Irvine, CA

[HicklePickle]

My experience with Irvine:

 

- You have to put in a lot of effort if you want a sense of community... a lot

- Rent is insanely high near campus (they wanted to renew our 2bed 2bath in Harvard for $2,300/month)

- There isn't much to do near by - you need a car or need to rely on someone with a car to do much of anything. The buses don't run on the weekends or at night

- Parking is crazy expensive and you must pay for parking anywhere near campus

- You can get $2 boba almost any day of the year

- The only real "things to do" are food related unless you're getting in a car and driving

- You can't ride a bike around the main parts of campus (they have the UCI police handing out tickets)

- The weather is nice

- It's fairly safe, but I think it's really just because it's a fairly inactive city. I used to walk from my nearby apartment and there were rarely other people walking with me

 

I'm bitter about my experience. I really hated living there and am so glad I'll be living in a city with some culture, activity, and community.

[jakem]

My experience with Irvine:

 

- You have to put in a lot of effort if you want a sense of community... a lot

 

 

Isn't this kind of not applicable for grad school though? I mean, don't cohorts pretty much stick together?

[hahahut]

As a current student here, I'd say Irvine is a great place to be students. I live cross from Albertsons. But in the first two years, I often got too busy to cross the street to get bread. You are likely consumed by all the reading and writing and only have a night or two to do fun stuff. There are enough fun activities on campus to fight for your attention. Once you finish your course work, you can always move to Long Beach, which is 20 mins away and feel more like a city. 

[Neeko]

Does anybody have an opinion on driving from Long Beach to Irvine 4 days a week? My classes start as early as 9 or as late as 3 and there's not a whole lot of flexibility so I would be pretty stuck commuting at some of those peak times. I would so much rather pay less to live in Belmont Shore than pay more to live near UCI.

[turbodream]

anyone wanting to rent a room off campus starting in September? i'm putting the feelers out because i'm looking to rent a house in Costa Mesa. maybe we can connect early on. send me a PM if you want to talk. ideal roommate type: easy-going, grad student, relatively healthy lifestyle, surfer/beach goer/outdoorsy type, good vibes overall. 

[Terry O']

Neeko, 

I live in Belmont Heights and commute to Irvine 5 days a week. I work adjacent to the UCI campus, so our commutes would be remarkably similar. It's awful! Without traffic (Sunday 11am ) the commute is as little as 24minutes, though usually about 28. With traffic it's much worse. To arrive on campus by 8:50, you'd have to leave at 7:50. If traffic gets bad, you might be late. I'd say 90min of traffic is about two standard deviations away from typical, so it'll happen to you a few times too. Traffic to Campus in the mid afternoon won't be bad, but the 405 will be completely jammed when you leave after a 3pm class. The traffic can linger too, I've sat in a sea of red lights several times when leaving at 7pm.

There is a bus, but it's not too convenient and you'd have to bike the last few bikes. 

However, the benefit of not living in creepy Irvine is worth it. Long beach has character, is walkable, has great independent restaurants and coffee shops, interesting people... 

[ToomuchLes]

Any opinions or experiences with grad housing, especially Palo Verde at UCI? Im looking at their studios and for $800, thats not bad at all; for living alone, that is.

 

http://housing.uci.edu/rates/Rates.html

[nutellarain]

Sooo despite not liking Irvine and OC, I am considering attending UCI since I love the program. I would probably live in grad housing for the first few years, then would like to move to a more dense urban area. Many people have mentioned Long Beach, but said the commute can be rough. It is bad in both directions? If I were to work at UCI from 10am-8pm or so would I miss most of the traffic? I will only have classes for the first two years, so I will be able to set my own schedule after that. 

[Tachiyaku]

I'm considering an offer from UCI and I was wondering about the cost of living. My offer is 18,000 a year, is that actually enough to live on?

[have2thinkboutit]

Tachiyaky, I was wondering about the same as you but from what I have found out it is actually enough to live on (I'm basing that on cross-checking multiple sites, scouting different forums, etc.). But when I say it's enough, I mean, it really is just enough. The grad housing options are what can make this amount of money work rather well, it seems. But that is if you are happy to live with roommates (which is something you'd probably have to do off-campus as well... 

[Xeno]

Living in So cal in isanely expensive.. I would argue $18,000 is barely enough to get by...... (if that).  Depending where you live you have to factor in gas, and at least going places from time to time.  Gas here is around 3.90 a gallon.  Food is also more than other places in the country...

[NintenTim]

Any opinions or experiences with grad housing, especially Palo Verde at UCI? Im looking at their studios and for $800, thats not bad at all; for living alone, that is.

 

http://housing.uci.edu/rates/Rates.html

Considering Irvine and Palo Verde as well, from speaking with graduate students I've heard the singles are good but very difficult to get if you are a single student. It seems they're generally reserved for couples, and even then there is a waiting list. I'm also curious if anyone has lived in Palo Verde, as I got to see inside of one unit during my visit and it was very nice for student housing.

