Irvine

Lower Peters Canyon is an expansive suburban community in the northernmost corner of Irvine. The area was part of a Spanish Land Grant bought by O.C. real estate developer James Irvine in the late 19th century. Peters Canyon was the site of an extensive golf course, a reservoir for the Irvine Ranch and a U.S. Army training area known as “Camp Commander” during the Second World War. Though there have been recent residential developments, Irvine has maintained a status as an "Arbor Day Tree USA City,” and leafy sycamore and willow trees line the landscape of Lowe Peters Canyon, providing shade to residents as they walk along the community’s avenues and cul-de-sacs. Lower Peters Canyon is one of the newer neighborhoods in Irvine, as many of the area’s homes were built in the last 30 years. Homes feature materials such as stucco, adobe or stone form a smooth exterior mixed with soft arches, colorful tile accents in Spanish or Mediterranean styles. Most homes in the neighborhood range from $1.2 to $2.5 million and offer 1,900 to 4,850 square feet of interior space. Townhouses are around $1 million, while condominiums range from $800,000 to under $1.5 million. Area students may attend Hicks Canyon Elementary School and Orchard Hills Middle School, both of which have an A Niche rating. Arnold O. Beckman High School scores an A-plus and has been repeatedly awarded the status of a California Distinguished School for exceptional academic achievement. David Sills Lower Peters Canyon Park and Hicks Canyon Community Park offer ball fields for residents to enjoy the outdoors and play sports games, while Homestead Park has tennis courts. Locals may also head to Forest Glen Pool for swimming, and golfers can book tee times at Tustin Ranch Golf Club. Area trails include West Irvine Trail and Peters Canyon Trail. Home to the neighborhood, Northpark Plaza has H Mart and popular restaurants such as Chai Lan. The Market Place sits adjacent to the community and has over 100 stores and restaurants, including Target, Best Buy and T.J. Maxx. The District at Tustin Legacy, which is about 5 miles away, has approximately 90 big-box retailers and businesses such as Whole Foods Market, Costco and In-N-Out Burger. Additional shopping destinations include South Coast Plaza, Irvine Spectrum Center and Fashion Island. For family outings, residents may go to Disneyland Park or nearby museums such as Pretend City Children's Museum. Community events and local festivals include the Irvine Global Village Festival, the Fiesta Latina en Irvine and the annual Mid-Autumn Festival. Anaheim is approximately 12 miles north via Interstate 5, while Long Beach is about 28 miles to the west through Interstate 45. John Wayne Airport and the University of California, Irvine, are about 8 miles away, and Hoag Hospital – Irvine is about 7 miles north of the neighborhood.

In the master-planned Irvine community, Northwood entices with its views of the Santa Ana Mountains to the north. Northwood residents can easily access the sea, mountains or desert within a two-hour drive. Residents enjoy the perks of living in a master-planned, self-contained community within the neighborhood. Shopping, dining, events and parks are all within the neighborhood’s boundaries, often within walking distance. Northwood is served by the highly-rated Irvine Unified School District. Kids begin school at Northwood Elementary School before proceeding to California Gold Ribbon, winning Sierra Vista Middle School, both of which earned an A on Niche. Students will graduate from Northwood High School, which Niche gives an A-plus and ranks as the 18th-best college prep public high school in California. Northwood High School offers more than robust academics. Students enjoy access to a strong portfolio of extracurricular activities, including a music program, which has earned the school a Grammy Signature School designation multiple times. Falk says, “Schools offer great special education for kids with disabilities. Many people move here for this as well as highly rated academics.” Northwood is also the site of the Irvine Chinese School & South Coast Chinese Cultural Center. Anyone can take classes to learn more about China’s languages, culture and customs. Classes are primarily oriented around children, with plans to expand adult offerings. Residents can enroll their children in martial arts lessons, dance lessons, immersive language instruction and musical instrument lessons. Northwood’s careful planning cultivated a neighborhood where homes are oriented around parks. With more than a