Costa Mesa...good location gone wrong!

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Places like Costa Mesa are what this recession is all about. When they say we need new "infrastructure," they are not talking about sewers.

At some point the tracts will be bought out and redeveloped within the next 50 years.
 
LoudRoar said:
Places like Costa Mesa are what this recession is all about. When they say we need new "infrastructure," they are not talking about sewers.

At some point the tracts will be bought out and redeveloped within the next 50 years.
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What exactly do you mean?
 
Repetition and cookie cutter housing will only last 50 year in its curb appeal before abandonment.

As much I love Cliff Mays ranch houses but I felt he sold his soul to the devil (developers) during the mid 50's. His one of a kind houses are amazing but his cookie cutter on repetitive lots in CM did not have much curb appeal. They all turn their back on to the street. Many later Cliff May knock offs were much worse. The area did not retain its value. Not even the best architect can overcome the curse of cookie cutter and that includes Irvine. Look at El Camino, Deerfield and a bunch of homes between Trabuco and Walnut. There were done between 60's and mid 70's and we all can see where the neighborhood is heading. 50 years should be coming up soon and they are deteriorating.

The area of Costa Mesa next to Irvine Ave and Newport Heights has held up well because of less cookie cutter approach to the neighborhood so pride is still there. Once the owners lose pride the neighborhood goes downhill. Pride=home individuality and identity.

Neighborhood with homes without character after 50 years will be much less desirable.

Here are some examples:

Stanton:1948

Garden Grove:1946

Westminster: 1943

Costa Mesa: 1951

Buena Park: 1952

Cypress: 1957

Anaheim: 1955
 
I can't believe some of the ignorance that is being tossed around about Costa Mesa... But... then again, yes I can, when I realize some people just need to get out more. Please, please don't come to the east side to find Mother's market, excellent restaurants, Hi-Times cellars, Santa Monica seafood, homes with large lots, a great night life, and... gasp... good schools. Seriously, the ignorant need to stay in their bubbles.

Since when has HB been cool? I grew up in OC and HB has always been the place where the land of the dirt people (909ers) flocked to show off their tattoos and their drunk driving skills in their lifted pick up trucks. The local to 909er ratio is extremely low. Hanging out in downtown HB is cool if you are in high school or you live in Hemet. Otherwise it is just another place where white trash congregate. The real surf city is in Santa Cruz, and this comes from a surfing OC native. Give it up already, SC is surf city, and those from HB could never hang at Steamers Lane.

Also, a huge chunk of CM was slated for redevelopment. If you read the OCR, the LA Times, or the local newspaper, then you would know that there were many, many redevelopment projects in CM. Only problem is they overpaid for properties that are no longer profitable. Sucks to have been drunk on Kool-Aid. Many of the projects have been canned, and many of the developers are walking away. I dunno if that is a city problem or not, but me thinks it is poor decisions by developers who thought the RE would go up forever. I think I know of 15 projects that have been canned. It's really too bad, because some were very cool in there design process.

Again... and seriously... some of the ignorance in this thread is truly staggering. There are some great pockets in the west side that if you have blinders on you will never see, but ignorance is bliss, and in a way I appreciate that ignorance.
 
stepping_up said:
LoudRoar said:
Places like Costa Mesa are what this recession is all about. When they say we need new "infrastructure," they are not talking about sewers.

At some point the tracts will be bought out and redeveloped within the next 50 years.
Click to expand...

What exactly do you mean?
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Take Crystal Court for example. Remember how that happened? They will probably just work there way west from there. Those tracts are worth $$$.
 
