This is the best Senior Center in this area. Big and New…read morespaces with many activities for seniors. Excellent services, friendly team staffs

Lake Forest Civic Center is an awesome facility. It is not only the City Hall of Lake Forest, but…read morealso its senior center, aka Clubhouse, a community center, a conference center, and also a performing art center/theater, all surrounding a central courtyard. It is referred to as Lake Forest's 100-year home. I was impressed by its beautiful view of landscape when I first set foot here a few years ago. Since then, I have visited all the buildings, even its parking garage. I liked the fact that most buildings are available for residents to rent/use. The hourly rate is very reasonable for personal use, and pretty much at-cost for non-profit organizations. I often see people use this facility as a public park. Families walk their kids and dog at dusk. The center is always decorated for the holidays, very festive. The only drawback perhaps is its location, not exactly on a major street of the city. Only people has a reason to come here will make the drive. Then again, it cuts down on people passing through accidentally.

I stopped by the tailgate etching event this morning at the OCSD Lake Forest Station and it was…read morewell organized and synchronized. Officer Theo was instrumental in organizing the flow of trucks and providing thorough instruction to all participants. Sgt. Arrellanos directed the front line to the registration booth and then subsequently to the etching station. All of the deputies were fantastic and I truly appreciate their service to the Orange County communities. God bless them all! Thank you

Terrible ppl always harassing streamers trying to frame them for having a gun and trying to get…read moreviolent with them . Horrible service

On 9/1/22, the men that responded to my call for assistance for my wife were very professional,…read morecompassionate, friendly and caring. Upon entrance to our home, I immediately felt much more at ease with the situation. They were able to get my wife back up on her feet and assessed her concerns/needs. The people who live, work and visit Foothill Ranch, CA are fortunate to have individuals of this caliber in the OCFA. A sincere, heartfelt Thank You!

I was very disappointed by the interaction shown involving Orange County Fire Station 54. A member…read moreof the public came to the station on 9/11 with flowers and words of appreciation for first responders. He clearly explained that he was not experiencing an emergency and was simply there to express his gratitude. While one member of the station appeared welcoming and appreciative, the response from the other individual was unnecessarily dismissive. Telling someone that this is a "place of business" and that they need to leave when they are peacefully attempting to thank first responders came across as extremely unprofessional and contrary to the relationship a public safety agency should maintain with its community. I completely understand that a fire station is an active workplace and there may be policies regarding visitors. However, those boundaries can be communicated with basic courtesy and professionalism. A simple "Thank you, we appreciate the gesture, but unfortunately we can't have visitors inside right now" would have accomplished the exact same thing without disrespecting someone who came there with good intentions. I sincerely hope the department reviews this interaction and that some form of accountability or corrective action is taken. That does not necessarily mean severe discipline, but this should not simply be ignored. At minimum, the employee involved should be reminded of the standard of professionalism expected when interacting with members of the public and given appropriate guidance or training. On September 11th of all days, someone taking time to personally thank first responders and bring flowers should not have walked away feeling unwelcome or disrespected. The public deserves professionalism, and the many firefighters who represent their departments with compassion and integrity deserve to have that standard upheld as well.

Over the last four years I have had so many positive interactions with the police in Lake forest!…read moreAnytime we need assistance, we don't hesitate to call and they are there to help. I absolutely feel safer because of their commitment to all citizens, which is refreshing and has reassured us that we picked a good community. The aggression towards law enforcement is unbearable to watch right now, and as an American citizen I want to publicly say thank you and you are appreciated.

Calling the police to help enforce a court order they won't do anything. I am learning that it is…read moremore traumatic for everyone party involved not just a teenager who thinks they can make there own choice because a law officer is saying she doesn't need to follow the court order. Just because your mad at your mom you can choose what to do. Makes no sense. When I called them one out of the 3 that showed up made me feel so uncomfortable when I called them to help me. One of them started to gaslight me on my situation with my daughter. I had no idea this whole this the enforcement wouldn't have to be enforced. So many times when my daughter was younger before she was 13 she didn't want to go to her dad's but as her mom i still guided her to dobso although it tore me Apart. So me mom with no criminal background is get punished while the other one who has an extensive criminal background gets away with it. Wow justice was not served. They dont understand the years of physical abuse or emotional abuse that I had to endure, so calling for help the right thing to do and they still kept trying to flip and put different words in my mouth like we cant force your daughter in your car. No I wouldn't want force as I have never physically hit her. I am asking you to tell her to follow the orders. If you would say hey I know we all get mad at our parents but this is your mom's time you are in no harm with her you need to obey the law until you go back to court. Like this is crazy you have no idea what is happening. Are you waiting for me to get killed by the other party. Because that is what he was tried to do and now using my daughter. There is a bigger picture of what is going on. He does things he should be watched on.. or followed by you all. But instead of enforcing the court order you kept saying we will not force or grab your child and put her in the car.. like who would do that to anyone? That is crazy wrong.

