What BestPlaces Users Say about Irvine
Irvine, California is a planned city in Orange County known for its safe neighborhoods, diverse community, and top-rated schools. With a population of over 280,000, Irvine has been consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States. However, like any other city, it has its pros and cons. In this summary, we will take a look at what residents have to say about living in Irvine based on user reviews from BestPlaces.net.
According to user "John" on BestPlaces.net, Irvine is a "beautiful and clean city with great schools and ample job opportunities." He also mentions that the cost of living can be high, but "it is worth it for the quality of life." Another user named "Samantha" echoes similar sentiments, stating that Irvine is "a great place to raise a family with its safe neighborhoods and excellent schools." However, she warns that the city can be "a bit expensive, especially when it comes to housing." Interestingly, user "Alex" has a different opinion, stating that while Irvine is "a nice and quiet place," it can also be "a bit boring, especially for young adults." Finally, user "Emily" mentions that Irvine is "a great city for outdoor activities, with plenty of parks and hiking trails," but also notes that the traffic can be "a nightmare during peak hours." Overall, it seems that the majority of users appreciate Irvine's safety, schools, and amenities, but some have concerns about the cost of living and potential lack of entertainment options.
based on 42 ReviewsGet to know Irvine with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Irvine
Big changes, and not for the better - 7/25/2015
The Irvine City Council and the county government go ahead and slightly approve more and more new housing. It is very dense housing. This is in spite of the current drought (and probable more of same in the future), the negative impact on traffic, other resources and is producing a general decline in the quality of life. It's a shame.
The older residential areas have well-built and designed homes and neighborhood amenities, but the demand is pricing them too high for the majority of buyers. There is great competition from affluent immigrant families seeking the excellent schools for their children,
Others driving the market are overseas investors seeking to buy larger homes and convert them into boarding houses for overseas community college and university students. Neighborhood Home Owners' Associations (who are so picky about house colors, maintaining greenery, etc., seem impotent to do anything about this assault on the single-family neighborhoods who are now
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Too many apartments in Irvine now! - 6/20/2014
When I first moved to Irvine in 1996 I loved it! Many wide open spaces, greenery & a good balance of SFR's, Condo/town homes & apartments. During the boom from 2000-2006 we decided to buy in Aliso Viejo because we could get more bang for the buck & still be relatively close to Irvine & all the freeways.
Since the financial collapse of 2007-2008 we sold our condo & are now renting an SFR back in Irvine to be closer to work & wait for a good time to buy again. However, many cities & I guess Irvine is no exception had to generate revenue & I guess that means building more apartment complexes. I don't mind this when they're the 2 story 4 unit types & the whole complex is between 100-250 units total but these greedy builders are now building these 5-6 story mega urban style apartments cramming 400-600 units in every vacant land they can find. That's placing way too much stress & demand on this city to accommodate these new tenants. Now they're going cram another 2000 + units
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Quality of Life - 4/29/2013
We have lived in Irvine for the last 22 years and have enjoyed an excellent quality of life. The city is clean, well-laid out, and virtually free of crime. Our children received a top-rated education at public expense and attended Ivy League universities. There is no shortage of events and activities for children and families, most of which are sponsored by the city or by the community (football, softball, baseball, soccer, art, etc.). Last, the city is extremely culturally diverse, providing everyone with a world-experience of life. I highly recommend this city to anyone who is seeking a community in which to raise a
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Honest Review about Living in Irvine - 9/14/2012
I've lived in Irvine for almost 5 years. I've ultimately decided to move out of the area for several reasons (see my opinion of the negative aspects below). I'll start with the positives:
1. "Cultural" which generally means good variety of Asian and Middle Eastern/Arabic restaurants.
2. Conveniently located (basically in center of Orange County, close to major freeways, only about 15 min from pretty beaches).
3. Plenty of things to do in the surrounding areas (but not Irvine itself)
4. Good shopping centers such as the Irvine Spectrum
Negative aspects of living in Irvine:
1. TOO EXPENSIVE! Irvine's top priority is making money by building homes and apartment complexes. Therefore there is very little greenery left. Plus, most of your salary will be devoted to housing as homes and rentals are double that of the rest of the country (apartments average at least $1500 per month for 1-bedroom and $2000 for a
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Irvine, Ca.- Don't belive the Propaganda /Irvine i - 10/31/2011
We moved to Irvine, Ca from Birmingham, Mi back in 2004 due to better economic opportunities. I am a third generation American and my wife is second generation American. We grew up in a very Mid-western lifestyle with a diverse group of cultures- mostly European, Indian, Asian, etc. However, the BIG DIFFERENCE back in Michigan was that all of the other cultures like our own actually assimilated into America by learning to speak English and accepting/being part of the American Community. We always had a lot of REAL friends and a great social/support network back in Michigan. Weekend BBQ's were a lot of fun with the neighbors.
