Mission Viejo Marketing Film, 1967

This Mission Viejo marketing film was produced in the late 1960s by R.D. Robinson and Alan Stecker to promote Mission Viejo and educate people about this pristine new master-planned community. The film is part of the local history collection of the Mission Viejo Library and Mission Viejo Heritage Committee. Do you remember any of these events? If so, leave a comment below. For more information about the local history of Mission Viejo, contact [e-mail] or call 949-830-7100 ext. 5110.

[@stevemiles4979]

As I approach my 50th birthday, I am proud and thankful to have been a resident here since 1967. I have since raised 3 kids of my own in this great place. This video brought back lots of memories. I even got to see the Montanoso Recreation Center Pool, where I learned to swim! Thanks for sharing.

[@westy40]

Moved to Mission Viejo in 1979 at age 13 from Cerritos California. Mission Viejo was aesthetically pleasing but my high school years there weren't pleasant. I found the kids to be stuck-up and arrogant compared to the more down to earth nature of Cerritos . Hard to believe that there could be a culture shock moving from LA county suburb to a south OC suburb. I get it that many people have fond memories and continue to love Mission Viejo...my personal experiences were a bit different. What shocks me today is how they've managed to keep building in areas where you think there is no space available. They didn't leave enough open space. There are nice trails and parks but Mission Viejo and the surrounding communities have left none of the hills in their natural state. What you see in this video with hills are all now built up. That vast open feeling is long gone. I have no problem with development but to not leave anything natural? San Juan Capistrano has tried to have some open spaces and have partially left some of their hillsides off limits to building but it isn't much.

[@auerstadt06]

I moved there in 1982 and it was unrecognizable by the time I left 25 years later.

[@ericzimmerman4511]

This film offers an amazing insight into urban planning as Mission Viejo was one of the first "Master Planned" communities in the U.S. It also happens to be my hometown. My family moved there in 1973 and my parents still live in our original house today. I went to the H.S. in the video, played and then worked at the Recreation Center in the video, and much more! It's interesting to see one's hometown history in a documentary! Thanks for sharing! P.S. It's sad to see so much open space developed. But until we control our population growth urban sprawl and development of our open space is our legacy and future - for better or worse!

[@joejackson9546]

The only real excitement in those days was Orange County International Raceway. You could hear top fuel drag racing from miles away, and an occasional F4 Phantom or A4 Skyhawk from MCAS El Toro buzzing your neighborhood.

[@kellihayhoe8528]

Do you remember we had a zoo in Irvine.

[@judyharrington2523]

@@kellihayhoe8528 I do-well, it was Lion Country Safari-where Wild Rivers and Irvine Ampatheatre was later built after they closed Lion Country Safari due to an unfortunate incident. I lived in Westminster at the time. I went as a little girl.

[@rexabiang3968]

They didn’t leave any of the original landscape... it is almost all unrecognizable from this video

[@krrrrrrr3783]

Its the same landscape. It's now matured. Those trees take 50 years to grow to full size as you see them today.

[@MrGPMcMahon]

I like the Beatles "elevator" background music....

[@Imafed42069]

Born and raised since 1990. I watched ladera ranch being built it was fun roaming the city in vacant houses. Now I’m out of commiefornia but gratful for being raised there I didn’t realize how fortune I was until I got older

[@Miss1Pokemonfan]

Great and safe place to live in.Born in the late 80's and still living in Mission Viejo today :) Best places that I like to go is the MV Lake and the MV Mall :)

[@tatianat7404]

I owe the library money

[@sherrygodat9334]

ha ha ha ha

[@kendallevans4079]

Long before Bren/The Irvine Company/Five Points destroyed S. Orange County.

[@DamienSRiley]

My Dad made sacrifices leaving his secure job as a county Probation Officer to become a real estate agent there in the boom. I was raised there with my brother and 2 sisters and it was a storybook life. I get real emotional looking at this video. It was magical there.

[@ZK-cl7sb]

Fuck the system man good thing he left

[@CIIMarkP]

I'm grateful my parents had the foresight to move there in 1972, it was a great place to grow up.

[@kellihayhoe8528]

Same. That's exactly when my dad move my sister and I. Good choice since we were moving from the valley.

[@jackiedogster]

Curlers in your hair shame on you. Just kidding great video.

[@MikeColburn]

We moved to MV in 1978. The slogan was "Beautiful Smog Free Mission Viejo". My grand parents moved there in 1983, the slogan changed to "Beautiful Mission Viejo" LOL. Love MV!

[@MilouTintin]

I love the burnt orange deep shag carpeting present throughout! I do hope they paid royalties for that very artistic medley of Beatles tunes! ;-) I liked the MGB covered in flowers for the parade, too. So which was the rec center mentioned at the beginning? I can't picture which of our rec centers has a football field and two baseball fields in front of it....?

[@carriecisneros3151]

I think it's the one off Felipe?

[@wrecklessriderwill9391]

I don’t know the road but it is the rec center by the golf course

[@michelleobrien7390]

Thank you to the people who created this video. I've lived in Mission Viejo for 27 years and have loved every moment.

[@kellihayhoe8528]

I moved to Mission from Canoga Park in 1972. I've watched the development of Aliso, Ladera, Coto and all surrounding cities. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

[@dhall058]

We moved to Mission Viejo in 1966. The community was very diverse, since we were located next to El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. It was a great place to grow up! (I learned to play golf at the MV Golf Club; the head pro was Jack Fleck, who won the US Open by beating Ben Hogan in a playoff.) MVHS Class of '72...Go Diablos!

[@carrievandervort9142]

Hi Dave! Also in the class of ‘72 with you, although we sadly moved out of state in 1971. Believe me, MVHS has remained unsurpassed in my mind!

