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My family is looking to relocate to OC to be closer to family. Our budget is 2M.
We have family in Newport, but we are unable to find what we are looking for in our budget. Additionally, I am not sure if the schools are up to par there, as most people I have spoken to are sending their kids to private (although that could be a cultural thing..).
We are looking for a family-oriented area with excellent schools. We want somewhere with a sense of community.
I am looking a bit more in-land so that we can get more house for our money, specifically at Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch. However, I have the following questions:
1) Are the public schools here considered good? I see the ratings but what is word on the street?
2) I am hoping to understand the school vibe. Do people send their kids to public school? Is it looked down upon to have a kid in 'public' vs. some prestigious private school (as I am sensing it is in Newport)?
3) How competitive is the school scene? For example, I have heard its the norm to have tutors for kindergarteners in some areas of OC. Are things like this the status quo in these areas?
4) Do these areas have a good sense of community, for example, trick-or-treating? I know Ladera is known for this but how about Coto?
5) Is there a lot of everyone-knows-everything about each other? I have read that thee areas are deceptively large but we are not interested in moving into an area where people are too much into each others business.
6) How easy is it to make friends in these areas? Are people open or judgemental?
7) How long does it take to get to the airport from each area? I see the mileage, but I know that it actually depends on the streets.
8) Which area is overall better for families?
Thank you! We are planning a visit soon but it's hard to really get the vibe of certain places from a quick visit.
My family is looking to relocate to OC to be closer to family. Our budget is 2M. Solid Budget, lots of options available.
We have family in Newport, but we are unable to find what we are looking for in our budget. Additionally, I am not sure if the schools are up to par there, as most people I have spoken to are sending their kids to private (although that could be a cultural thing..). Both. Local Newport-Mesa School District has good schools in Newport, but I would skip most schools in Costa Mesa. Keep in mind, high schools in almost *ANY* affluent area is going to have drug issues and behavior issues. Generality, of course. Rich kids are often bored kids. That goes for public and private, for what it's worth.
We are looking for a family-oriented area with excellent schools. We want somewhere with a sense of community. You are not alone in this. You have focused on good areas. If school excellence and a strong sense of community is your primary goal (As opposed to ocean-adjacent) you will want to look at the nicer areas of Irvine. Irvine is all nice, just some areas are "nicer" than others. Also, keep in mind, that Ladera Ranch and Coto are NOT ocean close. Sure, you can see it from a long distance, and you can get there and park within about half hour, but they are NOT ocean close. Also, anything on the inland side of the I-5 freeway in south county, except San Clemente, is going to be about 10-degrees warmer than ocean adjacent. If you are within one mile of the coast, you will have a less sunny summer due to the June Gloom / May Gray. Essentially a weather inversion layer that keeps the marine layer near the shore after it rolls onshore in the previous afternoon and evening.
I am looking a bit more in-land so that we can get more house for our money, specifically at Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch. However, I have the following questions:
1) Are the public schools here considered good? I see the ratings but what is word on the street? I believe they are both in the Capistrano Unified School District. As with all schools, some are better than others even within the same district. For what it is worth, Coto and Ladera are both unincorporated areas, not their own incorporated cities. They will have Orange County services (police, fire, etc). They are within the planning sphere of Mission Viejo, the nearest incorporated city.
2) I am hoping to understand the school vibe. Do people send their kids to public school? Is it looked down upon to have a kid in 'public' vs. some prestigious private school (as I am sensing it is in Newport)? People will either agree or violently disagree with me, but Orange County is largely ALL about facade. You've seen the housewife TV show, right? It is all about Disney and appearances. You can have a nice place, or apartment, or car, or clothes, and that is MUCH more important to MANY than actually affording them. There is an awful lot of keep up with the Jones'. It always amazed me, in my employment capacity, to find out how many people could not actually afford to live where they lived. That being said, there are lots of judgements cast - snobbery. There are very nice laid-back areas like Laguna Beach, and very hoity-toity areas. Your mileage may vary, this is just my opinion from having owned a house and living in a gated beach-front South OC community for the last two decades. I have no kids so I am not able to directly offer input on those topics, FYI.
