The Best of Orange County . . . Neighborhoods

WOODBRIDGE

Bounded by Culver Drive, Irvine Center Drive, Jeffrey Road and I-405
Woodbridge Village Association: 949-786-1800
wva.org

Founded in 1975 and completed in the mid-1990s, Woodbridge has about 9,500 homes and 30,000 residents, with amenities and a community organization that makes it widely viewed as a model among master-planned communities.

The leafy community spans 1,700 acres. The Cape Cod-style architecture gives the village a seaside ambience. An active homeowners association enforces aesthetic quality and organizes services and events including parades, fun runs, fireworks shows, cooking classes and gardening clubs. Residents refer to this atmosphere as the "Woodbridge way of life."

Amenities include 40 parks and pools, two "landmark" man-made lakes with fish, two freshwater swimming lagoons, two beach clubs (with boat docks and pedal boat, kayak and canoe rentals), two lifeguard-attended swim clubs, 24 tennis courts and a community garden plot.

Homes "inside the Loop," or located in the four-lane circular road called Yale Loop, are considered Woodbridge real estate's best. Properties on the fringe of the village, or outside the Loop, tend to sell for less. Home prices range from $300,000 for condos to $1.4 million for waterfront homes.

Among the favorites of locals and visitors: Waters Restaurant, with waterfront dining; a pedestrian bridge that allows a safe walk from the Woodbridge Village Center to North Lake; and Woodbridge Village Center tenants Ruby's Diner and the Woodbridge Movies 5 theater, where admission is $1.50.

Among the local secrets is Echo Run Park, known as Big Wheel Park because children can play on its miniature roads and bridges. During the holidays, a Community Snow Day with man-made snow allows for snowball fights and sledding.

- Erika Chavez

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