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DINING FROM A TO Z
No matter which neighborhood center in Irvine you live near, there are intriguing restaurants that are more than worth checking out. Here are dozens of…
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Aug 5, 2026
Area’s least-stressed city is also the fittest
Irvine is the least-stressed city in Southern California and the seventh least-stressed in the nation, according to a recent WalletHub …
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Aug 5, 2026
Beckman High artist wins grand prize
Beckman High School student Steve Han has won the $6,000 grand prize in the 11th annual international ARTEFFECT competition. The …
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Aug 5, 2026
Aquatics center gets $42 million upgrade
Irvine has broken ground on a $42 million expansion at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, adding an Olympic-sized competition …
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10 happenings in August
1. Shakespeare outdoorsExperience New Swan Shakespeare Festival in an intimate, open-air structure at UC Irvine. This season features “Romeo &…
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Sharing Happy Vibes at Manaao Thai Comfort Food
Chef Kanate Ungkasrithongkul and his wife, Anita Lin, opened their first restaurant in Tustin in 2023 to much acclaim. Their…
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City launches bike share program
Irvine has launched a new fixed‑station Bike Share Pilot Program. Pedal-assist e-bikes have a maximum assist speed of 18 mph…
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Charlie Zhang embodies the American dream
When Xianghua “Charlie” Zhang first came to the U.S. at age 24, he brought just $20 and his cherished clarinet.…
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Dive into dirty soda at Orange Coast Soda Co.
Owners Justin Corey and Jonas Wixom, both 20, unveil Orange Coast Soda Co. They offer “soda elevated” concoctions – aka…
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Star-studded music festival heads to Irvine
Summer 2026 has been a boon for Irvine in terms of grabbing attention on a national scale. A music festival…
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Irvine softball teams win championships
Northwood High School’s softball team won the Division 5 final to earn its first CIF title. Irvine High School captured its second CIF softball title with a victory in the Division 6 final. Irvine starting pitcher Midori De Los Santos pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits and striking out two. The Vaqueros were led by seniors Harper Vandermolen, who was 3 for 5 with five RBIs and two runs scored, and Katie Liu, who was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Northwood had 11 hits in support of starting pitcher Olivia Chen, who went the…
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Q&A: Swim star credits Irvine’s summer swim league for success
Ella Eastin won 12 NCAA titles, broke four American and NCAA records and helped the Stanford swim team win three NCAA championships. She started at…
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Athletes of the year
northwood high school Natalie Keith Softball, flag football The 2026 Pacific Coast League female athlete of the year was a standout on the Northwood varsity…
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UCI basketball signs world’s tallest player
The tallest person ever to play college basketball is making Irvine his new home. Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 center transferring from the University of Florida,…
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IVC men’s tennis wins state championship
The Irvine Valley College men’s tennis team capped a dominant 14-1 season by capturing its second consecutive California Community College Athletic Association state title, sweeping…
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Soak Up the serenity
Tai chi, tall trees and turtles at Heritage Park
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Irvine parks are ranked second highest in nation again
Allison Plette-Dalton grew up in Irvine, where some of her most important memories – including birthday parties, learning to ride her bike and after-school playdates…
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A linear park journey
Jeffrey Open Space Trail is a portal to the past and a connection in the present
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Connecting the missing middle
Jeffrey Open Space Trail is evolving from a scenic area through the villages north of the 5 freeway into a seamless linear park stretching across…
Master Plan
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New vision for Oak Creek Golf Club unveiled
Over the past nine months, a collaborative community effort has shaped the evolving vision for the Oak Creek nature park and village. Through extensive resident…
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How freeway improvements impact Irvine
Mobility in Irvine is about more than getting from point A to point B; it is about the integration of neighborhoods, retail centers, schools, parks…
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The Irvine advantage
Cities inevitably change. A well-conceived master plan’s value lies in how its fundamentals can remain consistent even as conditions change over the years. By identifying…
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Irvine is area’s best city for renters
Irvine once again affirmed its reputation as one of the nation’s premier places to live by earning the top spot among Southern California cities for…
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Best city for families in Southern California
WalletHub recognized Irvine as the fourth-best city for families in the U.S. for 2025.
