Kim Drum lives in the past in more ways than one. Not only does her Mission Viejo home sit on the very hillside she clambered on as a kid, but census figures show that the neighborhood she lives in sports a demographic mix similar to Orange County's in 1970, when white families streamed into north county homes that were then on the suburban frontier. Today that frontier is considerably farther south. Just over the ridge from Drum's home is a sweeping view of the Cleveland National Forest - end of the line for Orange County expansion. But while the location of suburban living has changed in 30 years, Drum's experience shows little else has.
Parents raising kids all know each other.
And the big city seems far away. You can see a big cultural difference. That difference is apparent even to kids skateboarding at nearby Beebe Park. Everyone's a lot closer here. You're not looking out and seeing more city.