Anything good to say about OC?? (Orange, Corona: housing, income, work)

[melbon7462]

I must say the OC has a lot more to offer! I dont mean everyone wants to live here, its just a really cool county! It might not be for everyone, but I love it!

[cobmw]

Lets see - something positive about OC:

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7. Well it does have good weather.

For young people who value income and a certain kind of "excitement" found in OC it's great. For mature people or those with families you will be sacrificing quality of life and the welfare of your kids for the buck. And between housing costs and the CA tax man there won't be all that much buck left either.

[heatwave13]

I made some comments (good ones) about my recent visit to OC. Again, I was only a visitor, so I don't see the "daily grind" of life in OC.

1. Pleasant weather
2. Very diverse scenery ranging from snow capped mountains to clean beaches. Also, the cliffs along the coast were a pleasant change from the beaches that I frequent in Alabama and Florida.

3. Great variety of choices in places to eat. Pretty much whatever you want....you can find it.

4. In-N-Out
5. Roads that allow for "easy to find your way around" driving. I rented an SUV for my three day stay and never got lost.

I can't comment too much on the people since I only mostly encountered those in the service industry, who tend to be courteous.

[YLresident]

Originally Posted by cobmw

Lets see - something positive about OC:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Well it does have good weather.

For young people who value income and a certain kind of "excitement" found in OC it's great. For mature people or those with families you will be sacrificing quality of life and the welfare of your kids for the buck. And between housing costs and the CA tax man there won't be all that much buck left either.

1. Mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, beaches... all w/in a few hours driving
2. Proximity to entertainment (film, theater, museums, concerts, Disney...)
3. Midway b/t LA and SD to enjoy both cities w/o having to pick just one
4. Great community events for families, adults, teens, kids... everyone
5. Year-round great weather to enjoy all your hobbies whenever
6. Good balance b/t quiet, laid back, snooty, family-oriented, and exciting
7. Great schools, friendly people, stable economy, low unemployment

If you want more of one particular thing, then OC probably won't have it, but if you want a good bit of everything, then we probably do. There's planty of great stuff here--together with some bad, too... but for the most part, OC really has a good balance of a lot of things that most everyone can enjoy.

If you don't appreciate OC's balance of most everything, then clearly you should elect to live somewhere that suits the few particular things you're looking for.

If you're a single looking for exciting weekend life, but want to live somewhere calm and safe during the week, then OC is great--you can drive to LA or SD for the weekend, but come home to OC for work and regular life during the week.

If you're a family who wants access to a wide variety of things for adults, children, and families to do, while also enjoying great schools, healthy employment opportunity, and great neighbors (give them a chance--it takes time), OC is a great option. We have tons of community events and cultural/educational options in OC, but LA and SD are also close enough to enjoy their museums, theaters, speakers, concerts, shopping, events, etc.

OC is a great place. You just need to look around more and give it an honest chance. One person, neighborhood, or even one whole city does not represent all of OC. Maybe we're really just not what you're looking for--we don't really have a lot of just one thing, but a fair amount of most everything.

I honestly love it here, and while I hope to travel the rest of the country and our world someday, I don't think I would ever want to live anywhere else. There's just so much to do here if you willing to look for it. ^_^

[Tony from Europe]

OC and CALIFORNIA are marvellousssssss,nice,beautiful

[GirlsRUs]

My family and I are moving to North Texas because we can no longer stomach the value system here. It is a far cry from Utopia!

[nickindependence]

well im from the UK originally but have lived in Orlanbdo, Fl for a number of years and am a realtor here. My wife love going to CA in particular OC. We are actually thinking about moving out there ourselves. You hear alot of negativity on the boards, and whilst there is good and bad in everywhere, we love oc. The people are nice, the weather is good and there is so much to do. The realtor were using out there is so knowledgable and she is really a sweet heart and has shown us so much more to do than we already knew about. I love Orlando, but i love OC aswell. If i could have a home in both areas i would...lol

Good luck

[Mach50]

The only thing bad about OC are some stuck-up, self-centered, idiotic people (That are easily ignored or avoided).

EVERYTHING else is perfect.

Besides the obvious close proximity to the mountain and ocean...

1) We are between 2 major cities: San Diego and Los Angeles. That means JOBS!
2) The weather here provides 24/7 ability to be outside with your kids, enjoying walks, hikes, bike rides, reading in a park.
3) Diverse area with Asian, Mexican, White, Persian...etc. I DO wish there were more Black people here...
4) Opportunity, there are a lot of energized people here that want to make money. Good or bad that may sound, they are motivated and thriving.
5) It's growing. This area has a lot of room for growth, many people oppose that, but I think it is a good sign that O.C. is strong.

We first moved here from NYC to Newport Beach, WE HATED IT. I just can't stand the people there, everyone I met was a carbon copy of the person next door to them. So we moved away.

Now we live out by the mountain ridge in Irvine, where people are much more genuine, that was all we needed life is great here. But I cannot recommend Newport Beach to anyone that wants a grounded life, the rest of OC is perfect though. Worth every penny.

[melbon7462]

I agree not a fan of living by any beaches. #1 cost is crazy and #2 the people are as snobby as they come!

[skinner1121]

I completely agree with Mach50. The ONLY thing I can see wrong with Orange County (at least southern Orange County) is some very stuck up people. But, it seems like too many people on this board assume that EVERYONE is like that...this just isn't true. Orange County is not what you see on TV.

My #1 concern is safety. After graduating from college in the summer of '05 I bought my first home in Corona (I could not afford a home in OC). I lived there for just over a year, and my car was broken into 3 times! and 1 attempted theft! And this was in a 'nice part of town.'

Is Orange County expensive?...yes, but it's expensive for a reason. I really hate to say this, but after my experience in my first home I wanted to get as far away from low-income housing as I possibly could (my 'nice' home in Corona was only 2 miles from a very 'bad neighborhood'). I'm sure most of the people there are very hard-working, decent people, but it only takes one rotten apple to spoil the bunch...or in my case it was 4 bad apples

Anyway, I moved to Foothill Ranch (in the foothills of Saddleback Mountain)where I will most likely never leave! I absolutely love this place! Everyone is friendly, everything is close, and I've even got pretty into mountain biking in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (which is right in the middle of the city). I'm far enough from the freeway to avoid traffic, but close enough to the Toll Road to get to the beach in 15-20 minutes. If you want to see another side of Orange County, do a Google search for 'Silverado Canyon' or 'Modjeska Canyon.' This city has a lot more history than you might think.

So, like Mach50 said, EVERYTHING is good . Ignore the stuck up people...and SAVE SAVE SAVE before you move here. People like to use the "it's too expensive" line...I hate to say this but a lot of people I've met (mostly in Nevada ) who hate on Orange County, are the ones who couldn't afford it. They had some teaser rate mortgage, couldn't make the payments, and were forced to move. It's not OC's fault you're terrible with your finances . Certain places are always going to be more expensive (OC, SF, SD, etc.)...but the common saying is, "you get what you pay for."