Should we move from Minneapolis? (Long Beach, Huntington Beach: apartment complexes, rentals, condo)
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Considering a move from Minneapolis (we live in Edina which is close in suburb) to OC (Newport Beach is top choice). We can afford a $1.5-2 M home...although a bit concerned about buying in this price range given the current market...so would consider renting for awhile to get the lay of the land.
My job is in Newport Beach...so commute shouldn't be a major factor. We have three kids and schools are a big concern. Also, we're a laid back friendly family and would like to make friends with neighbors and families at school. This is relatively easy in Minnesota...but not sure about Newport Beach.
We also own a condo in Mammoth Lakes CA...although this will be a major drive from OC.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you.
Considering a move from Minneapolis (we live in Edina which is close in suburb) to OC (Newport Beach is top choice). We can afford a $1.5-2 M home...although a bit concerned about buying in this price range given the current market...so would consider renting for awhile to get the lay of the land.
My job is in Newport Beach...so commute shouldn't be a major factor. We have three kids and schools are a big concern. Also, we're a laid back friendly family and would like to make friends with neighbors and families at school. This is relatively easy in Minnesota...but not sure about Newport Beach.
We also own a condo in Mammoth Lakes CA...although this will be a major drive from OC.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you.
Given the fact you are willing to pay between $1.5-2MM for a home, I assume you are well off. Newport/OC (and all of CA for that matter) is a very nice place to live IF you have the money to do so. You could easily pick up a place in Newport for 60-75% of that budget.
Based on second hand experience I would reccomend avoiding the Newport Coast area. Highly pretentenious and large presence of most of the negative sterotypes associated with the OC wealthy. Stay off the pennisula as well as it is full of beach rental houses and partiers. Plus the whole thing will probably suffer from major liqifaction in a serious quake. Newport harbor area was formed by a quake in the 1800's. What the san adreas giveth it can also taketh away....
Corona Del Mar is a nicer area, but can also be a bit insular. I've heard better things about the the bluffs area. Its older homes and not as "pretty" as some of the new shinier parts of NB, but the people there tend to be more grounded and friendly.
Schools will obviously be important. Not sure if you have any teens, but be wary of CDM HS. Good academically in total but has a MAJOR drug problem. Newport Harbor is a good HS.
Lastly, If you are willing to drive a bit, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Nigual and Huntington Beach are all options for you. Each has different +/-. DO a forum search for each and you'll find tons of info.
Stay off the pennisula as well as it is full of beach rental houses and partiers. Plus the whole thing will probably suffer from major liqifaction in a serious quake. Newport harbor area was formed by a quake in the 1800's. What the san adreas giveth it can also taketh away....
Good luck.
This is a good point. The Newport-Inglewood fault, which hit Long Beach hard back in the 1930's, runs right under some of the more prime areas close to Hoag Memorial Hospital. The fault, in fact, runs directly under Standard Ave. Spy Glass Hill, which hosts more big ticket homes, is also a known slide zone. If the areas around Lido Isle and some of the other Bay areas are indeed fill in type terrain, they could perhaps liquify in a big quake.
There are a bunch of apartment complexes and beach rentals on the peninsula, so yeah, it gets loud and crowded during the summer.
Newport is a great place generally. You might want to concentrate on the area around Fashion Island, which has a lot of gated communities and is away from the brunt of the tourist craziness while still being nice scenically.
Thank you! We have grandparents in both Minnesota and CA (up closer to LA)...so either location can work.
I very much appreciate the insights on neighborhoods. Right now, looking at Bonita Canyon area, but several areas look nice online. We'd much rather stay in the $1.3 range for a house...but I am noticing that some of those are selling more rapidly. Didn't want to sound pretentious saying we could afford a home...but didn't want as many comments on the affordability factor...which I can see is unfairly a big problem for a lot of people.
My husband had been interested in Huntington Harbor area--but not sure about the drive and I'm wondering if tends to be older people living there. We'd really like an area with younger families.
I'm not sure if I want a gated community...I'd prefer the feel of an actual neighborhood. Laguna is attractive to me from that perspective, but once again, read on these boards that it tends to be older people. And, most of the larger homes are too expensive.
Thank you! We have grandparents in both Minnesota and CA (up closer to LA)...so either location can work.
I very much appreciate the insights on neighborhoods. Right now, looking at Bonita Canyon area, but several areas look nice online. We'd much rather stay in the $1.3 range for a house...but I am noticing that some of those are selling more rapidly. Didn't want to sound pretentious saying we could afford a home...but didn't want as many comments on the affordability factor...which I can see is unfairly a big problem for a lot of people.
My husband had been interested in Huntington Harbor area--but not sure about the drive and I'm wondering if tends to be older people living there. We'd really like an area with younger families.
I'm not sure if I want a gated community...I'd prefer the feel of an actual neighborhood. Laguna is attractive to me from that perspective, but once again, read on these boards that it tends to be older people. And, most of the larger homes are too expensive.
Commute to NB from Huntington Harbor is 35-40 minutes straight down PCH. About as nice of a drive as you could ask for. Huntington Harbor population is older and my perception is it skews heavily to retiress & empty nesters. Lets just say I have never met anyone under 60 from that area, even though I lived for 3 years about a mile away in HB. Also schools in HB are not as good as you will find further south in OC.
