Relocating to Aliso Viejo (Anaheim, Riverside: for sale, 2015, apartment complexes)

[movingtoorangecounty]

My family is planning to relocate to South Orange County, the two areas that we think would potentially be the best fit are Aliso Viejo and San Clemente. We are looking for a very family friendly neighborhood (lots of young families, we have a toddler) with a great sense of community, good schools, parks/pools?, sports, events. In Aliso Viejo, we like the Westridge Community and possibly Glenwood (although we really want a yard and those options seem to be pretty limited). Our basic criteria - single family 3+bed/3 bath/2000+sq.ft/decent yard. The SFR options seem to be pretty limited in AV and a minority of housing compared to all of the condos/apartment complexes. I have read several older posts with negative comments mentioning a drastic change in the demographics in AV the past few years? Is there a large transient population due to all of the apartment/condo rentals? We are looking for a long term home, ideally for the next 15 years. Also any information on the AV Town Center revitalization would be appreciated. My husband will be commuting to Seal Beach area and proximity to 73 and shorter commute are appealing for AV but the housing prices are higher and less inventory compared to similar homes in San Clemente. I would appreciate any advice or input from Aliso Viejo residents. Thanks for your input!

[FullBloodedWhiteMale]

Recommend finding the right house on the right street in any one of several communities that are virtually indistinguishable from each other: Talega San Clemente (as opposed to old San Clemente), Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Las Flores, Coto, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Viejo, are all very similar. Demographics, schools, commute to Seal Beach, resources, amenities, culture, community appearance, are all pretty close for the same priced house. That is, the differences from house to house are much bigger than the difference from community to community. Cul de sac, flat street for kids....doesn't make much difference which one of those towns you buy a home in.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by movingtoorangecounty

My family is planning to relocate to South Orange County, the two areas that we think would potentially be the best fit are Aliso Viejo and San Clemente. We are looking for a very family friendly neighborhood (lots of young families, we have a toddler) with a great sense of community, good schools, parks/pools?, sports, events. In Aliso Viejo, we like the Westridge Community and possibly Glenwood (although we really want a yard and those options seem to be pretty limited). Our basic criteria - single family 3+bed/3 bath/2000+sq.ft/decent yard. The SFR options seem to be pretty limited in AV and a minority of housing compared to all of the condos/apartment complexes. I have read several older posts with negative comments mentioning a drastic change in the demographics in AV the past few years? Is there a large transient population due to all of the apartment/condo rentals? We are looking for a long term home, ideally for the next 15 years. Also any information on the AV Town Center revitalization would be appreciated. My husband will be commuting to Seal Beach area and proximity to 73 and shorter commute are appealing for AV but the housing prices are higher and less inventory compared to similar homes in San Clemente. I would appreciate any advice or input from Aliso Viejo residents. Thanks for your input!

OP, you need not worry since Aliso is as family-friendly as ever. However, Aliso has decided to also meet the entertainment needs of its growing single millennial and older adult populations. It's a business decision aimed at keeping more of their shopping and dining dollars here.

Towards that end, the City has hired a consulting group to help guide the revitalization of Town Center. Although Town Center is at about 100% occupancy, it's said to be "middle-aged" and in great need of new life.

So, major changes are planned to make it a more pleasant experience. I haven't noticed any new construction, but I think that general plans are to include more visual appeal with green space, walkways, & newly configured buildings; "high end" restaurants and boutiques; mixed-use residential buildings; and a new hotel.

Regarding attached residences like condos and apartments, they have always outnumbered SFRs, and that won't change. However, I suspect that people are actually less transient now than they were in the not too distant past.

That's because: 1) Aliso, incorporated in 2001, began as an affordable city; one where young families stayed until they could save enough to move to a more established city; prompting lots of moves. This was aided by a desire to escape Mello-Roos. The affordability ship has long since sailed, and Mello-Roos is mostly defunct. 2) The city now has a mini tech center where people can put in time and effort to establish careers. There is, in addition, a bit of venture capital money flowing around. So, things are popping. That doesn't mean, of course, that people will never move, they just have less of a reason to make an early move.
Aliso Viejo is a hotbed of entrepreneurship among Southern California cities, study finds
https://www.ocregister.com/2015/05/04/aliso-viejo-is-a-hotbed-of-entrepreneurship-among-southern-california-cities-study-finds/

Finally, given the short, but "lively" history of Aliso Viejo, and its willingness to change to meet the needs of residents, I don't think that anyone can reassure you as to what it will be like in 15 years. If "stability" is a huge concern, you might want to check neighboring cites.

[pacific2]

OP, these short videos touch on the topic of revitalization:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzMiaVycWDw



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDnI_H5TZAY

[brown_dog_us]

Originally Posted by movingtoorangecounty

...potentially be the best fit are Aliso Viejo and San Clemente. ...My husband will be commuting to Seal Beach area ....

The drive between Seal Beach and San Clemente is really tough.

[ElDiabloJoe]

FullBloodedWhiteMale is right. The cities are near each other, and largely indistinguishable to one another, especially to an outside eye. There is a desirability factor and some demographic (both in ethnic and housing type) differences, however slight. Mission Viejo and Lake Forest are a tad bit older. They do have a nice mix of housing (SFR vs apartments vs condos/townhomes).

