Reviews & Comments
Stanton, CA
There's more to life than cheap rent -
11/12/2006Like strip clubs, prostitution, and dodgy motels? Then welcome to Stanton, my friend.
Santa Ana, CA
Tough place to live -
11/12/2006Santa Ana holds the distinction of being listed by the Rockefeller Institute's top ten cities with the highest level of urban hardship, and earns it.
One the plus side, it has a lot of beautiful old architecture, museums, a burgeoning art community, some fantastic restaurants, and a vibrant latino (mostly Mexican) community. Fourth street in downtown is a veritable slice of Mexico, with specialty shops, street vendors and a general carnival-like atmosphere.
On the downside, it is mostly blighted, traffic clogged and poverty-stricken. Downtown is barely liveable, with not many practical businesses (groceries, dry cleaners, etc.) for residents. The outlying suburbs range from bland to life-threatingly terrifying.
Live somewhere else, and drive in to see the good parts.
Brea, CA
Good Orange County City -
8/29/2006Pros:
Functional and pedestrian-friendly downtown. There's always some festival or other going on. Lots of restaurants and shopping, as well as jobs (though this being SoCal, you'll likely work many miles away). By Orange County standards, it's about average in housing prices and rents.
Cons:
By national standards house prices and rents are absolutely ridiculous. If you don't already own a home in SoCal, don't even bother coming here. As for Brea itself, the city seems to treat it's police force as a revenue stream; you will be cited for something while living here. It's a resident's rite of passage.