The Ideal place to live is the ideal business location

In Europe, all roads may still lead to Rome, but in South Orange County there is no doubt all roads lead to Mission Viejo, a world-class city in the heart of one of the most affluent growth markets in the nation. Just ask Money Magazine or any organization that lists the nation’s top cities.

• The planned community concept that makes Mission Viejo the ideal place to live also make it the ideal place to locate your business. The city boasts five I-5 freeway exits, with virtually all businesses located within two miles of the freeway.
• Mission Viejo is poised to serve the commercial and retail needs of a region of 250,000 people that eventually will grow by 60,000 as the foothills east of the city are developed. And only in Mission Viejo would you find a hilltop industrial park that looks like a park and indeed is adjacent to softball fields.

Strict adherence to a master plan for 35 years has created a community best known for immaculate, attractive subdivisions, 43 parks, a 41,000 square foot library, Olympic swimming and diving medalists, California Distinguished Schools and National Blue Ribbon Schools. The new city hall includes a large meeting room and city hall chambers with theater seating, both of which can be rented for business gatherings. Friendly employees who serve your business needs are conveniently located just right of the front entryway. Mission Viejo is one of the few cities which does not require a business license.

The world watched in awe in 1984 when Mission Viejo hosted the bicycle race that launched the most successful Olympics in history, with a 20th anniversary celebration planned for 2004. The FBI recently named Mission Viejo the second safest larger city in the nation. And beautiful Lake Mission Viejo is the largest residential and activities lake in the Southland.

Now that the city is built out, its 98,000 people enjoy Mission Viejo amenities under a graceful blanket of trees that give it the look of a hillside village from across the freeway. But the wisdom of community planners has blessed the city with the best of both worlds, making Mission Viejo the residential and commercial heart of South County.

The I-5 freeway links Mission Viejo to the Irvine Spectrum to the north and San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente to the south. Four major arterial routes through Mission Viejo link the developing foothills with established communities and growth areas to the west, all with prime commercial space available. The Foothill and San Joaquin toll ways each originate within a mile of Mission Viejo for almost instant access to the South Coast Plaza complex and the Inland Empire.

Crown Valley Parkway corridor lives up to its name, the crown jewel of the region. More aptly called “The Miracle Mile” it offers everything your business needs within a square mile. (A listing under Facts and Figures on this website shows that you will find multiple choices for everything without leaving the city.) An abundance of office space available at the freeway ranges from affordable, two-story buildings to mid-rises with complete amenities, with retail ranging from one of southern California’s premier malls to small centers at busy intersections.

The Shops at Mission Viejo mall, Kaleidoscope Entertainment Center and an upscale apartment community are steps away, along with three banks, a office supply center and a private mail and shipping store. A few blocks east is the burgeoning Mission Viejo Hospital medical complex (with yet another expansion underway) and an Office Max and a few blocks further is Saddleback College, best known for adult continuing education and the post office.

South of the mall is a collection of luxury car dealers with a draw extending into San Diego County. Just across the freeway in Laguna Niguel are service businesses like auto repair shops for the immediate needs of you and your employees.

Within five miles of Mission Viejo are multiple choices for any personal or business needs. Shopping choices, for instance, range from Saks Fifth Avenue to Wal-Mart and Costco.

Alicia, La Paz and Oso Parkway through the heart of Mission Viejo connect the Santa Ana Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Marguerite Parkway is the only thoroughfare east of the I-5 that parallels the freeway and it is only a mile to the east.

Consider the comments from an 18-year locally owned and a well-known chain-store newcomer to Mission Viejo. Bob Antonucci, owner of Antonucci’s, an Italian restaurant at Alicia and Muirlands, cites both the drive-by traffic of the Alicia connector route and Mission Viejo’s location halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego as keys to his success.

But first he cites the community aspects of Mission, loyal residents who make value purchases and provide him the opportunity to support local churches and schools. He cites the region’s growth and rock bottom crime rate. Mission Viejo is a secure community in a secure section of Orange County.

The upscale food chain that also offers value choices is Trader Joe’s, which opened in 2003 at La Paz and Marguerite. Surveys showed that Mission Viejo shoppers in nearby stores would patronize much more a Trader Joes conveniently located in Mission Viejo, says Pat St. Johns from the corporate marketing department in Monrovia. “They’ve treated us very well,” she adds.

Geography and demographics are important for sure, but the people of Mission Viejo really care about the city. When time came in the late 1980s for Mission Viejo and surrounding unincorporated communities to leave the county nest and become cities, Mission Viejo was the first to organize a cityhood committee and win voter approval for incorporation.
The Mission Viejo Activities Committee sponsors the region’s biggest civic event, the Fourth of July Street Fair, as well as the Four Corners Nativity Scene and Santa’s Workshop at La Paz and Muirlands, a quarter-mile from the freeway. Mission Viejo sponsors the region’s biggest drug-awareness event and helps promote Fun With Chalk, sidewalk artistry event to support education.

This website includes helpful statistics on Mission Viejo. We’re so confident in Mission Viejo we invite you to make comparisons with other communities by accessing MyOC.com, an Orange County Register website.

The best way to pick a location for your business is to see for yourself. From the I-5 Freeway go east on Alicia Parkway to Olympiad, south to La Paz, west to Marguerite Parkway, south to Crown ValleyParkway , then west to the Freeway.

And be sure to stop and talk to people. Mission Viejo’s best sales persons are its citizens.

[Home] [Ideal Live/Work] [Vital Information] [CityTour] [City History] [WebsiteStatus] [Crown Valley Corridor]