# Irvine, CA

encoding="utf-8" ?**Moving to Irvine, California?**  
Irvine, CA, a city of over 200,000 in Orange County, was listed in CNNMoney.com's “Best Places to Live in the U.S.”, ranking #4; it was the fifth best city in *Businessweek*'s 2011 list. Part of the reason why it ranks so highly is good jobs, housing and educational institutions. It is a planned city with a number of villages and city parks.

**A Few of the Perks of Moving to Irvine, CA**

**Shopping:** There is an abundance of whatever you need: large retailers and malls, small independently owned shops, grocery stores and pharmacies aplenty.

**Restaurants:** Irvine boasts literally hundreds of restaurants, from fast food to fine dining, cuisine from all over the world. You will never run out of yummy options after moving to Irvine!

**Arts/Entertainment:** The Orange County Zoo is located in Irvine. For those fascinated by science and technology, there is the Beall Center for Art & Techology. For art lovers, there is the Irvine Fine Arts Center, one of a number of art centers. The Orange County Great park is sure to be one of the great metropolitan parks of the 21st century. There is something for everyone here!

**Irvine Global Village Festival:** This annual event is a highlight of the year for the city, celebrating cultural diversity. It features music and dance from around the world and lots of hands-on activities.

**Outdoors:** The Irvine Regional Park is 160 acres of trails and trees. The San Joaquin Sanctuary has plenty of trails to watch migrating wildlife. And the beach is just a few minutes away.

**Transportation:** Irvine has a very advanced *Traffic Research and Control Center*, making travel through the city more efficient. It is connected by Interstates 5 and 405 and by Highway 55 (to Newport Beach). It is served by the Metrolink commuter railway and has a mass-transit bus service. For cyclists, it has a system of bike lanes.

**Education:** It is home to UC-Irvine, Concordia University and Irvine Valley College. Irvine’s four high schools frequenly make *Newsweek*'s list of Top Public High Schools. There are great education options here whether you are looking for K-12 education for your kids or higher education for you or your family.