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Old 09-08-2014, 08:31 PM
 
4 posts, read 3,450 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello!

My husband and I live in Glendale, CA and looking to purchase our first house this year. We cannot afford to buy a house in Glendale and surrounding areas due to high prices and my husband works in Santa Ana area.

The house is on Santa Ana Blvd and Garfield St, brand new house and within our budget.

We don't have any children (yet) but plan to have children in the future, maybe in 2-3 years.

How is the neighborhood in that area? School, crime rate, amenities? I have been searching for reviews online, but most of the answers are from year 2011-2012 the latest. There is a lot of bad reputation, and a few good reviews. Are there any improvements to Santa Ana communities?

Thank you in advance!
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Old 09-09-2014, 12:10 AM
 
Location: Buena Park, Orange County, California
1,424 posts, read 2,488,540 times
Reputation: 1547
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightlysparrow View Post
I'm not sure if that was sarcasm, or some sort of xenophobia against Angelenos coming into O.C., but I do believe I saw some recently built condos (houses?) in that area last time I drove through. They look quite nice, and within walking distance within all the gentrification (I mean, redevelopment...) of 'East End Santa Ana' (http://www.eastendsantaana.com/)/ downtown.

It's an exciting area for a 20 something/30 something and artists of all ages, with lots of great restaurants, lounges/bars, galleries etc. I'm not sure about raising a family there, unless there are some decent charters or they are planning on private schooling. Just up the street is the metrolink station, which would give them easy access for day trips to L.A. or San Diego, as well as an artists colony.
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Old 09-09-2014, 09:48 AM
 
Location: Riverside Ca
22,146 posts, read 33,537,436 times
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It's a crappy area. It's next to the court house and lots of county buildings and the metro link. I have a few customers in the immediate area. Go north of the 22 or east of the 55 in your search. Map 17th street past 55 fwy to RedHill that's all Santa Ana but it's very upscale. The area you concentrated on isn't the best. Lots of low end apartments in the area.
I would look elsewhere
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Old 09-09-2014, 10:44 AM
 
4 posts, read 3,450 times
Reputation: 10
Thank you for the replies!
No wonder, the brand new townhouse in that area is less expensive than almost all of the houses (not brand-new) that we've seen. (Been looking in LA county - Glendale, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead and OC - Garden Grove, Fullerton area.)
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Old 09-09-2014, 02:06 PM
 
Location: Orange County, CA
330 posts, read 432,446 times
Reputation: 278
I would and do avoid Santa Ana as much as possible.
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Old 09-09-2014, 02:12 PM
 
Location: Buena Park, Orange County, California
1,424 posts, read 2,488,540 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mxcolin View Post
I would and do avoid Santa Ana as much as possible.
Why, are you afraid you are going to get shot when you exit the 5 off on Broadway or Main?

Some people in O.C. act like Santa Ana is an extension of the favelas in Rio or inner city Detroit. Lets ignore the fact that its art scene is thriving, and that hundreds of professionals work there without any (safety) worries, and many choose to live there when they could afford other areas.
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Old 09-09-2014, 02:21 PM
 
Location: Laguna Niguel, Orange County CA
9,807 posts, read 11,142,657 times
Reputation: 7997
Townhouses next to the metrolink have advantages for commuters. The area can also improve. I've seen that happen over and over again with mass transit nearby in and around DC.
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Old 09-09-2014, 02:45 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,260 times
Reputation: 10
That area is undergoing a lot of redevelopment. It is half historic homes (but kinda run-down), lots of multi-family, and some new construction. There is discussion of putting light rail right down Santa Ana Boulevard. It is close to downtown and the train station, which is nice, but it can be a rough area. French Park nearby is kind of nice, but I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable walking around at night.

You can check the crime stats at crime mapping [one word dot com]. From the "Select an Agency" pull down menu, pick Santa Ana Police. You can play with the map from there.

I like Santa Ana a lot. It certainly has its challenges, though. My suggestion would be to rent and then see what areas you like. You might wind up preferring Orange or Tustin, which are close by and might be in your price range. Good luck!
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Old 09-09-2014, 05:39 PM
 
Location: Anaheim
1,962 posts, read 4,484,772 times
Reputation: 1363
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrician4you View Post
It's a crappy area. It's next to the court house and lots of county buildings and the metro link. I have a few customers in the immediate area. Go north of the 22 or east of the 55 in your search. Map 17th street past 55 fwy to RedHill that's all Santa Ana but it's very upscale. The area you concentrated on isn't the best. Lots of low end apartments in the area.
I would look elsewhere
Actually, changes start north of the 5, east of Grand. That's a decent swath of the city right there. Would not write that off.
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Old 09-09-2014, 06:42 PM
 
115 posts, read 191,520 times
Reputation: 82
The neighborhood you have shown interest is called Lacy. It is adjacent to the Logan barrio (one of the oldest barrios in OC) and French Park. Lacy is a neighborhood in transition requiring a high degree of attention. In the late 70's, a few zoning lapses allowed light industrial to mix amongst the working class homes. Santa Ana officials have been highly focused to upgrade the area over the last decade, because it's main thoroughfare, Santa Ana blvd. is a gateway to downtown.

You should contact the administrator of this blog Life–At the Santiago Street Lofts (Ben Dayhoe) who lives and use to writes about the area to get the real scope.
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