There is a ton of green in that beautiful place out there in Southern California. Where is all the water coming from to support that lifestyle out in the middle of a naturally arid landscape? Is it sustainable?
Posted by Thomas on 05/12/07 at 07:18 AM
As always - a GREAT post. Turtle Rock is my favorite area of Irvine. It gets away from the “Land of Stucco.“ ——-
Posted by steve on 05/12/07 at 07:40 AM
nice place but as with most of Irvine, how many good families really make the $250,000 per year (minimum) that it takes to afford these $1 million+ homes (not including the messed up ones who trash their children’s upbringing by allowing them to be raised at a daycare center or hire an illegal nanny while the corporate wife ‘nonMom’ works 12 hours a day)?
Posted by EvaLSeraphim on 05/12/07 at 08:12 AM
Here’s the info on the Turtle Rock (there is one!) from the OC Register:
Q:I’ve been driving around Turtle Rock looking for the rocks that resemble a turtle. I can’t find them. I remember seeing them many years ago and I wonder if housing developments have obstructed the view. – Tina Williams
A: The Turtle Rock has indeed been surrounded by homes, though one might get a glimpse of it while walking the Turtle Rock Riparian Corridor heading toward Mason Park from Turtle Rock Drive. The rock was identified by Gabrielino Indians who lived in the area as looking like a turtle and used for ceremonial purposes. You can get a close-up view at the corner of Rockview and Valley View, where Rockview turns into Rustling Wind. It is the centerpiece of a small neighborhood park there. To find it, turn left on Turtle Rock Drive from Campus Drive. Then take the first left on Hillgate, before getting to Concordia West. At the end of Hillgate, go right on Rockview and follow it around. The rock will be on your right. You can’t miss it.
Posted by EvaLSeraphim on 05/12/07 at 08:28 AM
“not including the messed up ones who trash their children’s upbringing by allowing them to be raised at a daycare center or hire an illegal nanny while the corporate wife ‘nonMom’ works 12 hours a day”
Whoa there, Steve. (1) Why is it Mom who has to stay home, and (2) no comment about “the corporate [husband] ‘non[Dad]’ [who] works 12 hours a day?“ Frankly, I see men as more than an ATM, but if that’s the role you want or see for yourself, have at it, it’s your life. The rest of us would like the same respect for our choices. And in some cases, a working Mom is not a choice, but a necessity.
As to your first question, **waving hello,** and I only work 40 hours a week.
Posted by Shauna on 05/12/07 at 08:45 AM
“Frankly, I see men as more than an ATM, but if that’s the role you want or see for yourself, have at it, it’s your life. The rest of us would like the same respect for our choices.“
Feeling a little guilty are we?
Posted by Lost Cause on 05/12/07 at 08:53 AM
The rock was identified by Gabrielino Indians who lived in the area as looking like a turtle and used for ceremonial purposes.
<A>Tremor Tales - The Turtle Story</A>
Posted by EvaLSeraphim on 05/12/07 at 08:54 AM
Actually, no. I was hoping that by demonstrating tolerant behavior, we might see more of it. Apparently, it didn’t work. Aside from wishing I had saved more money in my younger days, I’m pretty pleased with my choices.
Posted by Lost Cause on 05/12/07 at 08:55 AM
I’ll try that link again…or google it to read the story.
Let’s lay off the mom-bashing misogyny on this housing blog already, okay? Now, I have nothing against bashing FB’s who bought 800k houses on 80k incomes, but please don’t bash someone like me simply because I love my kid and I don’t feel any guilt about really enjoying my career.
Great job again, IR!
Posted by Larry on 05/12/07 at 12:22 PM
Your community profiles are great! You should put permanlinks to them on your blog’s home page. And then you should become a relocation specialist. I’m guessing you’ve done more to understand and identify the pluses and minuses of Irvine neighbhorhoods than most of the realtors in the area.
Posted by bkshopr on 05/13/07 at 08:21 PM
Good Job IR. I am impressed by your knowledge of the entire Irvine. Turtle Rock was truly a by gone era of Irvine where land value and density were not paramount on the developer’s agenda. It was the vision of planner Ray Watson. The bridge that connect from UCI and University was recently renamed Ray Watson Bridge in his honor. He is still alive. Turtle Rock was under the guidance of the Irvine Family before the current Bren’s Irvine Company.
