Old Town Orange

Old Town Orange is essentially the beginning of Orange County, and it's heart. Most of the buildings were built between 1888 and 1940, making it one of the older cities in California. For this reason movies such as Fallen Angel, Gumball Rally, Gentleman's Club, Big Mama's House, That Thing You Do, Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Last Dance, and more have all had scenes in or around the Orange Circle in Old Town Orange.

When in the area, Old Town Orange is a great place to visit, it has some great food including Felix's Cafe (Cuban food) and Watson's Drug & Soda (good for a sandwich at lunch).  Old Town Orange is also known for its shopping, mainly Antique shops, if that's what you're in to.  By night the area changes over and becomes an active bar zone, with bars such as District Lounge, Pauls, and O'haras.

There are also several annual events which are thrown in Old Town Orange. Each Christmas they install a large Christmas tree in the Orange Traffic Circle, and have a big celebration to light it for the first time. Over the extended Labor Day Weekend they have the Orange International Food Festival (commonly called the Street Fair), where they close down the streets and have a little fair with good food and boutique shopping for the residents. Also, in late April they have a Classic Car Show in the plaza. My personal favorite is the street fair.

From the City of Orange's Website:
The Old Towne Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 and includes more than 1,300 homes and other buildings. It is approximately one square mile in size, making it the largest National Register district in California. The district provides a feeling for life in Orange from 1888 to 1940, showcasing over 50 different architectural styles. The complete stock of buildings which are a part of the Old Towne community is complemented by the churches, schools, old Santa Fe Depot, Post Office, packing houses, industrial buildings, clubhouses, and parks which still remain in active use since their establishment in the early part of the century.

To build upon the documentation of property in the Old Towne Orange National Register District nomination, the City surveyed all pre-1940 buildings in 1982 (updated in 1992) and established expanded Local Historic District boundaries that include properties on the periphery of the National Register District in recognition of the fact that while these areas may not meet the National Park Service criteria for National Register designation, they bear a relationship to the National Register District and remain special areas of historic importance in Orange that warrant preservation and conservation.

Old Town Orange Tree Lighting Ceremony