Commuting from Irvine to LA

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Anteater Alum_IHB

Anteater Alum_IHB

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<p>I am planning to move my family to Irvine and will be working out of downtown LA. So, the question is...what's the commute going to be like? I'm sure it's hell, but I want to raise my kids near family. I do some business travel so will have flexibility to work from home and/or offset office hours. I'm wondering if this commute is going to take 1-2 hours each way? Thanks in advance.</p>
 
<p>Driving would be hell. Take the train as much as possible. The Metrolink schedules are not always the best, but I think Metrolink has a reciprocal agreement with Amtrak that allows those with Metrolink passes to ride the later Amtrak trains. Check the Metrolink website to be sure. If you're on the train, you can read the paper, socialize, or get some work done, and it's not "wasted" time.</p>
 
If you work close to a metrolink, I'd suggest that. There's an express Metrolink from Disneyland and Knotts, I think it's the 460. Pretty sure there's an express Blue line from Long Beach too. mta.net for info. And with current gas prices, much money to be saved.





My stepfather used to commute from Fountain Valley to downtown everyday. Mondays he would be out of the house around 4:45 am. So, if you're an eaaarrrrlllly bird (or if your kids get you up), that's an option. I'd just assume learn Swahili on the metro than get up at 4am.
 
<p>I know a few people who commute from Irvine to LA. They leave early (6am) and come back late (9pm). I do not hear much complaints.</p>

<p>I hope you can find a way to relocate to OC later.</p>
 
<p>I checked out the Metrolink and can pick up the train in Irvine on Barranca Parkway....very nice... as we are considering Village of Columbus Ciara or Mille Fleurs in Woodbury. It looks like it take about 1 hr :10 minutes to get to Union Station in LA, not too bad. Not sure how I get from station to my office - about 1.5 miles.</p>

<p>What is the general opinion/consensus on the Metrolink?; Is it safe, etc?</p>
 
Anteater Alum, the commute is going to be incredibly painful. 1 hour is if there is absolutely no traffic, like at 3:00am. Otherwise probably 1:45 min - 2 min, thus up to 4 hours a day roundtrip. Not worth it imho.
 
I took the metrolink from irvine to SD awhile back and it was decent. I am originally from Chicago so I will admit nothing beats the L and it's convenience....I only wish Southern Cali had a mass-transit system like other major cities.
 
<p>"I checked out the Metrolink and can pick up the train in Irvine on Barranca Parkway....very nice... as we are considering Village of Columbus Ciara or Mille Fleurs in Woodbury. . . . Not sure how I get from station to my office - about 1.5 miles. What is the general opinion/consensus on the Metrolink?; Is it safe, etc?"</p>

<p>If you're at VoC, the Tustin station is right there on Edinger & Jamboree, but Amtrak doesn't stop there. For Woodbury, the Irvine station would likely be closer. Once you get to Union Station, you can either take the red / blue / yellow line depending on direction (<a href="http://www.mta.net/">www.mta.net</a>), or maybe the DASH (<a href="http://www.ladottransit.com/dash/">http://www.ladottransit.com/dash/</a>). </p>

<p>Metrolink is safe, and often cheaper than driving. I once knew a federal judge who went from OC to downtown on the Metrolink everyday. Many times the people who ride the same route every day together become acquaintences, which contributes to a safer atmosphere. Every now and then there is a train accident that ties up the rails causing all the trains to run late, but it's only about once a year. </p>
 
I'm currently commuting from Irvine to Brea for work daily, and the drive on the I-5 was so bad that I signed up for carpool.





If you can carpool, it might work. If not, take the train. Trust me.
 
<p>I took it from Irvine station to LA main station. Commute time is about an hour. Shuttle from main station to Bunker Hill is included in the train pass. 95% on time accuracy. Most employers will either pay 100% or 50% of the train pass. Mine paid 100%. On the way back you can take a little nap which was the best part. </p>
 
I currently commute from Irvine (Woodbury) to Pasadena. Before that I commuted from Irvine to Downtown LA. Have done it for a couple of years now.





I used to drive to LA but the 210 freeway makes impossible to drive to Pasadena. Now, I take the Metrolink everyday.





