But Irvine has The Spectrum (is it still open?) and... The Spectrum! A real cultural nexus.

Yes, the Spectrum is still open.

Others are paying a great deal for the privilege though.

Curious what makes Irvine a bad place to live for you?

Takes the American "unwalkable city" trope to the extreme - you can't even really bike there. People live in isolate subdivisions (gated, often) connected to the outside world by mega-arterials with 6+ lanes.

It's not surprising it ranks so low in murders - it's hard to get killed when you're only outside for the time it takes to walk from your parking spot to the shop.