Anyone in southern Orange County

[KitchenWitch]

We may be moving there within the next year...from Minnesota. I want to know what to expect besides insane traffic and high cost of living.

[madeline_con]

1. never mind

:)

[KitchenWitch]

3. Now I am curious!

:D

[madeline_con]

5. My usual characteristic...

of blindly zipping through the links page, and I posted "which state" before realizing I was in the CA forum. DUH. There's an Orange County, FL, too. :blush:

[KitchenWitch]

6. lol

I get that :D

[Spinzonner]

2. Infestations of

Republicans, Libertarians, and fire ants.

Take your choice.

[Carolab]

4. Oh, man, you don't want to do that! Stay here! (I'm in St. Paul)...

Have a close friend who lived there due to work and begged/pleaded with the corp to go back to NJ.

HATES CA now and would NEVER go back. Told me they even have valet parking at Home Depot...what does THAT tell you?

[Spinzonner]

7. Well, that's hardly typical

They do have South Coast Plaza and other fancy malls down there.

there are some very expensive neighborhoods down in the south but you are allowed to park your own car if you choose.

And I've been to NJ, it's no bed of begonias either

[Carolab]

9. He's in the NICE part (Morristown) n/t

[KitchenWitch]

10. Been to South Coast Plaza "shopping resort"

Been to Faschist (Fashion) Island
Experienced the traffic on the 5
Been to Laguna Hills....OMG
Have seen all the fancy cars and SUVs

[Spinzonner]

11. Well, with Laguna Hills you have to check regularly

to see if its still there

[KitchenWitch]

12. True enough!

speaking of that...how often are their earthquakes and tremors?

[Spinzonner]

13. All the time, But I assume you mean ones that are felt

It's not like they are of a uniform frequency. There was a cluster of several in the 4-5+ range a while ago. But there can be months without one.

As far as I know, that part of the county isn't on or real near any known major faults and, of course, we have strict building codes.

Now, I wouldn't want to be in the middle of the country or the east if there is another New Madrid-scale quake.

[KitchenWitch]

14. that is cool

We will likely be in Irvine...fairly flat and away from any hills.

[Spinzonner]

15. You mean the People's Republic of Irvine

(well they do have Larry Agran as ex-mayor)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Agran

I really wouldn't call Irvine as South County. Maybe SOuth Mid-county. And it is much more mixed both demographically and and commercial-residential than most of the south county.

[KitchenWitch]

16. that would be the place

[question everything]

23. Larry Agran is still a council member and his "protege"

is now the mayor. His slate has the majority: 3 -2 but Agran is no longer the liberal idealist of the 80s. But is still the target of the rabid Lincoln Club.

He recently triumphed over the Newport Beachers who wanted to convert the Marines base at El Toro to commercial airport. Earlier this week Agran, as the chairman of the Great Park Corporation, celebrated the transfer of the land to private developers.

Irvine has grown drastically in the past 10 years and is now a major player in the county. Houses are expensive - certainly compared to St. Paul; median price just passed $600K. Yes, everyone is waiting for the bubble to burst, have been for several years now.

There are many Democrats in Orange County and the cities of Santa Ana (county seat), Laguna Beach and the seniors only Laguna Woods actually went blue last November.

Most of the newer (built after 1980) houses in Irvine are part of an association. Some, like Woodbridge, are an association within association which means monthly fees can be more than $100.00. Newer houses may have Mello Roos - special taxes on top of "regular" taxes.

While property taxes are 1% of the home value, there are many additional bonds added. Irvine is far enough from the ocean that is semi-arid that once the sun goes down it can be cool. Oh, how I miss these cool evenings, sitting here, in the Twin Cities on the 9th day in a row of over 90 degrees and humidity.

In our house in Irvine we installed an attic fan. Coming from work, turning it on and opening a window one inch and after an hour the room would be cool and pleasant.

Irvine has recently started building up - residential high rises - since Orange County is built up. And, yes, it is considered central county.

The Irvine World News - one of the OC Register "community newspapers"
http://epaper.ocregister.com/Default/Client.asp?enter=true&skin=OCW&Daily=OCWIrvineWorldNews&GZ=T&AW=1121576731718
can provide you with more information about schools and police report.

