Are there any safe areas in Santa Ana at all? (Burbank: foreclosures, high crime)

[Coldjensens]

Santa Ana is mostly divided into identifiable neighborhoods. It is better to look at neighborhoods than zip codes. There are 52 or so listed neighborhoods. Some have active neighborhood associations (not mandatory, just neighbors who pull together to improve their neighborhood and produce social events (and pool their political clout).

Safety varies by neighborhoods. Some of the better neighborhoods are Floral Park, Park Santiago, French Park, Wilshire Square, Washington Square, Sandpointe, Heninger Park. Probably in that order, I am missing a couple.


Floral Park is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Orange County. Park Santiago is farily nice in the middle of the neighborhood, less nice on the edges. French Park is a historic district with lots of nice people. Some of the surrounding neighborhoods (French Court for example) are pretty ugly, but we lived in French Park for almost ten years with five young children and had little problem. There are or were some decent condos in the $100K range.

Keep in mind that Santa Ana is:

1. A City. Really the only actual city in Orange county. Living in a city is different than livnig in suburbia.

2. Mostly (88% or so) Hispanic.

3. Impoverished compared to much of the rest of OC.

4. Very crowded. One of the most densely populated places in the US.

5. One of the oldeset towns in Orange County.

6. Very large. It is over 350,000 people and geographically large as well. Thus, you cannot rationally generalize about the City at all.

There is crime in santa Ana. There is a lot of bad crime in some places. Other places are not so bad. Overall Santa Ana is slightly safer than the average for US cities of this size. You need to use common sense to live there. A bubblehead may well get into trouble in any nighborhood in the City.

Areas around the edges tend to be nicer except on the West side of the City (bordering Fountain Valley, Westminister etc).

I am not sure that there are any condos in Floral Park. I can think of one building tha t has two units. There may be a second building there. Park Santiago has some at the edges I think. French Park has some.


There are some new condos directly accross from Main place mall next to Santiago park. The condos are new. THey are really ugly, but the location is pretty neat. There is a stip mall at the front of the complex, Park Santiago is next door and Main Place mall is across the street. Very easy and quick access to the 5 and 22 freeways.

There are some newer condos down near Suth Coast plaza and along the costa mesa/Irvine borders (McArthur).

In French Park, there are two good sized condo buildings On 9th street between French and Spurgeon. There are good sized condos. Not sure of the price, but not too expensive. Two different friends just bought in there for a place for their parents. There are two smaller condo buildings on Minter street near 10th (where Minter, 10th and French come together). The one closest to tenh is less nice. THe second one from 10th is pretty nice inside. I think that there are aslo condos in behind the Hospital on Washington street (condos or apartments are on street behind the hosiptal, not on Washington). TH buildings are from the 1930s and really pretty. Not a fabulous area, but not bad.


There are some "lofts" across from the railroad staton. Could be kind of loud there. There are also a lot of condos in the artists villiage area downtown (3rd street and Sycamore).

Thre are some pretty neat condos if you go East on 17th from Main (Toward's the 55 freeway). Just past Superior market and a chicken fast food place (El Pollo Locao?) and turn right. I cannot think of the name of that neighborhood. It is pretty decent. A bit bland, but not a bad place at all.

That is all that i can think of right now. I am tired. Good luck.

[xani]

Thanks, a lot of good info... I'll research these neighborhoods. With condo search: it's pretty much what's posted on a website (and it's all the same on all websites, the condos that are out there are sitting all over several real estate websites). I got to stay away from freeways (at least a mile), this affects the search too....
Don't think that condos within my price range are going to be in a nice/safe neighborhood in Santa Ana. The hood around Warmer/Raitt looked like trouble.

As to Corona--I know that there're lower prices and some really nice condos, with hill views. Corona got more smog than Santa Ana though... I got asthma. Temecula valley at least has decent air quality. You're right about commute... but I might need to build my life around the location and avoid commute to OC (unless it's only 3 days a week)

[Vinsanity]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

There are some newer condos down near Suth Coast plaza and along the costa mesa/Irvine borders (McArthur).

