Anyone from Orange County, CA?

THE TOUCH · July 30, 2006

Well, this isn't really photography related, but could involve photography when I get there (on the side of coarse)!

I have a possible job opportunity in Orange County that would require me to move from Bakersfield. I'm scared to death of LA but I've been told that OC is completely different than LA.

Is there anyone that lives in the area that could give me some information on the area? How is it compared to LA?

Thanks!

Seefutlung · July 30, 2006

Touch - I've lived in both LA and the OC.

OC has less people and less of everything actually ... some good some bad.

OC has less poverty, less crime, less congestion, ... less culture, less variety, less extremes.

Any community in LA has a comparable counterpart in the OC ... and any community in the OC can be found in LA. Once again the only difference is size and age ... most of the OC is fairly brand new (southern). My kids live in Rancho Santa Margarita, a city that wasn't on the maps ten years ago.

One thing to think about ... Ford moved the Lincoln-Mercury HQ to Irvine. Their study showed that even though housing is much more expensive (a lot less cluck for the buck in the OC), that the big gain in quality of life far exceeds having to settle/live in a smaller house.

THE TOUCH · July 30, 2006

Gary -

Thank you for the opinions on both! The job would be located in San Clemente - is there any areas you could recommend for living? I've been researching the cost of housing and there's a big difference depending on the area.

Any thoughts on Oceanside, Lake Elsinore, and Mission Viejo?

saurora · July 30, 2006

Seefutlung wrote:

Touch - I've lived in both LA and the OC.

OC has less people and less of everything actually ... some good some bad.

OC has less poverty, less crime, less congestion, ... less culture, less variety, less extremes.

Any community in LA has a comparable counterpart in the OC ... and any community in the OC can be found in LA. Once again the only difference is size and age ... most of the OC is fairly brand new (southern). My kids live in Rancho Santa Margarita, a city that wasn't on the maps ten years ago.

One thing to think about ... Ford moved the Lincoln-Mercury HQ to Irvine. Their study showed that even though housing is much more expensive (a lot less cluck for the buck in the OC), that the big gain in quality of life far exceeds having to settle/live in a smaller house.

Hi Kevin! I've lived in Orange County all of my life, except for a brief few years in Redondo Beach (L.A. County). There's nothing to be afraid of here. Gary is pretty correct in his rundown of Orange County. It's a nice place to work and live. Variable weather temps depending how close to the coast you live. Oh, yes, the beaches are great! O.C. is not big city-gritty like L.A., San Fran, Chicago, etc. It's more urban, I guess. Less culture, but not totally absent either. We have the Performing Arts Center opening up a brand new center soon if you like classical music, etc. We are surrounded by L.A. county to the north, San Diego county to the south, and Riverside/SanBernardino Counties to the East. So in a day's journey you can go to either the beach (Bolsa Chica Wetlands for birds), head to L.A. for all the museums, music, zoo, shopping, etc., San Diego for the zoo, Sea World, Wild Animal Park, museums, Del Mar racetrack, or head for the mountains and snow in San Bernardino, or down the freeway to Palm Springs and other Desert areas. All this, of course, after you run out of things to do in O.C. We may be less congested than L.A. proper, but I imagine you will find it pretty fast-paced and slightly more hectic in comparison to Bakersfield! I like to think that OC is a nice, center-point of southern California to live in, that is completely surrounded in every direction with neat places to go. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and good luck!

Matthew Saville · July 30, 2006

THE TOUCH wrote:

Gary -

Thank you for the opinions on both! The job would be located in San Clemente - is there any areas you could recommend for living? I've been researching the cost of housing and there's a big difference depending on the area.

Any thoughts on Oceanside, Lake Elsinore, and Mission Viejo?

Hi Kevin!

I'd recommend NOT living in Lake Elsinore and commuting to San Clemente, that would be a nightmare on the 74. The 74 is a nasty one-lane (each way, making two lanes divided by one "double-yellow") and it is trafficked by not only biker gangs but also 18-wheeler semis. NOT a god combination.

I'd recommend living in either Mission Viejo or Oceanside. Mission Viejo will be just a short jaunt up the 5 freeway, and Oceanside will be just a slightly longer trip down the 5 freeway, but it's wide-open as far as traffic goes thanks to Camp Pendleton occupying all of that area. I make a very nasty commute from Irvine all the way to San Diego every day, and it is ~70 miles that can take about 2+ hours on a bad Friday afternoon.

Photography-wise, OC is a paradise. Visit my "Local Haunts" galleries to get an idea of what you can find, noting that I'm not that much into birding so you won't get a proper idea of how awesome the birding opportunities are around here...

Here are a couple shots from around OC:

Here's the subcategory:

http://matthewsaville.smugmug.com/General%20Photography/164867

Take care, and welcome if you decide to move here!
-Matt-

THE TOUCH · July 30, 2006

Saurora - WOW! Thank you very much - I'm excited already!

