This is my favorite time of year in Irvine, from the first few weeks after Labor Day right through October. Kids are back at school (which parents app reciate), and having access to the incredible public education Irvine Unified School District offers. The theaters, concert halls and museums in Irvine and nearby cities have started their new 2018-19 seasons, so art and culture offerings abound. We have a preview of some of the shows at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, UCI and more in this issue, so start planning now to get tickets or season subscriptions for the best of drama, music, dance and visual arts in coming months. The weather is not as hot as it has been—though we can usually count on a last heat wave or two—but the foggy beach days are rare. The summer tourists and day-trippers have gone back home, back to school and back to work, making it much easier to enjoy all that Irvine has to offer. It's also easier to visit our neighboring beach cities, nearby resorts and attractions. That's one of the secrets about the quality of life here. Not only do we have great schools, a strong and diverse economy, and safe neighborhoods, we are right in the middle of the best Orange County has to offer. This is the perfect time for a staycation. So if you can, take a few days or hours off, and explore your city and what's a few minutes beyond our borders. Spend a Tuesday morning at Disneyland, or a Saturday at The Great Park. Drive to Laguna Beach one evening—something we rarely do during the art festival season—and visit the beaches, restaurants and shops. If you haven't been to the new Lido House Hotel, drive to the Balboa Peninsula and check it out, then walk one of the nearby piers. You won't have these places entirely to yourselves, but almost. And the best thing about it? When you're done, you get to come home to Irvine.