Yesterday on the Orange Juice Blog an anonymous commenter using the nom de plum “Been around a while” made the comment, “I hope you can take this blog beyond dwelling on Santa Ana…Lot’s of OC residents have written Santa Ana off as a lost cause“. This is the attitude of many around Orange County and even some residents of our city. Just read the comments on the OC Register website and the ignorance and negativity about Santa Ana flows freely.
Well as someone who was born and raised in Santa Ana and continues to live here to this day I could not disagree with this sentiment more. Santa Ana is a great place to live and is by far the most interesting city in Orange County. We are anything but a “lost cause”, our best days lie ahead. There is no other place in Orange County with the potential of our great city and thanks to the leadership from our Mayor and City Councilmembers we will reach that potential.
No other city in Orange County has the charm and character that Santa Ana does. Whether you are enjoying a walk along tree lined Victoria Drive in the Floral Park area of the city or having a “home cooked” Mexican meal at La Chiquita in the Logan Barrio there is no other place like it. This certainly has the masterplanned community of Irvine beat hands down where disputes over whether you can paint your house eggshell or sand are the order of the day.
On any given day you can visit the Discovery Science Center, Bowers Museum or the Heritage Museum of Orange County. Of course you can always look for historic home tours being put on by residents within our cities historic neighborhoods too. Santa Ana has a wealth of history for those of you that are history buffs.
Of course we can’t forget the awesome Santa Ana Zoo located within our very own Prentice Park. You can see monkeys, exotic birds and even an anteater. Where else in Orange County can you do that?
If the arts are your thing Santa Ana is the place for you as well. You can visit the studios and galleries in the Artist Village downtown. Sure Laguna Beach has the arts but can you enjoy incredible streets tacos and other authentic Latin American cuisine just a short walk away as you can in Santa Ana?
Shopping? We have that too. From original little shops like Calacas on Fourth Street, to the small businesses along Calle Cuatro or Nordstroms and Macy’s at the Main Place Mall, Santa Ana is the place for you.
Looking for a great place to eat? We have those too. Enjoy Morton’s Steakhouse in south Santa Ana, Antonello’s next door to that, Bistro 400 downtown across from the Federal Courthouse, The Olde Ship British Pub on 17th Street just east of Bristol or the Memphis and Lola Gaspar in the Artists Village. Yes we have these fine eateries and so many others in Santa Ana.
If you are looking for a little nightlife Santa Ana can accomodate that too. Mike Harrah’s Original Mike’s Restaurant is always jumping every night of the week. You can always give Proof Bar or The Crosby a looksee as well.
Yes there are plenty of exciting things to see and do in Santa Ana and our best days are ahead of us. Does our community have some obstacles to overcome? You bet. However we can no longer sit back and allow our city to be defined by the negative stories posted in the OC Register or by the ignorant comments spewed by outsiders and malcontents within in our city.
Much like downtown Los Angeles has experienced a rebirth with projects such as LA Live so too will Santa Ana. We just need to find the courage and self esteem to see it through. We can no longer allow our detractors and NIMBY’s stand in the way of our city reaching its full potential. The time is now and the place is Santa Ana. Lets all work towards making our community the place to be.
The recent election was a great start. Keeping the current council majority in tact was a positive move for the future of our city. However this does not rest soley on the shoulders of Mayor Miguel Pulido and the city council, we must all do our part. We must become educated about the issues in our city and informed about the projects and instruments of change being proposed. Don’t let those seeking to undermine Mayor Pulido and the others define what is happening here in Santa Ana.
Art Pedroza and I plan to use this blog as an instrument of change and an educational tool to help move our city forward and to continue to make it Orange County’s most interesting city.
