City of Orange... (Tustin: shopping center, parking, area)

[KarBear06]

Oh one other Orange "circle" funny story ….

So hubby and I want to stop into Starbucks for a coffee! We see that there is a Starbucks "JUST OPENING" in the site of the WELLS FARGO BANK (or that is what WE thought).

We walk in and ask if they are able to honor a Starbucks gift card (that we received for Xmas) and hubby and I figured that being all new and everything that maybe they would not honor the gift card.

The clerk says "sure" and we proceed to say we weren't sure if they would honor the card being all new and just opened. The clerk looks at us like we have 2 heads … "umm, we opened 14 years ago" ………….. "Really, there is a HUGE sign in the window that says "JUST OPENED" ……… Clerk knew nothing about the sign.

AND AND AND we go to sit down with our coffees and it IS still a bank!!!! We have never seen a restaurant in the lobby of a bank ever before.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by KarBear06

Oh one other Orange "circle" funny story ….

So hubby and I want to stop into Starbucks for a coffee! We see that there is a Starbucks "JUST OPENING" in the site of the WELLS FARGO BANK (or that is what WE thought).

We walk in and ask if they are able to honor a Starbucks gift card (that we received for Xmas) and hubby and I figured that being all new and everything that maybe they would not honor the gift card.

The clerk says "sure" and we proceed to say we weren't sure if they would honor the card being all new and just opened. The clerk looks at us like we have 2 heads … "umm, we opened 14 years ago" ………….. "Really, there is a HUGE sign in the window that says "JUST OPENED" ……… Clerk knew nothing about the sign.

AND AND AND we go to sit down with our coffees and it IS still a bank!!!! We have never seen a restaurant in the lobby of a bank ever before.

When I read your post at the beginning I thought "WTF? This person is writing about something more than ten years ago. "

I wonder why that sign is back up. I do not think it was up since they opened it as Starbucks.

After watching what they did to that beautiful building, I refused to ever patronize Starbucks again. I will not support a company that has such disdain for local history. Besides there is a better coffee shop right across the circle.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by KarBear06

Well I just moved here from San Diego to the "Platinum Triangle" and we drove over to Old Town to walk around last Saturday and I can easily see why people would refer to it as a "circle". I cannot see why anyone would want to call it a "plaza" at all.

OH and my hubby got his hair cut at RAY's, those brothers are so funny.

I have not been to Rays in years. Surprised that they are still alive. That is a great place it is pretty much a whos who in Orange location. Last time I was there, the brother who cut my hair was shaking so much I was afraid that I woudl lose an ear. However he did a great job. I woudl have becoem a regular, but it is too hard to get in when I am avialable.

[Book Lover 21]

You know that Army-Navy store was in the movie "That Thing You Do". All that running up and down the street when their song got on the radio.

My memories of the Plaza/Circle were riding around and around on the buses after OHS won football games. Good times..

[Coldjensens]

Quite a few movies in Orange. That Thing You do focused on Watsons quite a bit.

Big Mamma's House is in Orange.

One of Mike Short's choral groups was in the part 2 of the movie where whoopie goldberg hides out in a convent (or something like that - it had to do with a choral competition and one of the competitor groups was an Orange chorus). Orange Chorus groups also often perform for Disney. I am not sure if they are used in the movies, but I know for example that they sang for the opening ceremony of Pochahantas at Disneyland (my wife was in the chorus, so I got a T-shirt).

I cannot rememebr the other movies, but I remember seeing some friends of ours walking out of our church in the background of a chase scene during some movie. They did not even know they were in it. You really could not tell it was them unless you knew the family.

The old courthouse in Santa Ana gets used for movies fairly often as well.

It is funny that Orange is known for its antique stores, but what everyone seems to like is the Army Navy store. That is my favorite store in Orange, but there are a lot of neat places (Tonys, the camera place, the record/victrola shop, even that particular Radio Shack is fun to take the kids into).

For a favorite Resturuant, now that Hassan's is gone, I am torn between Blue Frog and the Filling Station. I like Watsons for the atmosphere, and breakfast food is good.

What are your respective favorites in the circle or plaza however you designate it?

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

What are your respective favorites in the circle or plaza however you designate it?

One of my favorites is actually west of the circle. (Though I have no idea if it is still there.) The old post office. Great old building inside and out. Probably totally unsafe in an earthquake. If we were in the area I used to take my kids there when they were young so they could appreciate how it "used to be" in OC. Then we'd go to Watson's for a treat. ("You came here when you were a kid? Really? Wow. This place is sooooo old.")

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by KarBear06

I cannot see why anyone would want to call it a "plaza" at all.

Because it's a classic zócalo, albeit a scaled down example.


Anyone remember the old J.C. Penny store that was near the Army Navy store?

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Anyone remember the old J.C. Penny store that was near the Army Navy store?

Yes, lol. That's where my mother went while my dad had us in the Army Navy store explaining how those cool surplus life rafts hanging on the wall were used.

[Patrolman]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Because it's a classic zócalo, albeit a scaled down example.


Anyone remember the old J.C. Penny store that was near the Army Navy store?

I remember the J.C. Penny's. However, it was on Glassell north of the Plaza and the Army-Navy is on Glassell south of the Plaza.

The Plaza was featured quite prominently in the 1976 film, "The Gumball Rally."

[JustJulia]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

For a favorite Resturuant, now that Hassan's is gone, I am torn between Blue Frog and the Filling Station. I like Watsons for the atmosphere, and breakfast food is good.

What are your respective favorites in the circle or plaza however you designate it?

There was a Cuban food place ... is it still there? I went once with some people from work. Really good food.