Irvine Travel Guide

Irvine is a city in Orange County within close proximity to famous Newport Beach. Irvine can be described as a “planned city” as it is mostly developed by a private corporation known as The Irvine Company. The city of Irvine contains residential, business and recreational areas.

The communities of Irvine are known for their village style developments, well-manicured lawns and man-made lakes. There are numerous villages that make up the Irvine communities and each of them has been designed to resemble a particular architectural theme. For instance, the area in Irvine called Westpark has been designed to include architecture resembling the Italian Riviera and the Mediterranean while Portola Springs takes on more of the Tuscan and Spanish features. Irvine is a pleasant place to live as they have been strategically situated away from the hustle and bustle of its many business parks and high-rise corporate offices. It is also one of the cities in the United States with the lowest crime rate.

Business

Many people visit Irvine for a various reasons. One is to visit family that may live in the area and another is for business. Irvine is home to many corporations and factories including Toshiba, Hurley and Taco Bell. A number of big-name accounting firms are also located in Irvine such as Ernst & Young, KPMG and McGladgrey & Pullen.   

Schools

Irvine is home to the University of California, Irvine which is known for its excellent academic programs such as Health Sciences and Engineering. UCI, as it is known to many as one of the newest UC campuses. Other higher-education institutions located in Irvine include Concordia University, a satellite of Cal-State University Fullerton and a local community college called Irvine Valley College. As far as secondary schools are concerned, the Irvine Unified School District has four high-schools that have all made it to Newsweek’s “Top US Public High Schools” on a yearly basis.

Recreation

Irvine is known for its many neighborhood parks. While some are open to residents only, there are a number that are available for public use. North Lake is a man-made lake located in the Woodbridge neighborhood. It is a great place to take a walk or ride a bike or even to just sit on the grass and enjoy the beautiful lake.

While Irvine may mostly be more of a residential and business community, many people are drawn to it as its neighboring cities such as Laguna and Newport Beach offer great beach vacations.