Excellent education and incredible nature are some of the best things Orange County has to offer. This area is one of the safest places to live in the entire country and offers a quiet life that is hard to match anywhere else. Orange County is famous for its beaches, which are among the best in California. It has a strong beach atmosphere that seeps into the lifestyle of the entire area.
The county has 42 miles of pristine coastline to explore, just one of the many benefits of living in Orange County. OC has it all, and what it doesn't have is a short drive away. We have mountains, beautiful beaches, incredible hiking trails, great attractions for kids and much more. There are many cities big and small in Orange County; here are some of the major.
Orange County is in the Pacific Time Zone and observes daylight saving time. English and Spanish are the two most common languages spoken in Orange County. Most government agencies will have someone available who speaks Spanish. In northern Orange County, many businesses will have someone who speaks Spanish on staff; however, the further south you travel, the less common Spanish-speaking staff may be, although someone nearby who speaks Spanish is likely to help translate if asked.
Due to the ethnic diversity of Southern California, there are many neighborhoods where they are fluent in other languages, most of them Asian countries. The third most-spoken language, Vietnamese, is widely spoken in Westminster and Garden Grove and, to a lesser extent, Fountain Valley and Santa Ana. Due to Hoa's sizeable population, Cantonese Chinese can also be found in Westminster and Garden Grove. In Garden Grove and Fullerton, Korean is widely spoken.
Mandarin Chinese is common in Irvine. Japanese is most commonly spoken in Costa Mesa. Several highways provide access to Orange County. Orange County has a great niche for award-winning restaurants, California signature cuisine, and ethnic specialties.
Orange County is a foodie's paradise, with nearly 5,000 restaurants serving everything from the freshest seafood to exotic delicacies. With hundreds of restaurants to choose from in Little Saigon, Orange County is a Vietnamese foodie's paradise. The area immediately surrounding the Asian Garden Mall has a wide variety to choose from. Orange County is home to three famous burger chains: Tommy's (Fountain Valley, in Magnolia and Warner), Fatburger (Irvine, in Michelson and Jamboree, and in downtown Aliso Viejo) and In-N-Out (everywhere).
Izakaya, the Japanese style of cooking, emphasizes a lively atmosphere and a wide variety of personal-sized mini dishes to choose from. Tapioca bubble tea, also known as boba, is a recent local obsession imported from Asia: milk tea is available in Orange County in all flavors, including some fruits and vegetables relatively unknown to the Western palate. Orange County is home to many great places to drink and very few options for how to get home after you've had a drink. Getting around Orange County is quite awkward without a car without having extra money to spend on transportation services, such as taxis.
There are select areas where walking to a bar is a viable option. Beach towns make up the majority of these places; Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente have areas that are no more than a short walk from a bar. Most of the bars at these beach spots aren't of the chain variety, so each one has its own unique vibe. Far from the ocean, there are plenty of other great bars.
Costa Mesa has an area where a sizeable neighborhood is located bordering a commercial area with a large selection of individual and chain locations. Between 19th Street (where Highway 55 ends) and 17th Street there is an excellent bar crawl route. Although the county's beach areas are generally safe, localism among surfers can, on rare occasions, turn violent. Although the county is quite safe, street gang activity is comparatively common in areas such as East Anaheim and the Atwood neighborhoods of Placentia, as well as in Westminster and Garden Grove.
One of the best parts of living in California is the food, and Orange County restaurants don't disappoint. Orange County can be subdivided into 4 different communities: North, Center, South, and Coast. Here are some of the main benefits and drawbacks to consider when comparing Orange County to Los Angeles. After all, Orange County is made up of many cities and Los Angeles is a huge city with hundreds of neighborhoods and suburbs.
To help inspire homebuyers, the Prevu Real Estate team compiled a guide to the top reasons to move to Orange County. Of all the departments in the county, you know that the Orange County health care agency is taking care of you and your family. Bordered by Los Angeles to the north, San Diego to the south, and Riverside and San Bernardino counties to the east, Orange County is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Santa Ana Mountains. You may not know it yet, but Irvine, California, or “The Center of Orange County, California,” has plenty of outdoor activities.
While the northern and central parts of this county are mostly flat land, southern Orange County couldn't be more different. . .