Site planning was about good design that created neat and tree shaded places for people. It was not about many homes that could be cramped into an acre.
Many of the wood traditional homes were built by craftsmans in Turtle Rock. This labor pool has long been extinct. The current craftsmans are laborers without much trainings and challenged with limited construction skills. Current neighborhoods are all stucco houses. The wood houses in Columbus, Tustin Field and Ladera are fake wood. The “wood sidings” are compressed cement fiber boards ( hundreds of thin layers of thin card boards glued together) The sidings in Turtle Rock are real.
Due to sloppy craftsmanship and endless patchings are required stucco is the most forgiving material to use because it hides mistakes. Most wood supplies are inferior and to skin the exterior of a house will takes quite a bit of sorting for the good wood. I was at Home Depot shopping for lumber and 9 out of 10 boards are twisted, warp and full of knots.
Turtle Rock is truely a special place that defined the surburbia lifestyle of early Irvine. The architecture was about good scale and texture and not so much of style. landscape was designed to be picturesque and meander into the community and not straight lined trees that are monumental and pretentious like a resort hotel.
Posted by dude on 05/14/07 at 12:39 AM
great post! turtle rock looks like a great place!
maybe you could do a tour of the worst offenders regarding claustrophobic design and density, to compare?
Posted by carl on 05/14/07 at 04:06 AM
Irvinerenter,
Kudos on a wonderful post… I am a former Turtle Rock homeowner, and your post almost brought a tear to my eye. It was a wonderful place to live, but alas, I was transferred to the east coast. Someday my wife and I want to return to OC and we will either go back to Turtle Rock or live in downtown HB.
The “Turtle Rock Hill” you took the pictures of is actually called Chaparral Peak. At least that’s what the Irvine Co. called it in their orignal promotional materials in the early 70s. My wife and I used to have the best times there. We would leave from our house with our dogs, have a picnic at the top, and then walk down. It was great, and who says you need a car to have a good time in Orange County? The neighborhood vibe was the best I have seen in my time living in SoCal. It was like living at the United Nations, but everyone got along and spoke good english. I miss it very much.
Incidently, do you think the value of housing will decline in Turtle Rock? When I sold my house to move back east last year is was REALLY slow and I had to drop my price a lot. The only downside to Turtle Rock in my opinion is the access to the 405. It takes over 10 minutes to get to a freeway because of all the red lights on Culver Dr.
Posted by carl on 05/14/07 at 05:07 AM
bkshoper,
Thank you for the additional historical information about Turtle Rock. I am a former homeowner of a house in Turtle Rock’s Broadmoor neighborhood, which was original (my home was built in 1971). I must disagree with you that the homes were built by “craftsmen”. The quality of the early housing stock in Turtle Rock is terrible. I suspect they were mid to low-end homes when they were built. I had all kinds of problems due to the quality of the build. It is true that the wood is real, but the construction of the homes in the broadmoor is poor. It may be different in the higher end neighboorhoods up the hill, but those homes were built later (and they were mostly custom built).
Carl
Posted by Bkshopr on 05/14/07 at 09:53 AM
Carl, I love the East Coast as well. There is no substitution for the variety of trees and colors for the changing seasons. You are at a place where nature irrigates the vegetations and life really represent a much simpler time. I bet you really enjoy no mello roos and homeowner dues.
IMO Turtle Rock’s topography is what saved the community from the flat land density solution. Architects could not put a grid pattern streets onto a hilly terrain. (San Francisco solution). Because of the grades and fast and rapid downflow of water. Many neighborhood parks were created as retention basin to absorb the water thus avoiding water running downhill to flood Culver. These parks were designed to be safety cusion as a result the Turtle Rock benefits from these enclave of surprises as one discover them from driving through the neighborhood.
I am sad to hear that your home from 35 years ago was poorly built. I can’t imagine what craftsmanship would be like if a same house were to be built by todays unskilled labors.