[sunnyskies13]

This was the closest topic for cities I could find. I figure someone would know the answer to my questions on here. I will be attending CSUF in the fall and wanted to get some ideas on the surrounding cities. My boyfriend will have to commute for work and I will only be on campus two days a week. I want to be more centrally located rather than just living in Fullerton. We were looking at Cypress or surrounding cities. I've been comparing city ratings and crime maps. My parents, who live in Northridge, have said that Anaheim is a hit or miss in some areas. How is that area, or what other areas would you recommend? Thank you

[Randomgal]

This was the closest topic for cities I could find. I figure someone would know the answer to my questions on here. I will be attending CSUF in the fall and wanted to get some ideas on the surrounding cities. My boyfriend will have to commute for work and I will only be on campus two days a week. I want to be more centrally located rather than just living in Fullerton. We were looking at Cypress or surrounding cities. I've been comparing city ratings and crime maps. My parents, who live in Northridge, have said that Anaheim is a hit or miss in some areas. How is that area, or what other areas would you recommend? Thank you

 

Hi there, I went to UC Irvine (so I had four years to get familiar with the area). I believe the side of Anaheim that is closer to the hills is regarded as the "hit" side of town, and the side closer to Disneyland is the "miss" part of town. As for surrounding cities, theres Cypress, Westminster, Santa Ana (it's considered rough because it's next to Irvine), Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, La Mirada. All of these communities should be good places to live in, only exception is Santa Ana, it's regarded as rough because it's lower income and it's next to Irvine, which is affluent. In general (this is widely known, I think), Orange County is expensive, especially if you live closer to the coast. I have a cousin who goes to CSUF, and he loves Downtown Fullerton, it's quite nice. My piece of advice is to live somewhere where you have two freeways nearby, just so you have options in case traffic gets really horrible. Hopefully this helps!

[drowninmyowntears]

A lot of discussion on here about where to live, but I am wondering about places to go/things to do. Could people familiar with the area provide some specific names of bars, coffee shops, concert venues, restaurants, or other social places?

[TheMagicMoment]

On June 24, 2015 at 3:35 PM, drowninmyowntears said:

A lot of discussion on here about where to live, but I am wondering about places to go/things to do. Could people familiar with the area provide some specific names of bars, coffee shops, concert venues, restaurants, or other social places?

This wasn't answered, but I'm still curious about the answer. I've just been accepted to UCI and I'm coming out this weekend to visit the campus and the area around Irvine. Any new information about on-campus housing for graduate students and things to do in the area would be appreciated. I'm particularly interested in the best Vietnamese restaurant, consignment shops, comic book and vinyl record stores, scenic areas, etc.

Thanks!

[cpw0021]

bumping this to get updates on housing since most of these replies are from two or more years ago. 

[radredhead]

I've lived in Los Angeles about 5 years and am thinking about attending UCI for an MFA. I live in Echo Park right now (in LA,) but would probably be moving to Long Beach and commuting if I attended. Irvine itself is a very suburban, boring town, but LB has a really active community and arts scene. LA in general has an explosion of art right now, rivaling NYC, and it's a very attractive city if you want to be immersed in that world.

Some people commute from LA to Irvine, but with traffic that can take around 2 hours each way and I don't want to add more drive time to my life! Without traffic, it can be about 45 minutes. Honestly, compared to the time it takes to get from the East side to West side in LA, this is very comparable and car culture is just a part of life in SoCal. You definitely want a car.

Rent in LB is cheaper than LA proper, but it's still higher than most cities. Get roommates! I'd say cost of living, at the absolute bare minimum without any debt, should be about 25k a year, but even that is really tough if you want to think about socializing and quality of life. I was offered a full ride, so I would not need to take out loans for UCI's tuition, but would probably take out loans for living expenses and work part-time, in conjunction with TAships I was offered.

Edited March 10, 2016 by radredhead

[Gaoasaurus]

On 2/29/2016 at 11:46 AM, TheMagicMoment said:

This wasn't answered, but I'm still curious about the answer. I've just been accepted to UCI and I'm coming out this weekend to visit the campus and the area around Irvine. Any new information about on-campus housing for graduate students and things to do in the area would be appreciated. I'm particularly interested in the best Vietnamese restaurant, consignment shops, comic book and vinyl record stores, scenic areas, etc.

Thanks!

The best Vietnamese food is in Westminster, a 10 minute drive north of Irvine proper. There is a huge Vietnamese community there so you'll find no want of good food. 

[Gaoasaurus]

On 3/8/2016 at 6:36 PM, cpw0021 said:

bumping this to get updates on housing since most of these replies are from two or more years ago. 

I lived in Irvine for 4 years as an undergrad, it's not the cheapest city in the OC to stay in. If you're looking for slightly less expensive housing in nearby cities, try looking Tustin, Costa Mesa, or Santa Ana.

If you prefer proximity, there's a couple of apartment communities right across the street from the school: Dartmouth, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Oxford, and Ambrose (don't ask why they're named like that). They're the clusters of apartments between campus dr. and university dr. I lived in one of these for 2 years with 3 other roommates and my rent was in the $500 range per month. 

Apartments slightly farther from the school (and slightly cheaper): Woodbridge, Parkwood, Park West, Turtle Rock, and Rancho San Joaquin. 

