Thinking of moving from Toronto Canada to Irvine California (Orange: house, neighborhoods)

[dakicka]

Originally Posted by tinexile

If you're seriously thinking of moving from Toronto to OC, I have one word of advice for you: don't. Toronto is one of the nicest cities on the planet, and OC is the most over-crowded, over-rated places I've ever had the misfortune of living in. Thankfully I'm leaving in 2 weeks. Yes, the weather is great, and the scenery quite beautiful, but you're going from an area with very nice people to one over populated with obnoxious phoneys. If you think driving in Toronto is bad (I have a few memories from way back being stuck on the QEW and the 401), you haven't seen anything until you've driven in SoCal. Aggressive and rude are the two main understatements that come to mind.

Irvine is certainly safe and clean, and not bad to live in if you like police states. They will regulate EVERYTHING you do as a homeowner. If you plan on living in Newport Beach or Laguna Beach, hopefully you are independently wealthy or plan to knock off a Scotiabank branch before coming out here.

Please do yourself a favour: rethink this idea big time.

Tinexile where are you moving to? You are very right avout the obnoxious people and agressive/rude drivers (for the most part). It's really sad all these posts we have these concerns...it is quite apparent that it is not just some made up idea that people are really that odd/into themselves out here, it must be true if half of this forum for oc is geared toward the utter dislike for most of it's population! ugh so frustrating. if you don't like oc where are you thinking about moving? any suggestions? i've been here 6 months and im back and forth in my mind, but i love the climate and wondering if theres somewhere nicer with the same climate..

[tinexile]

dakicka: I'm moving to south-eastern Wisconsin for a new job. I thought I'd give SoCal a year even though I haven't liked it since the moment I arrived, but I just don't fit in here, and I'm actually liking OC less and less as time goes on. I wasn't planning on moving to Wisconsin specifically, but a job recruiter found a great opportunity for me, and that's where the job is.

In all fairness I should point out that I have met some very nice people in OC - there are 2 people I work with that I consider amongst the nicest, most good-hearted people I've ever met. But I'm SO tired of being cut off in traffic (if not run off the road), and dealing with so many arrogant, inconsiderate people that I have to say comprise about 95% of the other people I've met out here.

Growing up in the midwest, as a kid I can't count how many times I heard "look both ways before crossing the road". In SoCal I think the motto is "whatever you do don't look before stepping in front of a moving vehicle". I think people actually move slower when the know they're in your way. Also, people here are quick to say "have a nice day" and then they try to cut in front of you in line. People in the midwest in general are lighter on the superficial curtesies but are much more considerate of other people, and are a LOT more genuine.

I'm practicaly counting the minutes until I leave California. Only 13 more days to go.

[Ni Hau Ma]

Hi friends... I need your opinion. I have a plan to move from Los Angeles, California to Winnipeg, Canada because I will get better job in Winnipeg but I am thinking about the extreme weather in Winnipeg,Manitoba. Please share your opinion and I am really appreciate. Thank you. from Ni Hau Ma

[Drowningintherain2]

Originally Posted by Ni Hau Ma

Hi friends... I need your opinion. I have a plan to move from Los Angeles, California to Winnipeg, Canada because I will get better job in Winnipeg but I am thinking about the extreme weather in Winnipeg,Manitoba. Please share your opinion and I am really appreciate. Thank you. from Ni Hau Ma

You should post your questions concerning Winnipeg in the Canada forum. As a person who has only ever visitited Winterpeg, I can tell you there is no way I would ever live in that place. It is the coldest city in the world. It is in the middle of a prairie and has very little unique about it. If you like Los Angleles you will detest Winnipeg. It also has a suprising amount of crime for a Canadian city and the highest murder rate per capita in Canada. I'd think very hard about leaving the land of sun for the tundra that is Winnipeg. If I ever get upset about the rain in Vancouver, I just picture the poor souls in Winnipeg dealing with temps in the -50's celsius when you factor in the wind chill.

[OC_Marauder]

I've lived in both Southern California and Southern Ontario. I liked Southern California much, much better. But, I was never (and still am not) a homeowner, although the home prices in the GTA aren't exactly cheap either (as you well know). The point is there are pluses and minuses to both areas. I think it is a good idea to visit before you move. My Canadian friends from university who visited me in Huntington Beach loved it, but to each his own.

[RobE]

Irvine, aesthetically, is very nice indeed, but it is built for cars and thus not exactly a walkable place. There is also the "Irvine Attitude," which is a kind of snobbishness I have experienced from many residents there. I think of it has mostly a bedroom community even though that isn't entirely accurate, so the major cultural stuff is either in Costa Mesa (the Performing Arts Center) or in L.A. For rock concerts, there is the Irvine Meadows Ampitheater, though. Very nice place to see a gig. Traffic coming and going out of there during rush hour(s) is pretty brutal and car insurance rates are rather high.

Smog isn't that big a deal. Smog was much more of an issue in Orange County in the 1960's and 1970's, when your eyes would tear up on especially bad days. It will get hot during the summers, however, past 100 degrees on a really severe day, but mostly in the high 80's or so. The weird thing about some SoCal winters is that you will occasionally experience heatwaves. There have been Christmas Days in the past where I could have gone surfing if I wanted to due to the unseasonal warm weather.

As for the overcrowding issue, I've lived in Tokyo (which I loved, btw), so compared to that Orange County is nothing. The main thing you'll hate in that regard is sitting in traffic.

[Wurzig]

Drowning, is Winnepeg the place that has the carved ice festival?

To me, Irvine is extremely sterile......a planned community that went a bit too far.....each house is earth tone in color so each development blends into the next....they're too close together.....yards are small....each strip mall looks the same and you always end up at the wrong one because you took the 405 instead of the 5 to get to it.... However, Irvine is known for it's schools.....and yes, different from the past, there is now a high Asian population, but I think Toronto has that, too....

Irvine is not that far from the beach.....not that close, but not that far.....so smog isn't really an issue, but it does get hotter than towns closer to the water...too hot for me...a/c is a must in Irvine.

The best things about Irvine are UCI and Sam Woo's, located on Culver.....

[yogisusie]

Hi
I know this is an old post, but we are now in the same situation in planning to move from Toronto to Orange County. We have been a few times and heading back in June to take a look at schools and homes. We have a 5 year old and 7 year old and really love being close to the ocean. Prices are crazy for homes on the coast but wondering if anyone has thoughts on areas like Dana Point or Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills? ?
We are also wondering about the school ratings and how accurate they are? Our kids are in the IB program in toronto and the only public IB in the areas is called Carl Hankey but the rating is only 6/10.
If anyone has thoughts on locations and schools that would be great!
Also anyone that has done the move from Toronto would live to hear your experience.
Thanks in advance!!!

[BuckeyeAtHeart]

I believe I saw that St. Mary's (in Aliso Viejo) is another IB school (though private).

We live in Aliso Viejo, so Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, and Laguna Hills are very close to us. Dana Point is a coastal city but you should still find that as you move away from right on the coast that the price (renting or buying) should decrease. It can be crazy expensive, but I also know that housing is expensive in Toronto.

[marini83]

So to the people who made the move any regrets ?