[andy f]

I'm looking at several locations for a new job, two of which are in Southern CA. One is in Irvine and another is in Sorrento Valley. I'd be choosing my housing location mainly based on commute time (<20 minutes can adjust hours to minimize traffic), schools (middle and high), and cost of housing (need 3-4 bedrooms under $700K). Easy access to good trails doesn't rank as high but it does count quite a bit.

What am I looking in terms of trail access if I live in Sorrento Valley/Mira Mesa/Poway? How about Lake Forest/Mission Viejo/Aliso Viejo/Rancho Santa Margarita?

 

[mtnbikej]

San Diego is currently at war with mtn bikers and trail access. Seems like a lot of riding areas are being shut down/closed to bikes.

OC has alot of trails....but also has too many riders....lots of the county parks are already oversaturated with bikes.

 

[BikingScott]

O.C. Is A very desirable location, near the largest city the west coast. Therefore there is lots of competition for housing, schools, open space, trails, etc. That said it's very expensive and lots of people.

SD (north county) is more of the same but less intense. Eg fewer people competing for all the above.
As far as housing cost, I ask a realtor or do Zillow searches. The areas you named above are all Very Nice and desirable areas with mtb trails nearby. I believe "Bankerboy" , if he reads this, can give you better details.

Schools I don't know much about either areas but I have heard that Poway is The best to get into here in SD area.

Hope this helps.
Scott.

 

[Klurejr]

Both area's are nice. I lived in South OC as a kid and now live in San Diego (I have lived both in San Diego proper and North County). It is really going to come to how close you want to live to the beach and your work and what kind of house you like.

 

[k2rider1964]

If you can actually afford to live *IN* the City of Irvine, their schools are top notch. Pretty much everything in Irvine is top notch. They have the best of everything for the most part. *Most* of the surrounding cities to the south (Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, etc...) and west (Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor) also have very good schools as far as I know. As far as San Diego, the high school directly to the North of Sorrento Valley is Torrey Pines which is very highly rated academically and all of their sports teams do well if you care. The Poway school district always gets praise as well.

As far as riding, there's more riding within 20 minutes in OC but the quality in San Diego is better. You just have to drive further to get to it. The trails in San Diego are also less crowded.

 

[She&I]

Lake Forest/Mission Viejo/Aliso Viejo/Rancho Santa Margarita are riding distance to Cleveland National Forest and other trail networks.

The county parks get mobbed on weekends, but it doesn't take a lot of pedaling to get away from the crowd when heading into the forest. Last was a super busy weekend for hikers and motorized traffic around CNF, but once up on the mountain I saw maybe a half dozen riders. It's a large area that disperses riders well and has numerous worthy trails from buffed flow to backcounty roughness.

 

[RTSO2112]

Well, well, well...looks who's back...and it ain't slimy shady!

Good to see you andyf...stick around, we can use a good "Pontificator" now and then!!!! ;-)

 

[77charger]

Live in OC and work all over so cal OC to san diego.Depending on where you are in SD the freeway/road systems suck mainly north county and to the east.

 

[Old Ray]

If you live in San Diego county, you get to ride the trails with me. Yes, I'm THAT Ray. Just older.
Otherwise, OC is superior in every way.

 

[RTSO2112]

If you live in San Diego county, you get to ride the trails with me. Yes, I'm THAT Ray. Just older.
Otherwise, OC is superior in every way.

I dunno, Ray Viejo....way too many "Conservatives" (aka WASPs) up there in the Orange Curtain. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

 

[andy f]

Well, well, well...looks who's back...and it ain't slimy shady!

Good to see you andyf...stick around, we can use a good "Pontificator" now and then!!!! ;-)

Don't recognize the screen name. Are you going to leave it to me to connect the dots?

Edit: Duh...Gotta be Chief.

 

[andy f]

If you live in San Diego county, you get to ride the trails with me. Yes, I'm THAT Ray. Just older.
Otherwise, OC is superior in every way.

