Cali gaf, what are some nice places to live out there(orange county area)?

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eudaemonic said:
Love going to Naja's and that little churro booth has some of the best churros I've had in my life.
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Guacamole omelet at Eat at Joe's for the win. I used to live up by Anderson Park, it's one of the more reasonable neighborhoods on the west-side to raise a family.

Still almost three times as expensive as living in beautiful Maine though. A tiny part of my front yard looks pretty much like this right now, daffodils and tulips in bloom, peonies ready to pop (photo is from last spring):

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fluffydelusions said:
I was looking on craigslist and a bunch of stuff under that though no idea how accurate it is...
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The 950 sq ft 2BR I lived in back in '99 looks like it rents for $1900/mo now. I think I probably paid $1200/mo back then.

I remember when I paid $950/mo for a 540 sq ft 1BR in Mountain View in '98 during the dot-com boom. Coming from semi-rural PA that was, ah, eye-opening.
 
BriareosGAF said:
Irvine is truly terrifying; I used to live in Tustin right on the border with Irvine and that was quite close enough. We'd often hang out in Balboa and Newport Beach in the summers, which was fun in small doses. Living on the coast is nice but ridiculously expensive, and there are so many hassles with parking and neighbors and what not if you don't have incredible amounts of money to get enough land to avoid that. If I had to move back there I'd be looking for something out in the range country or farther south, maybe Rancho Santa Margarita. Actually I just looked at I can't even find anything over an acre listed there.

And the traffic, ugh. Might as well just kill yousrelf now and be done with it.

At least you can have a burrito from Jalapeno's before you go.
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RSM is deathly boring, but great if you're looking to raise a family. Grew up there. Mission Viejo is probably the best hedge between safe/affordable/not too far from the beach and other major activity centers.
 
Yeap, Irvine/Mission Viejo/ Lake Forest is a nice place to live at. Also , used to live in Garden Grove and it was alright too.
 
Can't really go wrong with anywhere in Orange County, but I wouldn't recommend Irvine. Samey same everything and everything is fake and manufactured. And then the HOAs and all the nonsense that comes with that.
 
Irvine is a nice place to settle down. If you're into nightlife (or anything interesting for that matter) consider moving to another OC city. It'll probably be a cheaper investment too.
 
My wife and I just had a baby girl, well actually she's almost one now, and we really need some more space. Gotta move out from West LA to somewhere a little less expensive, but still need it safe. Is that going to be possible to do without doubling my commute?
 
Actually, I'm kind of in a similar situation.

I work from home (NJ based) and have been traveling to Irvine frequently (also software). This year, I've spent more days in CA than I have in NJ. Wife and I have been strongly considering moving out there and looked at a few places.

For those saying Irvine is boring, I don't really see the big deal given that -- so long as it's not rush hour -- you can pretty much drive to Santa Ana, Laguna Beach, Costa Mesa, Corona Del Mar, etc. within 15 minutes (but holeeeee-shit if it's Rush Hour, expect to just sit there on the 405 or 5 wondering what the fuck is going on).

Irvine is a pretty good place to live because it's safe, incredibly clean, and kind of centrally located to all of the above.

Folks recommending Laguna Beach are crazy because the prices there are insane.

From the places I've visited, I'd add Lake Forest to the list. It's as convenient as Irvine, but slightly cheaper. Maybe not as happening as those places, but in the post-rush hour evening, it's only a few minutes to get to Laguna Beach.
 
Angelus Errare said:
Fixed. Fuckers are racist as THEE fuck there.
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EloquentM said:
Lol one of the richest cities in the nation smh. Most people there are snobby. It's quite scary.
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NoLoveForFailWheelDrive said:
Yeah douchebag central. Even the name is fuckin lame. YORBAAAAA
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All of these describe any "nice" area in the OC. At least Yorba Linda is largely old people and families so everything stays looking nice and it is largely a low traffic area. At least in my experience.
 
North - Fullerton
South - San Clemente
Central - Tustin/Costa Mesa

I live in Tustin right now and love it, but I'm not a big nightlife person and don't mind living in the suburbs. I'm close enough to a ton of freeways to make traveling easy and there are plenty of great places to eat so I'm happy.

