Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California

About Laguna Niguel: Laguna Niguel is a south Orange County, California city next door to a fellow Laguna Beach. The name "Laguna Niguel" comes from the Spanish word for lagoon, and 'nigueli' refers to a Juaneño band Indian tribe's village that ran along Aliso Creek, ending at Aliso Beach. This master planned city is fully built out and is supposed to maintain at least 30% parks land, which makes for a very fine quality of life for the over 60,000 residents who live just minutes from the Pacific Ocean at the beaches of Dana Point. From the hilltop bluffs and ridges in which many homes are built, views afforded include the Pacific Ocean between the San Joaquin Hills that separate Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel.

Laguna Niguel is the newest of the two cities, built after 1980 as an upscale residential community with many guard gated home owner association complexes. As you drive around the city with borders, you'll notice many opulent stone walls and entry arches to developments such as Kite Hill, Niguel West, San Joaquin Hills, Bear Brand Ranch, Marina Hills, Ocean Ranch, Coronado Pointe, South Peak, Crest de Ville, Palmilla, Rancho Niguel, Niguel Summit, Beacon Hill, El Niguel Heights, and Monarch Point. Many of these single family homes sit atop the ridges of hills and mountains, and overlook canyons and the ocean.

Bordering Laguna Beach to the north, Dana Point to the west and south, San Juan Capistrano, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills and Aliso Viejo, this somewhat small city of less than 15 square miles features several large parks. Aliso Woods/Canyon Regional Park and Laguna Niguel Regional Park both offer recreational activities that include wilderness, trails, picnic areas, volleyball courts, and a fishing lake. This relatively young city with an average age of around 38 is affluent with six digit incomes on average, and white mostly with 85% of the population being Caucasian.

History of this land of rolling hills overlooking the surrounding mountains and Pacific Ocean puts Laguna Niguel back to the land grant era of Mexican occupation. Juan Avila. When California became a United States territory in 1848, he had to legally battle to retain ownership of the land, which cost him significantly. Passed from Hispanic ownership in 1895, Lewis Moulton and Moulton Company purchased the property as an investment during a drought condition.

Like most of Orange County, major development went into high gear in the mid-1900's. Laguna Niguel Corporation was transformed around 1960 into a residential area accessing the then new Interstate Highway, 1-5, also known regionally as the San Diego Freeway. Laguna Niguel was incorporated in 1989, which makes it a fairly young city. Though much of its amenities such as shopping, schools, housing and parks systems are young, residents find this appealing.

Laguna Niguel Regional Park was established in 1973, and offers a beautiful oasis filled with hiking, biking and jog trails, landscaped picnic areas, a fishing lake, and many features.

Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park, Badlands Park and Laguna Niguel Regional Park are the city's three major park assets.

One of the most notable and noticeable buildings in Laguna Niguel is the huge, mustard colored ziggurat. Originally built for a private corporation, it was given to the U.S. government and houses many important historical documents. The Chet Holifield Federal Building features one million square feet of space which contains archives, libraries and offices. Designed by Los Angeles architect William Pereira, the facility houses millions of microfilm documents that include important historical contracts and deeds of land to the Indian Tribes of the southwest United States. The Holifield building also contains offices for Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If you remember the movie, Outbreak, the building appeared in that movie.

Excellent schools make the city quite attractive for parents and their kids. The city is served by the Capistrano Unified School District with a number of elementary schools such as: Moulton Elementary School, Marian Bergeson Elementary School, Crown Valley Elementary School, Hidden Hills Elementary School, Laguna Niguel Elementary School, Malcolm Elementary School, and George White Elementary School.

Niguel Hills Middle School, Aliso Viejo Middle School, Aliso Niguel High School, and Dana Hills High School in Dana Point offer middle school and high school educational opportunities. Community colleges and universities are plentiful with one exceptionally beautiful campus nearby, Soka University in Aliso Viejo.