Work in Mission Viejo but where to live? (Los Angeles, Long Beach: layoffs, neighborhood) - Orange County - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

adr789 · 06-29-2009, 10:46 AM

Hi,

I am a female, 29 y/o teacher moving out to Mission Viejo from Toronto, Canada.

I'm wondering if anyone could suggest some places to live? I want to be somewhere that has a life to it (restaurants, coffee shops, stores, yoga, etc.) that I love being from the city.

I am willing to commute up to but no more than 1 hour both ways (would prefer 30-45m). I have to be at work for 7:45am and will be leaving at 4-5pm.

Leaving near a beach would be really nice too..

Thanks in advance for you help!

missionhome · 06-29-2009, 10:52 AM

I highly recommend you look at San Clemente. Many teachers live in San Clemente and work at Mission Viejo schools. It isn't an urban city (nowhere in OC really is, some places have some urban qualities though), but more of a beach town feel. The area around Del Mar St. has shops and cafes you will like, with people out walking around. The beaches are beautiful in San Clemente as well.

The drive to Mission Viejo is anywhere from 20-35 minutes depending on traffic and where in San Clemente you live and where the school in MV is located.

Please focus on the thread in the Orange County forum. Mission Viejo is in Orange County and I don't think you are going to find anyone advising you to make a daily commute from Los Angeles all the way to Mission Viejo, on the fringes of the metropolitan area. The drive or Metrolink train ride from L.A. to Mission Viejo at rush hour will easily be one hour.

mrwumpus · 06-29-2009, 12:41 PM

I agree. Anywhere west of the 5 freeway in San Clemente, Capistrano Beach or Dana Point. Best areas in South OC.

adr789 · 06-29-2009, 01:36 PM

I will stick to the OC forum then, thank you.

How about Long, Huntington, and Newport ? Would those be too long of a commute?

missionhome · 06-29-2009, 01:58 PM

Newport Beach is fine as you will be doing a reverse commute. I don't like the materialism in Newport Beach compared to San Clemente (which is laid back), but hey, some people love the Newport area. It is very pretty, just the "scene" there isn't something I like. When my brother in law divorced my sister in law he moved to Newport from Nellie Gail in Laguna Hills and I noticed the Newport attitude rubbed off on him (although he was always a jerk). Huntington Beach's southern portion (below Talbet roughly) is going to be about 30-45 minutes away at rush hour (depending on how far from the 405 freeway you live).
Long Beach is nice in the eastern portion. It is 40 minutes away when there is no traffic, but when you head south in the morning on the 405 you will have traffic through Huntington Beach. It could probably be around 1 hour if traffic is bad.

adr789 · 06-29-2009, 02:51 PM

Reading through these posts a lot of people recommend the Belmont Shore. How would compare Belmont with San Clemente?

It does sound like Newport is quite plastic/blonde/yuppy which is totally not my style. It's difficult for me to get a sense of what Huntington is like?

Personally, I like an eclectic, perhaps more alternative laid-back style. I enjoy cute ice-cream shops/restaurants/theatres and not corporate but rather unique stores - not sure if this is realistic! But I definitely want to be on a beach.

I don't mind an hour drive if it's really (maximum) an hour and not going to be more like 1.5 hours.

I also read up on Manhattan,Redondo,Hermosa but I'm sure that's too far.

Thanks a million!

missionhome · 06-29-2009, 02:59 PM

There are a few experts on Belmont Shore like Paula Lynn and Naples Res that know the area. I have only visited. My father has kept his sailboat in Alamitos Bay for years , but I had never really explored the Belmont Shore area until I joined this forum and heard good things about it. I took my kids up for a sail with their grandpa and after we went on an "adventure" over to Belmont and I really liked it. We just walked around and it had a nice feel. Long Beach is much more urban and crowded than San Clemente. Long Beach you can walk to a lot of places and there is a higher energy feel than San Clemente (more bars/nightlife type stuff in Long Beach). San Clemente is more of a surfer culture rather than big city at the beach culture. San Clemente is surfers walking around, funky beach shacks, mom and pop stores, etc.... It might seem dead with regards to nightlife which would mainly be some surfer type bars. In Belmont you would dress up to go out, but in San Clemente you will still see folks in a surfer t-shirt and sandals going out to eat. Both are going to have cute places in their main hearts. San Clemente has corporate stores east of the 5 freeway, while Long beach tends to have them closer to the freeway as well.

Both are a lot less flashy than Newport.

NaplesRes · 06-29-2009, 03:57 PM

I love belmont shore but wouldn't make that commute. It's not that bad from belmont to Irvine. that drive is only about 35 minutes in traffic and with all the layoffs these days it seems like traffic is lighter. But to MV, i think you have to go another 20 minutes on the 5 and then through whatever neighborhood to get to the school you'd be working. So you're looking at an hour commute each way.

missionhome · 06-29-2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaplesRes

I love belmont shore but wouldn't make that commute. It's not that bad from belmont to Irvine. that drive is only about 35 minutes in traffic and with all the layoffs these days it seems like traffic is lighter. But to MV, i think you have to go another 20 minutes on the 5 and then through whatever neighborhood to get to the school you'd be working. So you're looking at an hour commute each way.

Ok, yeah that is what I thought, thanks Naples. OP: You are looking at one hour minimum. For a few years my husband did the reverse (Mission Viejo to Long Beach) and that took roughly an hour too, sometimes more if their was an accident.

I recommend you visit some of the closer communities like Huntington Beach, Newport, and San Clemente and see which one you like best and which one will fit your budget (living by the coast can get expensive).

NaplesRes · 06-29-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missionhome

Ok, yeah that is what I thought, thanks Naples. OP: You are looking at one hour minimum. For a few years my husband did the reverse (Mission Viejo to Long Beach) and that took roughly an hour too, sometimes more if their was an accident.

I recommend you visit some of the closer communities like Huntington Beach, Newport, and San Clemente and see which one you like best and which one will fit your budget (living by the coast can get expensive).

Actually HB (by the water anyway) buys you only about 5 minutes. Really if you're looking to shorten it in a meaninful way I think it's newport or further south.