Irvine as a vacation destination??

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I just read in the Register the other day that the city of Irvine is trying to present itself as a vacation destination. Personally, I think that's a terrible marketing campaign. Sure Irvine is a beautiful city centrally located in Orange County, but would you visit it if you were from out of the county? No way.



Santa Ana has the museums and the historic downtown area. Anaheim has the Disney Resort, the Honda Stadium, Edison Field, and so on...

Huntington Beach has the amazing coast and Main Street. Costa Mesa has the South Coast Metro area. Even Westminster has Little Saigon.



Irvine has the Spectrum, the Marketplace, and the Diamond Plaza - centers that primarily cater to residents.



When it comes down to it, I think tourists visit OC for the beaches or Disneyland. So I think our two major tourist cities are Anaheim and Huntington Beach.
 
I disagree. Irvine is a prime vacation destination. You can stay at the lovely Old Town Historic La Quinta Inn and take a ride on the giant Orange balloon. You are only a short distance from world-class shopping at the Spectrum and there are plenty of charming restaurants, like Denny's, where you can eat.
 
If residents are bored, I'm not sure what they expect of tourists. It seems like a waste of money to go on vacation to take my kids to a tot lot and a chain restaurant I could get at home.
 
I first set foot in Irvine as a vacationing elementary school kid at Lion Country Safari. I loved that park, despite our car being attacked by crazed monkeys an ostrich that almost cracked the car windshield. I thought LCS was just a fond memory from my childhood until a few years ago while attending the JDRF walk at Irvine Meadows where part of the route went through the old LCS grounds. It was just as I remembered it, perfectly preserved after being closed for more than 20 yrs, it was a total Planet of the Apes moment for me. I wonder why TIC has preserved the LCS grounds, maybe they will reopen it someday?
 
Actually the summer tends to bring an amazing amount of visitors from the middle east / saudi arabia. The furnished apartment's division at IAC fills the majority of vacancies at their larger complexes (village, newport bluffs, villa siena) with vacationers, and that region of the world seems the most represented. IAC tends to charge 2-2.5x rent for these short term, furnished apartments allowing the company to boost it's occupancy for about 3 months out of the year.



The vacationers like how close it is to Newport Beach, Disneyland, and just a short drive from LA. But more than anything it seems like shopping is a big draw - South Coast, Spectrum, Fashion Island, etc.
 
I didn't even know LCS was Irvine until many years later.



C'mon... why can't Irvine be a vacation spot?



1. Verizon Amphitheatre

2. Wild Rivers

3. Close access to the beaches for less money.

4. Close access to Disneyland

5. Spectrum, Marketplace (and close to South Coast)

6. Mortgage Company Meltdown Capital

7. Downtown Irvine

8. Close to airport

9. FOUR Targets in the vicinity!

10. And last but not least... 3-Car Wide Garage and Tiny Lot Tour?



This reminds me of that thread where a poster wanted to put their Fullerton house up as a "vacation rental"... as if people actually vacation in Fullerton.
 
To think about it... let's say you stayed at the center of Irvine... Culver & Barranca.



1. You can enjoy the TARGET there.

2. You can go to the Spectrum and enjoy its TARGET.

3. Oh, oh... you can go to the MARKETPLACE and enjoy that TARGET.

4. Or enjoy the TARGET at the DISTRICT.



Wow... just realized why none of my friends ever suggest we hang out in Irvine.

It's always downtown Fullerton, downtown Disney, downtown Huntington, or Costa Mesa.
 
<strong>zoo (z??)

n. pl. zoos



1. A park or an institution in which living animals are kept and usually exhibited to the public. Also called zoological garden.</strong>











"What is an "Irvinite"? An Irvinite is a current or former resident of padantically(sic) planned city of Irvine in Southern California." -Irvinites.com





pe?dan?tic

??/p??d?nt?k/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [puh-dan-tik] Show IPA

Use pedantically in a Sentence

?adjective

1. ostentatious in one's learning.

2. overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, esp. in teaching.
 
[quote author="irvinebullhousing" date=1247275574]Not to mention all of the free concerts events in and around Irvine would make a nice vacation package if one can catch it right.</blockquote>


not to mention the free movies, around the parks...
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1247272538]I didn't even know LCS was Irvine until many years later.



</blockquote>


Back in those days, I thought Irvine was in northern San Diego county. That's what it felt like driving down from downtown LA.



BTW, the amphitheatre and Wild Rivers were originally subtenants of LCS who was the master lessee. TIC gave LCS a 30 year lease for that entire area back when Irvine was the middle of nowhere.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1247272538]I didn't even know LCS was Irvine until many years later.



C'mon... why can't Irvine be a vacation spot?



1. Verizon Amphitheatre

2. Wild Rivers

3. Close access to the beaches for less money.

4. Close access to Disneyland

5. Spectrum, Marketplace (and close to South Coast)

6. Mortgage Company Meltdown Capital

7. Downtown Irvine

8. Close to airport

9. FOUR Targets in the vicinity!

10. And last but not least... 3-Car Wide Garage and Tiny Lot Tour?



This reminds me of that thread where a poster wanted to put their Fullerton house up as a "vacation rental"... as if people actually vacation in Fullerton.</blockquote>
Downtown Irvine? I didn't know that Irvine had a "downtown." Are we talking about all the stuff on Jamboree???
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1247272538]This reminds me of that thread where a poster wanted to put their Fullerton house up as a "vacation rental"... as if people actually vacation in Fullerton.</blockquote>


I remember <a href="http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewthread/5100/">that user.</a>



Sorry Z.
 
[quote author="High Gravity" date=1247270164]I wonder why TIC has preserved the LCS grounds, maybe they will reopen it someday?</blockquote>


They can't, the land is highly toxic from the combination of lion/monkey/ostrich feces. It is responsible for the giant and spreading TCE plume that Marsha keeps talking about.
 
[quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1247279375][quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1247272538]I didn't even know LCS was Irvine until many years later.



C'mon... why can't Irvine be a vacation spot?



1. Verizon Amphitheatre

2. Wild Rivers

3. Close access to the beaches for less money.

4. Close access to Disneyland

5. Spectrum, Marketplace (and close to South Coast)

6. Mortgage Company Meltdown Capital

7. Downtown Irvine

8. Close to airport

9. FOUR Targets in the vicinity!

10. And last but not least... 3-Car Wide Garage and Tiny Lot Tour?



This reminds me of that thread where a poster wanted to put their Fullerton house up as a "vacation rental"... as if people actually vacation in Fullerton.</blockquote>
Downtown Irvine? I didn't know that Irvine had a "downtown." Are we talking about all the stuff on Jamboree???</blockquote>


SCman - You didn't know? Yeah, Irvine has a downtown area. Where have you been? You're missing out, big time.
 
I wish Lion Country was still around. I've heard great stories from the oldtimers about <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bubbles-hippo-one-2276133-shelf-rangers">Bubbles the Hippo</a> escaping.
 
3 words: The Market Place Oh wait, that's in Tustin, close enough.
 
[quote author="ABC123" date=1247281205]I wish Lion Country was still around. I've heard great stories from the oldtimers about <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bubbles-hippo-one-2276133-shelf-rangers">Bubbles the Hippo</a> escaping.</blockquote>


My favorite story is when the Elephant got loose on the 405 freeway and killed some motorists. Can you image seeing an elephant on the 405 today. It cracks me up just thinking about it.
 
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