Riverside or Mission Viejo? (Los Angeles, Irvine: for sale, low crime, houses)

[doug25]

There might be an opportunity for me and my family to relocate to SoCal from PA. The occupation will consist of employment through the Air Force Personal Service(El Segundo). There are two area's of consideration for living; Riverside and Mission Viejo. I did live in MV during the late 1980's, but that was 20 years ago.
From Riverside it is an 1hr 15 min drive and from MV it is an 1 hr even. NOTE!!!-these are estimates derived from MapQuest Maps - Driving Directions - Map and I am fully aware that the travel is heavy-so your experience, knowledge, and information will be appreciated.
Also, is there any other concerns about Riverside,(considering I have three children[2G,1B, 4yr, 1.5yr, &1.5 mth]) such as: School, crime, etc.

Thank You.

[bmwguydc]

Between the two, I'd tend to stick with Mission Viejo for the schools, though the traffic is going to be terrible getting to El Segundo, roughly 50 miles each way. Riverside will not save any traffic congestion, either, since you'll have to come across the 91 to the 5 to the 105, which might not be too terrible in early morning traffic, but the afternoon traffic getting back through Orange County on the 91 can be at a standstill getting into Corona. And, Mission Viejo is one of the safest communities in California.

If you can work at off-peak hours, this might save time in terms of the drive, but it can be agonizing some mornings on the 405. I do the drive from Irvine at times to LAX in morning traffic, and that's maybe about 10 miles less than the drive you're considering, and I can do that in about an hour to an hour and a half.

Closer to your work, geographically, is the Palos Verdes Peninsula of Los Angeles County. The schools are top-notch in Palos Verdes, though most areas on the Peninsula that are comparable to OC are more expensive than Mission Viejo. Some of the smaller 4BR houses in Rancho Palos Verdes start in the high $600s (though those are rare, since many are into the $700s), which is a good deal higher than similar homes in Mission Viejo.

Mission Viejo could be great for your family, especially since you are familiar with the area from 20 years ago, but be prepared for a drive and if you can get off-peak hours or a carpool, that would really help to make the commute more manageable. The Metrolink would be great, but it heads towards Union Station, not to LAX, so it would be a hassle to transfer to the LA Metro to get to El Segundo via public transportation. For the trade-off in commute, I'd stick with OC for better schools, lower crime, and better air quality than inland Riverside.

[EscapeCalifornia]

If you MUST live far from El Segundo, I'd look in Rossmoor instead of Mission Viejo. Its a good area and will cut your drive at least in half. Forget Riverside unless your commute is in an F-16.

[missionhome]

I would not do Riverside. Mission Viejo is a cleaner, safer, more attractive, and better area for raising a family in my opinion and the schools are MUCH better. However, the commute is going to suck driving all the way to El Segundo. It is your decision in the end, but it will not be a fun drive. I would consider the South Bay area of LA instead. Maybe Torrance or something.

[carmac]

Originally Posted by doug25

There might be an opportunity for me and my family to relocate to SoCal from PA. The occupation will consist of employment through the Air Force Personal Service(El Segundo). There are two area's of consideration for living; Riverside and Mission Viejo. I did live in MV during the late 1980's, but that was 20 years ago.
From Riverside it is an 1hr 15 min drive and from MV it is an 1 hr even. NOTE!!!-these are estimates derived from MapQuest Maps - Driving Directions - Map and I am fully aware that the travel is heavy-so your experience, knowledge, and information will be appreciated.
Also, is there any other concerns about Riverside,(considering I have three children[2G,1B, 4yr, 1.5yr, &1.5 mth]) such as: School, crime, etc.

Thank You.

If you can afford it, move to MV. The Riverside area is not what it once was unfortunately.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by carmac

If you can afford it, move to MV. The Riverside area is not what it once was unfortunately.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-b...ghborhood.html

As was said before, if it's a choice ONLY between those two, and you can afford it, MV hands down, no question.

[doug25]

I sincerely appreciate your input/advice. MV does have a lot to offer, but there is the transportation situation. I researched two of the areas that were mentioned, Rosemoor and Rancho Palos Verdes-both are relatively good, respectable, clean areas with low crime; but have a higher home cost, which in return would make it more complicated to live there. I imagine the situations that I would come across will have their own "pro v. con" scenarios.
Although MV is just a "commute", seems to be an understatement. When considering a proper location-environment that is suitable for my family, then the travel would seem to warrent itself.
Again, I appreciate you input/advice and also welcome more...

[missionhome]

Do check out Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and the western half of Torrance that is closer to the beach and the Redondo border. All of these areas have respectable schools and neighborhoods that would be much much much closer to your work in Torrance. I'm not sure what your price range for a home is, so check them out and see if you can afford it. It should be a bit cheaper than the Palos Verdes area.

In Torrance look for homes in the boundaries for South High School and West High School because these two are the highest ranked.

If you really want to live in Mission Viejo (I live here, so I don't blame you, it is a great area), honestly consider a used Toyota Prius Hyrbid. There is a car pool lane all the way to El Segundo and it will make your drive only one hour and you won't have to deal with as much traffic. Some of the used Prius' have the carpool lane sticker like this one: Cars For Sale: Car Details - AutoTrader.com
There are cheaper ones but they have more miles on them.

The Honda Civic Hybrids sometimes have carpool lane stickers also like this one: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...3&rdpage=thumb

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by doug25

I sincerely appreciate your input/advice. MV does have a lot to offer, but there is the transportation situation. I researched two of the areas that were mentioned, Rosemoor and Rancho Palos Verdes-both are relatively good, respectable, clean areas with low crime; but have a higher home cost, which in return would make it more complicated to live there. I imagine the situations that I would come across will have their own "pro v. con" scenarios.
Although MV is just a "commute", seems to be an understatement. When considering a proper location-environment that is suitable for my family, then the travel would seem to warrent itself.
Again, I appreciate you input/advice and also welcome more...

But do you want to be a wiped-out zombie and miss your home life because you're either on the road or going to bed early to get up for the next commute? Long commutes eat the soul slowly over time.

[Fontucky]

Those drive time estimates are spot on..... for 2 in the morning.

I'd REALLY consider finding a place closer than MV or Riverside. There are many nice area in the South Bay. You don't want to become a So Cal freeway commuter zombie.... believe me.