Irvine vs. Sacramento (Santa Ana, Anaheim, Riverside: condos, big house, gated communities)

[the topper]

Originally Posted by tstieber

Okay, that's kind of an insane distortion of population figures... Just look on Wikipedia, and you'll see the Sacramento Metro area has 2.4 million people compared to Orange County's three million. The city of Sacramento alone is 500,000, not 200,000. It hasn't been that small for many decades.

A much better comparison to Sacramento than Irvine would actually be Long Beach, which is a city of comparable size to Sacramento, along with a historic core and a bona-fide skyline, along with older neighborhoods with Victorian architecture, and part of the similarly populated Orange County Metro. When we went last year, we were struck by how much is has in common with the Sacramento on so many levels.

Anyway, this Irvine to Sacramento comparison is difficult for the reasons many have stated. Irvine arguably has the better job market but is still a sprawling Shepherd, Wilde Sacramento at least is a real City walkable hipster neighborhoods with restaurants, Independent shops, coffee houses, that sort of thing. Irvine Spectrum, while impressive and Architects really unmatched anywhere else in states, is still more of s theme park version of a shopping mall than a real Downtown. And while I appreciate the higher-end construction quality of you tract housing in Orange County compared to Sacramento, the really beautiful homes, including the classic mediterranean's, are found in the historic neighborhoods of Sacramento, most notably but Fab 40s, which is more repetitions of Pasadena than Orange County's mcmansions. Orange County has access to Los Angeles in about the same time it takes to get from Sacramento to San Francisco. Carbine has access to Orange County beaches, which are the nicest in the States, but Sacramento to Tahoe, which during the three summer months are the most beautiful State. Sacramento is much more affordable than Orange County, but it still has more of a small-town feel in many ways. I know that summers are very dusty and dry, and they get hot, but in fact, Sacramento gets more Sunshine hours per year at Irvine, even if more concentrated during the summer and less so in winter. 8 milliamps Tasha of different pros and cons. Neither Place wins in every category.

And still, I think it would be interesting to do a Long Beach to Sacramento comparison!

Correction: Irvine Spectrum unmatched anywhere in the state? Village at Topanga in Woodland Hills is just like Spectrum: outdoor shopping theme park.

[the topper]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

Tsieber, friend, did you use voice to text to dictate this message? It’s very confusing to follow.

Also, in reading your post it is clear you’ve spent little time in Irvine since you seem to believe it is all chain stores and eateries. Irvine if anything is more similar to San Jose, not cow town Sac town. Misconceptions about OC abound on CD including this idea that OC is all TGIF and Chili’s. Those places are few in number and have almost completely disappeared from west of the 5.

Also, the notion that Sacramento is as close to SF as OC is to LA, even in terms of driving distance/time, is laughable.

Similar to San Jose? huh? No, San Jose is a real urban city in its core and suburban outside with a truly a real downtown core that entire OC doesn't have.

[Chimérique]

Median Family Income

Metro Sacramento = $78,256
(Average of El Dorado, Placer, Sacto, Yolo Counties)

Metro Los Angeles = $67,727
(Average of LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino Counties)

Irvine is located in Orange County and as an employment center draws people from the larger LA Metro area.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Median Family Income

Metro Sacramento = $78,256
(Average of El Dorado, Placer, Sacto, Yolo Counties)

Metro Los Angeles = $67,727
(Average of LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino Counties)

So that lower figure is supposed to apply to Irvine?

[payutenyodagimas]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Median Family Income

Metro Sacramento = $78,256
(Average of El Dorado, Placer, Sacto, Yolo Counties)

Metro Los Angeles = $67,727
(Average of LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino Counties)

Irvine is located in Orange County and as an employment center draws people from the larger LA Metro area.

thats just to show that state govt employees are overpaid

can we have a state govt shutdown too?

to see whats the effect on Sacto?

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Median Family Income

Metro Sacramento = $78,256
(Average of El Dorado, Placer, Sacto, Yolo Counties)

Metro Los Angeles = $67,727
(Average of LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino Counties)

Irvine is located in Orange County and as an employment center draws people from the larger LA Metro area.

Interesting figures. However, in order for them to be meaningful, more specificity is needed.

The COL in OC is not at all like that of Riverside or San Bernardino. Nor, is Irvine's median household income/COL comparable to that of even the largest of cities in those counties. So, I'm not sure how those figures could potentially help someone who is contemplating a move to either Sacramento or Irvine.

The latest census figures put Irvine's median household income at $95,573.00.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/irvinecitycalifornia

Sacramento's median household income, according to the last census, is $54,615.00.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/sa...citycalifornia

None of this is surprising, and facts are facts, but does that make Irvine a more desirable city? No.
On the other hand, it doesn't mean that Irvine is worse, either. It's all up to what any one individual desires, because you have to look at the total package.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by the topper

Correction: Irvine Spectrum unmatched anywhere in the state? Village at Topanga in Woodland Hills is just like Spectrum: outdoor shopping theme park.

I've never been to that place but just looked it up. It looks very nice and upscale! But it's much more reminiscent of other outdoor shopping malls like Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek. Spectrum is really architecturally distinctive. I would say, however, that the Grove in Los Angeles is also pretty amazing, and Santana Row in San Jose tries to emulate that but on a lesser scale.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

Tsieber, friend, did you use voice to text to dictate this message? It’s very confusing to follow.

Also, in reading your post it is clear you’ve spent little time in Irvine since you seem to believe it is all chain stores and eateries. Irvine if anything is more similar to San Jose, not cow town Sac town. Misconceptions about OC abound on CD including this idea that OC is all TGIF and Chili’s. Those places are few in number and have almost completely disappeared from west of the 5.

Also, the notion that Sacramento is as close to SF as OC is to LA, even in terms of driving distance/time, is laughable.

I did dictate, sorry! :-)

By golly, you're right about the distance from Irvine to LA -- it's only half that from Sac to SF. It always seems so long. I've spent lots of time in Irvine over many years but not as much in the past few. I don't think it's all mediocre chains, but Irvine doesn't quite have the true urban vibe and downtown concentration of independent restaurants as Sacramento. I would definitely consider Irvine more upscale than Sac overall.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by tstieber

I would definitely consider Irvine more upscale than Sac overall.

And this is what I like about Sacramento, it's truly got the NorCal vibe, understated, not flashy. Per capita NorCal has more wealth than SoCal but its not obvious, we simply are not overtly materialistic, showy or flashy with our wealth.

I'm generalizing here but traditionally this has been true:
The OC culture is more about showing-off your wealth with fancy clothes, fancy cars, name dropping, you know the type.

NorCal/Sac culture leans towards modesty, its not "cool" to flash your wealth. We are less likely to care about what's fashionable and what's not and we don't spend our money that way.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

And this is what I like about Sacramento, it's truly got the NorCal vibe, understated, not flashy. Per capita NorCal has more wealth than SoCal but its not obvious, we simply are not overtly materialistic, showy or flashy with our wealth.

I'm generalizing here but traditionally this has been true:
The OC culture is more about showing-off your wealth with fancy clothes, fancy cars, name dropping, you know the type.

NorCal/Sac culture leans towards modesty, its not "cool" to flash your wealth. We are less likely to care about what's fashionable and what's not and we don't spend our money that way.

These are good traits you describe. I’m not terribly materialistic myself.