There's 2 apartment places that I think the school has a deal with so they only do UCI students/faculty/affiliated: Vista Del Campo and Vista Del Campo Norte. 

All of these places are north/east of the university. If you go south of the school, you're quickly in Newport Beach and you don't want to be paying those rates. 

Also, you need to have a car to get anywhere in socal. If you don't, at least have a bike to start off, there are some nice bike trails in Irvine. 

Overall Irvine opinions: it's nice. And sterile. The good thing is, OC is full of really good food, and Irvine itself is incredibly safe (the Irvine police will ticket you for jaywalking, they really don't have much to do). A lot of (upper middle class) families are here to raise their kids. Honestly, the campus is really beautiful (there's a huge park in the middle of the school, great place for a nap in the spring or summer... well you have time to nap as a grad student haha) and bike friendly. There are great beaches around too, and it's close enough so that you have access to everything in LA or San Diego if you want to do a day trip. Oh yeah, Disneyland, there's that. Good luck on your search.

[cpw0021]

On 3/14/2016 at 3:34 PM, Gaoasaurus said:

I lived in Irvine for 4 years as an undergrad, it's not the cheapest city in the OC to stay in. If you're looking for slightly less expensive housing in nearby cities, try looking Tustin, Costa Mesa, or Santa Ana.

If you prefer proximity, there's a couple of apartment communities right across the street from the school: Dartmouth, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Oxford, and Ambrose (don't ask why they're named like that). They're the clusters of apartments between campus dr. and university dr. I lived in one of these for 2 years with 3 other roommates and my rent was in the $500 range per month. 

Apartments slightly farther from the school (and slightly cheaper): Woodbridge, Parkwood, Park West, Turtle Rock, and Rancho San Joaquin. 

There's 2 apartment places that I think the school has a deal with so they only do UCI students/faculty/affiliated: Vista Del Campo and Vista Del Campo Norte. 

All of these places are north/east of the university. If you go south of the school, you're quickly in Newport Beach and you don't want to be paying those rates. 

Also, you need to have a car to get anywhere in socal. If you don't, at least have a bike to start off, there are some nice bike trails in Irvine. 

Overall Irvine opinions: it's nice. And sterile. The good thing is, OC is full of really good food, and Irvine itself is incredibly safe (the Irvine police will ticket you for jaywalking, they really don't have much to do). A lot of (upper middle class) families are here to raise their kids. Honestly, the campus is really beautiful (there's a huge park in the middle of the school, great place for a nap in the spring or summer... well you have time to nap as a grad student haha) and bike friendly. There are great beaches around too, and it's close enough so that you have access to everything in LA or San Diego if you want to do a day trip. Oh yeah, Disneyland, there's that. Good luck on your search.

Thanks! I'm thinking I might live in the grad housing, but my only issue is I have small dog that I don't really want to live with my parents (but definitely could). I will probably go that route in the end...

[radredhead]

20 hours ago, cpw0021 said:

Thanks! I'm thinking I might live in the grad housing, but my only issue is I have small dog that I don't really want to live with my parents (but definitely could). I will probably go that route in the end...

I have a 45lb dog and finding housing can sometimes be difficult, but usually if your dog is 15lbs or less, there are a lot more options for you. You may have to put down a one-time pet deposit, or sometimes the landlord just makes it an extra 10-20 per month on your rent. I wouldn't say it's impossible to find an apartment with a pet, but I can't imagine any university housing allowing it. You may want to look at independently rented out spaces in the area, though Gaoasaurus had a lot of suggestions and it'd be worth looking into each one. SoCal is one of the most dog-friendly regions ever, and some of the cool parts about being in this area are the great dog parks and dog beaches.

Edited March 17, 2016 by radredhead

[AnonymousMonad]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me get a picture of the cost of living in Irvine. I'm trying to compare it to Pittsburgh, PA and Columbus, OH. On the numbers, UCI is my best offer. But I don't know if it's that good relative to the cost of living. I'm trying to compare my funding from UCI to these other two schools. I've been consulting those 'cost of living' calculators (e.g. http://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/ ) and I enter in a figure for my stipend in Columbus and enter in Irvine as the comparison city, and then the site calculates to see what a comparable salary would be based on the cost of living. I noticed that what's really jacking up the price is the housing (682% increase apparently) — but I'll have graduate housing at UCI... (I can live alone for I think $1100/mo or with roommates for $650/mo at UCI; by contrast, in Columbus I can live alone for $650/mo, or with roommates for $400/mo) so the housing won't be as big of a factor in my case...

Maybe I can communicate what I'm curious about more directly. On average, over 5 years, my UCI stipend is 49% more than OSU and 17% more than Pitt. Do you think the cost of living significantly offsets the larger living stipend?

(Also, if I went to Irvine, I'd like to get a car. I wouldn't get a car in Columbus or Pittsburgh.)

Edited March 23, 2016 by AnonymousMonad

[cs89]

Hello guys,

Any news on housing offers?

[OptimiscallyAnxious]

For those attending UCI, is the stipend (~$24,000/year) enough to get by if you're living in campus housing?