Irvine, California

Suburban Master Plan

Downtown Irvine
Downtown Irvine
Irvine Downtown
Irvine Downtown
Downtown Night Market
Downtown Night Market
UC Irvine
UC Irvine

303,956

Population

Sunny Days: 280
85100 Affordability
100100 Schools
95100 Diversity
100100 Safety

LookyLOO Review of Irvine

Master Planned Community

"Master planned community" means either homogeneous and sterile or well-controlled and predictable (depending on your view). The Irvine Master Plan envisioned a livable city of parks and open spaces connected by trails and bike paths. It’s practically owned by the Irvine Company, the home prices are very high, and the homeowners associations are run by a lot of old people with too much time on their hands (it is said that In Irvine you can paint your house any color you like, as long as it's beige.)

They are known for their “Karens”' and busybody complainer neighbors. It’s ethnically diverse -- there are significant Asian, Indian, and Persian populations, many of whom are international expats in the OC for several years and taking advantage of the good schools. However, it is not known as a place where these multi-cultures integrate. It is not economically diverse. You have to have/make some dough here.

The ocean is 5-10 miles away with spectacularly beautiful beaches, decent surf within 30 minutes, and diving harbors. The mountains are 90 minutes away. Really good skiing is a 6-hour drive. You can be in the desert in 90 minutes and LA or San Diego in 1.5-2 hours. San Francisco is a one-hour, fairly cheap, flight away from John Wayne Airport and Las Vegas is a 4-5 hour drive or 45-minute flight. It's a nice and safe suburb with SoCal weather and access to all things SoCal. People get Disneyland annual passes.

There is not much "culture" in Irvine. The Irvine Spectrum is a big shopping /entertainment/dining center -- a gigantic mall. There’s a comedy theater, a huge movie theater, and lots of restaurants in the Spectrum and a few hotel rooftop bars nearby. Most people work in something called The Irvine Business Complex. (Are you getting the Master Plan yet? -- it’s called “The Irvinization.”) It is also said that “they” have programmed the traffic lights so that traffic moves at the slowest possible pace to enhance safety.

Chances are you won't be able to walk from your home to go out and do things - nothing is within walking distance of anything anywhere -- it’s considered pretty soulless. But, Laguna Beach is a short drive and Costa Mesa is right there.

If you are a bit aged and prefer a calmer, safer, and soothing city, then Irvine is for you. Be prepared to pay though. Irvine is fairly expensive compared with the surrounding area. There are more expensive areas (beach communities), but still, it takes a good wage to afford Irvine.

Lifestyle

If you are single or kid-free, Irvine might be a very dull choice, even suburbia hell. Unless you like a quiet life, there is very little going on. There is a large university in town, but even that area is sedate. If you’re into nightlife, look at Costa Mesa right next door. For families, Irvine can be a dream come true. Modern homes and entire neighborhoods are built around maximizing the family experience. Proximity to Orange County beaches spices up the master-planned community experience.

If you're interested in what the locals get up to in Irvine check out the calendar of events.

Worklife

Irvine is rated #1 for fiscal health among the 116 U.S. cities with a population over 200k. It is also the driver of a lot of the economy of broader Orange County. If you work in a professional job in Orange County there’s a good chance it will be within the borders of Irvine. Many of the jobs here are in tech/communications, life sciences, and education. This is an extremely well-educated and professional city and it's as safe a place to move for a job as any city in California. Side note: consider your commute before you pick your neighborhood. Every “Welcome To” sign in California should have that caveat but we’ll just state that it is even more true in SoCal.

Schools

Irvine Public School District is the #1 rated district in Orange Country and one of the best in the entire state, receiving an "A+" on niche.com. If high-ranking schools matter to your family you will be happy in Irvine. The district receives particularly high scores for Academics, Teachers, and College Prep.

Placement in IUSDis based on geography but parents can apply for admittance to schools throughout the district and admittance is based on lottery and availability.

Highest performing schools in the district include:

-University High School is the #1 ranked school in the district, receiving an "A+" on niche.com with high scores for Academics, Teachers, and College Prep.
-Northwood High School is the #2 ranked school in the district, also receiving an "A+" on niche.com with Academics, Teachers, and College Prep all with "A+" scores.

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Schools and Sunshine

The schools are excellent and it’s super safe, and bike-friendly if that’s your jam. It’s actually very green (meaning sustainable but also literally -- much of the grass is spray painted green as a drought measure.) And, it is Southern California -- the average temperature is 71 degrees.

Reviews of Irvine from Locals

Location

The ocean is 5-10 miles away with spectacularly beautiful beaches, decent surf within 30 minutes and diving harbors. Mountains are 90 minutes away. Really good skiing is a 6 hour drive. You can be in the desert in 90 minutes and LA or San Diego in 1.5-2 hours. San Francisco is a one hour, fairly cheap, flight away from John Wayne Airport and Las Vegas is a 4-5 hour drive or 45 minute flight. It's a nice and safe suburb with SoCal weather and access to all things SoCal. People get DisneyLand annual passes.

Here's a write-up from a local on Irvine:
It's nice, actually. It's safe as hell, it's within driving distance (and you WILL need a car in SoCal) of really great stuff all over the rest of OC (because not much happens past 10pm in Irvine), within about 20 minutes to the beach, and about 3 or 4 hours to the mountains. There's shopping, there's decent places to eat in Irvine itself, and a bunch of great places all across OC within driving distance. Google Fiber is coming in the next few years (maybe not soon enough for your 2-year project) and the local cable provider (Cox Communications) is installing gigabit internet fiber across the city soon, too.

Neighborhoods in Irvine

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Irvine Business Complex

Young Professionals

Irvine is not a thriving city for the youngsters so if living a walking distance from a really active social scene then try Costa Mesa. Assuming you want to be right next to work then look at the condo/apartment scene near the Irvine Business Complex. It’s boring but you don’t have to wrestle with a commute on the daily. Bella Terra is another option that adds a commute to most work options but you get shopping, malls and some local nightlife. It’s also driveable to downtown Huntington Beach which has much more of a scene.

  • Irvine Business Complex
  • Bella Terra