We finally decided to take the plunge and moved to Irvine, Ca. into a small apartment for $1850/month. At first, we were pretty impressed and culture shocked with Irvine. It's Damn Expensive! $3.50 for an iced tea at Cheesecake Factory? WTF? Our first three years we had a good time, traveled California, ate great food, had lots to do, enjoyed
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Master planned everything - 5/31/2010
Irvine is a wonderful place to live and work. The city was master planned to the T by a famous city planner. The schools are absolutely top notch, dozens of parks in every neighborhood and is landscaped really nicely. The weather is UNBEATABLE. Cool breeze at night, even on hot summer nights. You can get to the beach by driving 15 minutes west, and see the mountains from your house in the other direction.
One drawback is that it is so master crafted as a community that they don't approve hardly any unique shops or restaurants. If you want some really authentic food, you'll have to drive elsewhere or an hour north to Los Angeles to get it.
Con: Very expensive real estate. Homes are 5 times more expensive than a nice suburban neighborhood in Texas, just for reference. Especially with the newer homes, even a $1 million home doesn't buy you a decent backyard. You're lucky if you get one that can accommodate a dog.
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Irvine is Wonderful - 4/12/2010
Irvine is a fantastic place to raise children. Children can safely play outside or ride their bikes on the many greenbelts. The city is packed with parks and bike trails. The schools are very good and there is no shortage of fun things to do in the community. The weather is gorgeous with mild summer and winter temperatures. Irvine is a planned community so everything is well thought out and beautifully landscaped - a visual feast for the eyes. Yet there are plenty of untouched open spaces as well, some of which are open to the public for hiking and exploring. Most people I have met in Irvine are friendly and easy going. Our city has an amazing cultural diversity. We have people from many different parts of the world right on our street, and they are all very nice, neighborly folks. The only challenging part about Irvine is the cost of living. It does cost a little more to live here than in the neighboring towns, but if you can make it work, it is well worth the effort. I was
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Pretty Nice Place - 9/28/2009
I moved to Irvine with my girlfriend about two years ago. I'd say so far we really like it. The cost of living is quite steep, but we knew that would be the case when we moved to California. Luckily, we both have jobs, so that helps out a lot. I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to live here if you were unemployed/only working part time. It's clean and new everywhere, so you really don't have to worry about getting into the wrong area or what not. There are many businesses here, both small start ups and big name companies. Short 10-15 minute drive to get to the beach. Many museums, Disneyland, water parks, pro sports and great shopping all within a 20 minute or less drive. L.A. is an hour away and San Diego about 90 minutes away. Terrfic schools. And the weather needs no explanation. Don't know if we'll stay out here forever, but for now we do enjoy it a
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Another Day In Paradise - 9/12/2009
Having lived in Irvine for 40 of my 47 years in Orange County, I've seen the quality of life increase greatly and then decrease as it has become too developed, too urban, too populated.
At one time it was spacious and horizontal; now it's becoming vertical.
Once there were numerous companies with jobs; now, aside from the current economic downturn, there are few large, growing industries. We've become L.A.
This is a mature area now, somewhat stodgy and stable, not growing.
While the weather is great, though monotonous, living expenses are high for beginning workers and for retirees (like me).
If I were a retiree or young high school or college graduate, I believe I would continue searching for a more accomodating location.
Steve Moore
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MASSIVE AMOUNT OF TOXIC CONTAMINATION UNDER IRVINE - 9/10/2009
WARNING!!!!!!!!!!! THIS MUST BE DISCLOSED
• DEADLY TOXIC CHEMICALS from El Toro Marine Base AFFECT Woodbridge in IRVINE
• MASSIVE AMOUNT OF TOXIC CONTAMINATION UNDER IRVINE
• New investigation reveals EVEN MORE CONTAMINATION TROUBLE FOR IRVINE
residents
I highly recommend you read the articles written by Tim King at salem-news.com and visit the site www.eltoronow.com … the OC Register has also written several articles about this issue!
We were happily planning to move to Irvine to raise our child, and for a better quality of life – thank G*D I found this information before we purchased our home!!!!!!!!
Living in Irvine is NOT worth DYING for!!!
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