Opinion on Irvine

[CostaMesa]

Irvine’s a very nice place to live but definitely has it’s own form of pathology. You kind of have to experience it to understand – anything or anyone that is in any way unique is simply intolerable.

A horticulturalist friend got hassled by her HOA because she had ‘unacceptable’ flowers (rare orchids) in containers on her back deck. The couple next door found them to be ‘visually obscene’ and lobbied the development until my friend was forced to sell her home. All of her neighbors conveniently overlooked the fact that one had to LOOK OVER THE FENCE to see them in the first place! I felt like that was a pretty egregious situation, but it turns out that brute-force pressure to conform is ubiquitous in Irvine. Some love that, I can’t take it.

Lots of other decent places nearby also. Look around…you might be surprised. Many areas in Tustin are very nice and often more reality based. I quite like Costa Mesa, but there is definitely a less tidy appearance here and some funky locals.

Areas closer to the airport tend to be more expensive, as a reward for the shorter commute to the majority of the jobs that are nearby.

Hope this helps…

[mixxalot]

Not Impressed with Over Priced Irvine

Its a dead boring with with overpriced housing and bad traffic. San Diego is a WAY nicer place to live with so much more to do.

[no_such_reality]

I’ll 2nd east side Costa Mesa or SouthCoast area.

Look around a bit, Irvine is clean but a bit sterile and traffic and parking rival high density down town areas in many of Irvine’s tracts.

Another major thing to consider is exactly where you will be working. The morning and afternoon commute can really suck through Irvine and up/down the 5/405.

[Happy renter]

mixxalot,

I agree with you that Irvine is very overpriced. You can get more in SD for the same money you pay. I will rent and plan to buy. I do worry if I can afford or I am willing to pay so much for the house that I like in Irvine.

Also, it seems like SD house prices will go down faster and more!

[Anonymous]

Happy Renter,

As a high school teacher in Irvine, I can tell you that Irvine is a great place for your 10 year-old daughter to go to school. My principal used to say that Irvine is the only district in the state of California where K-12 schools’ API (Academic Performance Index) are all above 800 points (State’s goal). It is almost ridiculous to even think about paying for renting in Irvine let alone buying a house in Irvine. I guess maybe because I’m a teacher, but a couple of months ago, I checked this one bedroom apartment in the center of Irvine and the rent was $1500/month. I know that the reason many people are willing to buy homes in Irvine (million dollars/ quail hills homes) is the school system.
I also love Irvine because all the kids are lovely, kind and respectful because they come from families that care for their education. Here are a few statistics that I know: 60% of the parents have graduate degrees, 55% White, 25% Asian, 15% Hispanic and 5% others. Good Luck

[AK]

CostaMesa, I think you summed up the Orange County psychopathology very nicely. Normally I’d be skeptical of something like the orchid story, but for Irvine I find it very credible!

homeless, I find the demographic breakdown to be amusing because the typical O.C. resident seems to think Irvine is a majority Asian city!

[Anonymous]

I guess I was referring to the population of the students in my school.

[mixxalot]

If I had kids and were wealthy then yes, Irvine would indeed be a place to raise a family and live. However as a bachelor it makes no sense and is dead. Different strokes for different folks.

I am waiting for condos and smaller 2-3 bedroom SFH home prices to drop in San Diego over next few years before I buy. I just want a small yard, 2-3 bedrooms and a real garage not these crappy parking space excuse of garage in condos that most developments offer.

I like Point Loma, Encinitas and Pacific Beach areas.

[Happy renter]

homeless,
Thank you! Yeah I know Irvine has very good schools and it’s one of the major reasons houses are so expensive. I am an Asian and we do care about education. Both me & my ex have BA degrees in the USA, but we finished high schools from our courtiers I usually check the school itself since not all the schools are the same even within the same school district. Alderwood Elementary in Quail Hill is very good with 956 API and 60% Asians. My daughter went to one of the top schools in LA with API 945. She is always an A student since kindergartner. Better school district costs more, but it is worth every penny.

I’m curious that why do your user name is“homeless”? Is it because you are renting now? I am sorry to ask and I hope you don’t mind! My user name is “Happy renter”, but I am actually not renting. I stay in my friend’s house.

Mixable,
I found SD coastal is more ideal for bachelors or retired people. So, it depends on different people’s needs. The area that we live does not have too many facilities, recreations and activities for kids.

[Anonymous]

I chose homeless because I was bitter with this whole mess of housing speculative bubble. To me, it literally means someone without a home and I don’t have (own) a home. (No, it doesn’t mean that I live on the street).
Also there is an interesting thing about Irvine, there is no liquor stores. There are some nice bars. But I could of swear that there is no cheap liquor stores around (like 7-eleven).

[CardiffBaseball]

I am wondering from the asians who seem to be so willing to discuss issues here. Being somewhat new here and not having kids up to the age of competing just yet, I have heard HS kids complain about trying to compete with the Asian kids. I know in my case I probably spend more time worrying about what HS my kids will attend because of the sports, rather than worry about education so much. We have La Costa Canyon (too far away for my taste), San Dieguito Academy, and Santa Fe Christian close by, and all seem like good schools, so the API scores I just don’t sweat.

