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Is Irvine a mecca for the rich and single?
July 22nd, 2009, 5:00 am · 47 Comments · posted by Erika Chavez, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy Irvine Company
Put aside, if you will, those widespread notions of Irvine as a staid suburb, a destination for well-heeled dads and soccer moms seeking safety and superior schools for their children.
Would you believe…Irvine as a draw for rich singles?
That’s what Money Magazine says, naming Irvine #9 on a list of America’s Best Places For the Rich and Single. “Seeking a sugar daddy (or sugar-mama)?” the magazine asks. “Follow the money to these towns and cities, where affluent young professionals are abundant.”
According to Money, 33 % of Irvine’s population is single, and the median family income is $107,821. Still skeptical? Here’s more of Money’s reasoning:
“You might find a young engineer who works for Samsung, Mazda, or any number of tech startups living in Irvine’s orderly streets. Take your date to the movies or to see an improv comedy show. At the end of the night, take a romantic spin on the Ferris wheel at the Irvine Spectrum shopping center. Or flirt with local singles at the city’s many restaurants, bars and lounges.”
Here’s how other Southern California cities fared:
1. Hermosa Beach
- Single pop.: 47.2 %
- Median family income: $137,941
3. Coronado
- Single pop.: 36.1 %
- Median family income: $106,817
15. Beverly Hills
- Single pop.: 31 %
- Median family income: $132,803
What do you think? Do you buy Irvine as a destination for educated singles with deep pockets? Or do they work in Irvine, then hightail it out of here when the workday is done?
I’m married and a mommy to boot, so I’m afraid I have zero perspective on the single life in America’s Safest City. If you know of any trendy spots (or even just a place to get a drink after 10 p.m.), let us know!
Take the poll!
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47 Comments
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another useless puff piece for the tabloid rag OCR
So don’t read it then Gary.
me….nice…..attacking for no reason. GET A LIFE BUCKWHEAT!
And how many of those 33% singles are actually starving students who are working late shifts to pay their share of the rent?
It’s especially ludicrous to use the “median family income” as a measure for how successful singles are, simply because most of the richest families in Irvine are MARRIED, so that leaves the lower end of this median as starving SINGLE students. LOL talk about inaccurate.
Hey OCT,
That struck me as odd, too. To back up a story about rich singles living here, they use a median FAMILY income?
Eh. It was a fun little article, either way. I couldn’t help but giggle at the notion of Irvine as a draw for the single and sexy.
They are single because they are all have attitudes. Ooooo I live in Irvine. I am cooler than you.
I guess the Irvine Spectrum must be the big draw…
Hermosa? Yes. Irvine? No - what a joke.
Agree with SC2….and I had the pleasure of living in Hermosa in my single 20’s (well, actually MB but close enough) — and now have moved to Irvine once married w/kid in my 30’s. Having experienced both, I’m definitely glad was NOT in Irvine in my 20’s…but its great now for a family guy.
Now if Money magazine decides to do a survey on “Top 10 places to see the hottest mom’s at Costco or Target”, I would definitely expect to see Irvine listed….
I can assure you the hottest moms are not shopping at Costco and Target.
Yah, go the Spectrum and breathe in a bunch of cigarette smoke. That place is disgusting from what I have experienced.
Oh, and bagging on Spectrum, does anyone know why on cold winters day the restaurants crank the air conditioning so you nearly freeze to death while eating?
I wish it were the case. There is absolutely no upscale nightlife for singles in Irvine. The only place the article can point to is the Spectrum which is basically a mall. No city in OC is fantastic but at least CDM, for example, has Gulfstream, Banderas, Quiet Woman, Port, etc…
Irvine is definitely not for the rich and single. I had lived there 20 years+. It is GREAT for families with children. Plus, since the 70’s it has changed DRAMATICALLY with far more culturally different backgrounds than Caucasian. Not to mention, the abundance of farm land.. If I were young, rich and single and wanted to live in O.C., I would move to Newport Beach…………………………………………………..
Sue Ellen; agree 100%. If I were rich and single Irvine would be the last city I would take up residence in. Newport Beach is much more attractive. Besides is 100k a year considered rich?
Gary is right…How is this any type of “news?” Go find a real story and quit wasting paper on this trash
Irvine is a mecca for the single and pretentious. Pretty much all of south county is. The “OC” give me break.
I lived in OC for 20 years. all there is are crappy, over-priced bars, and there you get the d-bags who think they know the world cuz there “town” was on tv. got news for you. there is a much better nightlife outside of CA everywhere. i dont spend $7 on a bottle of beer anymore. the best bar in OC is the one at john wayne airport with the guitars, at least that means you are leaving OC. OC nightlife is an oxymoron.
I’ve lived in both Irvine and Hermosa in my younger years and there is no comparison. Irvine has the Spectrum…that is it (and it’s nothing to brag about). Hermosa has the beach, bars, nightclubs, restaurants all within walking distance. The LA south bay beach cities are tough to beat if you want to be around educated, affluent single people. Just my 2 cents.
If by mecca for the “rich & single” you mean the college kids going to the overpriced UCI on mommy and daddys money, sure!
or the great nightlife of the Irvine Spectrum.(sarcasm)
go to HB or just about anywhere else. you’ll enjoy it more and spend less.
I live in Hermosa but work in Newport Beach. I must admit I am real happy I chose Hermosa over any OC city. Still too many dou**** in Newport, compared to Hermosa Beach.
Sorry, folks Hermosa Beach isn’t that young either. The average age for non-hispanic whites in La and Orange is around 41 years old while hispanics are around 29 or 30 years old. Santa Ana has a lot more young people in their 20’s than either Hermosa Beach or Irvine.
