If you’re reading this then I can assume you’re thinking about moving to Orange County for whatever reason it may be. In any case, Orange County a.k.a “OC”, is a great place to be. We have direct access to the beach, the mountains and everything else in between. I’ve lived here pretty much my whole life and every time I move away I always seem to come back. It could be the fact that my family lives here and that the weather is great most of the time but, one thing I’m sure is that O.C. is home.

My goal for this post is to provide help in some way for anyone moving to O.C.

Accommodation

Accommodation is likely the biggest expense you’ll have when living in Orange County specifically in areas like Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Corona Del Mar, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, and/or Dana Point. Renting and/or buying a home here is one of the most expensive in the nation. I’ve lived here most of my life and the standard rent costs around $1200 not including utilities. There are a few places like studio apartments that costs the same or less but, generally they are smaller in square footage and/or do not have a proper kitchen.

For “budget” accommodations, you’ll likely find it more in areas like Anaheim, Tustin, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa (certain areas), Huntington Beach (certain areas). Although, it seems that rental costs keeps going up every year in California.

For me, the key to a good accommodation for working professionals is location where there’s direct access to freeways, a proper set up (a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom & parking). Keep in mind that the closer you are to the beach the more expensive your accommodation will be.

Obviously, all of this will depend on each individual’s situation.

Read important articles here, here, about the cost of living and 15 most expensive cities in USA. Find apartments to rent on zillow and use the filter base on budget.

Job Market

I’d say the job market here is pretty competitive relating to the digital world. The industries in real estate, health care and tech are huge. Big companies such as Amazon and Google have offices here, therefore, there’s an immense amount of work but, they’re highly coveted too.

Transportation

Your own car is your best friend. Our roads are very wide and since we don’t have a proper metro or train system, a car is vital as means of transportation.

The train system that we do have has a limited route. Personally, I’ve never taken the train in Orange County (it’s in the works) but, I do know that it goes all the way to downtown L.A. and San Diego. Here’s a map of the railway system.

Other means of transportation is Uber & Lyft. It is quite popular here and reliable. I’ve never had a problem finding an Uber ride at 2am or 4am. I’ve used either one when I have to go to the airport or on weekends when I have a party to go to where drinking is involved.

Things to See or Do

Hikes, Parks & Trails

• Whiting Ranch Trails
• Peters Canyon
• Quail Hill Trails
• Top of the World in Laguna Beach
• Laguna Niguel Lake
• Crystal Cove Hike
• Cedar Park
• Castaways Park
  
  Read more hiking trails here.

Beaches

• Huntington Beach
• Downtown Laguna Beach
• Dana Point
• Newport Beach main beach
• Corona Del Mar
• San Clemente

Read more here and about the neighborhoods in detail (or here).

Museums

• Bowers Musem: Read my post here.
• Cultural Center and Museum at Casa Romantica.
• Laguna Art Museum
• Mission San Juan Capistrano

See more here.

Other Activities:

• Take a sunset cruise in Newport Beach
• See other activities listed on my post and here.
• Sign up for groups on Meetup.com. Here’s a Wine Tasting event I went to where I met a group of women strangers for happy hour and came out with a whole new friends.
• Game and/or Escape Rooms: See a list on Yelp & TripAdvisor.

Grocery Stores

• Trader Joes
• Whole Foods
• Ralphs
• Vons
• Albertsons
• Aldi
• Sprouts
• Costco
• Gelsons
• Target
• Walmart
• Rite Aid
• 99 Cents
• Dollar Tree

Malls

• South Coast Plaza
• Irvine Spectrum
• Fashion Island
• San Clemente Outlet
• Crystal Cove Shopping Center

Direct message me if you have any specific questions.