It's always interesting to go to a Lake Forest board meeting. (since my last review, I've been to…read moretwo board meetings, so this is mainly based on those educational experiences/results.) To begin with, If you go half an hour early, you'll most likely get the opportunity to talk to the LF mayor himself and some of the board members. Consequently, they will definitely take an extra interest and understanding in what you're sharing. If you need code enforcement due to someone / or organization not following Lake Forest guidelines / legalities, then this is a great place to receive the best information, and take action. If you plan on speaking at a board meeting , I suggest that you be prepared, by addressing the board, constructively, and professionally during your three minutes of sharing . I usually give out handouts to the board members prior to the meeting, with Photos and an outline. Additionally, There are sheriff officers there as well and it's usually a nice opportunity to ask questions. From my experience, a board member, city department, or even the presiding mayor himself, Will afterwords be responding / assisting with the problem-solving, regarding the concern you brought up. Consequently, I learned a lot about ADA requirements, complements, and concerns. In conclusion , They are very helpful at Lake Forest City Hall, assisting their residents.

CODE ENFORCEMENT: A MODEST DEPT WITH AN OUTSIZED PRESENCE…read more As with all mid-sized cities, there will be neighborhoods headed down a questionable path (e.g. broken windows, abandoned cars, un-permitted add-ons, gas piping or electrical work, etc). It is not only up to keen-eyed residents but a responsive team to keep seemingly "trivial" issues from ballooning into a full-fledged conflagration. The system is pretty streamlined: fill out an online form and a team member will review and if valid, will address within days. Countless "fires" have been put out through this system and by this team. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In my view, the Lake Forest Code Enforcement Team is truly a force multiplier.

The Foothill Ranch community pool and clubhouse, is located right next to Aqua Wave Swim School and…read moreshares a parking lot with Country Village Preschool. Access to the pool and center are for residents only. HOA recently in the last few or several years, updated the entire pool area from the floors, showers, bathrooms, outdoor seating, etc. They've added four cabana like sections, an outdoor fireplace and wall with a water feature. It is much more aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable since the upgrade. The left side of the community center, there are two outdoor grills which require your key fob to operate. In this section you'll also find the kitchen sink. The counter tops are spacious and generous for prepping. Next to the bbq grills are stairs for the second floor outdoor patio with additional seating. Restrooms are of course downstairs which also require a key fob. I love that the bathrooms are clean and has a bench for you to place your belongings while getting dressed. Now on to the clubhouse. I have personally never been inside in all my years here, so I cannot speak about that part. Overall for my family, especially the kids, we give this pool a 5 out of 5. We love that there is a kiddie pool that always has warm water, a large jacuzzi and large pool. There is plenty of space for lounging and it feels like a cool place to hang on those hot summer days.

Public library is an essential part of a community. It offers so many information resources many…read moreresidents often ignored. Foothill Ranch Library is among a handful OCPL locations that has a stand-alone community room. It is used for magic shows, music performances, classrooms, and a neighborhood vote center as needed. I only found out today that it hosts an ESL conversation meeting on the second and fourth Mondays every month led by Anna, a library staff. Today I checked out a printed book and an audio book on Japanese to study. Very grateful for these resources I can access for free.

Great library for story time! This library offers story time several days in the week and has an…read moreample amount of toys to keep the kids busy. It's a 20-30 min from Irvine but Ms. Rylee keeps the kids engaged and there are so many things to do. The beauty of this library is that there is a park in the same parking lot. If you ever come, story time is in the MPR separate from the library. There's ample space and stroller parking inside, as well as bathrooms.

I enjoy attending Lake Forest Chamber events. They are well organized, and the staff and members…read moreare always welcoming. The Leading Ladies Luncheon was a wonderful afternoon recognizing inspiring women in the community. The event also featured food from several restaurants and local vendors showcasing their products and services. Such a great event!

Being a chamber member gives you an advantage for resources when needing help with your business…read more Attending chamber events gives you an opportunity to network and make great business connections.