Resort-Style Living Draws First-Time Homebuyer to Cypress Village

IRVINE, Calif. - Aug. 20, 2015 - PRLog -- Hard wood floors. Ten-foot ceilings. Three stories. And windows that stretch eight feet in one direction and eight feet in the other.

Bachelor Laurence Chow is living the luxury loft life.

Except he doesn’t have to fight for a parking spot. And there is a resort-style Jr. Olympic pool and spa a block away. Plus a trail that he can run all the way into the wilderness of Laguna Canyon.

In April, Chow purchased a new home in Cypress Village, part of the Villages of Irvine located just off the Jeffrey Road exit of the 405 or 5 freeways.

“My perfect idea was to live an urban lifestyle in the suburbs,” he says. “There’s a lot of nature here. And I don't have to fight for parking like I did in Los Angeles. But there’s also so much good food around here. A lot of options.”

Each condo has its own two-car garage, and all are detached, so no shared walls.

Chow likes it so much he has already convinced a friend to move to the community and is working on his parents.

Since moving there, he has become very active in his new community.

“I’ve wanted to live in Irvine since I was 12 years old,” Chow says, explaining that he used to visit his aunts there as a kid living in Fullerton. “I always thought there was beauty in the way Irvine was designed. It’s a very forward thinking city with intelligent people.”

Chow says most of his neighbors at Jade Court, a sold-out neighborhood in Cypress Village, are single gals and guys, like himself, often with pets. But there are also just-starting-out families with young kids who live in houses in surrounding Cypress Village neighborhoods, such as Jasmine.

“Really optimistic, positive, outgoing people,” he says of all of his neighbors.

Chow loves Irvine so much he has decorated his walls with framed photos of the city.

His home has a classical Santa Barbara/Spanish exterior with three and a half baths and three bedrooms, all with plush carpeting. There is a master bedroom on the third floor for him, one for guests and another on the first floor that he converted into an office where he makes sales calls for a pharmaceutical company.

Picture windows on each floor usher in natural light. The main living areas have dark hard wood floors and an abundance of recessed lighting. The kitchen is sleek with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.

Cypress Village residents enjoy resort-style living, close to an array of recreational amenities, including boundless opportunities for sports, leisure and picnics with friends.  Floral Park features a tot lot, a Jr. Olympic pool, spa and a huge grassy lawn for picnics.  Cypress Grove Park is the centerpiece of the Village and offers acres of action-packed fun – from lighted ball fields and sports courts to barbecues, picnic areas and more.  Cypress Community Park and Arbor Park provide additional parks, a pool and places for residents to enjoy themselves.

“It screams 34-year-old professional guy,” he says.

At his home, sliding glass doors open to a patio on the second floor, a spot where Chow plans to do a lot of barbecuing once football season starts.  When he has a really big crowd coming over, he’ll barbecue at the pool at Floral Park - about a block away. Lined with palm trees, the pool shimmers alongside a grassy lawn and shaded patio. Cabanas give it a resort-style vibe.

“It’s the best kept pool/barbecue/lounge area I’ve ever seen,” he says. “It’s resort-style. It reminds me of a beautiful hotel. I’ve met a ton of friends out there. People go out of their way to hang out and talk. I go out there after work, grill some rosemary chicken, have a glass of wine and watch the sunset.”

On other nights, Chow enjoys the stones-throw-away Jeffrey Open Space Trail, running the length (roundtrip 7 miles). The paved trail winds past picnic spots and public restrooms “that are super clean.”

The Jeffrey Open Space Trail links to more than 16,000 acres of permanently protected parkland and open space.  The trail begins just past Portola Parkway and travels to the Quail Hill open space in the southern part of the city, and connects to the 22-mile Mountains to Sea trail, the backbone of the 50,000 acres of permanently preserved land across the Irvine Ranch.  AmericanTrails.org notes, “There’s no more enjoyable way to experience one of the nation’s most spectacular networks of parks, trails and preserved natural lands.”

Sometimes Chow just walks the trail with his black lab rescue Cole. Or they meander over to Arbor Park - where there is another lap pool - about a block from his front door to throw some tennis balls on the grass.

Chow enjoys being within walking distance of the Cypress Community Park, which has lighted tennis courts, a basketball court for pick-up games and a giant clubhouse for parties. There are two lighted baseball diamonds for youth and adult leagues, and sometimes at night residents who hail from India play cricket there.

World-class shopping and dining options are nearby, including Cypress Village Shopping Center, which offers many shops including Albertson’s, Kohl’s and Starbucks.  In addition, Irvine Spectrum Center® is just minutes away and is home to more than 130 restaurants and specialty retailers.

For more information about new homes in Cypress Village, visit www.VillagesofIrvine.com, or call a New Home Consultant at (949) 393-5077.