Santa Ana has become a cool place to be, and that is scaring a lot of people. (Anaheim: condos, houses)

[HyperionGap]

Originally Posted by RudyOD

What differentiates DTSA from those is that is more than just a mainstreet, but several streets, in addition to high rise structures.

IMO, even though Santa Ana is more urban than those other cities, Long Beach offers the only other actual true downtown in the greater LA area after DTLA. Downtown Santa Ana is more like an urban neighborhood, but far from being a 'downtown' for all of OC, the way Long Beach is for the 562/gateway cities.

One could argue that Pasadena is the "downtown" for the SGV/626.

Has a sports stadium, tons of museums, university, bars, restaurants, etc.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by RudyOD

You can't be serious. Downtown Santa Ana is defacto the only urban setting in ALL of OC.

The rest of it is just dense suburbia, with a couple decent historic main streets (Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Old Town Orange, Old Town Tustin, San Clemente etc).

Laguna Beach probably has the best overall pedestrian atmosphere in OC, but that isn't urban either, not the way Santa Monica is.

FWIW, LA itself was just a collection of dense suburbia up until not too long ago.

[antarez]

What actually scares a lot of people is, some of the areas and crime in Santa Ana.

The post title is misleading, improvements aren't scaring anyone and gentrification will eventually happen.

What should be interesting is how Santa Ana will gentrify ( and it will) in the up coming years and how locals will resist or deal with it. ( parts of Los Angeles are already dealing with this)

Santa Ana has a lot of potential, but what needs to be addressed and watched is "how" it will grow.

Haphazard development would further strain infrastructure. OC doesn't have to emulate DTLA and can advance and grow with it's own flavor.

Older immigrant areas legal and illegal will eventually clash with newer residents and 2nd/3rd generation Santa Anans that have moved up successfully.

More and more gangbangers and losers will eventually be pushed out to the Inland Empire( unfortunately for the IE) as development and prices escalate.

Instead of stagnating Santa Ana will go through growing pains and if handled right will improve.

With enough money, investors, planning and foresight it's inevitable.

[Urban Planner]

Originally Posted by antarez

What actually scares a lot of people is, some of the areas and crime in Santa Ana.

The post title is misleading, improvements aren't scaring anyone and gentrification will eventually happen.

Santa Ana has a lot of potential, but what needs to be addressed and watched is "how" it will grow.

Haphazard development would further strain infrastructure. OC doesn't have to emulate DTLA and can advance and grow with it's own flavor.

My title is not misleading. I had people all around me, from family to friends, that would be like mbell and never give Santa Ana a chance. Even with the constant visual improvements backed up by statistics they wouldn't give it a chance. In fact, I discovered that this stigma had been entrenched so much they didn't want the city to improve as it almost became second nature to put it down. Although there was one family member that didn't want Santa Ana to improve because of racial reasons... yup, I am sure a lot of folks are like that.

In terms of "how SNA will grow," you bring up a great point. Santa Ana's growing pains are behind it. The 80's and 90's were the growing pains when the city went from a density of 5,000 people per square mile to todays 12,000 people per square mile. You had single family neighborhoods completely destroyed by small lot apartments and unchecked growth. Those days are gone.

The city is past those growing pains of going from a single family residential city to a full blown city with crazy density. Now it's maturing with new sustainable density and transit, not the small lot disasters from 30 years ago.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by HyperionGap

You don't actually understand what urban means.

Buffalo Wild wings in your Lake forest strip mall it is not.

lol! That's what I was thinking. When I say "urban setting", I mean old brick, historic buildings built up to the sidewalk. Old Town Orange has this downtown. Tustin has it's little downtown, then there's Fullerton, Anaheim... there are some OC cities that have this. But downtown Santa Ana is by far the largest urban area in OC. Once you get to Irvine on south, the cities have NO downtown. Strip malls and city halls that look like suburban offices are not urban!

[denverian]

Originally Posted by mbell75

I don't think you understand the definition of "urban" and "suburban". The entire OC region could be considered a suburb of Los Angeles, especially since we are considered "greater Los Angeles". What makes downtown SA urban? Its the exact same thing as downtown Orange, HB etc...

You're way off base. Yes, overall, OC is suburbs of LA. However, in larger metro areas, there are often other urban centers besides the main downtown.

You really don't understand what "urban" is? Downtown Orange, while "small-townish" is built on an urban model. Old brick store fronts, sidewalks in front, not surrounded by parking lots, historic. Downtown Santa Ana is that, on a larger scale.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by HyperionGap

What you will "take" is completely irrelevant to what is urbanity. The thing you haven't quite come to terms with is that not everyone likes what you do.


Here's a video explaining the difference that was made for second graders. Should be at about your level.

I actually watched it! How does this prove your incorrect point? According to the US Census, any city with more than 50k people is considered urban. So by that definition alone, Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, HB, Irvine, La Habra, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, MV, NB, Orange, Placentia, San Clemente, Santa Ana, Tustin, Westminster and Yorba Linda would all be considered urban. A suburban area has between 10k-49,999 people. That would include cities like Aliso Viejo, Brea, Dana Point...those are suburbs. I won't even go into the other areas the video pointed out you are completely wrong about...

[denverian]

Originally Posted by mbell75

I actually watched it! How does this prove your incorrect point? According to the US Census, any city with more than 50k people is considered urban. So by that definition alone, Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, HB, Irvine, La Habra, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, MV, NB, Orange, Placentia, San Clemente, Santa Ana, Tustin, Westminster and Yorba Linda would all be considered urban. A suburban area has between 10k-49,999 people. That would include cities like Aliso Viejo, Brea, Dana Point...those are suburbs. I won't even go into the other areas the video pointed out you are completely wrong about...

You don't understand the difference between and urban and suburban environment. When people say they prefer and urban environment, they're not talking about a cul-de-sac in Aliso Viejo. They mean walkable, sidewalks, no setbacks, no sea of parking lots, mass transit, mid to high rises. Obviously NYC would the the best example.

[Mach50]

mbell75 have you even been to Santa Ana?

You sound like one of these people that has "heard" about it, but never actually went there.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by denverian

You don't understand the difference between and urban and suburban environment. When people say they prefer and urban environment, they're not talking about a cul-de-sac in Aliso Viejo. They mean walkable, sidewalks, no setbacks, no sea of parking lots, mass transit, mid to high rises. Obviously NYC would the the best example.

Sure I do. To anyone outside of CA who has truly lived in a REAL suburban area, a city like Anaheim would definitely be urban to them. Hell, even the Newport Beach fashion island area would feel like an urban area to them and according to the US Census, having more than 50k people, it IS an urban area. I know exactly what the difference is. I lived in Tigard OR, 15 minutes outside of Portland for 2 years. Tigard is a suburb or Portland. A few strip malls with grocery stores and restaurants and banks, a few bars and movie theater. Thats about it. However, even a city like Irvine dwarfs Tigard and is FAR more walkable. Irvine would for sure be considered "urban" to someone from Tigard, or Lake Oswego OR. Thanks though