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USC Orange County Center

Hotel Guide

Need to stay over in Orange County? Try the Residence Inn or Courtyard by Marriot, both less than two blocks away from the airport and most major services.
We are able to receive a rate of $99/night on the weekends which includes breakfast, SNA shuttle, High Speed Internet, and parking.
When booking your rooms, please ask hotel agent for the USC rate.

For more information and our hotel guide, please click here.

Contact Account Executive Kristina Black for more information via phone at (949) 471-2203, or through email.

Entertainment – Enjoying Orange County

Orange County is home to some of the best shopping, entertainment, restaurants and outdoor activities in California. To help highlight Orange County’s best we have listed popular hot spots city by city.

Irvine

Irvine Spectrum Center: This center has received international acclaim for its quality entertainment, top-quality restaurants, architecturally pleasing ambience and superior location. Located at the I-5 at Alton Parkway or I-405 at Irvine Center Drive Tel: (949) 753-5180.

San Diego Creek Trail: Irvine/Newport Beach. This short bikeway travels through mostly flat country in Irvine, following the San Diego Creek Channel from Irvine Blvd (near Culver Drive) southwest to Upper Newport Bay at Jamboree Road. The trail passes part of UCI and the San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Preserve.

Newport Beach

Near the Newport Beach Pier popular bars include Sharkees, Mutt Lynch’s and Malarky’s. For a great sushi experience check out California Beach near Lido Island. Around 25th Street, try Avila’s El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant for a casual dinner on the patio.

Fashion Island Shopping Center: Set on a bluff overlooking Newport Beach and Corona del Mar, Fashion Island is certainly one of the prettiest settings for shopping. It sits in the center of office buildings that radiate around it like the spokes of a wheel. Palm trees are abundant in and around 200 unique shops, 40 restaurants and two cinema complexes. The Big Newport Theater is a great place to see the latest blockbuster. Some of the trendier, high fashion stores are found in this mall. Popular Fashion Island restaurants include Roy's Restaurant in Newport Beach (Tel: 949-640-7697) and Tutto Mare (Tel: 949-640-6333).

Huntington State Beach Park Trail: Along the side of Pacific Coast Highway. A wonderfully long trail from Newport Beach Pier stretches to Bolsa Chica Beach State Park. This ten mile will give any cyclist or walker all the coastal beach scenery they could ever desire, without the worry of dealing with traffic or automobiles.

Costa Mesa

For cocktails, try the Yard House Restaurant located on the third floor of Triangle Square (at the end of the 55 freeway) Tel: (949) 642-0090 and La Cave Restaurant on 17th Street and Irvine Ave Tel: 714.646.7944. Also near 17th and Irvine, try Al's New York Café for great pizza and sandwiches Tel: 949-722-1212.

South Coast Plaza: Located on Bristol Street, this mall is one of the biggest malls in the USA, with 7 major department stores and over 200 shops and restaurants. Directly west of South Coast Plaza on Bear St is the new extension of South Coast Plaza (formerly Crystal Court). This is a three story mall with two department stores and many more small shops and restaurants. Located on the first floor is USC Collections, where Trojans can find a great selection of sweatshirts, shirts and other USC paraphernalia. Popular South Coast restaurants include Cafe Pascal Tel: (714) 751-4911, Troquet (714) 708-6865, Morton’s The Steakhouse Tel: (714) 444-4834 and Maggiano’s Tel: (714) 546-9550.

Orange

The Block of Orange: Found at 20 City Boulevard, W, Orange, the Block offers a unique outdoor entertainment, dining, shopping experience and features Orange County's largest movie theatres. All located in one imaginative open-air promenade.
Restaurants such as Café Tu Tu Tango Tel: (714) 769-2222 are found next door to bookstores, boutiques, and sidewalk cafes.

Old Towne Orange: Located on Chapman and Glassell, the merchants here boast that this historic cross roads is the Antique Capital of California. There are around 36 antique shops in all. You can find anything from jewelry, furniture, paintings, dolls, porcelain, art glass and country furnishings. The variety of antiques is astounding and the prices range from the sublime to the outrageous. Eat great pizza at Zito’s and experience the original Watson Drugs & Soda Fountain (714) 633.1050.

Anaheim

Downtown Disney District is the new, up-town fun place for everyone to enjoy dancing, music, food and shopping. It’s nestled between Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park, in the heart of the new Disneyland Resort. There are no gates, no entrance fee…you can come and go as you please.

Theaters/Symphony/Opera

Orange County Performing Arts Center: 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa(714) 556-2787
Opera Pacific:600 West Warner Ave,Santa Ana(714) 546-6000
South Coast Repertory Theater:655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa(714) 708-5555
The Laguna Beach Playhouse:606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach(949) 497-9244
Irvine Barclay Theatre:4242 Campus Drive in Irvine(949) 854-4646
Ballet Pacifica:1824 Kaiser Ave, Irvine(949) 851-9930
Philharmonic Society of Orange County: 2082 Business Center Dr, Ste 100, Irvine(949) 553-2422
OC Performing Arts Pavillion:801 North Main Street, Santa Ana(714) 550-0550

Movie Theaters

For theaters nearest you and show times, call the Movie Phone at (323) 777-FILM (3456).

Museums

The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art:2002 N. Main St, Santa Ana(714) 567-3600
Discovery Museum of Orange County:3101 W. Harvard St, Santa Ana(714) 540-0404
Laguna Art Museum:307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach(949) 494.8971
Mission San Juan Capistrano:I-5 and Ortega Hwy(949) 234-1300
Richard Nixon Library:18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Yorba Linda(714) 993-3393