This time the accolade comes from Money magazine, which has our town at No. 6 on its newly published list, just ahead of Reston, Va., but behind Redmond, Wash.
Carmel, Ind., with a population of a little more than 80,000, took the top spot. But No. 6 isn’t too shabby, and the magazine offers a pretty glowing assessment of Irvine with a bunch of interesting statistics. Here’s what it says specifically:
Irvine has all the surf, sand, and sun Southern California is known for, with 44 miles of bike trails, 20,000 acres of parks and preserves, and a beach 10 miles away.
Thanks to smart planning, this big city can feel surprisingly small. The 40-year-old community is divided into 40 "villages," and a minimum of five acres of park space is added for every 1,000 newcomers. Home prices are high, but new development is creating more affordable options -- along with new schools, bike paths, and green spaces.
Last September, Businessweek.com had Irvine at No. 5 on its list of America’s top cities, citing in part the quality of local schools.