Learn About The History Of Irvine California

Between 1960 and 1999 a large percentage of the rental population of Irvine, California was supplemented by the presence of the El Toro Marine Corps air base that was a 20 minute drive one way. Once the base was decommissioned in 1999, the city of Irvine went through a different type of change. The city has sought since 1993 to annex the land of the Marine air station, and finally won the legal battle in 2003, increasing its geographical size by 7.3 square miles.

The design of the city was intentionally planned and can be seen in certain parts of the city. For example, there are areas where the roofs of homes, exterior paint colors, and property landscaping are still highly regulated. In contrast, newer developments are less restricted, so there is a clear lack of uniformity. Regulatory restriction should not always be seen negatively, as some of the more regulated areas have private swimming pools and exclusive clubs available only to residents.

Originally, the city was intended to be built around its university, The University of California, Irvine. It continues to be the city’s largest employer. But the city has consistently added to its coffers by being the site where many TV shows and movies have been filmed over the past 50 years. Included in the list are the original version of Planet of the Apes in 1968, Poltergeist in 1982, Demolition Man in 1993, Ocean’s Eleven in 2001, and Zero Dark Thirty in 2012.

One of the city’s unique features that is clear evidence of the influence of its early design is that it has fore sister cities in Tsukuba, Japan; Taoyuan District, Taiwan; Hermosillo, Mexico; and Seocho-gu, South Korea. The international connections are portals where culture and tradition are shared between its citizens.

The founder of Irvine purchased the initial land from a Mexican landholder in 1864 as a settlement of debt owed to James Irvine and his partners for $18,000. A few years later, Irvine bought out his partner’s interests for $150,000. The total amount of land acquired extended from the Pacific Ocean to the Santa Ana River, a total of 23 miles. Used primarily to raise cattle, upon the death of his father James Irvine Jr. transformed the use of the land from ranch land to agriculture.

There is a noteworthy connection to be made here. During World War 2, Irvine sold some of the land to the military for the construction of the Marine air base at El Toro and a small base in Santa Ana. If you were wondering why the city of Irvine would legally fight for acquisition of the land, the answer is that the original sale was in support of the war effort. Once the base was decommissioned, its rightful (not lawful) use should have been returned to Irvine in the minds of the city’s elected officials. Newport Beach had attempted to seize the land and use it to replace its John Wayne airport. Interestingly, the majority of the land has been developed into yet another public, but non-military, venue: the Orange County Great Park.

Living in the city has definite advantages. A number of technology companies have their headquarters located in Irvine. The city has received consistent recognition as one of the best places to live, including the 4th best place to live by CNN money in 2008, the 5th best city to live by Business Week in 2011, and the best run city in 2017 by 24/7 Wall Street. It is one of the safest cities in the country to live. For another great place in Irvine click here.