Am I just possessing a big-dumb-jock attitude despite my advanced degree? I was warned that it’s such a pain to get into a UC school, that I should question whether my kids even play at all and focus on grades, but I just don’t find that acceptable, if my boys want to play, they should. They are currently doing well in elementary, always on honor roll, and one is in GATE, but I also know we are not gung-ho around here about going above and beyond the standard curriculum, despite my wife being a teacher. Of course she was a college athlete, and is more of a “sports mom” than a calculus mom.

So my question what should I expect as my kids start moving up, are the HS kids I spoke with likely disgruntled and giving up too easily? This is what I suspect, because they don’t strike me as having that stick it out attitude about things.

[CostaMesa]

I just got into engineering grad school at UCI two years ago. If they let a twit like *me* in there… 😀

Seriously though, it’s kinda like this. A kid that’s determined pretty much is going to get where they’re going. Everyone notices ambition and, for the most part, they respect it. Universities WANT people to succeed, and will work with those doing their level best to get them where they’re trying to go.

I also believe that the careers of many of the best students never really go anywhere because they lack social skills needed to succeed in the real world. Working hard is ALWAYS required, but it’s almost always more important to be people smart than to be book smart.

Another thing that I think many kids these days lack is hands-on ability. How many kids build models anymore? How many kids watch their father tinker in the garage? I’m always amazed at how frequently I observe blank ‘what’s that?’ stares when I hand a crescent wrench to a degreed mechanical engineer.

Kids need a lot more than video games, piano lessons, soccer practice and math tutors to develop into useful people, but you won’t get very many Irvine parents to accept such a simple truism when it’s so easy to pay someone else to do everything for them.

[Happy renter]

CardiffBaseball
“I have heard HS kids complain about trying to compete with the Asian kids.”
I think the kids should not feel that they are competing with Asian kids. They are the ones who benefit if they learn, study hard and become educated. There is nothing to do with other Asian kids. Asian, Caucasians and Hispanics all have the same opportunities to receive the educations. As soon as the kids try their best, they are good students. In terms of sports, I let my kid to try everything and let her to choose what she wants. She does not like soccer, so I can’t force her to play it.

I have a friend who cares about education the most among all my friends. He was the top student with PHD degree from the Top University. He is very successful and he is a Caucasian. He lives in SD, not Irvine. His wife told me I should send my kid to a better school, but I told her the school’s fine. I think it depends on the parents, not the races or where they live.

CostaMesa
Being the best students can’t guarantee the good futures and good careers. But I do know the best students from top schools have successful careers. One the other hand, some people don’t have very good educations, but they have successful careers also. I think it depends on the persons. As a parent, I just try to offer my kid the best education. If she can’t handle or doesn’t like it, I don’t push her. I can’t guarantee that she will be successful either. She will be the one who works towards her career. Social skill is important, but I don’t quite agree that it’s almost always more important to be people smart than to be book smart.

Last, I think it is important to let the kids to choose what they like rather than forcing them! All kids have their own potentials and own interests.

Thank You!

[CardiffBaseball]

Yes the caucasian kids complaining sounded like a bit of sour grapes to me. Everyone has have similar opportunities.

Parenting from Homer Simpson:
“Kids are great. You can teach them to hate what you hate and, with the Internet and all, they practically raise themselves.”

Thus like me my kids dislike soccer, and boy band/pop music. Oops, I just realized I am Homer. DOOOHH.

[Anonymous]

I agree Irvine is a fantastic place to live, but there are considerable difference between neighborhoods. Most of the housing, however, in the newer neighborhoods is very similar, and sometimes even the exact same.

It really depends on what you are interested in. If you really enjoy the hills or some incline/decline to the terrain you may really prefer Quail Hill or Turtle Ridge over something flat like Woodbury. On the other hand, if you like to be able to walk directly from your home to shopping or Starbucks then forget about Turtle Ridge. Want to be closer to the beach?… Think University/Turtle Ridge/Turtle Rock or Quail Hill. It depends on what you like…

Irvine for the most part is more enjoyed by people with families and up – there is not much to do here as a young single. My wife and I have a 2 and a 4 year old, and for our family I could not think of a better place to live, period. The tower construction at Jamboree will probably change the single’s situation and make it more “happening” for that crowd.

As far as prices go, they are coming down and will continue to come down – I don’t think it will be as dire as what Mr. IrvineHousingBlog thinks, but there will definitely be some “giving back” by the market. Ultimately, after it is all said and done, price will still be “High”, if you want to live in a perfect place then you have to pay appropriately. in the very early 1980’s new 1BR condos were selling here for about $100,000, during that same period of time my father bought a 1600 square foot home in Michigan for $30K – prices are always going to be “high”. I expect a turn around in late 2008 to early 2009. Keep an eye on the average market time and where it’s going, that will tell you everything you need to know.

[Author]

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