Getting to know Irvine

This week’s email is to provide information about the campus and the surrounding community in terms of where to shop, where to eat, and what to do. This is a short list about what Irvine provides and activities to engage in while attending UCI for your graduate studies.

ON CAMPUS MEAL OPTIONS

UCI has a meal plan for their dining halls, which can be purchased online. There are also various fast food options available, although many of these restaurants are closed due to COVID-19. A list of the restaurants, their locations, and hours of operation is available here.

As mentioned in last week’s email, UCI also provides free necessities for students experiencing basic needs insecurities. The UCI Fresh Needs Basic Hub (Lot #5; 4079 Mesa Rd, Irvine, CA 92617) provides supplemental meal swipes to the dining halls and aid with CalFresh (California’s food stamps, or SNAP program) for students in need. Also located here is the Food Pantry which allows students to receive free groceries, such as fresh vegetables and toiletries by showing your student ID. Visit the Food Pantry website to book an appointment to secure your food boxes.

SHOPS

Around campus there are two main shopping plazas: Campus Plaza (CP) and University Town Center (UTC). The grocery options are mainly Albertsons (in CP) which is a large grocery store that often provides more affordable options than those offered at Trader Joe’s and a larger selection then Target (both at UTC). Each plaza also has various restaurants for dining and fast food. Because of the current lock-down situation, most of these restaurants are take-out only. For burgers and sandwiches you can find options at Cafe de Paris, Jersey Mike’s Subs,The Habit Burger Grill (at CP) or In-N-Out Burger, Chick-Fil-A, and Eureka (at UTC). There are various other restaurants such as Hen House Mediterranean (CP) or DEL SUSHI (UTC) that provide more specialized dining options. These plazas also have miscellaneous stores such as:

● Banks: Chase Bank (in both plazas)

● Haircut Parlor: Great Clips (CP) & Bishops Cuts/Color (UTC)

● Mailrooms: Mailboxes-Irvine (CP); FedEx Office (UTC), Amazon (UTC) & U.S Post Office (UTC)

A 10 to 20 minute car ride away, you would be able to find larger shopping plazas: The DISTRICT, The SPECTRUM, University Park Center (UPC), Culver Plaza and Diamond Jamboree (DJ). These plazas provide more choices in terms of restaurants as well as groceries such as Wholesome Choice (UPC), which has cheap greens and international foods, a 99 Ranch (Culver), which is a general Asian supermarket, and HMart (DJ), which is a Korean supermarket.

The entire list of shops and restaurants in each plaza can be found in the links provided.

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Outside of shopping plazas and food places, Irvine also has various locations for recreational activities. Irvine is a large city with multiple hiking and biking trails, such as Bommer Canyon Trail, Quail Hill Trail, and Crystal Cove State Park. UCI is designated as a ‘green’ campus not only due to the fact that it is carbon neutral, but also because UCI has a park in the center of the campus. In addition, there are various parks around the city such as the William R Mason Regional Park and Mike Ward Community Park Woodbridge. If parks do not interest you, there are various beaches: Corona Del Mar State Beach, Balboa Pier Beach, Newport Municipal Beach that are a car ride away. All these beaches are within a 25 minute drive, excluding traffic. There are also other activities, such as kayaking, hot air balloon rides, and a farmer’s market.

As you get more accustomed to the city and life in Irvine, I’m sure you’ll discover even more than what is listed here. Feel free to check out this video for an overview of what Orange County has to offer. I hope this information is useful in giving a small glimpse of your new home!