Irvine-schmirvine. There’s a lot of rich singles, alright….Daddy and Mommy’s cash flow. Many are from other countries, driving cars in excess of $80,000 and living in swanky digs all while going to UCI and NOT working. Great life if you can find it!
I see it everday.
Berlin,
I gues this takes “earnings” out of the equation, which now equals “poor singles” living in Irvine. Good point.
Irvine is just a collection of candy a55’s from top to bottom…
Rich and Single? More like a mecca for persians and Chinese.
I have lived in Irvine, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and now Newport CDM. There are a lot of singles in Irvine but are coming into Newport/CDM to play just bc there are more fun spots here. Irvine is def. more family oriented than any other cities…
And if Irvine Co. owns pratically IRVINE!!!, and is a planned developer you will bet Irvine Co will only bring in credited Tenants into their centers who have many locations and who can pay those high rents and follow their rules.
Hermosa have more of a younger crowd than Manhattan, making Hermosa more of a fun place to live. The younger the crowd the more bars and entertainment there will be.
I like MOS’s response. You are right on!!! LOL
MOS: ^5. I was trying to be PC w/my response. You said it!
ERIKA, LETS ME AND YOU GO OUT ON THE TOWN ON ME AND LETS SEE IF ITS TRUE IN IRVINE. CARE TO TAKE NE UP IM SINGLE NEVER MARRIED
Thanks for the invite hwood, but when I ride the Ferris wheel at the Spectrum, it’s with my husband and my 4-year-old daughter. Nights on the town are a thing of the past for me
Rich and single in Irvine? Yeah, right!
I see too many poseurs in the streets of Irvine. Beemers, Lexus, Benz, on and on. I bet you 70% of these cars are leased and the other 50% lives with their mommies and daddies.
As for the Spectrum, it used to be a fun place to hang out. Of course, that was 10 years ago! Now, all these retail stores and restaurants are just another wanna be Fashion Island Mall…. YAWWWNNNN!
Irvine is now the worst city to live if you want “social life”……
This is why my 25 year old moved to New York City. Irvine closes up early and the only show is the comdey club. No great clubs except the very few in Laguna and Newport. Irvine is for the duel family income struggling to get by on high mello roos, state taxes and federal. The newly engineer who comes to work have to find an apartment to rent with other folks in the same situation.
Why we have such a hard time hiring in Irvine along the rest of California is not friendly to new comers and eventually they move out as my daughter just did. Just back from the East coast myself where everyone says hello to you here in the OC I have never met such rude people especially on the planes flying back into John Wayne.
AHHHHHH SHUT UP!!!
I remember driving my girl from Torrance around Irvine and hitting up the Spectrum. She thought the spectrum was cool looking but other than that she just said, “It’s very boring here huh”
It’s boring because there’s no Motel 6 around.
I really don’t know why so much hoopla about Irvine, But amid all of the above I don’t believe that the place have so much to do, I believe that mostly is the attitude of the individual.
most of the time I see them (males) standing like “Tulips” with their “drinks-in hand” of coarse trying to impress.
And in the other side (females) look like total wasted, because of lack of good dancers, and masculine partnership.
such nice girls, and the guys are so “tidious” looking
What do you mean no night life?
Claim Jumper has happy hour between 10pm to closing on weekends.
BTW, they close at 11pm.
LOL!
Who’s in charge of Money Magazine’s research? I grew up in Irvine and live there now and every neighborhood I have lived in has been dominated by families. I absolutely love Irvine, but I I travel out of town for nightlife. I just have to say… what kind of rich, single adult takes there date on a ferris wheel ride at the Spectrum?
I only go to Irvine when I have to - to go to the airport.
NYC and Atlanta leaves Irvine way way way behind.
OCR despite the money in this market, has THE WORST WRITERS. Just moronic drivel, prattle from spoiled surfing beach rats.. with NO CRITICAL THINKING at all.. could be a great asset… but they squander it because the leaders here are idiots with no vision. NAME ONE?
Atlanta is Ghetto!!!!!!
ALL I SEE IN IRVINE ARE ASIANS & WHITES NO BROWNS OR BLACKS
LOL…
Santa Ana is the place to party.
You have La Coahuila, Casa del Rey, Los Corrales, El Hidalgo, You’ll have a super time there with Don Pedos and his clan of NACOS. LOL
If that cover photo is representative of Irvine nightlife, I’ll definitely pass. You would think that there is at least one good photo showing more people, but maybe not - I guess the rich and single in Irvine are already in bed by then…
Why does everyone assume that single people are young and hip and have all the time in the world to party every night? I’m single and I live in Irvine for the same reason all you stuck up marrieds live here - for my son.
I came to Orange County when I was 25 when the mortgage industry was in full swing. At first I lived in a house in Irvine populated by other single males (we rented) who either worked in IT or at IndyMac, and they would bring over people from their workplaces who were also young and single.
We’d have bashes in this particular house every so often, but everyone by and large went elsewhere for nightlife. Anyway, eventually I got sick the lifestyle I led with the guys I was with (a couple of them were real d-bags) and moved into an Irvine apartment. I know rents in Irvine are more expensive, but I liked living 2 miles from work and walking to the grocery store and restaurants. I still love living in Irvine. The only other place I’d rather live is in Old Towne Orange, but like I said I like being close to work.
This may be an opportunity for an entrepreneur because there may be a niche for nightlife for young singles in Irvine. Certainly my fiance and I would like to go somewhere dancing and drinking for a night that isn’t the Chili’s across the street at the Westpark Plaza.