CA: Irvine tops list of safest U.S. cities

Orange County Register ^ | 06/07/05 | GWENDOLYN DRISCOLL and MICHAEL DOSS

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Irvine is the safest big city in the United States, according to an Orange County Register analysis of preliminary crime statistics released Monday by the FBI. Orange is No. 13 on the same list, which ranks violent crime by population in cities of more than 100,000 people.

[Wiseghy]

"Holy crap! How the heck do folks manage to live out there & own a home? Seems like California real estate is out of control."

Yeah, like, tell us abouit!! ;->

[SoCal Pubbie]

I do business with the County and I was surprised to learn that the origins of the name Orange County are in dispute. I had assumed that it was named for the citrus crops, but that may not have been the case. The County split off from LA County just one year after the City of Orange was incorporated, so it was pretty much simultaneous. They wanted to name the town Richland, but there was already a city with that name elsewhere in the state.

Apparently Orange was popular name in the 1800's. Besides California, there are Orange Counties in Florida, New Jersey, Indiana and probably other states as well.

[Clemenza]

There is no Orange County in New Jersey (although there is a city of Orange). There is an Orange County New York though.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Your info is wrong. There is one 7-11 at 8693 Irvine Center Dr
and another at 15265 Culver Dr. I am sure here are other such stores as well as many AMPM Marts at the Arco stations.

Yes, Irvine is regulated, as is much of south Orange County. On the other hand, if the Times puts it down that should be a tip that it's a pretty nice place.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Okay, there you go. I missed by one state!

[Clemenza]

Orange County (NY) is an exurban county noted for its large population of NYPD. This is why many of NY's finest are referred to as "Orange County Cowboys."

[TChad]

Laguna Beach is practically next door, and the average price of a house there is $1.5 mil:

http://www.diamonds.net/news/newsitem.asp?num=12334

Irvine is a bargain by comparison.

[Clemenza]

Yeah, but at least you don't have as many mud slides in Irvine.

[hispanichoosier]

I'm actually somewhat serious. I can't imagine that a cop or fireman can afford to live in some of the communities they serve.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

I worked there for a time.

The OC Register, Irvine or the FBI?

[sheik yerbouty]

"One never knows, do one."

[NathanR]

So far as I know there is no controversy, just wrong assumptions by people who don't know the history. There was a contest between cities on which one the county would be named after. Orange and Santa Ana were the two finalists. Orange was given the honor, and Santa Ana the county seat.

Apparently, the county web site thinks differently, but I believe that is what happened. (The city of Orange, was named for the orange groves. The county of Orange was named for the city.)

[SoCal Pubbie]

My family has lived in Orange County since the 1920's and I myself since 1957. First time I ever heard that story. It does not appear either in the County's historical portion of its website nor the City of Orange, thought the latter does mention the fact that Orange was originally called Richland. Any source for the story beside your own belief? When did this contest take place?

[NathanR]

My grandfather and great-grandfather were very active in Real Estate in Anaheim, during the 1920's and my great-grandfather bought a book on Orange County history at that time. It was mostly histories of wealthy families of the '20s , but it also included a history of the process of how Orange County, separated from Los Angeles County. It tells of the contest between the cites of Anaheim, Orange, and Santa Ana and how Santa Ana got the county seat, Orange got the name, and Anaheim lost out.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

No one don't. :o)

Happy FReepin'

PS - Did you ever see that other "sheik yerbooty" screenname going around? I think it was a troll, but I laughted out loud when I saw it. I guess immitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[NathanR]

This is the book I have:

"History of Orange County, California", by Samuel Armor, 705 p, published in 1911 (and revised in 1921) by Historic Record Co. This is a classic and has great biographies of early Orange County residents.

[NathanR]

This is the closest to what I remember, I have found on the web:

"With the growth of the communities in the southeastern part of Los Angeles County, there sprang up the desire for a smaller county with a county seat nearer home. This feeling grew until finally an appeal was made to the legislature of 1889 for autonomy. The city of Santa Ana, which had outgrown the other cities in the proposed new county, took the land in the struggle for county division. A lobby was maintained in Sacramento all winter at considerable expense, without being able to overcome the influence of Los Angeles against the bill for the new county. This bill was entitled "An Act to Create the County of Orange," the name Orange being selected partly on its own merits and partly to conciliate the city of the name, which also aspired to be county seat."

http://www.ocgov.com/ochistory/ochistoryformation.asp

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Keep in mind this is the safest BIG city list. Where I live, Pleasanton CA, is far safer than any on this list but doesn't meet the 100k pop criteria, even though the pop of surrounding areas is well over 300k...

[sheik yerbouty]

I am sometimes imitated, but never duplicated!

[Pa' fuera]

bttt