One of the biggest issues when living in Orange County is the need for a car to get around. The county covers a massive area in Southern California and even with a car can take hours to traverse from one end to the other, especially due to all the traffic from the Long Beach, Anaheim and Los Angeles areas, among other communities. This headache and the cost of owning a car, putting gas into it, paying for insurance and worrying about parking is something many Orange County can’t afford or don’t want to hassle with, but often have no choice. However, with some adept planning and access to certain technologies, getting around the OC without a car is possible and the lifestyle is actually quite enjoyable. Below are some places where you can get away with living in Orange County without a car.
Source: wikimedia.org
Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Sunset Beach are all connected via their border on the ocean and the beaches that run along them. They are also all connected by the Pacific Coast Highway and along the beach fronts are businesses and a bike path for residents to easily pedal from one neighborhood to the next. As long as you can afford to live by the beach, own a bike and are in shape enough to ride it, you can usually get most of what you need done without getting in a vehicle, assuming your work is in close enough proximity. When you do need to go a longer distance, buses are available and thanks to modern technology, so are ride services like Uber and Lyft.
Source: wikimedia.org
The city of Anaheim is an interesting one when trying to get around without an automobile. Walking in Anaheim isn’t really a great idea, because everything is very spread out. However, riding a bike in Anaheim is doable, as the streets and sidewalks are very wide and flat and don’t have a tremendous amount of traffic. Ride services and buses are also prevalent in Anaheim, allowing you to get from one point of interest in the city to the other very easily once you use the system or learn the cheapest times to hire a care would be. However, what makes Anaheim most appealing for those who don’t want to own a car is the numerous train stops in the city itself. The Orange County Line, which connects Los Angeles and San Diego; the 91 Line which connects the Inland Empire to Los Angeles; and the Inland Empire line, which connects the Inland Empire to Orange County, all run through Anaheim. This means adept train riders who have bikes can live in Anaheim, bike to train station, take the train to Los Angeles or as far South as San Diego and ride around, all without a car.
Source: wikimedia.org
Like Anaheim, numerous train lines run through the Orange County community of Fullerton, which is just to the north of the city Disneyland calls home. Unlike Anaheim, Fullerton is a much more pedestrian friendly place to live, with a number of fun up and coming neighborhoods and a great state University that has plenty of students who try to drive as little as possible. If you are someone who likes to stay local but have the option for longer trips without owning a car, Fullerton may be an ideal place to live in Orange County.
Irvine has a decent bus system and a number of good neighborhoods and since it is one of the more populous communities in the Orange County area, it is a bit more conducive to those who don’t have automobiles. The Orange line also runs through the Irvine area, allowing people to commute north to Los Angeles or South to San Diego very easily, as long as they own a bike or learn the localized bus system.
The unofficial capital of Orange County, Santa Ana also has a train line running right through the heart of it and is built in a relatively simple grid system, which is ideal for bike riders and bus riders to learn very quickly and navigate. There are a number of Santa Ana neighborhoods that have been improving over the past few years, making it a place that is much more conducive to those residents who like to stay local and walk around in their own neighborhoods.
