Amoeblog

Orange - Plaza City: A Slice of Old Town Charm

Posted by Eric Brightwell, December 7, 2010 06:00pm | Post a Comment
INTRO
Orange Skyline

This blog entry is about the City of Orange, a town located in North Orange County, California. I was joined on my visit by long-time Orange residents and fans, Alex Graham (of The Internal Tulips) and Song Le Graham, whose contributions greatly contributed to this entry. If you'd like to see more Orange County communities be the subjects of further blog entries, click here and vote. If you'd like to see Los Angeles County communities be the subjects of further blog entries, click here and vote. If you'd like to see Los Angeles neighborhoods be the subjects of further blog entries, click here and vote. 

Map of Orange Counties    Seal of the City of Orange
Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of the OC

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Garden Grove - aka Garbage Grove - The City of Youth & Ambition

Posted by Eric Brightwell, November 22, 2010 07:00pm | Post a Comment

Garden Grove in the 1950s
Downtown Garden Grove

This Southern CA-area episode is about Garden Grove, which I journeyed to with Garden Grove native Tita Ortega. To vote for other Orange County communities to be covered on the blog, vote here. To vote for Los Angeles County communities to be the subject of future entries, vote here. To vote for Los Angeles neighborhoods, vote here. 

Map of Orange County
Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of Orange County

Garden Grove is is located in Northern Orange County. In fact, it was whilst living in Garden Grove in 1888 that R.Q. Wickham launched the political movement that would lead to the formation of Orange County. Garden Grove is bordered by Cypress, Stanton and Anaheim to the north; Orange to the east; Santa Ana to the southeast; Westminster to the south; Seal Beach to the southwest and Los Alamitos to the west.

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Costa Mesa - The Standing Ovation Capital of Orange County

Posted by Eric Brightwell, November 8, 2010 07:30pm | Post a Comment
Vintage Costa Mesa Postcard

This episode is about Cosa Mesa, which I journeyed to with photographer Jeanine Michelle and filmmaker Diana Ward. To vote for other Orange County communities to be covered on the blog, vote here. To vote for Los Angeles County communities to be the subject of future entries, vote here. To vote for Los Angeles neighborhoods, vote here. 

Map of Orange County Map of Costa Mesa
Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of Orange County            Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of Costa Mesa
 
Costa Mesa is a city in North Orange County, California, located on the coastal tableland above Newport Bay. It’s neighbored by Santa Ana to the north, Irvine to the northeast, Newport Beach to the south, Huntington Beach to the west, and Fountain Valley to the northwest. Originally an agricultural community, nowadays Costa Mesa’s economy is primarily based on retail, commerce and light manufacturing. There are a good deal of cultural events and centers for an Orange County town and Costa Mesa proclaims itself to be Orange County’s “Center of the Arts.” Nonetheless, it’s still Orange County and the biggest money maker is a mall; the largest employer is Mickey D's.
 
Costa Mesa Skyline
Costa Mesa skyline
 
The southwestern portion of the city is somewhat industrial in character. The area hemmed in by the 405, 55 and 73 is known as SOBECA – South on Bristol, Entertainment, Culture and Arts. The shopping area includes "anti-malls" The Lab and The Camp. Other areas include the
Theater & Arts District, the Metro Center, the City Center and the neighborhoods of Cliff Haven and Santa Ana Heights. 

Fullerton - The Education Community

Posted by Eric Brightwell, October 25, 2010 03:00pm | Post a Comment
Downtown Fullerton


Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. On this blogventure, I was accompanied by Chronicle Books' Southern California Trade Sales Representative and Fullerton native Dave Erlich.

Map of Orange County Map of Fullerton

Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of Orange County                Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of Fullerton

Fullerton is bordered by La Habra and Brea on the north, La Mirada on the northwest, Buena Park on the west, Anaheim on the south, and Placentia on the east. To vote for more Orange County communities to be the subjects of future blog entries, vote here. To vote more Los Angeles County communities, vote here. To vote for Los Angeles neighborhoods, vote here.

Happy Birthday, Los Angeles!!!

Posted by Eric Brightwell, September 4, 2010 06:27pm | Post a Comment
Map of Los Angeles County regions
Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's map of Los Angeles County

Happy Birthday Los Angeles. The City of Angels turns 229 years young today (sort of). Back in 1781, so the story goes, 44 Spaniards from Mexico established El Pueblo de Los Angeles. Of the Spaniards, 26 were black, sixteen were Native or mestizo, and two were white. The city has grown even more diverse in the past two centuries and now L.A. boasts the greatest ethnic and cultural diversity of any city not only in the known universe, but the known space-time continuum.

Bird's Eye map of Los Angeles County regions minus Channel Islands
Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's bird's eye attempt at a Middle Earth style Southland map

Los Angeles also boasts more food trucks, Scientologists, playhouses, Angelenos, lowriders, smog and miles of freeway than any city in the US. A host of surrounding towns put the "great" in "Greater Los Angeles." Any regular readers will know that I like to explore the Southland, in an attempt to entertain and uncover the music, movie, culinary, cultural histories the many and varied communities of the great sprawl -- sort of Los Angeles' extended family.

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