OC Best & Worst (Irvine, Aliso Viejo: university, maintenance, living in)

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I read that as meaning whenever you want to go out and do something (beach, mountains, outdoor events or recreation) you'll find the place overrurn by others doing the same thing. That's a major difference I've noticed from where I live now. It's just a function of too many people with the same interests living near too few places to do those things. That's definitely something I don't miss.

I once worked in Washington, DC and commuted into the city from one of the burbs. The freeways are always packed and DC attractions are always crowded. The burbs weren't crowded because there wasn't much there to see.

[DinsdalePirahna]

The Best:
The Beaches and Harbors
The Mountains
The Weather
Access to some pretty good cycling/hiking trails
Decent Restaurants
Disney

The Worse:
The Bros, MMA-types and Notice-me-dammits that migrate to Huntington Beach every summer weekend
Rush hour traffic (although it has lightened up a bit)
Pay-to-Play activities
Evening activities **** down pretty early
Walled in sub-divisions (especially those that are un-maintained or "handy-manned")
Ghetto Burgers
Disney

[BorisBlack]

Best:
Weather
Beaches
Schools
People (for the most part)
Activities, particularly for kids
Active, healthy lifestyle
Well designed, well planned

Worst:
Culture (relative to major metro areas)
Chain/Big Box central
Nightlife
Public Transportation

Basically, if you are in the "family" stage of life, there might not be any place better than OC. If you are young and looking for action, OC is probably not the place for you.

IMO, traffic and cost of living/housing are not bad RELATIVE to other metro areas. Yes, the traffic sucks. But going into LA is actually better than going into NY or Chicago, because people start later out here. At least going into LA you can leave early and beat the traffic, you can't do this in NY or Chicago. Of course coming home is a complete cluster.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by BorisBlack

Best:
Weather
Beaches
Schools
People (for the most part)
Activities, particularly for kids
Active, healthy lifestyle
Well designed, well planned

Worst:
Culture (relative to major metro areas)
Chain/Big Box central
Nightlife
Public Transportation

Basically, if you are in the "family" stage of life, there might not be any place better than OC. If you are young and looking for action, OC is probably not the place for you.

IMO, traffic and cost of living/housing are not bad RELATIVE to other metro areas. Yes, the traffic sucks. But going into LA is actually better than going into NY or Chicago, because people start later out here. At least going into LA you can leave early and beat the traffic, you can't do this in NY or Chicago. Of course coming home is a complete cluster.

I would add "Parking" (x2) to the "Best" column. Some people complain (ad nauseam) about the seas of parking lots and "strip malls" in OC, but in coming from Manhattan, I definitely appreciate the chance to be able to drive someplace without having to circle the block a million times in desperate search of a parking spot; and even most of those on busy NYC commercial streets are metered.

[MommaMel33]

Originally Posted by pacific2

I would add "Parking" (x2) to the "Best" column. Some people complain (ad nauseam) about the seas of parking lots and "strip malls" in OC, but in coming from Manhattan, I definitely appreciate the chance to be able to drive someplace without having to circle the block a million times in desperate search of a parking spot; and even most of those on busy NYC commercial streets are metered.

As someone who lived in SF for 3 years, I can DEFINITELY appreciate the value of finding a parking spot, within a 1/4 mile, within 10 min. I lived in a neighborhood known for shopping and dining out, and on certain nights of the week, I would drive around my block for over an hour, before finally settling on a spot miles away, and then hopping on the MUNI bus to get home.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by MommaMel33

As someone who lived in SF for 3 years, I can DEFINITELY appreciate the value of finding a parking spot, within a 1/4 mile, within 10 min. I lived in a neighborhood known for shopping and dining out, and on certain nights of the week, I would drive around my block for over an hour, before finally settling on a spot miles away, and then hopping on the MUNI bus to get home.

This reminds me of my parking experiences in Manhattan since I refused to pay robber baron fees to have my car garaged. There were times when I had to park so far away that I actually had to take a cab home.

One evening, I parked some distance away, and the next morning I took a cab back to my parked car, only to find it blocked in by another one (with no phone number on the windshield, as required per Manhattan blocking etiquette ).

That was infuriating, so frustrated and silly me flagged down a patrol car and asked a cop to help get me out. He did! He got on his bullhorn and told the owner of the car to get down there and move his vehicle.

The guy scrambled down and moved his car. I thanked the cop and all was right with the world.

There were also times when I had to tell overzealous tow drivers to put my hoisted car down, since they would sometimes hook it up minutes before they were legally allowed to (per alternate-side-of- the street parking regs).

Thank gawd, none of that stuff happens here. I still love Manhattan, but gimme' "strip malls" and plentiful parking while I'm in CA.

To show how much a PITA driving/parking is in NYC, I was once offered a position and one of the perks was a car with a driver.

[pacific2]

People love to complain about life in SoCal with its "crowds" and blah, blah, blah, but it is EZ!!!! They really need to live in a large city to develop some perspective.

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by pacific2

People love to complain about life in SoCal with its "crowds" and blah, blah, blah, but it is EZ!!!! They really need to live in a large city to develop some perspective.

Agree on that one. I think that gripe comes more from traffiic

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

Agree on that one. I think that gripe comes more from traffiic

This might be true for some, but others complain of traffic and crowds. Everyone knows that popular tourist attractions will---attract. Some people adjust by simply visiting these places during the least popular times, if at all.

Obliviously, this is an urban area, but not a very densely populated one. I don't see throngs of people marching down the street. Truthfully, coming from Manhattan, I look around and things seem relatively empty, but I'm not complaining since I choose to live in SoCal for now; it's just an observation. I checked the pop. density for my city and for most of those in surrounding areas.

Persons/sq mi

MANHATTAN 69, 467.5

Aliso Viejo 6,400.3
Irvine 3, 212.6
Mission Viejo 5,259.9
Laguna Niguel 4,245.9
Laguna Beach 2,557.6
Laguna Hills 4,549.3
Lake Forest 4,336.8

Source: US Census 2010

What crowds?

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

Agree on that one. I think that gripe comes more from traffiic

It could also come from people living in close proximity on smaller lots.