Irvine
Irvine is a one of the most sought after cities in Orange County. In 2008, Money Magazine listed Irvine as #4 in their list of America’s best cities. Population is just over 200,000.
Located in the heart of Orange County, surrounded by Tustin, Santa Ana, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach, it makes for an ideal commute. Residents have easy access to the 405, 5 and 133 freeways.
Beach-seekers can travel down one of Irvine’s wide main roads and reach local beaches in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Huntington Beach within minutes.
Irvine is a planned city, with areas being divided into several villages. Each village has a unique style of housing, shopping centers and schools. Large corporate areas are also distributed throughout the 65 square miles of the city. The unique layout of residential communities intertwined with corporate centers give Irvine a modern and exciting feel.
Irvine comes with all of the amenities expected of a mid-sized city and is packed with family-friendly things to do. Residents can enjoy a day at Wild Rivers Water Park, delight their palate with fresh produce at two Certified Farmers Markets, pick their own fruit at Tanaka Organic Farm, explore fine art at one of several museums, take in a concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Irvine Meadows) , or enjoy amazing restaurants and shopping at the Irvine Spectrum.
Diversity is one of Irvine’s greatest assets and is celebrated annually at the Irvine Global Village Festival. With over 13,000 visitors each year, the festival invites guests to view over 50 cultures represented in the form of music and dance, dining, martial arts, traditional art and a world marketplace.
One of the newest areas of development is the Orange County Great Park, the former El Toro Marine Base. With plans for a park that is nearly double the size of New York’s Central Park, botanical gardens, sports fields, Veteran’s Memorial, and more, this ambitious plan promises to be a tremendous draw for locals and visitors. Currently, they have daily balloon ride to get a bird’s eye view of the valley and the park (weather permitting).
Irvine is also renowned for the exceptional schools in the Irvine Unified School District, which consistently ranks among the best educational systems in the country. In addition to University of California – Irvine (UCI), Irvine is also home to Concordia University and Irvine Valley College.
Linsey Planeta