I'm not too worried about culture...I'm sure it's better than Bakersfield! I love the thought of all the places you mentioned - we just don't have that up here. It's two hours to the coast and 1 hour to the dry boring mountains...that's it.

I'll PM you with some more questions since this isn't really photography related! Thanks for the offer!

THE TOUCH · July 30, 2006

Matt - Thank you, thank you! Beautiful work!

Thanks for the tip on Lake Elsinore! The housing (99% Manufactured Homes

) was very cheap - now I see why. My future "boss" is living in Mission Viejo and it seems like a nice place to live.

We're always complaining about not having anything to do so I think we'll be pretty happy if we move!:D We grew up in a town of ~30,000 then moved to Bakersfield 3 years ago. We've been pretty happy here but it's starting to get boring - I need more shooting adventures!!!

I was going to PM Saurora about housing but since we're already into it - where would be the ideal place to live for first time home buyers? We currently rent and would love to purchase a house but without equity, it's going to be tough. The company is going to pay for the difference in housing each month so that should make it easier! It looks like Oceanside would be cheaper than Mission Viejo - any ideas?

Thank you all! I am so thankful for this forum when it comes to things like this!!!

BeachBill · July 30, 2006

THE TOUCH wrote:

Any thoughts on Oceanside, Lake Elsinore, and Mission Viejo?

I'm rather partial to Mission Viejo since I live in Lake Forest, just north of and less than a quarter mile from the city line. My kids go to school in MV. Mission Viejo (and all of south OC for that matter) is very family friendly. It's green (lots of trees) and hilly. About 7 years ago we moved from Huntington Beach (in the central part of OC which is more urban/concrete and less family friendly). The first thing we noticed was all of the joggers, walkers and bicyclists, and all the green.

Oceanside is a military community (home of Camp Pendleton). We pass through many times on the way to Legoland in Carlsbad (for the kids of course). Other than that, I don't know much about Oceanside, except I'm sure the cost of housing would be lower than MV.

Lake Elsinore is over the mountains with access only via Ortega Highway (Hwy 74) or freeways north around the mountains or freeways south around the mountains. Even though the miles are much shorter via Ortega, drive time is much quicker via freeways... if you leave for work at 4am and leave for home no later than 2pm. Lake Elsinore should be less expensive than both MV and Oceanside. Oh, and Ortega is a very dangerous highway.

Hope this helps.

Since we are posting pics, here are a few from arond the area...

San Clemente

Legoland

Aliso Beach (about a 10 mile drive from Mission Viejo)

and we even have some interesting architecture too...

BeachBill · July 30, 2006

THE TOUCH wrote:

I was going to PM Saurora about housing but since we're already into it - where would be the ideal place to live for first time home buyers?

Around MV, look at Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM to locals) and Ladera Ranch. Beware that housing in OC is very expensive, especially south OC.

THE TOUCH · July 30, 2006

BeachBill - Thank you!!

I like the thought of living around MV or RSM, but housing just doesn't seem possible unless you have a spare bedroom!:D

It looks like we could get an ocean side or ocean view apartment for A LOT cheaper than a house!?

BeachBill wrote:

Around MV, look at Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM to locals) and Ladera Ranch. Beware that housing in OC is very expensive, especially south OC.

erich6 · July 30, 2006

Kevin,

Not much more I can add other than what folks have told you already. I live in Fountain Valley near Huntigton Beach and I really like it here. It may not be as hectic as LA but there are still lots of crowds and lots to do. I've been through San Clemente a few times and I think it's a neat area. If I were you I'd look into a place in Oceanside. It may be a bit out of the mainstream but you won't find better climate anywhere and trust me it makes a huge difference when you can run down to the beach every morning or afternoon!

Erich

THE TOUCH · July 30, 2006

SWEET! I like that idea A LOT! HEHE!

From what I gathered, including your thoughts, it sounds like Oceanside would be the best bet for staying out of the fast paced LA scene. As well as lower housing or rental costs.

I should be coming down in a couple of weeks to check out the area. Yeah!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS!!!

erich6 wrote:

Kevin,

Not much more I can add other than what folks have told you already. I live in Fountain Valley near Huntigton Beach and I really like it here. It may not be as hectic as LA but there are still lots of crowds and lots to do. I've been through San Clemente a few times and I think it's a neat area. If I were you I'd look into a place in Oceanside. It may be a bit out of the mainstream but you won't find better climate anywhere and trust me it makes a huge difference when you can run down to the beach every morning or afternoon!

Erich

claudermilk · July 31, 2006

Another denzien from behind the Orange Curtain.

It is definitely a different world from LA. I personally much prefer it down here than LA though cost-of-living is the tradeoff. I wouldn't say "less" culture, jsut different. No, we don't have all the little art-house theaters, but it's an hour's drive up to the LA ones. I've found just about anything you want to get into, there's someone doing it/catering to it around here.

