In Irvine, California, a great destination for those who enjoy physical fitness and outdoor activities exists.
Located forty miles away from Los Angeles, in Orange County, California, the city of Irvine was once filled with acres of citrus trees, lima bean fields, and sheep ranches. Today, Irvine is a thriving urban area, with more than 21,000 businesses, such as the University of California, Irvine, the Irvine Company, Allergan, Edwards Life Sciences, Verizon Wireless, and Broadcom.
The city of Irvine is located just off the 405 highway and is a popular destination for many businesses. Each day, it is visited by thousands of people. It is not only a great place to work, but also a desirable place to live, with many existing neighborhoods and those still being developed. These communities are master-planned and provide access to several amenities, such as pools, clubs, playgrounds, and theme parks, that are exclusive to locals. Some of the oldest neighborhoods in Irvine are Turtle Rock, University Park, and Culverdale. The Great Park Neighborhoods are the most recent additions to the area.
The Irvine Spectrum is a popular open-air shopping and entertainment center first established in 1995 by the Irvine Company. It has seen various expansions over the years and continues to grow with a vast selection of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. For a fun time for the entire family, the Spectrum offers a carousel, the giant Ferris wheel with 52,000 LED lights that can show 16 million color combinations, a splash pad fountain, Dave & Buster’s, Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21 IMAX & RPX Theater, the Irvine Improv for live comedy shows, TheRide 7D interactive motion ride, and the Luckey Climber, an 18-foot tall 3-dimensional climbing sculpture built by child inventor Spencer Luckey. Located in Orange County, Irvine is a diverse neighborhood and a major hub for services, as well as a variety of buying, home entertainment, and open space locations.
Irvine has a variety of public amenities, ranging from sports complexes to aquatic centers, such as the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center with two 50-meter pools and a 25-yard instruction pool. Additionally, the Northwood Aquatics Center is home to a 50-meter pool. Furthermore, there are numerous walking and biking paths in the city, including the Irvine Open Space Preserve with Quail Hill, Bommer Canyon, Shady Canyon, and Orchard Hills. The San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary offers over 300 acres of fresh coastal wetlands with trails for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. Lastly, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy is responsible for the preservation of 40,000 acres of protected land in Irvine that are accessible through docent-led walks and other organized activities.
The City of Irvine boasts 19 community parks and more than 40 area parks with several featuring unique attractions and structures for children to explore and play. One of the most popular destinations is Experience Playground, which provides plenty of space to have fun with a sensory garden, tree house, giant blocks, a water pump station, an art wall, and slides. It is encircled by one entrance monitored by park staff to prevent children from wandering away with no adult supervision. Orange County Great Park is one of the biggest developments in Southern California, built on the former Marine Corps Air Base El Toro with 600 acres of parkland including sports fields, gardens, playgrounds, a carousel, the Great Park Balloon, and much more. The park continues to expand with communities being built around it with miles of connecting trails to make it easy for locals to take a stroll or a bike ride to the Great Park and other locations in the area.
Residents of Irvine have the advantage of a multitude of parks and swimming pools set up in the neighborhoods, providing numerous opportunities for families to get together and have fun. The area is secure and clean and the homes are spacious. In addition to the great neighborhoods, the schools in Irvine often rank among the best in the nation, dominating Orange County and boasting some of the highest SAT scores. Over 90% of the high school graduates here continue to college. Irvine is also home to the University of California, Irvine, which was founded in 1965 and has more than 30,000 students, offering 192 degree programs.
