Santa Ana? How bad is it? (Anaheim, Huntington Beach: salon, real estate, condos)

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

A friend of mine works for the SAPD and he said there has already been something like 14 homocides this year...and that was a month ago he told me this.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY

A friend of mine works for the SAPD and he said there has already been something like 14 homocides this year...and that was a month ago he told me this.

big cities with hundreds of thousands of people have higher crime totals. interesting.

[Coldjensens]

Lived there for 9 years and still live there when I am in Ca about 15 weeks of the year.

We liked it. Still do.

You have to learn to be careful and stay out of the bad areas. It is not horrid. When we moved there in 1996 it was rated the safest city in America for Cities of its size group in US News & World Report. Yes, Irvine afficinadoes it even bested Irvine on a per capita basis. It backslid some in the past four or so years,but it is not terrible. We raised five children there for nine years, walked to work downtown, walked to entertainment downtown, rode my bicycle all over the place, played outside. Never had any serious problems. We were not just lucky unless everyone else that we knew was also amazingly lucky. Great turn of the century homes available for reasonable brices in many nieghborhoods.

Crime statistics right now in Santa Ana are about average for US cities. Last time I looked it up, Santa Ana was a little safer than the average. Car theft was way higher than average, but everything else was just a little beit better than the national average.

It is a fun and lively city. No other City in OC is comparable in many regards. Where else can you live that you cna walk to work, art galleries, muesums, theaters, shops, resturuants, etc. Santa Ana is the only Orange County city that has a real downtown (not just one street or intersection, but an acutal downtown).

If your firends are protestant church goers, the Presbeterian church in midtown has a lot of really neat programs (plays, outreach, a praise band service, etc). It would be a great starting place for them to make conencitons. THe Kiwanis club is also very large and active and a good place to make connecitons.

There was crime. A house about five blocks away from us got shot at one Christmas eve. Somone stole some tools and dog foor from the back yard when we had the house tented to move away. We occaisionally called in obvious drug deals, gang patrols, yelling, loud music and other pretty minor issues. Graphitti was a problem. We just painted it over (or got the City to come and paint it over). We got hit on our garge or yard wall about four times a year.

No not horrid. The only place with true character (except maybe Laguna Beach). Shcools ar emanagable too if you work at it. OCHSA, one of the top five high schools in all Orange county was only a few blocks from our house.

By the way, 14 homocides is very low crime in a city of 350,000 people. In fact, several hundred homocides is still pretty low to average.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

The funniest (and most true without intending to be) thing about Santa Ana are the road construction signs that read: "Santa Ana: A Sign of Things to Come"

I always thought that the water tower that said "Education First" was the funniest. Most of the schools are terrible and the city and school district do nto always get along.

[caliguy92832]

BAD. All you see in hispanics who dont like white people and poverty. Crowded as hell, its like being in a third world country. Alot of areas of LA are also like that.

[globalroamer]

It seems that most of the people posting on Santa Ana have never actually lived in Santa Ana and have a prejudice against Mexicans. I'm a 100% white gringa that has lived in Santa Ana since I was 4 years old (almost 20 years!)... I'm not saying it's perfect, has always been some police activity every once and a while, but I've never really had any real problems. And no, I don't live in Floral Park. I live in the "ghetto area" near Broadway and Edinger.

Honestly, if you're ok with living near people who aren't necessarily like you, then it's not really a problem. Sure, there are certain areas that are more dangerous than others, but if the neighborhood isn't run down then it's probably perfectly safe to live there. If you only want to live near white americans then go to South County, but be prepared to pay for it.

I'm proud to call Santa Ana my home!

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by globalroamer

It seems that most of the people posting on Santa Ana have never actually lived in Santa Ana and have a prejudice against Mexicans. I'm a 100% white gringa that has lived in Santa Ana since I was 4 years old (almost 20 years!)... I'm not saying it's perfect, has always been some police activity every once and a while, but I've never really had any real problems. And no, I don't live in Floral Park. I live in the "ghetto area" near Broadway and Edinger.

Honestly, if you're ok with living near people who aren't necessarily like you, then it's not really a problem. Sure, there are certain areas that are more dangerous than others, but if the neighborhood isn't run down then it's probably perfectly safe to live there. If you only want to live near white americans then go to South County, but be prepared to pay for it.

I'm proud to call Santa Ana my home!

You're just immune to it and don't notice what anyone driving through sees Santa Ana to really be.

[flo2900]

everytime i drive thru santa ana i pray that my car doesnt break down there...especially at night...L.A. mexicans call it East L.A. wannabe!!

[Coldjensens]

People who drive throgh with their doors locked see what they expect and want to see. It is all prejudice, but that is not a slam on such people, everyone has prejudice, everyone prefers people and cultures that they understand and are comfortable with.

The hispanics are wonderful people. Not all of them are of course, but if you want to generalize, then generalize about the majority, not based on the conspicuus minority. The majority of the hispanics in Santa Ana are good, hard working and friendly people (once they get over their intiial suspicion). You may not see the nice people as much becuase they are at work, or in theri homes, or visiting their neighbors. Try getting out of your car and talking to some people. Find out what is really going on instead of jumping to conclusions.

[Irvinedebs]

Originally Posted by Santa Ana? How bad is it?

Someone very special to me is moving into Santa Ana from Irvine because its more affordable. I have heard BAD things! 3 young men, what is thier fate? I am worried. They come from Nor Cal.

I currently live in Irvine and I am moving into the phoenix area this summer because it is more affordable to live there. I would never even consider moving from Irvine to Santa Ana to dangerous, hopefully they will change there mind.