BeachBill · July 31, 2006

THE TOUCH wrote:

I like the thought of living around MV or RSM, but housing just doesn't seem possible unless you have a spare bedroom!:D

It looks like we could get an ocean side or ocean view apartment for A LOT cheaper than a house!?

Yes, housing has more than doubled in price since we bought our house back in 2001. Not that I'm complaining any, but it doesnmake it rather difficult for new home buyers.

Condos are now going for more than we paid for our single family detacted 4 bedroom home.

I would recommend visiting each of the areas (all of south OC and Oceanside/Carlsbad) to get a feel for them... and you might want to test out the traffic at the times you would be driving to/from work.

Then I would suggest renting first to make sure you really do like the area you have decided on. My wife and I did this when we moved to south OC. We rented a home for a year to make sure. We loved the area so much we bought a house the next year.

Good luck and I'm sure you will enjoy the area no matter which community you choose.

Matthew Saville · July 31, 2006

THE TOUCH wrote:

SWEET! I like that idea A LOT! HEHE!

From what I gathered, including your thoughts, it sounds like Oceanside would be the best bet for staying out of the fast paced LA scene. As well as lower housing or rental costs.

I should be coming down in a couple of weeks to check out the area. Yeah!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS!!!

Kevin, if you move to Huntington Beach or Fountain Valley, be prepared to spend a couple hours in your car on the way to work every day and the same on your way home. The 405 freeway, as masive as it is, (5+ lanes each way) is an absolute joke at rush hour. If I have to sit in that traffic for one reason or other, I make sure I have a full tank and I bring a few magazines to read while I steer with my knee and pull my foot off the brake every minute or so. And no, I'm not joking, it's that bad. I've read an entire issue of Outdoor Photographer AND PC Photo just while going from Irvine to HB before. That's just a ~10 mile distance, for your info.

One thing you can do is live in Costa Mesa, where the 73 toll road (not to be confused with that 74 highway that goes to Lake Elsinore!) is a tollroad that directly connects the San Juan Capistrano area with Costa Mesa / Huntington Beach and bypases a large chunk of the 5 and 405.l. The 73 also helps if you live in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, but you'd still have quite a bit of distance to cover on the 405. Costa Mesa would be perfect...

The Mission Viejo and Lake Forest area has a lot less traffic issues, but the 5 freeway can still be bad if it's 5 PM... I'd suggest living as close to work as you can, and biting the pricing bullet. Find a fixer-upper somewhere in an older neighborhood and you might get it for under $300,000...

...

Take care,
-Matt-

crow · July 31, 2006

hi kevin

im still a newbie 'round here, but i can still give you my take on OC.
Pretty much everything thats been said here is true.

LA pretty much has traffic ALL the time while most of OC has the standard
rush hour traffic. (once the 22 is done with its update it should ease some congestion)

Living in Lake ELsinore is bad idea. The 74 can be a major nightmare and can be frequently closed from rock slides/wildfires etc.

Both areas have its ups and downs like any other but OC (IMO) is much nicer, cleaner. PLus the beaches are way better maintained than LA where most of the beaches there have some serious bum problems.

LA is a more fast paced environment whereas OC is a more laidback.

Oh YEAH, when in San Clemente, make sure you hit up Sonny's Pizza on Camino Real

claudermilk · August 1, 2006

Geez, Matt, either you read really fast or pick the wrong lanes (hint: the fast lane isn't). If I spend more than 45 minutes going from Irvine to HB something is amiss. This is from John Wayne to Beach Blvd. @ 4pm (oh and to add masochism, I refuse to own an auto tranny).

Basically the freeways from the Mexico border to north of Ventura are packed
at rush hour every day. The main freeways in LA (5, 101, 10, etc) are packed 24/7/365.

THE TOUCH · August 2, 2006

Thank you all for the information!!!

BeachBill - Hopefully we can make it down there soon. We like the idea of renting first to get an idea of the areas. Also, the company I'm working for is a competitor of my previous employer, which is planning on crushing this company to the ground. I'm not sure how long they'll last since they're pretty new.

Matt - Thanks for the info. I never even considered Costa Mesa. That might work out pretty good since my wife might transfer to the Hilton there. She won't have to worry about traffic, and I would be going the opposite direction!

I was considering Oceanside but if she gets the job it would be a long, nightmare drive for her.

Crow - Thanks for the food tip! I LIKE PIZZA!

Thank you all again! I don't know how I would do this without all this advice!

BeachBill · August 2, 2006

One thing to note about the 73 toll rode, it is expensive. It's around $5 each way. If you employer is willing to cover that cost (along with the $3.40ish cost of a gallon of gas) then that may be a good choice.

THE TOUCH · August 2, 2006

That's a good thing to consider! Glad you mentioned it! Thanks again.

BeachBill wrote:

One thing to note about the 73 toll rode, it is expensive. It's around $5 each way. If you employer is willing to cover that cost (along with the $3.40ish cost of a gallon of gas) then that may be a good choice.

Anyone from Orange County, CA?

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