Why Orange County Needs Downtown Santa Ana to Succeed

Aesthetics aren't everything, but 2nd Street and its Promenade are gorgeous.

On a recent visit to Santa Ana's Saturday night Artwalk, I realized that this is one of the few truly urban places in Orange County and an excellent case study of downtown revitalization and change.  It was vibrant, edgy and diverse.  There was even a car-free zone - 2nd Street Promenade just west of Broadway.  This is one of the most beautiful urban spaces in the county, a comfortable urban space framed by lovely old buildings, street trees, banners and galleries.

The art galleries were humming, live music was everywhere, and there was a delightful amiability to the whole scene.  Was this really Orange County, a region better known for strip malls, sprawl, planned communities and broad arterials?  In scale, it was a bit like Downtown Disney.  In practice, it had real trash, real historic buildings, and real culture - a spontaneity not found within many faux centers.

After my visit, I wondered if Orange County really needs downtown Santa Ana to succeed.  Maybe not.  People who want to true urban experience could always drive to downtown LA or San Diego.  Fullerton has an increasingly popular downtown.  People could also go to one of the many shopping malls whose Mediterranean facades, outdoor cafes, and walkways create some excellent public space.  We're social animals and inherently want to walk fun streets.  Perhaps they don't need to be authentic - witness Irvine Spectrum, South Coast Plaza or The Grove in LA.  But, then again, some of us want the real thing.

The Santora Building is a beautiful, historic anchor,  defining one of the best urban spaces in the county.

Here's my case for Santa Ana.  First of all, for historical reasons, Orange County has a dearth of urban centers.  It grew most rapidly during the 1960s and 70s when most people were trying to get away from downtowns.  In fact, Orange County was the classic "un-city" county.  People wanted single-family homes in subdivisions and that's what developers gave them.  Where there were downtowns, such as in Anaheim, older buildings were destroyed.  For new towns in South County, such as Mission Viejo, Irvine and Laguna Niguel, a downtown experience was ignored in favor of shopping centers, recreation, and the village concept.  The result was great places to live, especially for families, but not walkable town centers.

Santa Ana's old City Hall, now a   , is a classic example of adaptive reuse.

Enter Santa Ana, the county seat and largest city in the County.  In the 50s, it had a vibrant downtown, an excellent collection of commercial buildings, and a strong employment base.  In the ensuing decades, however, the urban core began to fray.  Crime, homelessness and gang violence gave Santa Ana a bad name.
Starting in the 1980s, things began to change.  Historic preservation,
a national movement supported by federal and state tax laws and incentives, helped the city by designating landmark buildings, districts and neighborhoods.  A burgeoning art movement helped, too, with live/work lofts, galleries and adaptive reuse projects springing up within the city's core.  Recent decades have seen less crime and gang activity, and a growing interest in creating a true urban experience in the state's second most populous county.

My friend, Yael, gets comfortable in one of the many galleries.

Back to my visit to Artist's Village.  I had always admired the beauty of the Second Street Promenade between Broadway and Main Streets.  The 1926 Santora Building, a lively example of Spanish Colonial/Baroque style, is a wonderful corner anchor.  Very good restaurants are found on many corners and over forty galleries dot the area.  A large gallery sponsored by Cal State Fullerton has excellent exhibit space.  Several bars and clubs dot the area, including The Copper Door with a huge underground space, excellent craft beers and an extensive dance floor.

The changing demographics of the area are fascinating.  Nearby 4th Street, containing several blocks with a decidedly Mexican flavor, is the important northern border of the district and ground-zero for change.  Here you can find a traditional Mexican dance club with its salsa and ranchera music right next door to a skateboard shops, a bridal store, and an upcoming health food market with rap music performers.  It was almost too much more my feeble multicultural mindset!

Downtown Santa Ana has a vibrant music scene, but past my bedtime.

Although the majority of the visitors were Hispanic, there was a mixture of Asians, Anglos and everything else.   The crowd was definitely on the young side but I appreciated the welcoming attitude people seemed to have.  Despite the fact that my friends and I were at least 20 years older than the average visitor, I never once sensed a n egative vibe from anyone.  At 8 PM, the Memphis Restaurant was half-full; by 9:30, it was packed.  Who knows how many showed up after my bedtime!  A nearby third-floor gallery in a building made to look old was brimming with an artistic crowd whose style was quite different from what you would find at the Shops at Mission Viejo or Fashion Island.  I didn't like the art too much but didn't really care.  It was a wonderful urban scene.

I hope Artists Village keeps getting better and better.  I've given tours to the area on non-Artwalk weekends, and it was pretty dead.  However, with a huge population base of young adults living within miles, Santa Ana and the County need a true urban experience like this.  For many, it wasn't a long drive and there is quite a bit to do.  Good architecture and urban space, art, food, shopping, an amiable juxtaposition of cultures.  Nowhere else in the County can you find these elements in a four-block area. Go check it out - first Saturday of every month, from 7 - 10 PM,