Northwood, one of Irvine’s oldest neighborhoods, may be the area in Irvine that has the most diverse housing: The newer homes of Northwood II are located near Woodbury. The Northpoint homes, located in upper Irvine, tend to have a higher price tag than much of the rest of Northwood. The condos that are across from the Northwood Town Center shopping center (Irvine Boulevard and Yale Avenue) as well as the condos located near the Heritage Park library contain some of the least expensive homes in Irvine. And then there are the homes that come to mind when I think of Northwood. These are the single-family homes that were built in the 1970s and 1980s and many of which have no HOA fees. (If you would like to see which homes in Irvine are currently on the market, go to the real estate map.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Northwood Community Center has been getting an update. The new features were highlighted on September 7 at the reopening ceremonies.

“The new [community center] building will serve our multi-generational community and features a multipurpose, exercise and craft room, courtyard, patio and a Tai Chi court. The Center, within Northwood Community Park is adjacent to a playground, tennis courts, soccer and softball fields and the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial. Join the festivities and learn what Irvine Community Services has to offer.”—City of Irvine

Here is one more tidbit that, as a local history buff, I find interesting. In addition to being designed as a building with LEED* certification that can serve Irvine’s multigenerational community, the building was planned to emphasis Irvine’s agricultural past. The site of the Northwood Community Center was once the location of one of the packing houses that were part of Orange County’s agricultural history, and the new Northwood Community Center was built to resemble the old packing house.

So there you have it. If you attend the event, you can get a quick overview of Irvine and the Northwood community—past and present—all in an hour and a half.

*Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)—a certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for compliance with environmentally-responsible green building practices