Speaking of eating in Tustin - here are my local favorites:
Original Taco Factory
Peter's Gourmade Grill
Tustin Brewing Co.
Freesoulcafe

So good.
 
fluffydelusions said:
I was looking on craigslist and a bunch of stuff under that though no idea how accurate it is...
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I would not trust craigslist. Some one posts a picture of a house that is actually for rent. They claim to be the owners. They are not. They usually offer a good to great deal. They give you some story of an emergency move and that they just want to get someone into the house ASAP. So you go through the application process, give'm the down and when you try to move in. Surprise!!!!

If you have can't do onsite inspections, you should go through a legitimate third party company.
 
CharlieDigital said:
For those saying Irvine is boring, I don't really see the big deal given that -- so long as it's not rush hour -- you can pretty much drive to Santa Ana, Laguna Beach, Costa Mesa, Corona Del Mar, etc. within 15 minutes (but holeeeee-shit if it's Rush Hour, expect to just sit there on the 405 or 5 wondering what the fuck is going on).

Irvine is a pretty good place to live because it's safe, incredibly clean, and kind of centrally located to all of the above.

Folks recommending Laguna Beach are crazy because the prices there are insane.

From the places I've visited, I'd add Lake Forest to the list. It's as convenient as Irvine, but slightly cheaper. Maybe not as happening as those places, but in the post-rush hour evening, it's only a few minutes to get to Laguna Beach.
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Truth. Traffic is pretty much only clear between the hours of 10am-4pm (that's pushing it). Lake Forest is safe and cheap, but it seriously is the poster city for the color beige. Our claim to fame is our two fake lakes and The Hat.

OP, I'd say the further south county you go, the more inconvenient it is to commute and the less any price break in rent might benefit you. RSM is super cheap though; when I lived there a couple years ago, a JR one-bedroom was 1100/month. But it also took 15-20 minutes of local road driving to get to a freeway - unless you want to use the toll roads. Lake Forest/Mission/Aliso Viejo on up the coast to Huntington Beach is prime real estate for that sweet spot between fun, safe, and relatively affordable.
 
Born and raised OC resident here. My advice? Avoid the middle for the most part and avoid west OC as you near LA county. Best places are the coast between Newport Beach and Laguna, inland to Irvine but stopping there. Avoid Tustin to Orange and you'll find yourself in North county where living is actually damn good residental, and quiet w/o all the fancy OC lifestyle you find in south county.

North County
Brea, Placentia, Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills are great places to live. But much like south county, they will be expensive, just not as expensive. These are mostly older communities with fewer newer developments (excluding Yorba Linda/Kerrigan Hills ranch area's). Ranch homes, bedroom communities and soccer moms.

South County
Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Foothill Ranch, Alisio Viejo and Mission Viejo are all rock solid places to live. Living in south county is more spread out and there is mostly less to do. Hot spots are Irvine and coastal communities like Newport, Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach.

To rent and live comfortably, you should target your income to be ~$55,000/yr. Less than that and you'll want roommates or a SO who works. Buying a home is another story, the housing market is no joke most all homes bought in these parts are by people who are moving here with money, not locals who grew up here. ~$150,000/yr combined household income should be a good expectation to own a home in a nice area with a good school district.
 
My advice? Avoid California. I live here and I want to move. There's just way too many people already. The state is overcrowded, overtaxed, unemployed and expensive as fuck. Foreign venture capitalists are remotely buying up property as fast as it can go on the market-pushing the middle class out even further than it is. Trust me on this. This is one of the situations where the grass is greener on the other side. This is only a place you want it voluntarily move to if you're already incredibly well off. If you're looking to squeeze in into the already-strapped middle class, it's not worth it.
 
I recommend somewhere in the middle of Orange County.

Irvine is consistently ranked the safest city in America by the FBI. But the traffic is bad, everything is fake and it is all owned by the Irvine company.

Tustin is pretty nice. It is right in the heart of Orange County so everything is a short drive away and it isn't crowded. It also has the best comic book store in Orange County. That said people were recently protesting the police there for killing a man…..

