Real estate in North Santa Ana is a welcome respite from the charmless and uninspired construction that dominates so many new subdivisions in Southern California. Instead of the monotonous drone of a singular style, many of the historic homes for sale here are architecturally unique and ooze as much curb appeal as the cover shot of a housing magazine.
Known to the indigenous Tongva people as “Hotuuk,” the first European settlers arrived following the 1769 expedition of Don Gaspár de Portolá. Christening the valley after Saint Anne, the mother of Mary, most of the land was granted to the Jose Antonio Yorba family at the beginning of the Mexican War for Independence. Decades after the Mexican-American War, the family sold a 70-acre plot to a Kentuckian named William H. Spurgeon who laid out the original outline for what is now Santa Ana. The city was incorporated in 1886 and quickly became the county seat of the newly formed Orange County in 1889.
Soldiers returned from World War I filled with fresh memories of their travels abroad and reconstructed a kaleidoscopic homage to the European countryside amongst the orange, avocado, and walnut groves of the area. In the 1920s and 1930s, residents were the king and queen of the castle in their own miniature Norman French chateau, English Tudor cottage, stately Victorian Italianate residence, or illustrious Spanish Colonial villa. Following World War II, the housing boom filled in the remaining groves and brought new homeowners attracted by the architecturally unique designs of the homes for sale in the city’s north-side communities of Floral Park, West Floral Park, Riverview, Park Santiago, Morrison-Eldridge Park, and Washington Square.
Located in the heart of Orange County, the neighborhoods in the north of town sit just minutes from a wide variety of entertainment. Every spring, the Floral Park Neighborhood Association hosts their annual Home & Garden Tour exploring the more than 600 vintage real estate properties in the community. The centrally located Bower’s Museum and Kidseum functions like a local civic center with exhibitions, lectures, art classes, travel programs, and plenty of educational opportunities for children.
Nearby, the Discovery Science Center is a popular visual landmark with over 100 hands-on exhibits. To the west, the Santa Ana River Trail travels through the area under the shade of giant cottonwoods on its 110-mile journey from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The historic downtown center of the city is also only a few minutes away, offering pleasant strolls through the Artist’s Village and a wealth of restaurants and small shops.