Drive to LA is about 1 hour (one-way) with no traffic (once in a blue moon or if you leave your house at like 4 a.m. and come back after 8 p.m.), about 1 hour and a half on average (if you leave like 6 a.m. from Irvine and like 7 p.m from LA) but can get up to 2:15 (once every couple of months.) Those times are getting longer because the traffic starts getting bad in Irvine starting in Jeffrey now.





As for metrolink:


-Pros:


-No driving!!! Saves a lot of stress and allows you to plan your day better. It can be late some times but pretty reliable. Amtrak on the other hand, a complete different story. Big plus.


-Meet cool people. While many people on the train keep to themselves, you can find some really nice one during the commute (esp. in the mornings). I play cribbage in the morning with a bunch guys and it makes the commute fly by.


-Free time: You get some free time on the train. A lot of people have laptop, everyone has an ipod. I usually read and to try to catch up on some sleep. Although, I can't really sleep on the train because it rocks some much but others do.





-Cons:


-Schedule:


-Pretty good schedule during rush hour (between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m and 6:30 p.m), one train about every half hour to an hour. However, no metrolink trains during the middle of the day or after 6:30 p.m.


However, if you buy the monthly pass, you can take the amtrak and that allow you to take later trains for free(8 p.m. and 10:10 p.m.) Amtrak also has trains in the middle of the day. If you don't have a monthly pass, one-way trip from LA to Irvine is $13 (pretty steep for my taste)


-Time:


-Doesn't really save you time, from my office to home, it takes about 2 hours. (e.g., 5 p.m. out of work about 7 when I step in the door at home). That may mean that you don't get home until 11:30 p.m for the last train.


-Since I work in Pasadena, I have to take the Gold Line (LA metro system) to Union and then take the Metrolink. That means that I have to leave at least a half hour early. For example, I have to leave my work at 5 p.m to get to the 5:40 Metrolink (which includes a 5-10 minute walk from my work to the Gold line station). If you work in Downtown LA, it's not too bad since red line runs quite frequently and its only like a 5 minute ride to union station.


-You also have to allocate extra time to be at the train station about 5 minutes earlier. Obvious, the train won't wait for you so if you miss it (even by 30 secs) you have to wait for at least half hour for the next one. Trust me, getting from you car to the train platform takes longer than you think. I usually take the 5:33 train in the morning and I have to leave my house no later than 5:15 (10 minute drive, five minutes walking, 3 minute buffer). You get used to that kinda of plan if you start taking the train.


-Convenience:


-You basically stuck once you get to work. It's not a problem for me because there is quite a lot of restaurant and stores around my work. However, if you need to go somewhere for work. . .you're out of luck.





-Even:


-Money: A monthly pass from Irvine to LA is $228. You get to ride on the public transits in LA and OC for free so no extra charges.


That comes out to about 11 bucks per commuting day. Depending on the type of car you have and the gas mileage you get, the train is probably a little cheaper (90 mile commute).


Daily Roundtrips are $15 a day while the 10-trip pass comes out to about $14 dollars a day. You do the math.





-My take:


-If you have pretty good hours (i.e 8 to 6) you should take the train. It's much less stressful and you can rest a little. It somewhat cheaper and you don't have worry about much on the train.


-If you don't have good hours, you may find yourself stuck at work because the trains have stopped running for the evening. Also, the train schedules are unforgiving-miss it by a second miss it for a half hour.


-I like the train (even though I have crazy hours) because of the less stress.





I hope that helps. I have to say that the commute (whether by train or by car) gets old real fast. I spend almost no time with my wife on weekdays (leave the house at 5 a.m and get home usually around 8 p.m.) It's even tougher with kids (don't have any yet). The train helps but still. . .
 
IC - I used to do the Irvine to Pas drive, myself. For three years. Never again.





It's interesting to hear your Metrolink story. I never did it, because by the time I transferred and took the Gold Line, my commute was 1 hr, 45 min, when I could do it in an hour by driving.





If you're interested, here's how I did it. I negotiated flex work hours, so I would leave the house between 9 am and 10 am most days. I got a car with carpool stickers. This makes a HUGE difference on the 210 and the 5 through OC. Also, the 5-57-210 route was generally faster than the 5-605-210 route. Although with the 210, sometimes you just have to get off the freeway and take Foothill / Colorado. If you can be on the 210 by 7 am or 7:30 am, it's not as bad as later in the morning. Also, the 210 after about 7 pm is often better than around 5pm.





