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Old 09-04-2009, 09:29 AM
 
Location: RSM
5,113 posts, read 19,770,204 times
Reputation: 1927

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I would say yes for most of those areas. Huntington is has the youngest crowd of all the towns though(at the beach and downtown that is), and that poses it's own problems. Just something to be aware of
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Old 09-04-2009, 09:39 AM
 
2,654 posts, read 5,467,791 times
Reputation: 1946
So Cal beach towns - particularly in OC - are not like No Cal beach towns. There are no Santa Cruz or Half Moon bays. Beach towns in OC are just places where the suburban sprawl runs into the ocean.

Newport is very establishment & old school republican. Huntington is more white & middle class. Laguna is probably the closest you'll get to a beach town with a distinct flavor as its geographic isolation allows it to distinguish itself from the surrounding area. San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente were once beach towns similar to what you are looking for, but the regions growth has caught up with them and they are both in various stages of being assimilated - culturally and geographically - into the suburban sprawl of south OC.

If you are looking for a more "progressive" enviroment close to Santa Ana, Long Beach is your best bet. But as beach towns in OC are where the suburbs meet the sea, Long Beach is where the urban sprawl of LA meets the sea.
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Old 09-04-2009, 10:37 AM
 
916 posts, read 3,701,263 times
Reputation: 318
Quote:
Originally Posted by OC Investor2 View Post
So Cal beach towns - particularly in OC - are not like No Cal beach towns. There are no Santa Cruz or Half Moon bays. Beach towns in OC are just places where the suburban sprawl runs into the ocean.

Newport is very establishment & old school republican. Huntington is more white & middle class. Laguna is probably the closest you'll get to a beach town with a distinct flavor as its geographic isolation allows it to distinguish itself from the surrounding area. San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente were once beach towns similar to what you are looking for, but the regions growth has caught up with them and they are both in various stages of being assimilated - culturally and geographically - into the suburban sprawl of south OC.

If you are looking for a more "progressive" enviroment close to Santa Ana, Long Beach is your best bet. But as beach towns in OC are where the suburbs meet the sea, Long Beach is where the urban sprawl of LA meets the sea.
Urban sprawl depends which side of LB you are coming from. Belmont Shore is the best bet for this poster. To the west of Belmont Shore is a suburb called Belmont Heights and then it gets more urban as you move toward downtown. To the east of Belmont Shore is Naples (also very nice waterfront neighborhood with private boat docks and canals) and then East Long Beach (which is completely suburban and very similar to OC only it has character because it isn't all cookie cutter tract insta homes).

Belmont Shore is an upscale beach town with cafes, etc in a walkable environment. It is a mix of progressive and conservative folks. Also a good mix of families, singles, college students, and young professionals. The beach bungalow in the 700k range fits the poster's price range. Finally the drive fits the poster's requirements as Belmont Shore to Santa Ana is about 30 minutes.

Finally, while belmont shore has a surf culture the breakwater (hopefully reconfigured soon) prevents surf so you do have to make the 2 minute drive to seal to actually surf. If you don't need to actually surf, you'll be more than happy with adjacent Alamitos Bay which is where you'll find sabots, kayaking, family beaches (because of the calm water), etc. Last weekend was great as there was a water polo tournament in the bay.

Lots of NoCal transplants live in the area. My recommendation is to get a realtor and say you want to look at the following neighborhoods:

Belmont Shore
Belmont Park
Naples
Peninsula
Belmont Heights

You are going to love it. Based on your post it is what you are looking for.
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Old 09-06-2009, 02:26 AM
 
Location: Sin City
723 posts, read 1,634,842 times
Reputation: 596
A 40 minute drive might put you as far as 15 miles away in So Cal.
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Old 09-07-2009, 09:37 PM
 
1,376 posts, read 3,083,667 times
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For what you describe Laguna is ideal except for commuting. There are only two ways to get out of there PCH and the 133, both are nightmares.

Newport, where I live is much easier to get to Santa Ana via Newport Blvd. and the 55. Yet, as someone else mentioned it's not a very "liberal" town and outside of Balboa it's not much of a walk around type spot either. I think you need to come out and check out the area.