dozen parks scattered throughout the neighborhood, it’s easy for residents to spend time outside. Central Northwood Community Park is a neighborhood hub. With more than 17 acres, the space has athletic fields, lighted sports courts, playgrounds, picnic shelters and a biking trail. The park’s Northwood Community Center facilitates education, events and activities. Residents can register for classes and teams like tennis lessons and the ping pong club. As with other planned neighborhoods in Irvine, plenty of smaller parks and open spaces spread across Northwood. Jeffrey Open Space Trail slips out of the neighborhood and winds 5 miles through the neighboring community. Closeby Hicks Canyon Trail features wide parallel paved and unpaved paths. Equestrians can access the trail as well. Northwood streets have an inviting, navigable layout that welcomes leisurely strolls along the grid of sidewalks. The neighborhood is the only community not built by the Irvine Company, the area’s most significant developer. Northwood continues the spirit of independence, as it is not fully governed by a homeowners association. Most homes are Modern Traditional style with some Spanish influence, like stucco facades and red tile roofs. Buyers can find more contemporary styles, with brick and siding, but will not find newer homes. “Northwood is a great choice as it has lower taxes because the homes are older and it’s away from the central area of Irvine, which can get very crowded,” says Murray Falk, a local realtor who has lived in and sold in the area for decades. “The homes have a good value and are affordable compared to South Irvine, which is closer to Newport Beach.” The neighborhood is fully built out, leading to high demand. Homes sell from smaller $1.4 million dollar properties to $3 million homes with five or more bedrooms and multicar garages. Townhouses and condominiums are also available. Prices range from about $500,000 for smaller properties to just under $1 million for more spacious homes. Northwood encompasses The Groves, a resident-owned manufactured home community on about 70 acres. This guarded and gated neighborhood features a pool, spa, clubhouse and social activities. The manufactured homes range from $400,000 to $600,000. Residents have access to everything they need within the neighborhood. Northwood Town Center is the site of Zion Market, an Asian grocery store popular for Korean specialties, as well as banks, a boutique and a cellphone shop. Many restaurants operate out of Northwood Town Center, such as Northwood Pizza, Gui BBQ Restaurant and Dada Shabu Shabu. Cypress Village Shopping Center, in the southern half of Northwood, is home to the neighborhood Albertsons and a Kohl's department store, plus dining choices such as Flippoly, Pho Ha Noi, Olyvoyl Bread & Grill and Da Luau Hawaiian Grill. Socializing with neighbors is second nature in Northwood, where homeowners associations host outdoor movie nights and other social events for members. Kids will have plenty of activity options, like Northwood Little League and the Courtside Stingrays, a children’s summer swim team. The city of Irvine’s community services unit offers events and classes in musical theater, dance, fitness and more through Northwood Community Park. Northwood is home to two major houses of worship: Our Lady of Peace Korean Catholic Center and The Islamic Center of Irvine. In addition to regular mass services, Our Lady of Peace hosts classes and events celebrating the Catholic faith and inviting community. The Islamic Center of Irvine hosts prayer services and classes. The center also offers regular events, many of which are oriented, like kids' summer camps and fundraisers. Murray Falk says walkability is one of Northwood’s appeals. “Some streets have a tunnel or walkway that goes under the street crossings for extra safety,” he says. “Shopping such as grocery stores, restaurants, and cleaners are within very close walking distance.” Getting around by car is also easy. The Santa Ana Freeway borders Northwood, so residents can easily pull onto one of Irvine’s main thoroughfares. Irvine’s city center is only six miles away and can typically be reached in 15 minutes. A little further west, Newport Beach is only 10 miles away. Northwood experiences little crime. It has a CAP Index Crime Score of two out of ten. This is two points lower than the national average of four. Most crimes are property-related, but these are still infrequent, only scoring a two out of ten. Irvine Police Department appoints a designated officer to oversee the neighborhood.

