North Flower St, Washington Square

In the past, the only things that brought me to Santa Ana were a court appearance and a trip with my kids to the Bowers Museum. Recently, I took a side trip into the Floral Park neighborhood which I have long heard of but never visited. If you’ve lived in Orange County for any length of time you have heard of this magical neighborhood of pristine, vintage homes, leafy, tree-lined streets and luscious landscapes. So, I was thrilled to be able to explore this place of a bygone era.

I began at the northern part of Floral Park on a street called Memory Lane (very apropos) and slowly made my way down the tree-shaded streets. I marveled at the huge lots and the variety of architecture of these homes that were obviously loved by their owners. I saw some big stately Gatsby style mansions casting shadows over smaller tutor-styled homes. There were some farmhouses that sat among some huge hacienda style homes. At every turn stood stark reminders of the past, gloriously preserved for our enjoyment.

At one home, I saw what looked like a group tour, which I know are scheduled all of the time. I was very tempted to ask the guide when the next tour is scheduled. That would be a great weekend activity.

I came across a magnificent park called, Jack Fisher Park which is named for a hero of World War I. I could tell that this is a major gathering point of the community. There were several playgrounds and a venue for summer concerts. By the look of the posted bulletins, it looks to be a very active place for organized community events.

I’m going back to Floral Park. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon.

Some parts of Flower are really nice and the art culture there is like a breath of fresh air in this town. I like to visit the library on Flower St and hang out near the Civic Center area. Those parts of Flower St are worth visiting, but Flower and First gets a little sketchy.