Santa Ana has community policing and so the cops there should be pretty friendly. It is also at high risk for gentrification so if you hate poor people they should be gone soon (I can personally vouch for this as I did the research for the city). They have several clubs and places to eat late at night on 4th Street and the surrounding area. They also have many more homeless than the other two cities I mentioned though so if they scare you maybe stay away.

Or if you make a lot of money just live in one of the beach cities.
 
Live in Long Beach and get the perfect LA/Orange County mix. It's really awesome and there's TONS of great places to live.


You can shoot up the 710 to LA and shoot down PCH just like that. So good.



Long Beach is a small town/big city.
 
when lived there, I worked in Orange county but lived in San Bernardino county. Orange county has some nice places, I liked Brea, Yorba Linda, Irvine, Garden Grove. If you are willing to live on the border of San Bernardino/Orange County/Los Angeles County, Chino Hills is nice also Diamond Bar.
 
First rule is don't call it Cali.

Second is you better like sitting in traffic. I'm in San Diego county and can't stand the traffic. Your always near a freeway with any location you choose. But remember they all are major freeways. Regardless of how many lanes there are. You ever seen 6 lanes plus carpool each way completely stopped? Welcome to the 5 through Tustin.

There is tons to do. Beaches are beautiful. Desert isn't far away and neither is snow ( sometimes ) and mountains. I own a dirt bike snowboard and surfboard. But be ready to pay for it having all this.

San climente is a very cool beach bum town. Aliso viejo and that area is very rich and expensive. Middle is over crowed as people have said.

Near the coast expect cooler weather. But also expect is to be over cast lots of times. Marine layer will block the sunset and rise all the time. Further Inland it's common to see it hit 90 degrees+. But cold winter nights are only 40ish usually. The ocean is already warm enough for just swim trunks but usually not until July.

Lastly don't let the earthquakes keep you up at night :p

Edit: just thought of something else to add, don't be afraid of driving. Choose an area that has a place you can afford and like. Doesn't have to be close to work or stuff you like to do. My girlfriend lives 40 miles one way from school. And that's normal around here.

Also if you really want to be impressed with the price of living here.. Carlsbad ( san Diego county ) has tons of neighborhoods full of 1.5 million dollar homes on less than half an acre of land. And they don't have a beach view lol
 
rokkerkory said:
viet cafes :)

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oo i heard of this place. garden grove?


orange county or socal or whatever suuuuuuuuuuuuucks so bad. i dont know why anyone want to move here. there are a couple of cool areas and then the rest is terrible. if you want cool areas in california dont look in socal
 
Lazyslob said:
oo i heard of this place. garden grove?


orange county or socal or whatever suuuuuuuuuuuuucks so bad. i dont know why anyone want to move here. there are a couple of cool areas and then the rest is terrible. if you want cool areas in california dont look in socal
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Lol ok dude. Where do you live/recommend OP lives?
 
I don't know a lot of people in the OC that don't act condescending as shit to everyone around them, even each other.

Real Gs hang in the IE.
 
Every city has its good and bad areas. So don't be discouraged my some post in here. Santa Ana has some bad parts and some really nice and expensive parts. Same as in Anaheim, which is where I live. My neighborhood is real quiet and close to a lot of places (i.e. food, live music,art stuff, parks,entertainment). For $2000 you can rent a 3 bedroom house in a pretty good area. PM me if you wanna chat some for details.

Also, I think we need an OCGaf meet up
 
see5harp said:
$2000/month can get a pretty decent place most parts of the OC. I was born in Huntington Beach and it wasn't so bad. Why does your woman want to be in the OC? Personally I'd choose Nor Cal over So Cal if I had a choice. For $2000 you might be able to rent a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco.
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lol $2000 for one bedroom.
 
AlphaSnake said:
I left NYC for Orange County...Florida. :p

But just be clear of a few things, cost of living is HIGHER in California's Orange County than New York City.