Culver is much worse than before. Several thousand units of UCI campus housing take access from Culver. The entire community of Turtle Ridge burden this street as well.
Posted by looker on 05/15/07 at 11:29 AM
Great photos. However, as usual, no one around.
Are all working to pay the mortgage, or at the mall to max the credit cards?
Why pay so much for a nice envirnoment and not enjoy it?
Posted by tonye on 05/17/07 at 04:39 PM
I too live in the Broadmoor. Have lived there for 20 years now.
Having rebuilt my home from scratch, I must disagree that the homes were cheaply built. As we tore into the old structure, we found some rather expensive and well built walls and ceilings. Also, many of the Broadmoor homes allowed the buyers to opt for many options: roof lines, additional windows, intercoms, etc, etc.
In fact, I had to research the Broadmoor builder to get the plans so we could build new plans. The county lost the original plans in a flood before Irvine became incorporated.
Anyhow, I found out that the Broadmoor builder was actually a mid to upper level home builder. A lot better than the stuff you see today even in Turtle Ridge.
TR is indeed a nice place. The area meanders around the hill and the view from the top is most excellent. The fact that you have to climb up discourages many people so that you are pretty much by yourself on that top bench.
The neighboorhood is also very nice.
However, you showed my neighbor’s house.. Yuck! How in the world did he get away with that New Orleans front iron gate is beyond me. And even though you called it a small house, it’s actually 2100 feet. The home in the tract are laid out deep into the lot, so what looks like a tiny home is actually much, much larger. With large internal atriums too ( mine’s about 22 by 12 feet).
Something else interesting about the Broadmoor: It’s the only place in TR where you can get a single floor, single family home and put a second story. That’s plays a big factor because you can easily take an 1800 sq foot home up to 2800. And that’s very nice.
Of course, because of prop 13 I’m pretty much locked in, but I’m not too worried.
Nice place to live, nice pictures and a lot cheaper that Turtle Ridge.
Posted by Norcalboomer on 05/13/07 at 05:14 PM
There is a ton of green in that beautiful place out there in Southern California. Where is all the water coming from to support that lifestyle out in the middle of a naturally arid landscape? Is it sustainable?
Posted by Thomas on 05/12/07 at 07:18 AM
As always - a GREAT post. Turtle Rock is my favorite area of Irvine. It gets away from the “Land of Stucco.“
——-
Posted by steve on 05/12/07 at 07:40 AM
nice place but as with most of Irvine, how many good families really make the $250,000 per year (minimum) that it takes to afford these $1 million+ homes (not including the messed up ones who trash their children’s upbringing by allowing them to be raised at a daycare center or hire an illegal nanny while the corporate wife ‘nonMom’ works 12 hours a day)?
Posted by EvaLSeraphim on 05/12/07 at 08:12 AM
Here’s the info on the Turtle Rock (there is one!) from the OC Register:
Q:I’ve been driving around Turtle Rock looking for the rocks that resemble a turtle. I can’t find them. I remember seeing them many years ago and I wonder if housing developments have obstructed the view. – Tina Williams
A: The Turtle Rock has indeed been surrounded by homes, though one might get a glimpse of it while walking the Turtle Rock Riparian Corridor heading toward Mason Park from Turtle Rock Drive. The rock was identified by Gabrielino Indians who lived in the area as looking like a turtle and used for ceremonial purposes. You can get a close-up view at the corner of Rockview and Valley View, where Rockview turns into Rustling Wind. It is the centerpiece of a small neighborhood park there. To find it, turn left on Turtle Rock Drive from Campus Drive. Then take the first left on Hillgate, before getting to Concordia West. At the end of Hillgate, go right on Rockview and follow it around. The rock will be on your right. You can’t miss it.
Posted by EvaLSeraphim on 05/12/07 at 08:28 AM
“not including the messed up ones who trash their children’s upbringing by allowing them to be raised at a daycare center or hire an illegal nanny while the corporate wife ‘nonMom’ works 12 hours a day”
Whoa there, Steve. (1) Why is it Mom who has to stay home, and (2) no comment about “the corporate [husband] ‘non[Dad]’ [who] works 12 hours a day?“ Frankly, I see men as more than an ATM, but if that’s the role you want or see for yourself, have at it, it’s your life. The rest of us would like the same respect for our choices. And in some cases, a working Mom is not a choice, but a necessity.