Situated by the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, Northwood Pointe is a master-planned, gated Irvine community comprised of 12 subdivisions. As many companies take up offices and headquarters in Irvine, the once citrus grove, farmland community has transformed into an exclusive development that provides residents with privacy and convenience. “One reason being it’s zoned for one of the best schools in the district,” says Martin Mania, a Realtor at KW Spectrum Properties with 17 years of experience while servicing Irvine, Tustin, Newport Beach and Lake Forest areas. With top-performing schools and city parks within walking distance, shopping and entertainment venues close by as well as a CAP Index score of 1 out of 10, Northwood Pointe is a highly sought-after suburban community in Orange County. Primarily built within the last several decades, residential homes in Northwood Pointe are often inspired by the English cottage style or designed with Mediterranean and Spanish influence, including stucco exteriors and terra cotta-colored tile roofs. Single-family properties may list between $1.5 million and over $3 million, with yards that range from 4,000 to 9,000 square feet. Backyard pools are common, and landscaping is usually well-kept with thoughtful design. Attached two-bedroom condominium units start at around $750,000, while single-family detached condos can fetch $1.5 million, and townhouses are generally around $1 million. “Most of the communities are gated and the Homeowner Association fee is relatively reasonable compared to other areas in Irvine,” Mania says. “The houses are fairly traditional with a Spanish twist.” Young students may begin schooling at Canyon View Elementary School, which is rated A-plus by Niche and is ranked No. 14 of the best public elementary schools in Orange County. Sierra Vista Middle School has an A and Northwood High School scores an A-plus. Northwood High is ranked No. 5 of the best public high schools in Orange County and offers classes in criminal forensics, integrated science and mathematics, as well as college-level courses. In addition, Northwood is also named a Grammy Signature School multiple times for its music program, andit features an aquatics center with a 50-meter competition pool. Residents may shop for groceries at Pavilions, located at the Orchard Hills Shopping Center. Adjacent to Hicks Canyon Park, Northpark Plaza is home to a CVS Pharmacy, the popular Asian grocery store, H Mart, as well as various local restaurants, including Chain Lan, which serves fusion Chinese and Korean dishes. Slightly to the south, Northwood Town Center offers additional grocery and dining options, including Zion Market and Dada Shabu Shabu, a locally known hotpot eatery. Locals can also shop for fresh produce at the farmers market in The District at Tustin Legacy, which also has about 80 big-box retailers, a movie theater, businesses and restaurants, including Costco, Target, Whole Foods Market and In-N-Out Burger. Shopping malls relatively close to the area include The Market Place, Irvine Spectrum Center, South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island. Situated close to the Northwood Pointe Community Pool, Meadowood Park sits at the center of the neighborhood with an amphitheater, play equipment for children and toddlers, basketball courts and ball fields for adults and youth. Residents may take a walk along the Hicks Canyon Trail and head to Hicks Canyon Community Park to play soccer or catch a Little League softball game. People can also play a tennis match at Citrusglen Park, or go golfing at Tustin Ranch Golf Club. Although Orange County Transportation Authority has bus services, most residents drive their cars for navigation. Northwood Pointe is approximately 15 miles north of Newport Beach via California State Route 55, and is about 11 miles south of Orange, which can be accessed by Interstate 5. John Wayne Airport and the University of California, Irvine, are both about 9 miles away. Hoag Hospital Irvine, which is known for having an advanced cancer center, is about 8 miles south. Disneyland Park is about 14 miles north of the area with amusement rides and parades, and Pretend City Children's Museum is also located within 10 miles of the neighborhood for family fun. Echoing the city’s, inclusive and diverse character, some of Irvine’s festival highlights include the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, the Ektaa Diwali Festival, which celebrates Indian heritage, the Fiesta Latina en Irvine and the Irvine Global Village Festival.

