beatlebee 

I have been looking endlessly at CL for housing around Irvine. My new job is in Newport Coast which is south of UCI by about 3 miles. I was originally thinking to live in a small one bedroom/studio in Irvine or Turtle Ridge paying $1500 a month. Reviews on Turtle Ridge are not flattering though these are just online reviews. Also, living in the desert for the last ten years has me really longing for the beach. I have a few thoughts rolling around in my head and am looking for advice.
1. I know finding a place on my own near the beach will be basically impossible for $1500 a month.
2. Turtle Ridge is a development, near nothing except my job. It is about 1 mile from my job and that is the biggest plus about the place. Q: would this cause you to put this complex at the top of the list?
3. I am starting to even consider finding a shared place in Newport Beach or Laguna Beach. These places are going for about $900 a month. Big savings, but in say Laguna Beach it is more like a ten mile commute that I would likely bike a few times a week but also drive. Q: would this commute be horrible in your opinion. (Along the PCH)
4. I am not into bars/going out but rather prefer outdoor activities: biking/hiking/running. Laguna Beach seems like a great place for these things. Q: which area is most conducive to these activities without driving?

I will be visiting the area in about 1.5 weeks to sign papers and look at apartments. Also, keep in mind that this would be for a year after which I could move again.

Any other advice?

Thanks again.

Elvo

1. Yes, or you can slum it with some college kids in Newport for about $1k for a small room that's footsteps from the beach.
2. Turtle Ridge Apts are nice but I think the community feels a bit cramped, also check out Villa Sienna, Newport Bluffs, and Newport North which are all within a 1-5 miles commute.
3. Also good, best option would be to live in a detached building off some mansion.
4. Irvine is masterplanned with the idea that you don't have to drive anywhere. Irvine is sorted out into several "communities" each with their own parks and shopping districts that are within a reasonable biking/walking distance. There's some great hiking in South OC - Laguna, Rancho Santa Margarita, east of Coto De Caza, Santa Ana Mountains, etc.

But if you really want the real beach, live in Corona Del Mar or Newport. You might not get the biggest/cheapest room but you'll literally be near or on the beach. You'll have to deal with drunken college kids during Thursday nights and on certain holidays but that's part of the lifestyle. And parking will suck.

JforDrafting

Based on what I've seen in my short (6 month) time here, you're going to hit traffic whether it's commuting to work or commuting to "play". Everybody works in Irvine so most likely, you'll hit traffic. Check out google traffic or SigAlert for the areas that you're thinking of moving to at the times you'd be commuting. It will give you an idea of what you're getting yourself into.

The good/great thing about Irvine is it's awesomeness for biking. Nearly every major street has a bike lane. This makes getting out for rides really easy. As far as running, depends if you like trail running or pavement. There are a ton of parks and if you head up north into Tustin/Orange/Villa Park, there's some decent trail running. Or for GREAT trail running and hiking, head 50 miles north towards Baldy (don't run alone). Hiking down here is meh. You get to see ocean, but you are also dealing with a LOT of people.

What kind of shared places are you looking at in NPB? I'm in a house with 4 people and have been looking for something new.

beatlebee 

@JforDrafting:

Thanks. I am looking for a place that is most notably quiet. I keep to myself, clean, outdoors during the day, on the web in the evening, wake up early ~6 am. I prefer one roommate only (at most!) and I would like to be in the CDM, South Irvine, North Laguna Beach area so that I can commute by bike.
What is your rental situation like now?

surfrider

Working in Newport Coast? Would you really mean Newport Center, or maybe even the business park area a little farther inland around the OC Airport? How about trying to find a place in the eastern (or southern?) part of Costa Mesa, roughly the area between the 55 Frwy and Newport Bay, north of 17th street and south of the 405. Its and older community, reasonably quiet, and would require you to bike around the bay (or airport), but rent would be cheaper. A good option if you're looking for a one year lease until you figure out the local area. Just avoid the Santa Ana Heights area; its directly under the take-off path from the airport!

Rumpled

Any bike ride to your new job will involve a pretty good climb on your bike.
If you want to rent an apartment in Irvine (and some of Newport) the Irvine Company owns every single one of them. Since they do have them all; you do get one stop shopping as far as the web and such. All in medium to larger sized complexes in the hundreds of units. No 8-10 apartment comlexes here. Oh, and they will mostly be small apartments. So, you probably won't find much on CL.
Here's their link
https://www.rental-living.com/
Their rents tend to be high (mostly above your $1500), and after whatever lease you sign is up; you can count a multiple hundred rent increase.
Your ?'s
1 - Correct, you might luck into that tiny 1bd shack somewhere; but probably not. The Newport Penninsula is most affordable; but very noisy - no parking. CDM - might find a room there; not as noisy, still no parking.
2 - No. At ~1 mile it would still be a touchy walk with Newport Coast Drive. Not far enough to make a bike ride worthwhile. No other amenities close to that complex. (Other than Bommer Canyon or Turtle Rock Parks).
3 - PCH can be touchy and crowded. Up to you. Either Newport or Laguna will mean climbing NCD.
4 - OC has some good "wilderness" parks for MTB/hiking/running.
https://www.ocparks.com/
Just up Vista Ridge from your school is access to Laguna Coast/Bommer and Crystal Cove State Park.

