I could use some good OC relocation advice.. please!!! (Santa Ana: crime rates, safe area)

[ocexpo]

It is really hard to suggest anything when we have no clue regarding budget and whether it needs to be single family detached or attached.

[treebw]

I just wrote such a long post and then it disappeared!!
In short...I agree with EscapeCalifornia, I would recommend those areas as well. Rent in OC is really high, but the place is safe, pretty, and year-round weather is Great.
To rent a house plan on at least $2000/month. To buy plan on at Least $400k+.
Depending on where they live in Seattle the rents may be similar, check CraigsList and OC Register for rentals (I dont really like the Register, but great for rental ads).
I would also recommend you drive up there for a day and check out the area, you can make it up and back to SD in a day without any big issues.

[Chef Jared]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. There have been some great things to consider and very valuable information! It is very much appreciated!

[RobE]

The poster who wrote about Santa Ana is sugarcoating it a bit.

It is true that the areas north of 17th St. aren't as bad (the places closer to the border with Orange are decent) as just about anything south of there, where you start seeing more and more gang activity. The area around McFadden is bad, real rundown, as is the area near the Delhi barrio around Main and Edinger. Santa Ana Heights is pretty nice, but you need a good income to live there. The schools are 90% or more hispanic and tend to have relatively low graduation rates and high teen pregnancy rates

As for the crime rate, the violent crime and murder rates are 3-4 times the national average. However, the burglary rate is half the national average and rapes are slightly lower. Car theft, though, is five times the national level.

As for moving to an area around Westminster, there are actually some nice neighborhoods interspersed with some really seedy looking ones in Westminster. Generally, the streets that run north and south are rundown while the cul de sacs off the east west streets are somewhat better.

The biggest problem with Westminster is its phenomenal population of hard drug users. Even when I was in high school in the 1970's Westminster was notorious for that.

So look into Fountain Valley or the City of Orange (which isn't too bad of a commute to Westminster at all).

[mommyntheoc]

Huntington Beach, unless she is Vietnamese - then Westiminster would offer many friends for her and she would be very happy living there!

[Raelyn28]

Oh boy here we go again.. If you are moving from Seattle you are in for a Major culture shock!! Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the US. I am sorry but the inland areas of Orange County are a mess. There is wall to wall people, cement everywhere, hardly a patch of grass to sit on and gang problems and crime. I am actually living very close to you and as an ex-Orange County resident I am not sure you will like it after living in such beauty.. The beach is pretty in Orange County (some of it) and Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear is nice.. Other than that,,, well again shutting up now..

Never-mind though, I know I will just start a riot again with my so called OC bashing. I would suggest you live anywhere south of Irvine along the coast if you can afford it. There are areas in Anaheim Hills that were decent when I lived there and also some parts of Yorba Linda. Don't go to Garden Grove, Anaheim, Buena Park and all those pocket cities. Why don't you visit first then make your decision?? Is that possible?? Research, research and more research. Good luck to you.. You will enjoy the sunshine after all the rain.

[RobE]

Seattle has problems of its own not a great city to drive in, growing gang problems, outrageous housing and apartment prices) and Washington state seems to have a high percentage of mass murderers and sex offenders. Meth is out of control here and the county I live in is notorious for having a drunk drivers (I live about 90 minutes south of Seattle). It also has a big homeless population.

Orange County has its problems and the advice about looking at south county to live in is sound advice since GG, Anaheim, BP, La Habra, Fullerton and other north OC cities are declining. But all the crowding is on the freeways (traffic is much worse than on the 5 in Puget Sound) and not on the street and Washington State is actually a higher crime state than California per capita. And Seattle has a higher crime rate than Santa Ana.

[Raelyn28]

Didn't you just say that you lived in Yorba Linda as you responded to my thread?? Maybe I read it wrong. You are right about the negatives of Seattle, but it isn't the same "feel" at all especially in some of the surrounding suburbs. I don't think there is any comparison unless you are sitting on the freeway.. I think Washington is one of the most beautiful states in the US. Again, just another opinion. I respect yours too. So do you like Washington or California better? Which one would you pick if you had the choice? Just curious...

Originally Posted by RobE

Seattle has problems of its own not a great city to drive in, growing gang problems, outrageous housing and apartment prices) and Washington state seems to have a high percentage of mass murderers and sex offenders. Meth is out of control here and the county I live in is notorious for having a drunk drivers (I live about 90 minutes south of Seattle). It also has a big homeless population.

Orange County has its problems and the advice about looking at south county to live in is sound advice since GG, Anaheim, BP, La Habra, Fullerton and other north OC cities are declining. But all the crowding is on the freeways (traffic is much worse than on the 5 in Puget Sound) and not on the street and Washington State is actually a higher crime state than California per capita. And Seattle has a higher crime rate than Santa Ana.

[Raelyn28]

Never mind I went back and noticed that you said lived...

Originally Posted by RobE

Seattle has problems of its own not a great city to drive in, growing gang problems, outrageous housing and apartment prices) and Washington state seems to have a high percentage of mass murderers and sex offenders. Meth is out of control here and the county I live in is notorious for having a drunk drivers (I live about 90 minutes south of Seattle). It also has a big homeless population.

Orange County has its problems and the advice about looking at south county to live in is sound advice since GG, Anaheim, BP, La Habra, Fullerton and other north OC cities are declining. But all the crowding is on the freeways (traffic is much worse than on the 5 in Puget Sound) and not on the street and Washington State is actually a higher crime state than California per capita. And Seattle has a higher crime rate than Santa Ana.

[rosie1]

Originally Posted by Chef Jared

Hello, I am trying to research some living situations for some family wanting to relocate from Seattle. My aunt is going to be working for the City Hall in Westminster, and is looking for a decent place to live with safe neighborhoods that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I've notices that many of the places suggested in previous posts are well above the median cost for housing.

I recently moved to San Diego from Seattle, and am not the least bit familiar with OC, so I could REALLY use some valuable advice here.

In a nutshell, they are looking for this:
1 - Decent commute to Westminster
2 - Safe neighborhood where they don't have to worry about being robbed/stabbed/shot/etc
3 - Reasonable cost of living as they make decent money but are not wealthy

Thank you in advance for any help and advice you can offer me!

Try La Mirada... it's LA County but borderline OC. The neighborhood is safe and quiet. I just moved here from busy West LA and love it. Everyone is friendly and although the 5 freeway is a big pain, there pretty much is a way around it one way or another. You're pretty much central to a lot of nice cities such as Fullerton, Buena Park, Cerritos close to Brea.