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Old 02-02-2011, 02:39 PM
 
3 posts, read 9,613 times
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Hi,

We are relocating from Sacramento. My husband will now be working in Orange County, near Westminster Center at Goldenwest St. and doing business around OC and LA, even San Diego sometimes.

Who are we?
It's just the two of us for the time being and our wonderful dog. We are both 35 years old and we both enjoy meeting new people (mix of young families and young professionals), experiencing good wine and dine, practicing outdoor sports (he's a triathlete and I ... well, I try to keep up ) and since I moved from Lima, Peru a year ago, I would love to be around a group of people with more diverse backgrounds/cultures.

What are we looking for?
We would like to rent an apartment or townhome with 2 bedrooms minimum, and since we have a doggie, we would prefer a small yard and nearby dog parks/beaches for him. Short commute to Westminster Center.

Preferences?
Somewhere within walking or biking distance to groceries, stores, parks, restaurants, bars, etc. Also, easy parking (if that is possible in SoCal), young, lively, and safe area, of course!

Budget?
I would reaaaaally like to keep it under $2000/month.

We also considered
- Huntington Beach (but maybe we need a little more mature crowd).
- Newport Beach (maybe to south for my husband's daily area of business).

Last but not least ...
- We are not having any luck with Craigslist, some scams there.
- And we will be visiting the area in 3 weeks and are trying to narrow it down to the most likely places that fit for us.

Please, help me with your ideas, suggestions, experiences, insights. Belmont Shore? Naples? Something similar in Long Beach or in Orange County

Thank you so much!!

Patricia
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Old 02-02-2011, 02:55 PM
 
Location: South Bay
7,226 posts, read 22,201,982 times
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belmont shore is great. my wife lived there before we were married and the demographics run the spectrum. it is mostly white, but you've got every age group and economic group represented. 2nd street has a lot of places to eat and shop as well as just hang out. also, the beach is at most a few blocks away and there is a portion where dogs are allowed. if my job took me closer to that area, i would live there in a heartbeat. there's better restaurants in LA, but you're not too far away. you've also got plenty of dining choices just down the road in downtown LB or OC.

Naples is a bit quieter and not quite as walkable, but it isn't a bad 2nd choice if belmont shore doesn't have what you're looking for.

on a side note, when my wife moved there, we drove around the whole neighborhood for a day before finding her place. it was not on craiglist as the building owner was an older couple who lived in a nearby mansion. you'll probably have better luck finding a place if you do the same rather than rely on craigslist. belmont/naples is one of the few areas compact enough where this is possible if you've settled on the area. also, where you're there, take a quick drive down PCH and check out seal beach. they have a neat little area off of main st similar to belmont shore but on a smaller scale. good luck!
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Old 02-02-2011, 03:16 PM
 
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Thank you for your input, BRinSM! The more I read about it, the more I think Belmont Shore will be the place for us ... what do you think about the commute for my husband?
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Old 02-02-2011, 03:37 PM
 
Location: South Bay
7,226 posts, read 22,201,982 times
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10-20 minutes each way, nice and easy.
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Old 02-25-2011, 04:40 PM
 
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We are back in Sacramento from our short visit house hunting in Belmont Shore. The houses we found were in a great location, however, because they are so old, we cannot say the same thing about their maintenance. Especially the kitchens and bathrooms. It seems that when the owner rents it out, they don't really take care of it.
So, we tried a bunch of houses in Belmont Heights, but they didn't allow dogs ... and if you go a bit up north, then it gets sketchy.
So, the next day, we tried apartment communities (the famous Irvine Company ones) in Irvine, Newport and Costa Mesa. We also saw the 3400 Building (which does not belong to Irvine Co.) but is quite similar regarding amenities ...
We still haven't decided what to do ... we liked a townhouse with two car direct access garage in an apartment community in Newport Bluffs, but they don't allow dogs in that particular area ... so, back to zero ... Tried Baypointe community but our timing (april 15) does not help.
We are thinking about a 2 bedroom flat apartment (also with garage) in Brittany Appartment Community in Irvine, but we will have neighbors above us ... we are used to living in a house ...
What should we do?
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Old 02-25-2011, 05:08 PM
 
Location: South Bay
7,226 posts, read 22,201,982 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pats2011 View Post
What should we do?
compromise
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Old 02-25-2011, 05:21 PM
 
Location: Glendale, CA
1,299 posts, read 2,541,152 times
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If you can get over the lack of modern/new kitchens or bathrooms, I'd highly recommend Belmont Shore. We have friends that live on 1st Street (between 2nd & the beach), and it is absolutely a fantastic area. The bad news about renting is that you may not get the best maintained place. But the good news is that you can try it out, and if you don't like it you can move!
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Old 02-25-2011, 06:04 PM
 
4,538 posts, read 10,632,544 times
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There is a dog beach at Golden West/PCH in Huntington Beach. Very large central park at Golden West and Talbert. Not sure actually why you are discounting HB. I don't see any problem with your age range.

As to CL listings, maybe I'm missing something?

BBQ in Your Own Backyard! (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2234890892.html - broken link)

3 bedroom 2 Bath Home (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2234694554.html - broken link)

2BED TOWNHOME-LARGE GATED PATIO-BLOCKS TO THE BEACH-GYM-PETS WELCOME (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2234489357.html - broken link)
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Old 03-03-2011, 03:50 PM
 
43 posts, read 94,102 times
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I'm looking at the same area and reading this thread! I'm hoping for a two bedroom close to Long Beach.
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Old 03-03-2011, 07:02 PM
 
5,381 posts, read 8,691,467 times
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Use Realtor.com.There are several condos/townhouses for rent in Irvine that are listed for $2000 or less:

http://www.realtor.com/homesforrent/Irvine_CA/price-na-2000#/pg-2

This detached 3 Bed/2 Bath/1,409 sqft unit in Irvine is renting for $1995/month:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/130-Orchard_Irvine_CA_92618_M16720-73516

That’s not to suggest that you won’t run into the same problem of outdated baths and kitchens. I have a friend who once rented a condo in Woodbridge, and everything was old with cheap veneers. It happens with some rentals.

Also, of course, you’ll have to check to see if dogs are allowed.

Last edited by pacific2; 03-03-2011 at 07:25 PM..
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