Some place near UCI or along the Back Bay like Park West (airplane noise there) gives out the door access to good bike path/street run/ride options. As does nearly all of Irvine, with most hiking being at least a short drive.

Good luck and if you have any more ?'s; keep asking.

cjbruin

Lots of places to bike/hike/trail run/street run basically right out your door in Turtle Ridge. I wouldn't count it out.

beatlebee 

To clarify, I will be working in Newport Coast: Sage Hill High. It sits at the top of the hill pretty much.
CL this week has had several studio/one bedroom in North Laguna Beach for around $1400. Boy, I'd love to jump on that but I am not planning to get out there for good until late July. So new question:
Do you think that in general more rentals will be open mid summer? I'd think that this is really the best time to snag a place as students are leaving.

Also, considering an electric bike that could allow use of the bike lane, great gas milage, easy repairs. Oh, I forgot to mention that I'd love to learn to surf and open water swimming is the missing leg from my Ironman training.

cjbruin

Not sure on the best timing for rentals but you may be right. I live about 2-3 miles from Turtle Ridge. You'll be freeway close, have easy access to Newport & Laguna as well as most of North & South Counties. There's tens of miles of trail running that you can access through Newport Coast, Shady Canyon, and El Moro. Weekly Open Water Swims at Big Corona. Not sure if you need the electric bike. Might as well just ride.

Garfield Cat

Administration at Sage Hill is pretty well connected to the community. If your work at Sage Hill is a teaching position, then you might get more attention to your housing issues.

Accordion

You can pick up a brand new Honda Elite 110 Scooter for around $2000. 80-100mpg and enough pickup to hit 65mph, more than enough power to get you all throughout Irvine-Newport cheaply and quickly.

beatlebee 

Oh, thanks for the continuing advice!

2intune

I have an apartment at Turtle Ridge. The complex is fairly new and very well maintained. The units are nice. They all come with refrig, washer and dryer and a garage. My 1 bdr, about 800 sq. ft., is $1475/month with a 1 year lease. The amenities in the complex are really great. The pool is about 23 yards with a couple of lane markers painted on the bottom, although there are no dividers. The crowd around the pool on the weekends is pretty attractive too. There is a clubhouse and business center. BBQ's are available. The Irvine Company, which owns it, is very, shall we say, formal. If your rent is not in the office by 5:00 on the third day of the month, you get a pay-rent-or-quit notice.

The location is great in terms of proximity to Newport Coast and the ocean. There is a huge church complex right across the street. It is not convenient to the freeway heading south on the 5, about 3-4 miles. Going north is easier -- you can get on the toll road within a few hundred yards of the complex and the fwy on-ramp is about a mile away. There are two shopping centers, one up the hill in Newport Coast, and the other a mile away in Newport Beach. Both are pretty high end, and offer a few food options with a good range in price.

beatlebee 

@2intune: Thanks. I plan to look at a rental there next Tuesday. I am starting to get excited about Laguna Beach though I really need to physically see what my commute will look like from any apt.
Q: Will you have a rent increase if you renew at Turtle Ridge? And how thin are the walls?

2intune

I have one of the units that is over the garages and at the end of a building, so I have only one wall in common with a neighbor. Its a living room wall for both of us, so unless music/tv is really blaring, sound isn't an issue. In general though, for apartments, they are pretty solid, and the sound of a garage door opener below in my unit isn't bad. I also don't live there full-time, so maybe a grain of salt is in order. I suspect that I will have an increase the next time I renew, but I haven't had one in two years. In fact, my rent went down twice before it stabilized to where it is now.

I love Laguna Beach too, but one thing to be aware of. There are only three ways in and out of Laguna -- PCH north, PCH south and Laguna Canyon road. During the summer months, when the Sawdust Festival and Pageant of the Masters are going on, afternoon/evening traffic can be brutal (as in bumper-to-bumper) getting in and out of town. Beyond that, its simply a popular place and there is just a lot of traffic. Occasionally, the roads are closed completely as a result of a winter rain flood or seasonal fire. Road cycling through Laguna is also a bit problematic. There are no bike lanes on PCH in Laguna Beach proper, just two traffic lanes in each direction with lots of parked cars. Drivers are really not interested in giving cyclists space. Lots of people ride through every day, but it can be pretty scary.

Accordion

I think I mentioned that in another of robabeatle's threads. You couldn't pay me to cycle through there every day. Others said I was a wuss and it's no big deal but that's not my cup of tea. At a minimum I'd take the lane every time but you'd be holding up cars because it's 30mph then 0, then 30mph then 0, etc. My wife and I never go into Laguna or anywhere around it during Pageant of the Masters. We made the HUGE mistake of driving to a hike up there last year without knowing about PoTM and it took us an hour to get home (15 minutes away). Just turning left across Laguna Canyon Road was a nightmare.

The OP is young, doesn't have a spouse or kids, and can probably do just fine with Laguna. I spent my 20s and early 30s living on 6th street in Santa Monica so I've done my penance. It was a blast but you couldn't get me there now if you threatened my life.

I'm old, married, have a kid and am generally done with anything that makes my life harder. I'm all about ease right now.