(hope this link works. Otherwise, just search for the Irvine World news).

And when you can't take the Republicans any longer, there is always the OC Weekly http://www.ocweekly.com/ to cheer you up.

Good luck.

[Carla in Ca]

17. Oh, don't move to Irvine

All tech and sterile there. A master-planned city that has at least 5 major streets ripped up at one time laying new pipes.
Consider a place called Orange Park Acres. It is THE last equestrian community in OC. Just north of Irvine next to the HUGE Irvine Park.
(But don't tell anyone else about it...shhh) :-)

[KitchenWitch]

18. lol

I get that :D Mum's the word.

How are the Orange Park Acres and the Irvine areas politically speaking?

[Carla in Ca]

19. It's OC, R.E.D, baby

But with a sprinkle of blue, but not much. The good news is we actually had a Kerry rally in Orange. A first, let me tell you.
Now, the city of Orange has a unique area called Orange Plaza. It is the largest antique shop/historical home area this side of...well who knows where but it is fabulous. It has a 50's drug store called Watson's and it a very special place to go. I'll find a pic of it.

Here are pics of the plaza
<http://www.letsgoseeit.com/index/county/ora/orange/loc02/plaza.htm>

[KitchenWitch]

20. I have been in Orange

Some years ago, during the summer, I attended a week long seminar at Chapman University.

I found "downtown" Orange to be very charming. Is the movie theatre still there? A bunch of us from the seminar went to Watson's for burgers and shakes one evening. Very nostalgic indeed.

[Carla in Ca]

21. Yes, the historical theater is still there

but it has been a 'church' for many years. We go downtown a few times a week. It is the only place I like here except the beaches. We go to LA every chance we get.
Although my husband has been here for 40 years, he is originally from St. Paul. You'd be very welcomed!

[KitchenWitch]

22. cool

My husband was a military brat growing up (USAF), but his folks ended up settling down in Orange County.

I have very mixed feelings, since most of what I know is here in the midwest. I was born in PA, spent part of my childhood in NJ, completed K-12 in a suburb of Minneapolis.

I am what you would call "fish belly white", and have fears about not fitting in, since I do not tan! (I know, vanity, but....)

[nolabels]

24. I lived there most of my childhood

Was a very nice place, but the cult of republicans effed it up :puke:

To me it's more like a museum of what was once nice :cry:

[KitchenWitch]

8. I know, I am in for serious culture shock

I will likely work out of home as an independent contractor (not working right now anyway). Husband may get transferred out there.

[xxqqqzme]

25. lived in OC since '86

moved here from Riverside County desert - Palm Springs. OC is NOT as rethug as Riverside County. I'm getting ready 2 move 2 New Mexico. I can't take it here anymore. There R toooo many people!

However.....

There is an extremely active DFA group here; meets 1st Wed of every month @ Karl Strauss Brewery in Costa Mesa. We regularly have 50+ people; very politically involved; do many volunteer projects in the community. Great group of people. Having a picnic 2morrow for a local candidate who will challenge dana whorbacher next year.

I was recently in Indiana; on the interstate between Indianapolis & Evansville - What I really noticed was I didn't see a hummer every 5th car.

[genius]

26. You will find an interesting mix of people who hate Bush and stupid people

There are a tremendous number of stupid housewives, who complain about being subjected to the sight of poor people. This guy, whose HMO wouldn't treat him, committed suicide on the freeway and the news carried it (though nothing graphic was visible). He put up a sign, got into his car and it went up in flames. Some of these women spoke about how he would burn in hell for subjecting their eyes to the situation. Then they went back to talking about what was the most impressive place to go for dinner. You find these women watching their children at dance classes in South Orange County. The worst ones are from the Nellie Gail's, a development of over-priced houses which people own simply for a status symbols. However, most of the instructors who teach their kids tend to be Democrats. The Republicans get a lot of their extremist petitions signed by stupid people in South Orange County.

But South County gets a bad rap. There are a great many liberals in South County. Most of the teachers, gym instructors, and dance and music teachers tend to be liberals. So do most of the engineers and people working in stores. Attorneys are very liberal in California. Pete Wilson tried to break the State Bar and lost. There are two weekly peace protests in South Orange County. These get a great deal of support.