Mercer Island, WA to (where?) in Orange County? (Corona, Mission Viejo: rentals, condo)

[rebailey3]

My husband has accepted a job in Lake Forest and now the hunt for where to live begins, and OC is very overwhelming.

We currently live on Mercer Island and I have grown to LOVE it here(was not a fan for the first year for sure). But now, I wouldn't move off the island even if it would make life more convenient. It's definitely it's own little "bubble" with a tight knit community. So tight, I'm sure we're not actually "in" but we have been able to create a really nice sense of community with people from our daughter's school. I'm hoping we can find an area that's similar in OC.


The most important element is our daughter. She attends a small Catholic school with a very high level of parent involvement. We will keep her in Catholic school when we move, preferable a small one. I'd like to be able to have access to quality sports/dance classes, horseback riding, etc. They don't have to be fancy or uber-competitive but very high quality. A quality library is also really important.

We do a lot of outside/nature activities. Enjoy hikes, bike rides, poking around on the beaches, in the forest, etc.

Nothing is terribly convenient living on the island, so we're used to driving to a decent restaurant & for big box stores, etc. but we do live 20 minutes from anything & everything.

Of course, I'm very worried about the superficiality/materialism/competitive nature that I hear about OC. We definitely have it here, but it's much more subtle than the Park Cities, TX(where we were before Mercer Island) and I was glad to leave that behind.

Thoughts?

[goozer]

OC is different from your current location in many, many ways. Not saying you couldn't learn to like it here a lot, but you have to be open to it and accept the differences, good and bad. I sense that you already have a ton of reluctance about leaving Washington and that does not bode well for assimilating to OC if/when you move. I think your best bet is to get boots on the ground here and see if you can find a neighborhood you like. Just recognize that it will NOT be Mercer Island.

[loveorangecounty]

You might want to take a look at Ladera Ranch. I have always described it as being in a bubble. Kind of a small town feel within a suburban area. I have an aunt that lives on Mercer Island so I know where you are coming from. Ladera is a close knit community with many planned activities for kids and families. San Juan Capistrano is just south of Ladera Ranch and many take their kids there for horseback riding lessons. They have a large equestrian field and lots of horse property. Many families send their kids to Serra Catholic school in Rancho Santa Margarita and seem happy, although I would not consider the school small. Good luck.

[luckodeirish]

What is your housing budget?

[rebailey3]

Thanks for your replies!

Goozer- you're right, there's nothing like getting there and sorting it out on the ground. I'm just trying to get oriented so I can hit the ground running. While I admit to being reluctant, but it's mostly a general reluctance. We've moved every two years for the last 8 and it's such a big undertaking, and the kiddo's in school which makes it that much tougher. There'll be things I'll really miss about WA but there are things I'm already excited about for CA....sunshine!!

Loveorangecounty - Thanks for the suggestion!

Luckodeirish- While we're "camping out" aka renting and finding our feet I'd like to stick to as close to $2,000 as possible(under would be awesome). We can squeeze into to 2 bed, approx 900 sq ft and survive for a year. Though though 2 bed plus study or 3 bed would give a bit more breathing room.

[Electrician4you]

Rentals for a decent area will run 16-2000 for a 2-3 bed apt, 21-2500 for a condo/Townhouse and 2500 and up for a SFR.
And it's pretty competitive.
I strongly also suggest you take some time to come down and look around. So Cal is nothing like Washington. I have a few friends who are stationed at Whitby Island naval base. I went to visit. I like it there. But really can't compare it to So Cal. It's totally different.

[HarryKerryJr]

Can she afford Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach or Laguna Hills? Mission Viejo is way too cookie cutter suburb. Great views of either hills or ocean to make up for Mercer Island. Yes, even some Seattlites have a problem of the notion of living there, especially being at the mercy of the bridges during heavy traffic times and for the reasons the OP cited, but if one can get over such possible negatives, Mercer Island can be just what some people are looking for.