Turtle Rock, Irvine, California
Encyclopedia
Turtle Rock is a neighborhood in the south part of Irvine
, Orange County, California
near Concordia University, Irvine
and the University of California, Irvine
. It is bounded to the north by University Drive and Mason Regional Park, to the east by the Strawberry Farms Golf Club and Ridgeline Drive, to the south by Shady Canyon Drive, and to the west by Culver Drive. Turtle Rock is one of the five "villages" originally forming Irvine; its 1967 founding is commemorated by a sculpture of a turtle in Turtle Rock Community Park, at the corner of Turtle Rock and Sunnyhill Drives.
Geographically, Turtle Rock lies in the San Joaquin Hills
. Although the highest peak in the neighborhood is also sometimes called Turtle Rock, this hill has no official name. A lower peak to the north, also within the neighborhood, is called French Hill. While it is not entirely clear where the name "Turtle Rock" comes from, there is a rocky outcropping on Rockview Drive at the northern end of the neighborhood that is now maintained as part of an association park. This rock has the shape of the front of a turtle's carapace
, and is sacred to the Gabrieleño Native Americans. It is often locally considered to be the origin of the name "Turtle Rock".
Schools within Turtle Rock include Turtle Rock Elementary School, Bonita Canyon Elementary School, University High School, and Concordia University
.
Planning and housing issues within Turtle Rock have been discussed regularly in Southern California newspapers.
Henry Irving uses Turtle Rock as one of several test cases for analysis of urban communication.
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
near Concordia University, Irvine
Concordia University, Irvine
Concordia University is a private, liberal arts university located in Irvine, California, United States and affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in six colleges and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges...
and the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
. It is bounded to the north by University Drive and Mason Regional Park, to the east by the Strawberry Farms Golf Club and Ridgeline Drive, to the south by Shady Canyon Drive, and to the west by Culver Drive. Turtle Rock is one of the five "villages" originally forming Irvine; its 1967 founding is commemorated by a sculpture of a turtle in Turtle Rock Community Park, at the corner of Turtle Rock and Sunnyhill Drives.
Geographically, Turtle Rock lies in the San Joaquin Hills
San Joaquin Hills
The San Joaquin Hills are a set of low hills in coastal Orange County, California. They extend in a northwest-southeast direction, starting in the northwest in Newport Beach at the southern edge of the Los Angeles Basin, and extending southeast to San Juan Capistrano.-Geography and habitats:Named...
. Although the highest peak in the neighborhood is also sometimes called Turtle Rock, this hill has no official name. A lower peak to the north, also within the neighborhood, is called French Hill. While it is not entirely clear where the name "Turtle Rock" comes from, there is a rocky outcropping on Rockview Drive at the northern end of the neighborhood that is now maintained as part of an association park. This rock has the shape of the front of a turtle's carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
, and is sacred to the Gabrieleño Native Americans. It is often locally considered to be the origin of the name "Turtle Rock".
Concordia University, Irvine
Concordia University is a private, liberal arts university located in Irvine, California, United States and affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in six colleges and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges...
.
Planning and housing issues within Turtle Rock have been discussed regularly in Southern California newspapers.
Henry Irving uses Turtle Rock as one of several test cases for analysis of urban communication.