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Irvine, CA anyone? Or know about it?

JOEBunnyJOEBunny member
in Los Angeles Babies

Hi,

I am a regular on other boards, but my DH is looking at a position in Irvine, CA.  I have never been there, only tourist LA a few times, and Long Beach, where my uncle used to live.  Can you ladies give me a synapses of the people and lifestyle there?   I have 2 little kids, and I know the schools are good, but beyond that, I am clueless.  The Real Housewives of the OC is kind of anti-me.  If he gets the position, we would just go out and look at places over a few days, so anything you can provide would be helpful.  I currently like the walkabilty of my urban neighborhood, and am active in my open minded community, if that helps. 

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Re: Irvine, CA anyone? Or know about it?

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    thebokitheboki member
    I've only been there once.  It's part of the Inland Empire, which means it gets very HOT there.  The good news is, it's very close to Disney Land!  As far as I could see, it seemed like a fairly down-to-earth area and not as ritzy as the OC areas you see on Real Housewives.  But I'm sure there are people who know much more about the area.
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    orangecurlsorangecurls member

    Try posting on the OC board.  (Though that board isn't too busy either.)

    Don't let TV shows influence your option on Southern California, there are lots of normal families and communities in the area.  It is a great place to live if you can afford it.  :)

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    Ms.JadeMs.Jade member
    My brother lives in Irvine and I'm there all of the time. It's a very nice, clean, safe, suburban area. Just about every inch of it is newer construction built with a plan in mind so a significant amount of space has been set aside for open space - parks, walking trails, farms etc. You will find whatever kind of people you want to find there. It being Orange County you will definitely come across the slightly upper middle class (thinks they are higher upper middle class) soccer mom/housewife types. But there are plenty of people on public assistance too (no one seems to know about them but my SIL works in a low income housing project in Irvine) and people who live in apartments who couldn't really afford to buy a home there but like the area/address/school enough to pay pretty high rents. My brother's rent for an albeit gorgeous two bedroom apartment costs more than my mortgage (we live in a suburb about 15 miles outside of downtown LA). All in all I think Irvine is a lovely community. You may get that privileged/superior OC vibe from some people, but I know some decent down to earth folks who live there. I would say it's a great place to raise your kids if you can find some decent people to associate with. 
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    thespianlawyerthespianlawyer member
    I went to UC Irvine for my undergrad.  It's a very safe, nice community.  From what I could tell it seemed family friendly.  Like the previous poster said, there are plenty of parks to take your kids to and run around.  The only issue with Irvine is that because it is a "planned community", it can feel a bit Stepford-ish (i.e. all the houses are 1 of 3 shades of brown, the lawns are all perfectly trimmed, etc.)  But if that is the only downside to a place, you are doing ok.  Also, there are plenty of other communities nearby that might have more personal flair (and cheaper rents) (i.e. Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Tustin Ranch, etc.)
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