If you are looking for a more family friendly upper middle class area, I would highly suggest you look hard at Mission Viejo and Irvine. These two communities are much more family focussed then Newport Beach. Mission Viejo is totally for families. Nice area, wide variety of housing price and size wise. Seems like everybody there has kids and its all about PTA, AYSO, AP classes, Club sports, block parties etc. The whole town is soccer mom central. If I was moving into OC with kids and my job location allowed it, that's where I would head. Commute to Newport would be a bit longer, I would guesstimate 35-40 minutes depending on how far from the 5 or 73 you end up living. Forum member missionhome has posted tons of great info on MV if you are interested in more info.
Irvine is also more family focussed then NB, but not as much as MV. Check out the villages of Turtle Rock or Woodbridge. If you are more interested in learning more about Irvine check out Irvine Housing Forums | IHB
Commute to NB from Huntington Harbor is 35-40 minutes straight down PCH. About as nice of a drive as you could ask for. Huntington Harbor population is older and my perception is it skews heavily to retiress & empty nesters. Lets just say I have never met anyone under 60 from that area, even though I lived for 3 years about a mile away in HB. Also schools in HB are not as good as you will find further south in OC.
If you are looking for a more family friendly upper middle class area, I would highly suggest you look hard at Mission Viejo and Irvine. These two communities are much more family focussed then Newport Beach. Mission Viejo is totally for families. Nice area, wide variety of housing price and size wise. Seems like everybody there has kids and its all about PTA, AYSO, AP classes, Club sports, block parties etc. The whole town is soccer mom central. If I was moving into OC with kids and my job location allowed it, that's where I would head. Commute to Newport would be a bit longer, I would guesstimate 35-40 minutes depending on how far from the 5 or 73 you end up living. Forum member missionhome has posted tons of great info on MV if you are interested in more info.
Irvine is also more family focussed then NB, but not as much as MV. Check out the villages of Turtle Rock or Woodbridge. If you are more interested in learning more about Irvine check out Irvine Housing Forums | IHB
Good Luck!
The commute from Huntington Harbor to Newport is about 15 minutes down PCH. I commute from the Belmont Shore area to Newport every morning down PCH and it never takes longer than 30 minutes.
I also think it's difficult to say MV, Irvine, etc are more family friendly than Newport. People like to say that because there are a lot of families in those areas. But the reason they are there is it is cheaper to live there. If you can afford it, Newport and the other beach areas are great for families and there are more there than you probably would imagine. Also, I'm not going to disagree with your comments about newport and the pretentious new money attitude. But Irvine, MV, and other inland south oc towns have a lot of that too. At least Newport folks have the money to back up the attitude.
Last edited by NaplesRes; 08-09-2009 at 08:35 PM..
The commute from Huntington Harbor to Newport is about 15 minutes down PCH. I commute from the Belmont Shore area to Newport every morning down PCH and it never takes longer than 30 minutes.
I also think it's difficult to say MV, Irvine, etc are more family friendly than Newport. People like to say that because there are a lot of families in those areas. But the reason they are there is it is cheaper to live there. If you can afford it, Newport and the other beach areas are great for families and there are more there than you probably would imagine. Also, I'm not going to disagree with your comments about newport and the pretentious new money attitude. But Irvine, MV, and other inland south oc towns have a lot of that too. At least Newport folks have the money to back up the attitude.
Not as many as you would think.
Many of the familys in South OC are "All hat & no cattle", but if I had a dollar for every 40 something divorcee who pulls up to the Fashion Island valet in a late model 5 or 7 series but lives in a rented apartment I'd be richer then Donald Bren
I was looking at Mission Viejo and thought it looked nice. The commute scared me a bit (suggested route included both the 5 and 405 when I mapped it)...but maybe those roads aren't so bad that far south. (versus in LA)
The soccer mom thing is good and bad for us. I'm a working mom, so I'm not totally immersed in that culture. However, it is nice to live in that type of atmosphere with the kids so there's lots of friends, neighborhood activities, etc.
Thanks for advice on Huntington too--I am thinking it's too "mature" to have what we're looking for in terms of family activities, etc.
I was looking at Mission Viejo and thought it looked nice. The commute scared me a bit (suggested route included both the 5 and 405 when I mapped it)...but maybe those roads aren't so bad that far south. (versus in LA)
The soccer mom thing is good and bad for us. I'm a working mom, so I'm not totally immersed in that culture. However, it is nice to live in that type of atmosphere with the kids so there's lots of friends, neighborhood activities, etc.
Thanks for advice on Huntington too--I am thinking it's too "mature" to have what we're looking for in terms of family activities, etc.
One thing that hasn't been brought up is your desire for some character. Do you like to walk to shops, eateries, etc? Outdoor living? Do you like houses with character? Or do you prefer the new, cookie cutter look, chain shopping centers, and the car culture? The beach cities give you the former. The inland cities like Irvine, MV, etc give you the other. In the end regardless of where you live, if you pick a middle or above class neighborhood you'll find good schools, families, etc. So in my opinion it's important to think about what lifestyle you want. They are very different once you get away from the coast.
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