Aliso Viejo is very densely populated, as you have discovered, with many apartments (A couple very large complexes), and many condo / townhomes. The town center is nice enough, with a grocery store, drug store, auto parts / repair store, some fast food, a few fast-casual eateries, a Barnes&Nobles (yes, they still have one), and movie theaters. I think there's a TJ Maxx in there also.

Lake Forest has a similar large shopping area along El Toro Road.

Laguna Niguel has a couple different 73 tollroad access points (Greenfield and La Paz). It is a much more spread out city but largely SFR residential. It is huge to all be encompassed in one zip code (92677), but it is. It also has a large shopping complex along Alicia Pkwy at Oso Pkwy. Locally it is called "Four Corners" and has a Wal-Mart, Party City, some fast casual Wahoo / Togos type eateries, a grocery store, and some other places. It is a bit aging and not fully occupied.

Rancho (RSM, Rancho Santa Margarita, sounds like Won't You Have A Margarita?), Coto, Las Flores, Wagon Wheel, Dove Canyon, etc. are all just as nice, if not nicer, than Mission Viejo, but they are newer and a bit further away.

The newest area, which is along the Ortega Hwy (Highway 74), kind of bridges the gap between RSM and Talega. That is because they opened a new road through the foothill a couple years ago called Avenida La Pata. Anyhow, the newer area is called Rancho San Juan. No wait, it's called Rancho Mission Viejo. Argh, confusing they way they start to combine names. Wait until you come across a business that further bastardizes names of the area, like Laguna Viejo Auto in Mission Viejo (great independent auto repair place, by the way). Sometimes I think my head could spin off with all the incest between community and city names. Serious lack of creativity on the part of some developer somewhere.

Anyhow, Rancho Mission Viejo. It has a very nice gourmet grocery (Gelson's), and is a brand new, planned-out housing community of several sub-developments. It is very near the 241 toll road. That will take you along the Saddleback foothills, above the Irvine / Portola area, (and eventually out to the 91 conduit to Riverside / San Bernardino / Corona / Anaheim Hills area). You could drop down off the 241 onto the 133 or the 261 through Irvine and connect to the 405 or 73 and be on your way to Seal Beach, but it is going to entail more driving.

Furthest of all of the aforementioned areas is Talega. It is the name of the housing development master (there are smaller sub-developments within). It is really just the eastern, inland half of the City of San Clemente. San Clemente is very proud and enjoys its localism. There is the one high school, and many people stay in the city most of their lives. It is a surfing mecca, so there is that strong influence in the town and the activities. That's not always a good thing. Solid drug culture woven in with the surf culture. San Clemente High has been referred to as Heroin High more than once. However, it does not have any more or less of a drug problem than anywhere else in the region.

The short answer is the further you go from Seal Beach (or, rather, the further and deeper you go into Orange County), the newer and nicer the area, the higher the cost, and the further your commute.

If I had to commute into Seal Beach, I would be looking in either Newport Beach areas along the 73 tollroad, or the Aliso Viejo or Laguna Niguel areas not more than a couple miles from the 73. For commuting, toll roads are your best (but pricey) options, I would avoid the 405 and 5 as much as I could during the 6am-9am hours and the 4-7pm hours.

Hope this helps.

[Tonestar]

I can tell you as a resident of Laguna Hills which is next door to Aliso Viejo (where I lived prior to current residence) that commuting during rush hour is pure hell. My employer is 11.6 miles to/from my home. Before my work schedule was adjusted it took me 1 hour to drive that distance. If I took the 73 toll road, I could save between 20-25 minutes in commute time but I had to pay for it to the tune of approximately $1,400 per year. And that is with FastTrak account; it's even higher without an account.


I am also a southern California native residing here almost 50 years. In the early 2000s we could go to the movies, restaurants, etc. without driving traffic, wait times and no hassle parking. Now on the weekends, its a friggin zoo. We don't even bother going to the Irvine Spectrum during the holidays or summer because its so bad.

Yes, the area is pretty safe but I have seen the crime rate and homelessness go up. The area is equally nice too but that is why its become overcrowded. Mostly due to the Irvine Company. They build these master communities but you'll be staring into your neighbor's bathroom from your kitchen.

Oh and housing inventory will never match demand. I know Senator Feinstein held town meetings to address this with the home builders. But they aren't going to adjust because then they would make considerably less money. It's directly to their benefit to have a housing shortage because it means they can charge more. But it also helps folks like me when we put our houses up for sale too. If you drive down Irvine Center Drive where the Irvine Company removed a family friendly water park and the Verizon Amphitheater, you can read the advertisements for cookie cutter homes starting in the low $1,000,000s. All built right on top of each other.

[FullBloodedWhiteMale]

Originally Posted by Tonestar

the Irvine Company removed a family friendly water park.

Last I heard Wild Rivers was supposed to be restarted on the south side of the El Toro Base.

[Tonestar]

Originally Posted by FullBloodedWhiteMale

Last I heard Wild Rivers was supposed to be restarted on the south side of the El Toro Base.

This is true but I will believe it when I see it. We've been hearing that for years and I know there is some type of dispute regarding what business and/or planned communities will get built at the former El Toro Marine base. Below is the link to the latest update which simply implies the city has agreed in principal to a lease but the exact terms still need to be worked out:

Wild Rivers Waterpark, Irvine