to know what are my other options. what are the cities/communities you would recommend for starting a family?

Pretty much anywhere in south OC is fine whether its Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, San Clemente, Foothill Ranch, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita, they all have decent high schools (by public standards anyway) and are safe neighborhoods.

[missionhome]

Lake Forest is a nice city that is just usually forgotten because it only has about two miles worth of freeway frontage and is stuck between larger Irvine and Mission Viejo. Lake Forest is pretty much just as safe as its two neighbors and I believe it has made top ten lists before. Eastern Lake Forest (East of Trabuco Rd.) is the newest area and also has master planned neighborhoods like Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills, both which are nice family areas. The oldest portions of Lake Forest closer to the freeway are not master planned like Mission Viejo and Irvine are so there are a few aesthetic differences like less medians with trees and plants, walls directly up against streets instead of a small break of plants between walls and streets, and telephone wires are above ground instead of buried. You will notice this mainly in the neighborhoods between the 5 freeway on the west and the train tracks on the east.

Currently the city is also revitalizing its main business area, the El Toro Rd. entrance. In the 1980' and 90' the strip malls lining the main entrance to the city deteriorated with abandoned shops, aging buildings, and low end businesses like a strip club moving in. Currently the city has torn down two aging centers and built the beautiful "Arbor at Lake Forest" center which is a much better entrance to the city. The city is also working on updating and renovating the smaller centers along El Toro and bringing in better stores (like getting rid of the strip club). It is a pleasant entrance now and the traffic problems are less serious than they were in the 90's when the road was a nightmare. In all, the city has done much to change itself into a family city from a military town over the years and has done so nicely. the schools are in general good, but there are some that aren't as good as others. Glen Yermo, Olivewood, and Gates Elementary Schools are lower performing schools than the others that serve Lake Forest. Middle and high schools are good.

Best of luck. Be sure to come out and visit.

[Unkllars]

Its a nice place. May I ask why just Lake Forest?

[cabolissa]

Stay away from the freeway area, and get up to the newer area near the 241 toll road. Very pretty. But down in the older areas there are a lot of drugs.

[sassy168]

not looking at just lake forest, but also IRvine, fountain valley, hb. I work in Irvine, so looking at the two closest cities first.

[Roma]

I was wondering about Lake Forest also. Not so much to move there but because when I do searches on the internet for homes on the water a lot of homes come up in our price range on one of the 2 small lakes in Lake Forest.

Where you could buy a lakefront home for the low million dollar range on one of the lakes in Lake Forest but you can't even touch a lakefront home in Mission Viejo for under 2 million. I believe the lowest I just saw was 2.4 million in MV.

So the price difference speaks volumes to me as Lake Forest is not a bad place but not as desirable as Mission Viejo.