1) Taxes are higher
2) Gasoline is more expensive
3) You absolutely NEED a car.
4) Real estate is a tick higher than NYC in many areas, so $2000 is a doable budget, but just be aware that you won't be saving money living in a nice area in OC. You may find yourself spending a tad bit more.

Otherwise, good luck and do A LOT of research. There are a TON of really shitty areas in Orange County - I'd generally avoid anything near downtown Los Angeles, for example. Places like Long Beach and Comtpon are also the obvious no-nos you want to stay far from.
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Born and raised here in the LA area. Compton, is absolutely a no-no, as noted above. However, Long Beach is great as long as you're not on the ghetto side. Look closer to downtown and along the costal area. Some nice neighborhoods, good prices on rent, and if you're every planning on getting a dog, a very dog friendly community with a dog beach.
 
Orange County is great; We'd live there if we didn't work in Los Angeles. My choice would be for Fullerton. It's a beautiful city and quite quiet. I also like Buena Vista. If you're willing to travel deeper in to the Cali, you might want to try something in the San Bernadino county. Rent is cheaper out there, so you can probably manage a 2 or 3 bedroom house for under 2000. Just a word, if you do decide to check out places in San Bernadino, I'd stay closer to the 210 as opposed to the 10; Nicer and safer.
 
Dalek said:
My advice? Avoid California. I live here and I want to move. There's just way too many people already. The state is overcrowded, overtaxed, unemployed and expensive as fuck. Foreign venture capitalists are remotely buying up property as fast as it can go on the market-pushing the middle class out even further than it is. Trust me on this. This is one of the situations where the grass is greener on the other side. This is only a place you want it voluntarily move to if you're already incredibly well off. If you're looking to squeeze in into the already-strapped middle class, it's not worth it.
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You've got some really good points here. If I were the OP and I just wanted to live near the ocean with good weather, I'd look somewhere in the southeast on the coast. Honestly if I could live in Charleston, I would. Or one of the other small beach towns on the NC, SC, or GA coast. I hate Florida though, so that might impact my choices some.
 
Cat Party said:
If I could just up and move any where in California it'd be to San Luis Obispo or thereabout on the Central Coast.
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I'd chose SLO or Santa Barbara also, but those cities are expensive as fuck, likely more expensive than big parts of the OC. Both are also basically just hot college kids and retired people.
 
see5harp said:
I'd chose SLO or Santa Barbara also, but those cities are expensive as fuck, likely more expensive than big parts of the OC. Both are also basically just hot college kids and retired people.
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Santa Barbara has absolutely no middle class to speak of. You're either super wealthy or just barely scraping by, or you're a college student (so again, either wealthy or just barely scraping by). SLO I can't say since I never really spent much time out of SB and Montecito in the three years I went to school there.

I live in Newport now, and I can definitely say that there's much more of a middle class here, especially the closer you get to Costa Mesa and Irvine. It's probably not as good as most other places in the country, but it's not that bad either.
 
Dennis said:
lol $2000 for one bedroom.
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Yea MAYBE. It's depressing and ridiculous in the bay unless you are extremely well off and can afford to spend a million in a less than ideal part of town. My cousin owns a few 3 bedroom apartments in the city. He said he's asking $4500 a month and $400 for a parking space.
 
I live in Santa Ana right now and I'm not really feeling it. It does have its nice areas, but on my budget, its sketchy mcsketchville for me. I do think North Orange County is better in terms of it feeling less planned and with more things to do (areas like Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Fullerton, etc) compared to the super suburban corporate planned areas of South Orange County. For your budget, good luck trying to get a beachside property though, those places can get pretty pricey.
 
FStop7 said:
If you like beach weather:

La Jolla
Oceanside
Carlsbad
San Diego

If you're ok with colder weather but more incredible scenery:

Monterey
Carmel-by-the-Sea
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You can add Encinitas, Solana Beach and Cardiff too.

I've lived in Irvine, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Santa Ana, Tustin Ranch, Long Beach, and Signal Hill before eventually coming back to Irvine. Nightlife isn't much of a priority, we have a nice 2ba/2br rental and 2 dogs and are happy. I would say Costa Mesa is also a good alternative to Irvine.
 
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