Northwood, Irvine, California facts for kids
Northwood is a friendly community located in the northern part of Irvine, a city in Orange County, California. It's bordered by the Santa Ana Freeway, Culver Drive, Portola Parkway, and Jeffrey Road.
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A Look Back: Northwood's History
Northwood started being built in the early 1970s. It's special because it was developed differently from other parts of Irvine. This means it's the only community not fully managed by a homeowners' association. However, some neighborhoods like Park Paseo and Park Place do have their own associations. These neighborhoods also have cool features like community pools and clubhouses.
The land where Northwood now stands was once part of the large Irvine Ranch. The Irvine family gave pieces of this land to their ranch workers as gifts. About 23 different owners held parts of the land. A developer then brought these owners together and named the area Northwood. Many homes in Northwood were built quickly between 1977 and 1979. At one point, you could choose from 66 different house designs!
Later, in the late 1990s, another community called Northwood Pointe was built. It was designed to be a partner neighborhood to Northwood.
Like other villages in Irvine, Northwood has unique features. One main feature is the many eucalyptus trees planted in rows. These "windrows" surround neighborhoods and line the main roads. They were originally planted to protect crops from strong Santa Ana Winds. You'll find more of these tree rows in Northwood than in other parts of Irvine. The area also offers great views of the Santa Ana Mountains to the north. Most homes here are single-family houses, often on bigger lots.
The "Northwood Loop" is an older road system in Northwood. It has four parts: Northwood, Southwood, Eastwood, and Westwood. These parts are crossed by Yale and Bryan Avenues.
Who Lives Here: Demographics
Demographics means studying the people who live in a certain area. It helps us understand the community better.
| Age Range | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0-9 | 10.3% |
| 10-19 | 16.6% |
| 20-29 | 8.2% |
| 30-39 | 10.0% |
| 40-49 | 18.8% |
| 50-59 | 14.3% |
| 60-69 | 21.7% |
Fun Outdoors: Parks
Northwood has many great parks where you can play and relax. Here are some of them:
- Blue Gum Park
- Brywood Park
- Carrotwood Park
- Coralwood Park
- Meadowood Park
- Northwood Community Park
- Pepperwood Park
- Pinewood Park
- Settlers Park
- Silkwood Park
- Sycamore Park
Also, the elementary schools in Irvine are not fenced off. This means their playgrounds and fields can be used as parks by the neighborhoods too!
Learning and Growing: Education
Northwood is part of the Irvine Unified School District. This district is known for its excellent schools.
Several successful elementary schools are located in Northwood:
- Santiago Hills Elementary School
- Canyon View Elementary School
- Brywood Elementary School
- Northwood Elementary School
In 2007, these schools scored very high on the Academic Performance Index. Northwood Elementary was even named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2008. This is a special award for great schools.
Sierra Vista Middle School is the middle school for Northwood students. It also had a very high score in 2007.
Most older students in Northwood attend Northwood High School. This high school has been listed as one of the top high schools by Newsweek magazine. It has also won several Grammy Signature awards for its music programs.
Places to Shop: Shopping Centers
Northwood has several shopping centers where you can find stores and restaurants:
- Northwood Town Center
- Cypress Village Shopping Center (which used to be called Trabuco Plaza)
- Orchard Hills Shopping Center
- Northpark Plaza Shopping Center
