How safe is Santa Ana near the Reagan Courthouse? (Orange: to rent, attorneys)

[WLG777]

Working with a team for a month this year in Santa Ana at the Reagan Courthouse, and am wondering how safe that area is at night? Should we hire a security guard?

[Coldjensens]

I worked accross the street from the courthouse for 7-8 years. I often walked home at night anywhere from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. (about ten blocks away). On Friday and Saturday night my wife and I would walk up to have dinner and/or a drink(s) on 4th street or in the artist villiage. We never had any significant problem, but we were occaisionally propositioned by hookers hanging out near 4th and main on our way home at 1 or 2 a.m. (This was very rare, maybe 3 times out of 100 or more times that we walked up there).

The parking lot at the civic center which is nearby the reagan building gets pretty nasty. There are a lot of panhandlers who can sometimes get pretty agressive if you are alone in the parking lot. However that is not at the Regan building and it is not difficult to stay away from the Civic Center.

Where are you going to park?

I am not sure what a secrutiy guard woudl do if you hired one. Make sure that he or she has a phone with texting ability and maybe access to the internet so that they can stay entertained and not fall asleep. On the other hand, if you leave after dark, you should leave in pairs or groups. If you wander into the wrong area, it could be a bad place to be alone. However I woudl not recommend walking around alone at night almost anywhere in Orange County.

The courthouse itself is super secure. It is hard to get n there when you are supposed to be in there. Since the buidling closes pretty early, I cannot imagine what you woudl be doing that you woudl be there after dark.

For the most part if you do not buy or sell any drugs, do not harrass or threaten any gangbangers walking around and do nto try to hire a hooker, you should be just fine. Also, do not give money to the panhandlers there, you will get mobbed. If you want to help them, donate or volunteer with one of the serveral organizations that provide them food and shelter.

[bowneline]

I work accross the street, and have never had any problems. The parking structure I park at is directly accross from the Reagan Courthouse, and I have never had any problems walking to and from my car.

Moreover, there are probably several thousand white collar workers in the immediate area, and many are out and about during normal hours (7am-7pm), so there is plenty of company.

There is a fairly sizeable homeless population in the area, but it is more the friendly, panhandling, mental illness types, rather then the more scary drugys or prostitutes.

Also, the street adjacent to the Courthouse (4th) is actually somewhat gentrified. There are a couple of decent restaurants (with good happy hour) and a neat little cafe is about to open.

In short, I personally have never felt unsafe in the area and I would not think a security guard is necessary at all.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by bowneline

I

Also, the street adjacent to the Courthouse (4th) is actually somewhat gentrified. There are a couple of decent restaurants (with good happy hour) and a neat little cafe is about to open.
.

Are they finally going to re-open what used to be Boardwalk (and then Jasons)? That would be nice. Good to have something other than Shellys open at night. We spent a lot of time at Boardwalk. Really liked the owner. Who owns or operates it now?

[bowneline]

It's funny you mentioned Jasons, I was just walking by there today at lunch and saw a couple of guys measuring things and talking as if they were planning on opening something there.

There is also a Starbucks on the corner.

[WLG777]

Thanks all for your answers! Definitely helpful...we'll be attending and working for a few weeks on a trial going on there and some nights will be quite late so it sounds pretty much like any big city really.

[Coldjensens]

You used to be able to rent trial suites above what used to be Boardwalk restaurant. You could rent them on a weekly basis. Just a few steps to the courthouse. It was set up specifically for use as a war room or rooms for out of area attorneys to use during trials. I do not know whether the current owner still does that or not.