There are actually two potential jobs in Sorrento Valley. One in particular is something I'm going to take for sure if offered. If not, I could very well end up in Boulder, CO rather than Irvine or San Diego. Or not. I may actually just stay in Carmel. I like living here, just want to do something different with my career now that the kids are getting older.

 

[Salespunk]

There are plenty of trails in SD if you know where to look. OC is not for me. Too much show with no go. There is plenty of good riding up there but it is less than an hour away. For school Canyom Crest is top 75 in the country Torrey Pines top 125 SDA top 300 and La Costa Canyon top 400 out of 16,000. You get your choice of which school your children attend since they are all in the same district. Tough tv to beat that. Elementary and middle are similar statistics with several blue ribbon schools within a rocks throw from each other.

 

[Howeler]

Since no one mentioned....San Diego has much more and better.....BEER!

 

[dft]

depends on what type of riding you like.
i think OC has alot more riding in a smaller area.3 primary areas for good trails in OC
santa ana mountains(20+ trails >2000 vertical)
aliso/laguna wilderness (tons of trails, steeps, etc)
santiago oaks (flowy type of terrain)

i've lived in many parts of SD, there are good riding spots but are spread out and not alot of backcountry/bigger descents like OC.

 

[Old Ray]

There are actually two potential jobs in Sorrento Valley. One in particular is something I'm going to take for sure if offered. If not, I could very well end up in Boulder, CO rather than Irvine or San Diego. Or not. I may actually just stay in Carmel. I like living here, just want to do something different with my career now that the kids are getting older.

Sorrento Valley puts you within spitting distance of LPQ preserve, which has some medium /low technical trail, and can be hit from your place of work for a quick 1016 mile ride during the week.

you might like it. I was fairly involved in the process of getting the north side trail at LPQ wrenched out of the hands of the vested interest=equestrians. over a decade ago, after they had held it in virtual isolation for themselves for a solid decade.

So now, the north side trail is somewhat of an actual trail to ride, while the southside "trail" is a graded, 20' wide dirt road. Remembering the state of things a decade ago helps me to soften the impact of the more than 15 miles of single track that were obliterated up on the mesa to the north by a combination of Pardee Development, and the CDFW.

Before those two entities got their way, we really DID have a first-class system of XC single track on the N. side of Penasquitos creek. Some of those trails may get re-opened yet, whether is is officially done, or if it's done through sheer budgetary attrition.

 

[andy f]

Sorrento Valley puts you within spitting distance of LPQ preserve, which has some medium /low technical trail, and can be hit from your place of work for a quick 1016 mile ride during the week.

you might like it. I was fairly involved in the process of getting the north side trail at LPQ wrenched out of the hands of the vested interest=equestrians. over a decade ago, after they had held it in virtual isolation for themselves for a solid decade.

So now, the north side trail is somewhat of an actual trail to ride, while the southside "trail" is a graded, 20' wide dirt road. Remembering the state of things a decade ago helps me to soften the impact of the more than 15 miles of single track that were obliterated up on the mesa to the north by a combination of Pardee Development, and the CDFW.

Before those two entities got their way, we really DID have a first-class system of XC single track on the N. side of Penasquitos creek. Some of those trails may get re-opened yet, whether is is officially done, or if it's done through sheer budgetary attrition.

Those 1000+ mile rides are more of a weekend thing for me. 500-700 miles max on weekdays.

 

[Old Ray]

Those 1000+ mile rides are more of a weekend thing for me. 500-700 miles max on weekdays.

You could do that, if you did laps.....

 

[RTSO2112]

There are good schools in either place. Living in one place (SD) and saying the other place (OC) is too far away is poppycock!

My riding radius is a 200-300 miles...and that's just for local week-end rides.
Every now and Zen, I ride up in NORCAL...Mr Toads, Flume, Rim, Downieville, Skeggs, Soquel Demo, etc.

 

[DIRTJUNKIE]

Give me SD over OC any day.
Both are nice but OC has way too much traffic and people. SD is Americas finest city with a small town feel with all the amenities of a big city on the coast. And outer areas close to the mountains and desert.