AFAIK, the only condos are a few units along Main Street and Columbine. The rest of the units are apartment rentals. Down by SC Plaza, it's mostly apartment rentals, and a few condo communities in the Costa Mesa side.

[cl723]

Even if there was a "better area" of Santa Ana, you still would be living close by the bad areas and dealing with the same stuff.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by xani

Don't think that condos within my price range are going to be in a nice/safe neighborhood in Santa Ana. The hood around Warmer/Raitt looked like trouble.

Well duh. You're bottom feeding in one of the most expensive counties in the country. Of course the cheapest properties aren't going to be in nice neighborhoods.

[xani]

That's why I say it doesn't make sense to buy in the area if you only can afford the lowest-priced housing; the same 100K gets way better housing in Riverside county.

[Two4damoney]

Originally Posted by xani

I'm looking to buy inexpensive condo in SoCal and when it comes to OC, the only inexpensive ones are pretty much in Santa Ana. When I went on trips there, the area was pretty scary.... kind of a ghetto area which makes wonder about car break-ins (the condos I saw were mostly not too far from Warmer/Fairview intersection). Obviously, a gang infested place... I wonder if there're any better areas in Santa Ana, because each time I mention Santa Ana people who live in LA tell me it's all bad. I'm buying a property to live at, not an investment, so I got to avoid areas with lots of crime.

Santa Ana is a gang infested cesspool. It was bad even when I was growing up there in the 60's and 70's. Look somewhere else.

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by xani

I wonder if there're any better areas in Santa Ana, because each time I mention Santa Ana people who live in LA tell me it's all bad. I'm buying a property to live at, not an investment, so I got to avoid areas with lots of crime.

Hubby and I are renting a (relatively) cheap apartment in South Orange County while saving for a good sized down payment right now. He works in Irvine, and I work in Newport Beach. We thought of looking in Corona, but the commute would be horrid, (been there, done that before and it's the pits!)

If it's just yourself, have you considered renting a room for a while in a safe area while saving up some cash? I'm assuming you already have a job?

There are a few small condos that aren't too expensive around in safer neighborhoods...

Lake Forest Condos For Sale — Trulia.com

Rancho Santa Margarita Condos For Sale — Trulia.com

Mission Viejo Condos For Sale — Trulia.com

Overall, these areas are much safer than Santa Ana... the areas near El Toro are becoming very "Hispanic", but we've encountered no problems and we live near there and do business around there all the time with no problems. Besides our favorite Mexican restaurant is there! It's the best!
Just use common sense about walking by yourself at night etc., but that's anywhere, right?

Good luck!

[xani]

LOL I rented rooms in the US for 13 years...and this point.. I feel like if I have to live in any one more "room"... I dunno I could go postal.

I just want a place to call my own. No more abusive nutcases who rent "rooms" (that's what happens when you try to avoid rooms that are expensive as hell). I'd rather sleep in a van. No, I don't have a job in OC. In my field, jobs come and go, today you have a contract, tomorrow it's gone. I'm pretty much done with waiting to buy housing, it's that time for me and I'm willing to relocate to the fringes of LA metro. I can't pay $600 a month to someone to pay their mortgage again... it's not worth it. Every day spent in "rooms" and health damage from it isn't worth the dimes you can safe off that: I don't make much and rent would be eating a lot of my income. Really the thought of rental rooms makes me shudder...

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by xani

I can't pay $600 a month to someone to pay their mortgage again... it's not worth it. Every day spent in "rooms" and health damage from it isn't worth the dimes you can safe off that: I don't make much and rent would be eating a lot of my income.

Ever consider relocating? $600/month buys a nice home in a good school district in many parts of the US like these in suburban Atlanta.

example house 1

example house 2

example house 3

Or if you want to go really low priced:

example house 4