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Irvine is top city in the state
Irvine has been named California’s best city to live in – and the fifth best in the U.S. – by Niche, a national platform for…
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Irvine earns Master Plan accolade
The master-planned city of Irvine has been recognized as the nation’s best planned community by Zonda, an international real estate research organization.
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Hidden in plain sight: Subtleties of the Master Plan
A master plan may sound like a formidable document full of statistics and theories, but done right – as in Irvine – it’s a blueprint…
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Irvine schools receive $200K to integrate AI in classrooms
Irvine Unified School District students will soon have greater access to personalized lessons and faster feedback under a new $200,000 grant to expand classroom artificial intelligence programs. The innovation grant from the Irvine Public Schools Foundation will help pay for AI software such as Gemini, Snorkl and MagicSchool in local classrooms. It follows major national recognition the district’s technology initiatives received earlier this year. Irvine Unified was named one of 12 educational institutions in the country to receive the AI K-12 Student Agency Award. The award recognized the district for involving students directly in shaping its AI policies, through shadowing…
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Accolades add up for Sierra Vista teacher
Henry Miller was named a CMA Music Teacher of Excellence this year for the second time
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Beckman High artist wins grand prize
Beckman High School student Steve Han has won the $6,000 grand prize in the 11th annual international ARTEFFECT competition. The global contest challenged middle and…
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Four named National Merit Scholars
Irvine high school students accounted for four of 11 seniors in the county who were awarded prestigious college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships. The Irvine winners are…
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Behind the dynasty
Forget track spikes and starting pistols. At Sierra Vista Middle School, the most fiercely contested sport on campus is played with safety goggles, data sheets…
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Celebrating Small Business: Harvard Place Shopping Center
Find fitness and friendship at Co-Op Pilates For most of her life, Jessi Midstokke hated gyms. She wasn’t athletic, and most fitness studios made her feel like she didn’t belong. So when Midstokke, a longtime fundraiser for nonprofits, decided to switch careers and open a Pilates studio, she knew exactly how to proceed. She named her new business at Harvard Place Shopping Center Co-Op Pilates – the first step toward creating a space where members and instructors can work out together and build a welcoming, supportive community. Today she is realizing that goal. “You see all shapes, all sizes, all…
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Amenities abound at Spectrum Terrace
Some folks spend work breaks gulping coffee, gobbling doughnuts or playing word games on their phones. Bharat Ananth hits the trails. “I’m a big outdoor…
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Beloved surf-born brand finds big stage in Irvine
Bass Pro Shops’ latest purchase has a local vibe that many Irvine shoppers might appreciate. Bass Pro’s White River Marine Group acquired Hobie, the iconic…
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Bacchus Bar & Bistro adds lunch and brunch
Danny Choi was no wine connoisseur when he bought Bacchus Wine Bar in 2017. He preferred Michelob to merlot, had never set foot in a…
Sustainability
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Irvine among first Clean California Communities
The city of Irvine has been named one of the first 33 communities in the state to earn the new Clean California Community designation from Caltrans, the state agency responsible for highway maintenance and transportation infrastructure.
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Concepts of environmental sustainability were pioneered in Irvine and continue to guide the city today
Nature was on the minds of Irvine Company planners as far back as 1959. Though “environmental sustainability” is widely recognized today, it was largely unknown…
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Irvine among nation’s greenest cities
Thanks to its abundance of parks, open spaces and trees, Irvine has been named one of the “Greenest Cities in America” by the finance website…
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EV drivers boosted by more city chargers
Electric vehicle owners in Irvine have a growing number of options to charge up.
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Water-wise tips for fall
In September, plants’ water needs drop by approximately 30% even if the temperature is hot. Because the days are shorter, evaporation decreases. Plus, plants begin…
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