Since when has HB been cool? I grew up in OC and HB has always been the place where the land of the dirt people (909ers) flocked to show off their tattoos and their drunk driving skills in their lifted pick up trucks. The local to 909er ratio is extremely low. Hanging out in downtown HB is cool if you are in high school or you live in Hemet. Otherwise it is just another place where white trash congregate. The real surf city is in Santa Cruz, and this comes from a surfing OC native. Give it up already, SC is surf city, and those from HB could never hang at Steamers Lane.
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This is so freaking true. On a hot day, the 909ers are all on the freeways heading to the beach. And you can tell who they are too. They tend to drive those gas guzzler pick up trucks. And to save on gas, they would roll down their truck windows going 70 mph on the freeways. Who the hell drive the freeways with the windows down? Got to be the 909ers.
 
graphrix said:
I can't believe some of the ignorance that is being tossed around about Costa Mesa... But... then again, yes I can, when I realize some people just need to get out more. Please, please don't come to the east side to find Mother's market, excellent restaurants, Hi-Times cellars, Santa Monica seafood, homes with large lots, a great night life, and... gasp... good schools. Seriously, the ignorant need to stay in their bubbles.

Since when has HB been cool? I grew up in OC and HB has always been the place where the land of the dirt people (909ers) flocked to show off their tattoos and their drunk driving skills in their lifted pick up trucks. The local to 909er ratio is extremely low. Hanging out in downtown HB is cool if you are in high school or you live in Hemet. Otherwise it is just another place where white trash congregate. The real surf city is in Santa Cruz, and this comes from a surfing OC native. Give it up already, SC is surf city, and those from HB could never hang at Steamers Lane.

Also, a huge chunk of CM was slated for redevelopment. If you read the OCR, the LA Times, or the local newspaper, then you would know that there were many, many redevelopment projects in CM. Only problem is they overpaid for properties that are no longer profitable. Sucks to have been drunk on Kool-Aid. Many of the projects have been canned, and many of the developers are walking away. I dunno if that is a city problem or not, but me thinks it is poor decisions by developers who thought the RE would go up forever. I think I know of 15 projects that have been canned. It's really too bad, because some were very cool in there design process.

Again... and seriously... some of the ignorance in this thread is truly staggering. There are some great pockets in the west side that if you have blinders on you will never see, but ignorance is bliss, and in a way I appreciate that ignorance.
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I didn't grow up around here but isn't Trestles pretty much the OC surf spot? Laguna Beach seems to have a few spots that the locals favor too.
 
graphrix said:
I can't believe some of the ignorance that is being tossed around about Costa Mesa... But... then again, yes I can, when I realize some people just need to get out more. Please, please don't come to the east side to find Mother's market, excellent restaurants, Hi-Times cellars, Santa Monica seafood, homes with large lots, a great night life, and... gasp... good schools. Seriously, the ignorant need to stay in their bubbles.

Since when has HB been cool? I grew up in OC and HB has always been the place where the land of the dirt people (909ers) flocked to show off their tattoos and their drunk driving skills in their lifted pick up trucks. The local to 909er ratio is extremely low. Hanging out in downtown HB is cool if you are in high school or you live in Hemet. Otherwise it is just another place where white trash congregate. The real surf city is in Santa Cruz, and this comes from a surfing OC native. Give it up already, SC is surf city, and those from HB could never hang at Steamers Lane.

Again... and seriously... some of the ignorance in this thread is truly staggering. There are some great pockets in the west side that if you have blinders on you will never see, but ignorance is bliss, and in a way I appreciate that ignorance.
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Huntington Beach versus Costa Mesa, huh?

Let me see, Huntington Beach has good schools... Marina, Edison, and Huntington Beach. Costa Mesa has mediocre schools... Costa Mesa and Estancia.

Huntington Beach has million dollar homes along the coast, the bluffs, and the bay. Costa Mesa has....???

Main Street Huntington is an international tourist destination along awesome beaches. Costa Mesa has an impressive international shopping mecca - South Coast.

By the way, 909ers take the 55 to go into the OC... and the last time I checked, the 55 would dump them right into Costa Mesa/Newport, no? I do think Costa Mesa has a lot to offer, but HB has the beach, Main Street, million dollar estates, and good schools. Costa Mesa is where college students go to live and party before they realize it's not so great. Then they either settle down in Huntington Beach for the culture or Irvine for the nice homes. Costa Mesa definitely has potential because of its central location... it just needs a lot of work.
 
you are just revealing your lack of reading skills.

but really, that is fine. I'm sure you will be happier elsewhere.

