Travel:

Downtown Santa Ana 1

Discovering the Hipster Side of Santa Ana

A day of art galleries, restaurants and specialty shops
By Betty Martinez

View of the Artists Village on 2nd Street

SANTA ANA, CalifWhen you say Santa Ana, outsiders dont usually associate the

town with South Coast Plaza or John Wayne Airport. Nor is Santa Ana the first choice for a

day trip. Some people avoid the city altogether, as the crime rate is higher than other cities

south of Orange County. Moreover, people could feel intimidated by a Latino community

whom mainly speaks Spanish in the area. However, an abundance of treasures await the

adventurous and hip.

Ron Romain, a communications instructor at California State University, Fullerton,

and 19-year-old resident of Santa Anas downtown Floral Park neighborhood,

experienced lots of changes since he first moved in.

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Downtown Santa Ana used to be this really horrible area, with lots of crime,

Roman confirmed, You wouldnt go there.

But when downtown Santa Ana began its facelift in 2009, it attracted a more

contemporary and artsy crowd. Now, that part of town offers a variety of art galleries,

specialty shops and ethnic restaurants.

Across from the courthouse on 4th Street, a stylish caf hides from the buzz of people

passing by. The establishment -concealed inside an untouched 1920s building- founded by

The Cordoba family, offered their customers retail services and food before selling it to

Frank Farias

Farias, a young Latino entrepreneur bought the Calacas brand a few years ago and

decided to keep only the caf and got rid of the retail side. With this in mind, he kept the

business in the community since it was already part of it.

When you come to our caf you feel more at home. Like you are in a little Mexico, a

little changarrito, Farias said proudly.

What makes Caf Calacas unique is the familys

ability to combine traditional Mexican decorations with a

contemporary American look. The cafe offers ipads for

customers use and invites them to celebrate El dia de

los muertos every day. Patrons vary from high school

students to judges.

Caf Calacas, Frank Farias, tells his story (more)

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Our customers can be someone who is an attorney to the grandma or grandpa who

just want to come here for a caf de olla, Farias added.

However, local Romain prefers The Gypsy Den, located a block away from the

courthouse on 2nd street in an area called the Artists Village.

The Gypsy Den has an eclectic caf environment, good organic food and live music

on the weekends, Romain said.

Old books, glass bottles and thrift-shop-canvases embellish the interior of the

restaurant.

You can grab a cappuccino or a hand-crafted beer from Northern California, says

Emily Mayer, owner of The Gipsy Den. We wanted to give it a feel like you are in a caf in

Europe.

Just outside this caf, artists sketch the fountain in the middle of the Artists Village

or the old buildings that surround them on their canvases, enjoying the sunny weather that

Southern California provides most of the year.

The Grand Central Art Center offers the opportunity to their in-residence students

to exhibit their art. Some artists include Cal State Fullerton students who reside in the

building the university owns.

Jennifer Minasian, curatorial associate for the College of the Arts at the Grand

Central Art Center of Cal State Fullerton, explained that the space holds three galleries and

a theater, which features artists throughout the world.

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I live here and I love it, Minasian says. There is, within a walking distance, so

much to do around here. There are galleries, restaurants and bars. My favorite place to eat

is Lola Gaspar, which is just across the street.

Downtown Santa Ana offers surprises at every corner, including barbershops, gold

pawn shops, retail stores and the colorful 4th Street, where you can find food vendors, long

puffy quinceaera dresses showcased store after store, and Spanish-speaking people who

invite you to shop inside their store.

Ethnic food proliferates as well, like the Guadalajara restaurant offering delicious

Mexican tacos or Izalco restaurant for the famous Salvadorian pupusas.

Celebrations occur every day on the streets of Santa Ana, and the city organizes even

more vents throughout the year like the Noche de Altares, Festival de la Calle Cuatro, or el 5

de Mayo celebration.

Santa Ana is a great place to live, the community adds a warm feeling to it, and I

recommend to visit downtown Santa Ana to see art, and watch some of the 20s and 50s

style architecture, Romain concluded.

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