As to your first question, **waving hello,** and I only work 40 hours a week.
Posted by Shauna on 05/12/07 at 08:45 AM
“Frankly, I see men as more than an ATM, but if that’s the role you want or see for yourself, have at it, it’s your life. The rest of us would like the same respect for our choices.“
Feeling a little guilty are we?
Posted by Lost Cause on 05/12/07 at 08:53 AM
The rock was identified by Gabrielino Indians who lived in the area as looking like a turtle and used for ceremonial purposes.
<A>Tremor Tales - The Turtle Story</A>
Posted by EvaLSeraphim on 05/12/07 at 08:54 AM
Actually, no. I was hoping that by demonstrating tolerant behavior, we might see more of it. Apparently, it didn’t work. Aside from wishing I had saved more money in my younger days, I’m pretty pleased with my choices.
Posted by Lost Cause on 05/12/07 at 08:55 AM
I’ll try that link again…or google it to read the story.
Tremor Tales - The Turtle Story
Posted by irvinesinglemom on 05/12/07 at 10:30 AM
Let’s lay off the mom-bashing misogyny on this housing blog already, okay? Now, I have nothing against bashing FB’s who bought 800k houses on 80k incomes, but please don’t bash someone like me simply because I love my kid and I don’t feel any guilt about really enjoying my career.
Great job again, IR!
Posted by Larry on 05/12/07 at 12:22 PM
Your community profiles are great! You should put permanlinks to them on your blog’s home page. And then you should become a relocation specialist.
I’m guessing you’ve done more to understand and identify the pluses and minuses of Irvine neighbhorhoods than most of the realtors in the area.
Posted by bkshopr on 05/13/07 at 08:21 PM
Good Job IR. I am impressed by your knowledge of the entire Irvine. Turtle Rock was truly a by gone era of Irvine where land value and density were not paramount on the developer’s agenda. It was the vision of planner Ray Watson. The bridge that connect from UCI and University was recently renamed Ray Watson Bridge in his honor. He is still alive. Turtle Rock was under the guidance of the Irvine Family before the current Bren’s Irvine Company.
Site planning was about good design that created neat and tree shaded places for people. It was not about many homes that could be cramped into an acre.
Many of the wood traditional homes were built by craftsmans in Turtle Rock. This labor pool has long been extinct. The current craftsmans are laborers without much trainings and challenged with limited construction skills. Current neighborhoods are all stucco houses. The wood houses in Columbus, Tustin Field and Ladera are fake wood. The “wood sidings” are compressed cement fiber boards ( hundreds of thin layers of thin card boards glued together) The sidings in Turtle Rock are real.
Due to sloppy craftsmanship and endless patchings are required stucco is the most forgiving material to use because it hides mistakes. Most wood supplies are inferior and to skin the exterior of a house will takes quite a bit of sorting for the good wood. I was at Home Depot shopping for lumber and 9 out of 10 boards are twisted, warp and full of knots.
Turtle Rock is truely a special place that defined the surburbia lifestyle of early Irvine. The architecture was about good scale and texture and not so much of style. landscape was designed to be picturesque and meander into the community and not straight lined trees that are monumental and pretentious like a resort hotel.
Posted by dude on 05/14/07 at 12:39 AM
great post! turtle rock looks like a great place!
maybe you could do a tour of the worst offenders regarding claustrophobic design and density, to compare?
Posted by carl on 05/14/07 at 04:06 AM
Irvinerenter,
Kudos on a wonderful post… I am a former Turtle Rock homeowner, and your post almost brought a tear to my eye. It was a wonderful place to live, but alas, I was transferred to the east coast. Someday my wife and I want to return to OC and we will either go back to Turtle Rock or live in downtown HB.
