Questions about residing in Costa Mesa (Long Beach, Diablo: to buy, price, business)

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by pacific2

I doubt that the name,"Costa Misery," ever took off. It seems that someone has/had a product line with that label, and a registered trademark for the same.

Pelle Klein: Costa Misery's Mad German
Nick Schou
March 7, 2013
https://www.ocweekly.com/pelle-klein...erman-6425806/

Glad it failed. Stupid for sure.

[StanSwitek]

Fine, don't take my word. Move there... You will be sorry.

[StanSwitek]

When I was a kid growing up in Huntington Beach 50 years ago, Costa Mesa was known Costa Misery. It always has been. It not like it was recently invented. If you like hordes of illegal aliens, horrendous lines at the DMV, grid locked traffic (sitting through three signal phases on Harbor Blvd just to get through an intersection is the norm) lots of low income apartments, having multiple residential drug rehab houses on your street and over population, you will LOVE Costa Misery.

Originally Posted by pacific2

I doubt that the name,"Costa Misery," ever took off. It seems that someone has/had a product line with that label, and a registered trademark for the same.

Pelle Klein: Costa Misery's Mad German
Nick Schou
March 7, 2013
https://www.ocweekly.com/pelle-klein...erman-6425806/

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by StanSwitek

When I was a kid growing up in Huntington Beach 50 years ago, Costa Mesa was known Costa Misery. It always has been. It not like it was recently invented. If you like hordes of illegal aliens, horrendous lines at the DMV, grid locked traffic (sitting through three signal phases on Harbor Blvd just to get through an intersection is the norm) lots of low income apartments, having multiple residential drug rehab houses on your street and over population, you will LOVE Costa Misery.

Now a lot of that is true. But Beach BlVD is about as bad and the people hanging out downtown are also not the best. Actually your description above covers most old cities in OC.


Except 50 years ago when I lived in Costa Mesa, it was not as described, but HB was less desirable for sure then.

[StanSwitek]

Dude asked about living there present day, not 50 years ago. My description is present day Costa Mesa. HB is the pits also.

Originally Posted by expatCA

Now a lot of that is true. But Beach BlVD is about as bad and the people hanging out downtown are also not the best. Actually your description above covers most old cities in OC.


Except 50 years ago when I lived in Costa Mesa, it was not as described, but HB was less desirable for sure then.

[GeorgeFord]

Originally Posted by DMads

Hi there, we moved last year from LA to OC. Since you mentioned that you were looking to move to 'the greater LA area', just thought I'd ask if you would be ultimately working in LA. The commute between LA and OC is terrible, please avoid it if possible, unless the metro link train routes would work for you.
If Costa Mesa really is the place for you, then like someone else mentioned above, I too have heard that Mesa Verde is a nicer place. 2-2.5k for a 2 bed should be doable in a lot of cities here, depending on how close to the beach you want to be. If schools are important, maybe check out the older parts of Irvine/Newport Back bay, near the university.
If LA would be a better career/commute fit for you, have you looked into Playa del rey, Westchester and the South Bay cities (El Segundo, Torrance, the beach cities- Hermosa, Redondo). All the best with the move.

Thanks for this.

I'll have a 6-month window where I will be able to finish up some work from home, but we'll definitely need to futurerproof, and choose an area where it's feasible to get to L.A for work if need be.

I'm used to a 60 minute commute (each-way) here in Australia, but it's looking a good few hours from Costa Mesa to Union Station via the Orange County or Amtrak option. We'll be hiring a car initially, purchasing one when we're settled in.

So all things considered unless monster.com is going throw back a load of jobs in my field within The O.C then we might start checking out some other areas perhaps Playa del rey, Westchester and the South Bay cities. Or even closer to L.A.

Cheers!

[GeorgeFord]

Thanks for your feedback everyone, appreciate it!

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by GeorgeFord

Thanks for this.

I'll have a 6-month window where I will be able to finish up some work from home, but we'll definitely need to futurerproof, and choose an area where it's feasible to get to L.A for work if need be.

I'm used to a 60 minute commute (each-way) here in Australia, but it's looking a good few hours from Costa Mesa to Union Station via the Orange County or Amtrak option. We'll be hiring a car initially, purchasing one when we're settled in.

So all things considered unless monster.com is going throw back a load of jobs in my field within The O.C then we might start checking out some other areas perhaps Playa del rey, Westchester and the South Bay cities. Or even closer to L.A.

Cheers!

The commute from CM would be bad and at times even worse if an accident etc occurs. Better to live closer and in LA county.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by StanSwitek

Dude asked about living there present day, not 50 years ago. My description is present day Costa Mesa. HB is the pits also.

Yes most of CM is not what it was. The only good areas are on the East side and up around the golf course in the North West corner, but traffic etc stinks. If I ever moved back I might consider the East by the back Bay, but now where else there.

[ElDiabloJoe]

There's a sign on a business along the east side of the 55, down around Victoria Ave Exit that says, "Don't let Costa Mesa go down the toilet."

I'm constantly shocked that no one has written "Too late." on the bottom of it.

If your wife is a substance abuse counselor, she will have no shortage of clients in CM