What he HELL does everyone do in OC to make money? (Irvine: apartment complexes, foreclosures)

[SoCalCroozer]

I'm from the midwest (St. Louis) and lived 7 years in Colorado. I've seen my fair share of wealth and rich people. But having lived two years here in the "OC" and hanging out in Newport, Laguna, Coto, etc. and driving around Nellie Gail and so many other wealthy subdivisions it's sickening how wealthy people are here compared to the rest of the country. I mean what the hell does everyone do around here to justify this wealth and standard of living? Is everyone a doctor, lawyer, business owner, super professional? Some of you wonder why OC and CA in general has such a bad rap well think about it.............the average Californian or more specifically the average Orange Countian is so far out of touch with mainstream America it's laughable. I mean some of the people out here live like gluttons. The gap between the haves and the have nots is most apparent in a county like Orange that's for sure. I've never seen so many BMW's, Mercedes, Maseratis, Ferraris, Bentleys etc. The funny thing is this state is bankrupt. LMAO! It's quite ironic. There are many things I love about Southern California and south Orange County is a very nice place to live. But there are WAY too many out of touch wealthy snobs out here.

There's nothing like watching an OCian out washing their beautiful car or better yet having it detailed by some Mexican teenager all the while wondering to myself when the hell it's going to rain again. After all OC uses more water than any other county in Southern California! Yall are some funny people out here!

[EscapeCalifornia]

There IS a lot of money here but there's also a lot of people pretending to be richer than they are. A huge percentage of those luxury cars you see are leased or were purchased with cash from a home equity loan. It's not uncommon to see 20-somethings living with mom and dad while driving a $50k car. As for the homes, a lot of people rode the boom up and traded up every couple of years while the banks didn't care to investigate their ability to repay.

[bhcompy]

The problem is where you live is just one part of the county. Move to northern or western OC and it's a different atmosphere totally. Older homes, many people have lived here since before 1999 when prices were reasonable, lot more accords and camrys than bmw 7 series and high end mercedes, etc. Not too many foreclosures in this neck of the woods

[SoCalCroozer]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

There IS a lot of money here but there's also a lot of people pretending to be richer than they are. A huge percentage of those luxury cars you see are leased or were purchased with cash from a home equity loan. It's not uncommon to see 20-somethings living with mom and dad while driving a $50k car. As for the homes, a lot of people rode the boom up and traded up every couple of years while the banks didn't care to investigate their ability to repay.

Yeah but the keeping up with the joneses still does not explain all the wealth in OC let alone California. After all CA is the what 8th largest economy in the world? Yet it's bankrupt?

Plus why are there so many gated communities. I've seen more gated communities in the OC than I have in any other place in the country. Are wealthy people so worried about being bothered by the lower rungs of society?

[Fontucky]

So you hang out in the wealthy parts of the county, then wonder why you see so many expensive cars and other trappings of wealth? Can I get a DUH?

Would you like a guided tour of Delhi, Crow Village, the Zanjas, the Gaza Strip, Casa Bonita, Little Hollywood, Yeager Flats, Olive Hill, Micky Mouse Village, Townsend-Raitt or Pico-Lowell?

[SoCalCroozer]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

So you hang out in the wealthy parts of the county, then wonder why you see so many expensive cars and other trappings of wealth? Can I get a DUH?

Would you like a guided tour of Delhi, Crow Village, the Zanjas, the Gaza Strip, Casa Bonita, Little Hollywood, Yeager Flats, Olive Hill, Micky Mouse Village, Townsend-Raitt or Pico-Lowell?

No no no. Wait a minute. Like I've said there is wealth all over this country. I've seen it in Colorado and I've seen it in St. Louis. But there is an exorbitant amount of wealth in CA compared to the rest of the country. Fletcher Jones was selling more Benzos than any other dealership in the world at one time.

And trust me I don't need a tour of Delhi or Gaza. I've lived in, worked in, and toured North St. Louis many times as a kid and young adult. It's probably one of the worst areas in the country.

Like I said I think CA is just a microcosm of the rest of the country.......the rich are getting richer and the middle class is disintegrating into the haves, have-nots. It's so just much more apparent in a county like Orange than it is say in West County, Missouri or Douglas County, CO.

[NaplesRes]

Originally Posted by SoCalCroozer

Yeah but the keeping up with the joneses still does not explain all the wealth in OC let alone California. After all CA is the what 8th largest economy in the world? Yet it's bankrupt?

Plus why are there so many gated communities. I've seen more gated communities in the OC than I have in any other place in the country. Are wealthy people so worried about being bothered by the lower rungs of society?

OC is filled with people who want to appear wealthy. A gated community means nothing in OC. It is just another way for people who aren't wealthy to feel wealthy. Behind many of those gates are cheaply made, cookie cutter homes with people up to their necks in dept. There is some wealth (mostly new) in newport and laguna but outside of that you mostly regular people keeping up with Mr. and Mrs. Jones.

[Mach50]

It's all a facade, most of those high end cars you see pull into a 1 bedroom apartment overlooking the PCH. Just travel through Newport Bluffs, Promontory Point, Turtle Ridge..most of the Irvine owned apartment complexes...bunch of poser high rollers leasing Benzo's and in debt.

[Dirk Bonner]

Originally Posted by SoCalCroozer

Yeah but the keeping up with the joneses still does not explain all the wealth in OC let alone California. After all CA is the what 8th largest economy in the world? Yet it's bankrupt?

Plus why are there so many gated communities. I've seen more gated communities in the OC than I have in any other place in the country. Are wealthy people so worried about being bothered by the lower rungs of society?

You sound a tad resentful. Maybe OC just isn't for you.

[Charles]

Here are the median incomes for several zips in south OC:

ZIP City Median:

92673 Talega $92,073
92679 Coto de Caza $112,998
92694 Ladera Ranch $104,306
92629 Dana Point $64,622
92677 LN $80,146
92653 LH $46,716
92692 MVe $82,690
92691 MVw $75,184
92688 RSM $74,173
92656 AV $74,688

Data from this great demographic tool:

ZIPskinny - Get the Skinny on that ZIP (demographics by ZIP Code)