Sweet Orange

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about Ivy, the new housing development in Irvine, and some of the features that make Irvine Irvine. In the first post that I wrote in my past life as a Redfin blogger, I wrote about this.  As I wrote at that time, some love Irvine and what it has to offer; others are not so impressed.

Those on the con side say that Irvine is too controlled, too monotonous, and too  “beige.” They are in agreement with many who have been taking Erica Chavez’s  “smackdown” polls. These polls ask voters to chose which of two similar homes the voters would prefer to buy: a home in Irvine or a home  in cities such as Lake Forest, Fullerton and North Tustin. For Irvine, at best, it’s a draw, but in most cases Irvine comes out on the bottom.

In spite of this, Irvine continues to be popular with buyers and command a higher price than homes in these other Orange County cities. Maybe it is like one of my former fellow-Redfin bloggers said: Irvine is like the kid in school that always has the right answer. Nothing wrong with that but irritates the hell out of the other kids.

In any case, that is why we have choice. You chose: Is Irvine just right or too beige?

A few Irvine factoids from The Irvine Company’s website:

The FBI has ranked Irvine the safest large city in the U.S. for five years in a row.

One-third of the city of Irvine will be set aside for parks, open space and trails.

All Irvine residents are within walking distance of a park.

Ninety percent of all Irvine high school students go to college.

All four of Irivne’s high  schools ranked in the top 5% of the nation’s schools.

Irvine has four of the top elementary schools in Orange County.

Irvine residents have the shortest commute in Orange County.

PHOTO COURTESY THE IRVINE COMPANY