3) How competitive is the school scene? For example, I have heard its the norm to have tutors for kindergarteners in some areas of OC. Are things like this the status quo in these areas? See above answer's last sentence. Some schools are EXTREMELY competitive and VERY high performing. Sunny Hills in Fullerton, and University High in Irvine. Sage Hills (private) in Newport along the 73 is supposed to be very good also. I've heard good things about the newer Crean High School also (private, Lutheran focused. Irvine along 241).
4) Do these areas have a good sense of community, for example, trick-or-treating? I know Ladera is known for this but how about Coto? My experience is that Coto is a bit older, more DINK-y, Ladera has more younger families. However, we noticed very little door-to-door trick or treating in the last decade or more.
5) Is there a lot of everyone-knows-everything about each other? I have read that thee areas are deceptively large but we are not interested in moving into an area where people are too much into each others business. Not necessarily. People are very stand-off ish. This is not the mid-west or the south. Many people will not even acknowledge your presence as you pass through a store doorway. Some neighbors will never look your way or wave. Ever. If you want to keep your business your own, this is a good part of the world for that.
6) How easy is it to make friends in these areas? Are people open or judgemental? You will find both open and judgmental people, just as you will everywhere. There are not a lot of Bible-belt types being judge-y in that sense, but there is a lot of "who can afford what." Friends are easy to make if you want to do so and you try. No different than anywhere else. People are initially a little more distant. You won't be having full on conversations with the grocery clerk like you would in Georgia.
7) How long does it take to get to the airport from each area? I see the mileage, but I know that it actually depends on the streets. Which airport? John Wayne is good for local southwest and Northwest stuff. If you want to save money or have more direct-flight options, many drive or Uber to LAX or San Diego airport. Assuming you mean SNA, it depends not only on which city you live in, but where in that city. For instance, Irvine is John Wayne adjacent, but if you live in the Portola Hills area off Portola and Sand Canyon, it will take 30 minutes without traffic vs 10 minutes if you live UCI adjacent. These variables prevent me from discussing this with any accuracy further about Ladera or Coto.
8) Which area is overall better for families? Depends. What's important to you and your family? Commute to work? activities kids are in? Swimming? Mission Viejo and Irvine have Olympic quality centers. Academics? That was previously discussed. Spiritual centers? Saddleback Church or Mariner's? There are innumerable variables and activities, so I cannot exhaustively respond to this rather specific question.
Thank you! We are planning a visit soon but it's hard to really get the vibe of certain places from a quick visit. A "quick" visit is not going to be sufficient. Smart money says move out here and rent for a year. Learn and experience the region, than figure out where to buy.
Last edited by ElDiabloJoe; 12-26-2019 at 03:13 PM..
I appreciate the info about neighboring cities. We don’t love Irvine, but I have looked in Laguna area.
We are coming from the Bay Area so I think I understand what you are saying about the overall vibe of people not being overly friendly, which is fine. Obviously we want to build roots but we don’t want to be in the middle of everyone’s business.
I don’t mind not being close to the water.
My biggest concern is the school situation. I don’t want my kids looked down upon unnecessary because they are in public school. Private isn’t ruled out but some schools are over $30k which is out of our budget for elementary school. It’s absurd.
I also am apprehensive about setting my kids up somewhere where the expectation is that 5 year olds need to be tutored to fit in.
This is all good information. We have also been considering north county San Diego, where I get the feeling public school is more acceptable.
Orange County public education is generally pretty good. Maybe not as much in CM or Santa Ana. If you want the very best public education around, you will want to revisit your hesitations of Irvine. Aside from that, all of South County will offer a good, solid "general" education. Stand by for a quick short PM...
I live in Irvine and if I had to pick between Coto and Ladera, I’d pick Coto - but it literally feels like it’s own ecosphere out there.
I think you should also consider Dove Canyon. Guard gated in RSM and some have very nice golf course views. I toured this house and regret not pulling the trigger but it was a bit out of our budget at the time, beautiful home and yard though: https://www.redfin.com/CA/Trabuco-Ca...9/home/5059948
I don’t know much about the schools in those areas but I know in Irvine % of Private school attendees is low, at least amongst my neighbors and friends. Most are proud of their Irvine public school experience (Northwood vs. Portola vs. Woodbridge vs. University). Even Beckman is good (In Tustin zoned to Irvine homes.