I don't think you can get a hybrid that comes with carpool stickers anymore, so you'd be looking at a Honda Civic GX (natural gas powered). On Monday I paid $2.54 for the equivalent of a gallon of gas.
 
<p>Spending time with your family should be your priority than to have an Irvine address. I grew up in the ghettos of LA and I see why you do not want to live there. Many communities have been experiencing a revival and that include the ghettos as well. Because of people wanted to cut their cummute to work so many of the neighboring communities to Downtown are well sought after. Silverlake and Echo Park are homes to many designers, architects and Hollywood behind the scene staff.</p>

<p>Please look at San Marino. For a similar price that you are willing to pay in Irvine you will find a much better deal in San Marino. The parcel of land is much bigger with a real functional yard. Curb appeal is a million times more attractive that the repetition of cookie cutter facades in Irvine. Homes in San Marino are not dominated by garages and driveways. Mature trees and real front yards are much more attractive. </p>

<p>I lived in several neighborhoods in Irvine since the late 80's. I would have to say I never knew my neighbors and was never greeted by them. Many neighbors did not know each other also. I wonder if this is a social issue if the neighborhood when Irvine is so crime free there is not a need for neighbors to get know each other to form support group to defend the territory. </p>

<p>Or may be the behavior is driven by liveable part of the homes never engage the street combining with never using the front door and the lack of front yard gardening. No one really saw each other. All my neighbors drive into the garage and directly access into the home and rolled down the garage door quickly. The streets are deserted and the width is way too wide and that encourage speeding therfore parent rarely allow their kids to play on the street and they play at the parks. I see families at the parks but they are from other neighborhoods. I talked to them and never see them again for another 6 months. I bought in Northpark 6 years ago and 80% of my neighbors sold their homes and moved up to a bigger house. I never saw them again. Pedestrians are rare in Irvine. All the sidewalks and beautiful parkways the Irvine Company incorporated into many communities rarely get utilized. Everyone drives to his or her destination.</p>

<p>Most home buyers consider their home as a investment and transitory home. Homes are treated as a business transaction. Non of these homes will ever become Gandma's house where 3 generations would gather home for the Holidays. No one stays in their homes for a long period of time. Neighbors come and go and rarely stay in touch. The culture in Irvine is really about meeting the joneses. "I want you to envy what I have" I wonder if the environment is harvesting this type of thinking.</p>

<p>Pelican Hills, Crystal Cove, Ocean Ridge, and Shady Canyon are even worse for neighbor interaction. The only interaction I hear from them are bickering. "Your tree is blocking my view" and "I envy you because you got away with your detached casita with a second kitchen". </p>

<p>San Marino High is just as good as University High in Irvine if you are concerned about school. You will get a much better quality built house and neighborhood in San Marino than Irvine. No Mello roos and home association to deal with. Save the 4 hours and be with your family. Nothing is out there more important than your family. I would highly recommend Irvine if you work in OC or bordering LA County. Traffic here is just as bad as the 101. The segment of fwy 5 is always congested between 91 and 605 everyday and weekends. The segment between Jeffrey and 55 is terrible during rush hours 7-10am and 2:30pm-7pm. Before you commit to buying in Irvine rent for a month then decide. </p>
 
bk,





I agree with you except San Marino is much less affordable than Irvine. (go figure). A small house (1500 sq ft-3d) is around a million. Something like in Irvine is probably 600 or so. Pasadena is full of condos or really old houses.
 
<p>San Marino is very expensive and I would love to live there if I worked in the LA area. Also would've loved to buy a house there in the 90's but alas I was only in college back then. I hate bad timing! </p>
 
<p>I would like to share this nice area of Costa Mesa that feels like Irvine. The neighborhood is gated with pool, spa, and park, built in 2004 by Standard Pacific. No Mello-Roos. It's by Fairview and 405. Price is Mid $600K for a nice 3-bedroom townhome. Commute may be more bearable to LA area.</p>

<p>MLS # L23177 is one of the neighborhood listings (no, I am not the listing agent).</p>

<p> </p>
 
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