Re: Irvine, California?
 

If he flying out of SNA and if they still have the noise abatement procedures in place to make the rich folk happy, take off from SNA can be fun, in a 757 it almost feels like you have stopped moving altogether, 737, A319 and smaller planes may not be as fun though.

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Great place to live and work but far from inexpensive. The cycling in the area is fantastic, especially the mountain biking.

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Irvine is ultra-safe, family-centered city in Orange County. It may be a bit quiet for a single guy but quality of life is fantastic. I've lived here for 10+ years. A 1-bed apartment will set him back at least $1,600-$1,800 per month in Irvine. Where's his job?

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Watch out for the PTA moms in Irvine - they're a cutthroat bunch
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...st-of-reasons/

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Can you say what company he's interviewing with?

The reason I ask is I've just started a work-at-home job for a company based in Irvine.

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Not a company, it's UC Irvine. He was over there last week for the interview process etc., I guess he'll hear yea or nay sometime in the next few weeks.

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Hi Im in the final stages of my L1B visa with my interview in London due in a couple of weeks.

I will be working in Anaheim but after many trips out looking at various cities I have settled with Irvine.

We started looking at Yorba Linda but soon realised it was out of our price range and then looked at orange, villa park, costa mesa, lake forest, and even as far east as corona

but there were always something which I didnt like with all of these whether it be the high schools, commute distance, or general feel for the place.

Irvine was the first place that had everything I wanted/needed close by along with some really great schools.

So I believe Irvine is pretty much ran by a family build company and they control rent prices and some people see this as a bad thing. I am still on the fence which that.

Irvine was voted in the top 5 (i believe) safest Cities in America and that was a massive plus for me.

I do get the feeling it is more of a family orientated city mind and I have no idea what the evening life is like there but there are plenty of restaurants and bars in the local areas.

If you need more of a night life though and like to be closer to the beach Costa Mesa is a great city also, I was torn between the 2 cities and it was only really the schools that swayed it to Irvine. Costa Mesa east side is slightly better so iv heard and its the next city to Irvine so to the west, so the east side is right next to UC Irvine.

Hope this helps some. OC is such a nice county and many people who live there never venture to LA as they have everything they need right there and some. I tent to agree having been out there this year researching for about 12 weeks in total

Re: Irvine, California?
 

UC Irvine has a nice campus. But, as he's single, I'd suggest looking at rentals in Costa Mesa which has a more lively vibe and is close to the beach. And it's still within relatively close proximity to UCI. If he's looking at public transport links in OC, then stop right now - there are no good public transport links! Whilst Irvine is very nice, it is family-oriented (which is excellent for families) but a bit boring if you're single.

Re: Irvine, California?
 

UC Irvine is a really excellent centre in my former field of study and Irvine is a great place to be. I visited the campus regularly when I was at UC Riverside (a less great place to be but fun anyway for a young man as I was then).

Best of luck to your son with the outcome.

<another vote for Costa Mesa on the affordability front>

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Did you check out Tustin Ranch too? It borders North Irvine. We rented an apartment for a year or so in Irvine (Irvine Company) when we first arrived, then bought a house 2 miles down the road in Tustin Ranch. We lived there for 10 years, our kid started at a TR school. Whilst the API is not as high in TR schools as some Irvine schools (but most TR schools are rated 10), there's far more diversity and less rigorous homework expectations. There's a reason those Irvine schools have those APIs ... private tutors. We moved back to Irvine last year but are still within the Tustin Unified School District (they draw the borders quite bizarrely) which is our preference anyway. Irvine is a big draw - particularly because of the schools - but it's very transitory with families coming and going the whole time. TR is well positioned with freeways and is very safe too. If you're interested, the elementary schools in TR that you'd want to be looking at are Myford, Tustin Memorial (a GATE school), Hicks Canyon (which is actually in Irvine), Ladera, Peters Canyon and, possibly, Heritage (which has just opened and is a STEM school). TR middle schools are Pioneer and Orchard Hills (which is, again, in Irvine). High School is Beckman.

In terms of accommodation in TR, you'd want to be looking at the area between Tustin Ranch Road & Culver (but avoid West Irvine in Tustin), from Irvine Blvd. up to Pioneer Road. (There are newer apartment and housing communities in The District, but I'm not generally a fan of that area - train noise etc. Shopping in TR is at an IrvineCo retail center called The MarketPlace www.shopthemarketplace.com

Re: Irvine, California?
 

hi pavlova,

I have actually settled for the area you dont like right on the market place back door - we loved Beckman High for our son and as my wife does not drive having market place right there is great - we are still south of irvine blvd though. Never heard any trains, didnt even know there were tracks near there -

I think after we can secure a GC (fingers crossed) we will look at buying more in the area you have suggested though.

Re: Irvine, California?
 

I think I know where you mean - south of Irvine Blvd but north of the 5 right? That's a good spot - very accessible to shopping, parks and freeway. Beckman is an excellent school - in Irvine but Tustin Unified School District. Our kids will eventually go there too. We're in Orchard Hills and still go the MarketPlace for pretty much everything.

(The Metrolink rail and train station is south of the 5, near Edinger, which is the start of The District development - and that whole area is a complete mess).

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Thats it - thats exactly where we are heading - just got the Embassy interview a week monday remaining for my L1B visa and hopefully all being well move in mid-Oct.

We loved Beckman when we visited there - and not being in the Irvine USD isnt an issue and in fact it made the apartment cheaper.

The 5 is a right pain at times though as the traffic really builds up fast and you static for ages - helps I work in Anaheim though cuz the main bulk of traffic goes south in the morning and north in the evening where I do the opposite ☺

Re: Irvine, California?
 

Can you expand on what you are saying here? I don't understand 'family build company' ... It sounds like you are saying Irvine is 'run' by a single private company ...?

Re: Irvine, California?
 

The Irvine Company is a privately owned land developer/property management company in Orange County. Historically a lot of the land was owned by the Irvine family - hence the name The Irvine Company although I don't believe there are any descendants of the Irvine family on the Board these days. Irvine itself is a master-planned phased development - over the years TIC has either developed Irvine (and neighboring cities) and/or sold off parcels to other developers with strict covenants. As a homeowner this helps maintain property values etc; as a renter of an IC property, you'll pay premium rents and have regular rent increases. If you default on your rent, you'll be heavily penalized. Basically, don't mess with TIC.

The city is run by a council of elected officials, just like any other city.