rion91 wrote:Kayak1277 wrote:rion91 wrote:Anyone here visited campus?
I live and work in the area and would be happy to answer any questions anyone has about the campus or the area to the best of my ability!
I pmed this to another user but I'd like to hear everyone's opinion:
what's life like around campus, things to do (bars & attractions), gym access, what are nearby grocery stores, & transportation (particularly viability of living between irvine and LA).
Irvine is very quiet - but, it's also pretty centrally located to some established night life/activities (Corona del Mar, Newport Peninsula), and newer hipster areas of Costa Mesa (the CAMP) and downtown Santa Ana. All of these require a car, but that's life in the OC.
In terms of the immediate area - there is an Albertson's and Trader Joes within walking distance, along with some nice casual places to grab something to eat. The pub on campus has one of the better beer selections in the area (they usually get Pliney) and decent pub grub.
I definitely wouldn't live in LA and commute to Irvine. You're looking at at least 45 minutes each way, and that is on a Sunday morning with no traffic. With rush hour traffic on the 405, you're looking at more like 1hr 15-2hr depending on how hellish the traffic is.
The gym on campus is really nice. I haven't frequented it, but I hear it's pretty swell.
Hope that helps!