Hi!
That county between LA and San Diego, known as Orange...would like to know from residents and frequent visitors what that area is like in terms of:
Nightlife for singles, things to do, culture,(besides the obvious theme and amusement parks) public transit (bus system...can you get around reasonably with it, or do you absolutely must have car?) traffic, cost of living (compared to LA or SD)...etc.
Is it a nice area to live? How are the locals there??? weather during the winter months? (avg day & night temps).....
Which communities do you prefer there?
Your feedback will be most welcome!!!

1. No, the bus system is a mess
2. Depends on where you live in LA, SD or Orange County but yes, it's pretty pricey.
3. People are very typical Californian
4. Plenty to see and do and nightlife is abundant.
5. I used to live in Costa Mesa and found it a fun and relatively close to everything.

As you can see from maps, its a large county and has tons to offer for singles and others. Southern California is pricy to live in no matter which county you pick. Where you live depends on your budget. I like Laguna Beach, Mission Viego, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach etc. The farther you live from the shore the cheaper it MAY be. Out west we LOVE our cars and I would hate to be without one in this area. The public transportation isn't what there is out east like in New York.

If you are looking on relocating, you should check out the area beforehand to see what there is.

It's a great place to be, if you can afford it.

Fullerton is a very nice town in OC. I guess if I were single and young I would try to live in Laguna (artsy, beach, the "beautiful people), somewhat gay but young or Costa Mesa, but as someone else suggests, make sure you've got the job before you go moving out there. Generally OC is considered very politically conservative compared to LA or SF but the residents are very, very California--focused on beach and outdoor activities, healthy lifestyles etc. Anywhere in California with the one exception of downtown SF you really must have a car.

Laguna Beach would probably be a little too gay oriented for a straight man.
The beach areas are great, but on the costly side. The lifestyle is on par with San Diego (except higher OC wages) and so much better than LA.
A car is a definite must-have to survive in OC.

As Kam mentioned, politics in Orange County are very conservative, and usually completely different than the rest of the state. Lots of tract housing. Great weather, terrible traffic, you absolutely have to have a car. Beautiful beaches. It's suburbia, not a lot of culture outside of the beach lifestyle and the mouse ears. Oh, and South Coast Plaza, with the Chanel and Armani stores.

Orange County has it's fair share of culture if it's what you're looking for. OC Performing Arts Center offers symphony and opera performances as well as a number of plays during the year. There are also a number of smaller playhouses scattered throughout the county. There's also a few very nice concert venues.

I get the feeling that some real estate agents have found this forum and are using it to have people tell them about areas around the country. They're not even pretending to be someone who's moving any more, much less vacationing there, they're just saying hey, tell me all about the lifestyle in this place for no good reason. All of these questions (transportation, type of people who live there, culture...) are the things that real estate agents are supposed to know. Hope all you people who answer are getting some split commissions from the sales.

Wanted to thank all those that gave their feedback so far...very helpful and informative. And as to xxx (the last poster prior to this) you sure are a very cynical person! No, I am not a real estate agent. I was interested in moving to a warmer climate (have been considering Florida and California as the 2 most likely candidates) and was just trying to get a little "feel" for what certain parts of California were like.
Anyone else who would like to give me some feedback on what Orange County is like (in regards to the areas I mentioned in my original post) would be most welcome!

Oh yes, also...if anyone would like to compare Orange with San Diego county, let me know which would be your preference to live (and why)....

san diego county...less traffic

Obviously the previous poster hasn't been on the 5 fwy through Del Mar if they think there isn't just as bad traffic in San Diego.

Many things are actually less expensive in OC - gasoline, groceries, etc. Because San Diego is down by the border, there is more car theft and it costs more to transport things like groceries and gas down to this region.

actually i have been on fwy 5 through del mar. yes it gets back up but it is pretty predictable...during rush hour heading north and expect to be slowed down for 10-15 minutes.