[@dhall058]

@@carrievandervort9142 Cheers to you, Carrie! Are you planning to attend the 50th reunion, even though you graduated elsewhere?

[@carrievandervort9142]

@@dhall058 - I hadn’t planned on it but will enjoy seeing the photos.

[@lisaoldwithsomanywhys5487]

It’s 2018 & MVHS has about almost 4,000 student & The Catholic Church called St. Killians ....

[@annawarner1078]

City of Mission Viejo is issuing building permits when building code violations are present and refuses in violation of freedom of information act to release documentation based on which building permits were issued. How that is allowed to happen? Is enforcement of California Building Code optional and each City is allowed to use own standards?

[@kellygood1165]

We moved to Mission Viejo in 1970. I was part of the parade of students who marched to the new elementary school, DE PORTOLA! We marched and sang the De Portola song! I’m 55 now and forever grateful to be raised in MV!

[@DissertatingMedieval]

The emphasis on children explains why there wasn't ever much to do once you hit the teenage years in the area.

[@bb3intheoc898]

Did not realize that Granada homes were built of Norwegian wood

[@sherrygodat9334]

I am 66 and was partially raised in Mission Viejo. We moved from Whittier in 1968 because Rockwell was supposed to open up down there. It is mentioned in the video as well. It didn't happen. I went to Mission Viejo High School in 1968 thru 1972. Saddleback College was on one side of the high school. I sure enjoyed going back to Mission Viejo in a time I remember well.

[@judyharrington2523]

Oh I didn’t know that! My dad worked at Rockwell in Seal Beach. I grew up and graduated high school in Westminster. I would have preferred to grow up in MV. Oh, well-I found it in ‘88 and moved in ‘91.

[@jasonvelisaratos868]

@@judyharrington2523 Any relation to Joel Harrington? We were in the Boy Scouts in Huntington Beach.

[@rickroberts1198]

I remember when my neighbors dad moved in 67 to a place called m.viejo. The house cost 25,000 dollars. That was a lot back then.

[@Yesterday5656]

Wrong date. It had only 2000 residents in 1968

[@DovidM]

No copyright strikes for the music? Come on, YT!

[@tonydanutemazeika6822]

Mission Viejo has grown into a beautiful city from a well thought out master plan. They were counting on 80,000 to grow to and now it is over 100,000

[@drearydeary563]

I love the Beatles instrumentals

[@1azyb0t]

Ahhh… the diversity of inland south OC in the 60s

[@MrRacket991]

White people aren't allowed to live among themselves without the rich, rich "benefits" of diversity?

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Our Family has had the great pleasure to Know the Toepfer family. Four generations of the Toepfers and the Dykstras have vacationed at Smith Camps for 38 years. They just left camp on Saturday and it is great seeing Jim's Great Grand Children loving the fishing he introduced them to. Thank you Jim and Sue Toepfer

[@ooooo3999]

People born in 1940 to 1965 had it MADE MADE MADE. These guys all bought there houses in cities like Mission Viejo and Irvine for like $100k in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s (probably like 200k in the 90s) and their houses are all worth like $1-2 million or more right now. If they saved nothing for retirement they can live off of social security and sell their house and be set for the rest of their lives with the $1-2 million that are left. Meanwhile, us folks born in the 80s 90s and 2000s are looking at a lifetime of poverty. I make over $100,000. I will never be able to independently afford a home in Irvine or Mission Viejo, unless I get a 1-bedroom condo. I will never be able to afford a house here because it is well over $1 million, even though I have what is considered a "high salary". EVEN IF I MARRIED someone who made just as much as me, so we would make like $250k a year, affording a home in this region would still stretch our salaries thin. I bitterly envy the baby boomers and their lives of prosperity. Even a school teacher could own a home back then on one one income alone. What a shame that we have such terrible inflation.

[@MrRacket991]

When I was in junior high school in the '70s, we had teachers who carpooled from Newport Beach. Yes, Boomers had it great!!

[@HockeyVictory66]

I grew up in Irvine from 1976-1989 and our house, schools, parks, and streets were just like Mission Viejo.

[@cdog25z]

That’s because Mission Viejo was the first master plan community in the USA. They basically just did the same thing mission Viejo did. Mission Viejo Company and Irvine Company. Same thing basically.

[@drearydeary563]

Watching this shit high and thought I time traveled into the 60s

[@sisterluke]

Translation: Come to Mission Viejo, we'll take care of the "White Flight" people.

[@Cyrus992]

Now Mission Viejo has been infiltrated by Latinos and Iranians partially.

[@privacyguru4018]

and you are obviously obsessed with racist ideas.... how very sad for you.

[@kellihayhoe8528]

@@privacyguru4018 That's an unfortunate way of thinking. Mission Viejo welcomes everyone:)

[@ChaneTea]

@@kellihayhoe8528 Eh. It pretends to be welcoming of everyone or kinda tries to be. I've lived in Mission V for about 27 years (family moved in before I turned one year old). I love living in the city, but I've never really felt welcome even after actually trying to be more involved in the community. I can't speak for everyone since I'm really just one black person with my own experiences. I'm sure others have had better experiences and would possibly even say they never had any problems whatsoever. However, I would never be so naive as to tell others that they'd fit right into the fabric of Mission Viejo. My family and I continue to hear the same problem from others: they, too, do not feel welcomed. We've seen many families quietly leave because they felt that way. Hopefully that can change in the future, but I can only imagine that such change can happen only once folks begin to look behind the image Mission Viejo tries to present.

[@MrRacket991]

Yes, many people moved to Mission Viejo to escape the squalor and crime of more urban environments. But who's to blame?