Centered around an active lifestyle and the idea of community, Great Park is an elaborately planned neighborhood development in Irvine with heritage trees and various subdivisions built around the community’s parks. Serving as a centerpiece of the Great Park neighborhood, each park is a gathering place and connects the communities, residential homes and top-performing schools together with walking and biking paths. The Great Park Neighborhoods Community Association also organizes community events at the parks, including movie and concert series, seasonal socials and holiday celebrations as well as recreational organizations, including swim, compost, garden, fitness and culture clubs. “There will be a total of 10,000 homes when Great Park is finished, so there’s not another community like it in size. Residents have access to all the parks, clubhouses and the amenities are resort-style,” says Ronnie Hackett, Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway California Properties who is better known as part of the Ronnie & Cyrena Team, which has sold over 125 homes in the Great Park area while also providing property management services. “Another fantastic thing about living here is the walkability factor; everything is very close together and children can walk to schools.”<br><br>Great Park homes vary from modern and contemporary residences with open concepts and linear forms to Mediterranean-inspired ranch styles, ramblers and New Traditionals. Single-family homes are commonly listed between $1 million and $3 million, with stately Mission Revival, Mediterranean and Pueblo-influenced estates over 4,000 square feet ranging from $3 million to over $5 million. Attached condo units with one or two bedrooms range between $750,000 and $1 million, while single-family detached condominiums may list from $1 million to over $2.5 million. Townhouses typically run between $800,000 and $1.5 million. Yard spaces are well maintained and around 5,000 square feet , and nearly all houses have direct access to walking and biking paths that connect the various communities.<br><br>With every Great Park neighborhood centered around a park, green spaces and recreational venues are at the forefront of the community’s landscape. The neighborhood’s namesake park, Great Park, is a public recreation space that is currently over 500 acres. With an additional 300 acres in the works, this former site of the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro is home to a sports complex that includes 24 soccer fields, a championship soccer stadium, turf and baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts as well as additional lawn space. The park is also home to the Great Park Ice & Fivepoint Arena, which is a 280,000-square-foot ice facility that offers youth and sports programs for residents. Residents may enjoy swimming at Solis Park, Rise Park, Beacon Park or Pools Park, each accompanied by a uniquely themed playground. Parasol Park and Pavilion Park have greenhouses and community gardens for residents to grow their own produce and herbs. Those who like art can take a walk along Cadence Park’s art walk and see sculptures or catch an outdoor performance at the park’s amphitheater. Novel Park has a tot lot and a dog park, and people can walk or hike along one of the many trails in the area, including the Bosque Trail. <br><br>Residents are zoned for the Irvine Unified School District, which is ranked by Niche as the No. 1 school system in Orange County. Area students may attend Beacon Park or Cadence Park, both of which are kindergarten through eighth-grade schools and have an A Niche rating. With a 99 percent graduation rate, Portola High School scores an A-plus and is one of the best public high schools in both the school district and Orange County. “Portola High School’s principal, John Pehrson, is the former principal of University High School,” Hackett says. “They gave Portola the best of the best, and people really care about the school.” <br><br>Residents often go to Woodbury Town Center and shop for groceries at Trader Joe’s or Ralphs, or get household supplies at HomeGoods, The Home Depot and Walgreens. In addition to franchised fast-food chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Shin-Sen-Gumi, a Japanese chain in Southern California serving casual yakitori, ramen and sushi, the shopping center also has local businesses and service shops. The Arbor Village Center is home to a variety of Asian eateries, including A&J Restaurant, Shik Do Rak Restaurant, Thai Café and China Garden. The established Asian grocery chain, 99 Ranch Market, , is across the street. Community members may also stop by the Certified Farmers Market on Sundays for locally grown produce and grab a cup of coffee at CUP by Blue Hummingbird Coffee. The neighborhood is also in proximity to various popular shopping destinations, including Fashion Island, Irvine Spectrum Center and the famous South Coast Plaza, all of which are located within 15 miles of the community.<br><br>“Great Park is very diverse; it’s welcoming to all cultures and nationalities. People are out walking and talking to each other and are very involved in the community, so you learn a lot by living here,” Hackett says. The community organizes activities such as the Wine & Dine Soiree, or residents can enjoy a day of fun at Great Park’s Balloon & Carousel. Irvine’s annual Mid-Autumn Festival takes place at Great Park with arts & crafts, traditional treats, as well as workshops and activities that inform Asian culture. The Ektaa Diwali Festival celebrates Indian culture, and additional events include the Fiesta Latina en Irvine and the Irvine Global Village Festival.<br><br>Great Park residents can access Laguna Beach, which is about 13 miles south, by California State Route 133. Newport Beach is approximately 18 miles away via California State Route 55, and John Wayne Airport is 12 miles west through Interstate 405. Orange is about 13 miles north with Interstate 5, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which has an advanced cancer research center, is about 4 miles away.