There's a best western on PCH and prospect St. with clean rooms and reasonable rates. It's 5 minutes to Balboa and across the St. from the beach. One area that's really cool and much more progressive than Newport Beach, even though it's within the city, is Corona Del Mar. It's a mix between Newport and Laguna. Just head south on PCH going to Laguna and you cant miss it.
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Old 09-09-2009, 08:03 AM
 
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan
30,708 posts, read 79,839,619 times
Reputation: 39453
LAguna beach will probably have the most appeal to you. Are you rich?

Long Beach may be your next best bet.

If you have a pioneering spirit, then look in Santa Ana. However you have to be careful what area you choose, and it is a lot of work if you have kids. You might like French Park.

Most of Orange County is not what liberals like to describe as "progressive" it is fairly conservative.
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Old 09-09-2009, 03:06 PM
 
3,368 posts, read 11,675,435 times
Reputation: 1701
Quote:
Originally Posted by NaplesRes View Post
Urban sprawl depends which side of LB you are coming from. Belmont Shore is the best bet for this poster. To the west of Belmont Shore is a suburb called Belmont Heights and then it gets more urban as you move toward downtown. To the east of Belmont Shore is Naples (also very nice waterfront neighborhood with private boat docks and canals) and then East Long Beach (which is completely suburban and very similar to OC only it has character because it isn't all cookie cutter tract insta homes).

Belmont Shore is an upscale beach town with cafes, etc in a walkable environment. It is a mix of progressive and conservative folks. Also a good mix of families, singles, college students, and young professionals. The beach bungalow in the 700k range fits the poster's price range. Finally the drive fits the poster's requirements as Belmont Shore to Santa Ana is about 30 minutes.

Finally, while belmont shore has a surf culture the breakwater (hopefully reconfigured soon) prevents surf so you do have to make the 2 minute drive to seal to actually surf. If you don't need to actually surf, you'll be more than happy with adjacent Alamitos Bay which is where you'll find sabots, kayaking, family beaches (because of the calm water), etc. Last weekend was great as there was a water polo tournament in the bay.

Lots of NoCal transplants live in the area. My recommendation is to get a realtor and say you want to look at the following neighborhoods:

Belmont Shore
Belmont Park
Naples
Peninsula
Belmont Heights

You are going to love it. Based on your post it is what you are looking for.
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Old 09-10-2009, 11:54 AM
 
674 posts, read 1,620,451 times
Reputation: 279
Quote:
Originally Posted by PotreroMama View Post
My husband, son (2yrs) and I are thinking of taking a business opportunity in Santa Ana. We live in San Francisco right now and love how progressive & outdoorsy it is. Where are the cool little beach towns where we might be able to afford a beach bungalow type house, live near some hip families, great coffee shops and not on top of strip malls? We can spend about 750K to buy or $3,500 a month to rent. Love to be 35-40 minute commute from Santa Ana where we will both work. thanks!

Your budget is definitely from Huntington Beach and up! Forget going south from Huntington Beach because its over your budget.

For some reason, I get a real strong hunch that Huntington would be for you. Don't ask me why... I don't know why.
Its also fairly easy to get to Santa Ana from there; Beach Blvd to Adams all the way to Harbor and the 405 south - and it takes you to anywhere in Santa Ana. Takes about 30 mins on a normal traffic day. More on congested days.

A lot of traffic everywhere nowadays so expect to get stuck in gridlock in mornings and afternoon. Its actually better to start work at 10 am and end it later after 6pm so you don't need to spend 1 hour in traffic every day in each direction...
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Old 09-13-2009, 12:21 PM
 
39 posts, read 109,164 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by PotreroMama View Post
Thanks so much for your help. What about Dana Pt and San Clemente? Seem near enough, cheaper and on the water. what are they like?
We like Dana Pt but I notice a lot of homeless people there. Made me nervous marking my rented car.
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Old 09-17-2009, 10:24 AM
 
4 posts, read 9,505 times
Reputation: 15
Default A plug for San Clemente

Your priorities in a place to live sound similar to ours. We moved to San Clemente a year ago and are very very happy here. Despite the suburbanization and changes that have been mentioned, there are still neighborhoods populated largely by people with relaxed, positive, people-oriented values that transcend politics.

Don't know what part of Santa Ana you're commuting to, but if I leave the house closer to 9:00 than 8:00 I get as far as Costa Mesa in 30 minutes.
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