(btw, I currently live in downtown HB, so suggest that you re-examine your assumptions about HB in addition to your assumptions about CM)
 
Culture in HB? Do you have a clue about the arts in CM? OCC has it's theatre and the OCC alumni founed the South Coast Repertory and the OC Performing Arts Center is here. Add to that Segerstom Concert Hall and Samueli Theatre. I guess it depends on how you define culture.

There are million dollar homes in CM and some with oceans views, but we are not right on the water like HB, so are not going to have those homes. However, being right at the coast in HB isn't exactly convenient to getting around, particularly if you don't work in HB. The vast majority of us are not buying million dollar homes, which relegates us beach lovers to going a bit inland. Go 2 miles inland in HB and it's a real bear to get anywhere else in the county. My husband commutes to Irvine from CM and it takes him 12 mins, which is actually less than when we lived in CDM that was mileage wise closer.

I think you'd be quite surprised to meet some of my new neighbors and I'm in the area that everyone calls the crap of CM.
 
stepping_up said:
Culture in HB? Do you have a clue about the arts in CM? OCC has it's theatre and the OCC alumni founed the South Coast Repertory and the OC Performing Arts Center is here. Add to that Segerstom Concert Hall and Samueli Theatre. I guess it depends on how you define culture.

There are million dollar homes in CM and some with oceans views, but we are not right on the water like HB, so are not going to have those homes. However, being right at the coast in HB isn't exactly convenient to getting around, particularly if you don't work in HB. The vast majority of us are not buying million dollar homes, which relegates us beach lovers to going a bit inland. Go 2 miles inland in HB and it's a real bear to get anywhere else in the county. My husband commutes to Irvine from CM and it takes him 12 mins, which is actually less than when we lived in CDM that was mileage wise closer.

I think you'd be quite surprised to meet some of my new neighbors and I'm in the area that everyone calls the crap of CM.
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I think that's my whole point - I think Costa Mesa is close to the coast and is conveniently located close to Irvine, Newport, and Huntington. Plus it has really good shopping and performing art centers. Access to the 405 and 55 is big pluss too. So with all these good attributes, why aren't the neighborhoods (i.e. schools) as good as Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, or Irvine? Also, if your look at occupancy data, Costa Mesa has a much high renter population than FV, HB, NB, or Irvine. That's why I assume people in their 20's live there for convenient access to schools, work, and nightlife. But once they turn 30 and start thinking about raising a family, it's off to FV,HB, or Irvine they go - unless they can afford Newport.

Personally, I think Costa Mesa is in a really ideal location. That's why I wonder why it doesn't have better socio-economic demographics.
 
If it's HB vs. CM, HB wins hands-down. Obviously it's cooler, no real need for debate.

Anyone know if that stinky water treatment plant (or whatever it is) that you can smell on the 405 near Euclid is in Costa Mesa? Or maybe Fountain Valley?
 
traceimage said:
If it's HB vs. CM, HB wins hands-down. Obviously it's cooler, no real need for debate.

Anyone know if that stinky water treatment plant (or whatever it is) that you can smell on the 405 near Euclid is in Costa Mesa? Or maybe Fountain Valley?
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That is FV, but I've never noticed an odor coming from it.
 
stepping_up said:
traceimage said:
If it's HB vs. CM, HB wins hands-down. Obviously it's cooler, no real need for debate.

Anyone know if that stinky water treatment plant (or whatever it is) that you can smell on the 405 near Euclid is in Costa Mesa? Or maybe Fountain Valley?
Click to expand...

That is FV, but I've never noticed an odor coming from it.
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Ok, thanks.

I smell it pretty strongly. I have to switch my AC to recirc when driving in that area.
 
graphrix said:
Hanging out in downtown HB is cool if you are in high school or you live in Hemet. Otherwise it is just another place where white trash congregate.
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Wow, that hurts. During high school, we often cruised down Beach Blvd. to HB just to get a shake at Wimpey's across from the pier.
 
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