My experience in Irvine is that certain areas are more family oriented than others, but it’s kind of hit and miss. I don’t think the community feeling (in Irvine) is as good as Dove Canyon or Ladera though. I have some Co-workers that live in both areas and they like the community and family feel it has. People here are cordial and nice but don’t expect any block parties or kids playing t-ball in the streets much.
My biggest concern is the school situation. I don’t want my kids looked down upon unnecessary because they are in public school. Private isn’t ruled out but some schools are over $30k which is out of our budget for elementary school. It’s absurd.
I also am apprehensive about setting my kids up somewhere where the expectation is that 5 year olds need to be tutored to fit in.
I wouldn't worry about your "looked down upon" concern, especially because your housing budget will allow you to select a home within a decent public school district. Even in just okay schools, the most important factor in how well a student does is parental involvement (you pay attention to what classes your kids are taking, how well they're doing, how they're getting along with their teachers, who they're hanging out with, involvement with extra-curricular activities, you assist with homework, that sort of thing). Equally important is that your kids aren't neglected while you work 70 hours a week and only see them in passing (not suggesting this is your situation, but that's how/where bored rich kids can get into trouble).
I think you'll find there are cultural differences, too, which influence the *need* for tutoring 5 year-olds. For example (and this is a generalization), Asians/East Asians, especially recent immigrant families, put a huge emphasis on academic achievement and go to great lengths to make sure their children perform well academically. You'll see that test scores in schools that are heavily populated by this group tend to be very high. This may or may not be your cup of tea for your own children. Maybe your kids are more sport-y, or artsy/musical, or more "B" students who are smart in different ways but not necessarily gung-ho for rigorous academics.
I wouldn't worry about your "looked down upon" concern, especially because your housing budget will allow you to select a home within a decent public school district. Even in just okay schools, the most important factor in how well a student does is parental involvement (you pay attention to what classes your kids are taking, how well they're doing, how they're getting along with their teachers, who they're hanging out with, involvement with extra-curricular activities, you assist with homework, that sort of thing). Equally important is that your kids aren't neglected while you work 70 hours a week and only see them in passing (not suggesting this is your situation, but that's how/where bored rich kids can get into trouble).
I think you'll find there are cultural differences, too, which influence the *need* for tutoring 5 year-olds. For example (and this is a generalization), Asians/East Asians, especially recent immigrant families, put a huge emphasis on academic achievement and go to great lengths to make sure their children perform well academically. You'll see that test scores in schools that are heavily populated by this group tend to be very high. This may or may not be your cup of tea for your own children. Maybe your kids are more sport-y, or artsy/musical, or more "B" students who are smart in different ways but not necessarily gung-ho for rigorous academics.
Just some thoughts for you to keep in mind...
Fully concur with the above statement by ImmerLernen. The old saying of, "3 generations from Shanghai to Sanford" often applies here. Along with the pressure comes cheating scandals, collegiate suicide, etc. Rare cases, I know.
I appreciate the info about neighboring cities. We don’t love Irvine, but I have looked in Laguna area.
We are coming from the Bay Area so I think I understand what you are saying about the overall vibe of people not being overly friendly, which is fine. Obviously we want to build roots but we don’t want to be in the middle of everyone’s business.
I don’t mind not being close to the water.
My biggest concern is the school situation. I don’t want my kids looked down upon unnecessary because they are in public school. Private isn’t ruled out but some schools are over $30k which is out of our budget for elementary school. It’s absurd.
I also am apprehensive about setting my kids up somewhere where the expectation is that 5 year olds need to be tutored to fit in.
This is all good information. We have also been considering north county San Diego, where I get the feeling public school is more acceptable.
Thanks!
Why does it matter what people’s opinions about where your children goes to school? If someone looks down on a child or anyone rather, they are the ones with the problem not you or your kids.
My kids grew up in Ladera Ranch. Couldn't have had a better experience. There was the perfect balance of community, kids involved in activities and great academics but not crazy pressure. There are all kinds of parents and we fell somewhere in the middle. We were looking for balance and that's what we received. We followed the Chaparral, Ladera Ranch Middle, Tesoro HS track. Loved every minute. You probably can't go wrong anywhere in South OC. I didn't feel private schools were necessary, but many chose them for their own reasons. I never thought anyone looked down on someone for not going to private school.
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