Irvine Co. opens village-like communities

Newport Beach-based developer builds apartments, town homes in Irvine that representatives call 'resort-like.'

February 18, 2012|By Sarah Peters

The salt water pool at the Irvine Co's. new developement… (SCOTT SMELTZER,…)

The design behind the Village of Cypress, the latest in the Irvine Co. village-concept communities in Irvine, is something between a comfortable neighborhood and resort-style living, company officials said.

The first of 1,677 brand-new apartments and town homes in four communities — Murano, Umbria, Veneto and Cadenza — debuted earlier this month with 18 leases signed and other names added to a waiting list within the first two days.

"There are so few new apartment homes being built and that, combined with the opportunity to live somewhere no one else has lived before, is part of why we're seeing so much enthusiasm here," said Erin Freeman, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach-based Irvine Co.

Other reasons why this collection of apartment homes has garnered attention since opening to the market Feb. 11 include diversity in price points, diversity in floor plans, amenities and the village's easy proximity to local business centers and schools, she said.

The multiple floor plans range between a 556-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bath apartment to a 1,197-square-foot two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath town home. Monthly rent ranges $1,478 to $2,791.

Wider units with airy gathering rooms, outdoor patios and lots of windows are prominent features of the communities' design, which are aimed to appeal to new generation of younger buyers who value socializing and a merging of indoor-outdoor space, said Kevin Baldridge, executive vice president of Irvine apartment communities, while touring a one-bedroom second-story unit in Veneto.

"The design allows the apartment to live more like a home," he said. "People really enjoy the natural light coming into the rooms."

While the one-bedroom Veneto unit featured pale quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and a simulated hardwood floor, other units feature a mix of quartz or granite, stainless steel or white appliances, and varying patterns and textures of faux wood flooring and carpeting.

Surrounding the units are the newly manicured grounds, including olive tree-lined sidewalks, evergreens, eucalyptus trees, lawn parkways and sustainable landscaping.

The units, as well as other buildings — which house fitness centers, clubhouses, conference rooms and leasing offices, —take inspiration from neoclassical architecture styles found in Italy and Greece, similar to other Irvine Co. properties at Pelican Hill and Fashion Island.

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