The “Turtle Rock Hill” you took the pictures of is actually called Chaparral Peak. At least that’s what the Irvine Co. called it in their orignal promotional materials in the early 70s. My wife and I used to have the best times there. We would leave from our house with our dogs, have a picnic at the top, and then walk down. It was great, and who says you need a car to have a good time in Orange County? The neighborhood vibe was the best I have seen in my time living in SoCal. It was like living at the United Nations, but everyone got along and spoke good english. I miss it very much.
Incidently, do you think the value of housing will decline in Turtle Rock? When I sold my house to move back east last year is was REALLY slow and I had to drop my price a lot. The only downside to Turtle Rock in my opinion is the access to the 405. It takes over 10 minutes to get to a freeway because of all the red lights on Culver Dr.
Posted by carl on 05/14/07 at 05:07 AM
bkshoper,
Thank you for the additional historical information about Turtle Rock. I am a former homeowner of a house in Turtle Rock’s Broadmoor neighborhood, which was original (my home was built in 1971). I must disagree with you that the homes were built by “craftsmen”. The quality of the early housing stock in Turtle Rock is terrible. I suspect they were mid to low-end homes when they were built. I had all kinds of problems due to the quality of the build. It is true that the wood is real, but the construction of the homes in the broadmoor is poor. It may be different in the higher end neighboorhoods up the hill, but those homes were built later (and they were mostly custom built).
Carl
Posted by Bkshopr on 05/14/07 at 09:53 AM
Carl, I love the East Coast as well. There is no substitution for the variety of trees and colors for the changing seasons. You are at a place where nature irrigates the vegetations and life really represent a much simpler time. I bet you really enjoy no mello roos and homeowner dues.
IMO Turtle Rock’s topography is what saved the community from the flat land density solution. Architects could not put a grid pattern streets onto a hilly terrain. (San Francisco solution). Because of the grades and fast and rapid downflow of water. Many neighborhood parks were created as retention basin to absorb the water thus avoiding water running downhill to flood Culver. These parks were designed to be safety cusion as a result the Turtle Rock benefits from these enclave of surprises as one discover them from driving through the neighborhood.
I am sad to hear that your home from 35 years ago was poorly built. I can’t imagine what craftsmanship would be like if a same house were to be built by todays unskilled labors.
Culver is much worse than before. Several thousand units of UCI campus housing take access from Culver. The entire community of Turtle Ridge burden this street as well.
Posted by looker on 05/15/07 at 11:29 AM
Great photos. However, as usual, no one around.
Are all working to pay the mortgage, or at the mall to max the credit cards?
Why pay so much for a nice envirnoment and not enjoy it?
Posted by tonye on 05/17/07 at 04:39 PM
I too live in the Broadmoor. Have lived there for 20 years now.
Having rebuilt my home from scratch, I must disagree that the homes were cheaply built. As we tore into the old structure, we found some rather expensive and well built walls and ceilings. Also, many of the Broadmoor homes allowed the buyers to opt for many options: roof lines, additional windows, intercoms, etc, etc.
In fact, I had to research the Broadmoor builder to get the plans so we could build new plans. The county lost the original plans in a flood before Irvine became incorporated.
Anyhow, I found out that the Broadmoor builder was actually a mid to upper level home builder. A lot better than the stuff you see today even in Turtle Ridge.
TR is indeed a nice place. The area meanders around the hill and the view from the top is most excellent. The fact that you have to climb up discourages many people so that you are pretty much by yourself on that top bench.
The neighboorhood is also very nice.
However, you showed my neighbor’s house.. Yuck! How in the world did he get away with that New Orleans front iron gate is beyond me. And even though you called it a small house, it’s actually 2100 feet. The home in the tract are laid out deep into the lot, so what looks like a tiny home is actually much, much larger. With large internal atriums too ( mine’s about 22 by 12 feet).
Something else interesting about the Broadmoor: It’s the only place in TR where you can get a single floor, single family home and put a second story. That’s plays a big factor because you can easily take an 1800 sq foot home up to 2800. And that’s very nice.
Of course, because of prop 13 I’m pretty much locked in, but I’m not too worried.
Nice place to live, nice pictures and a lot cheaper that Turtle Ridge.