Walking tour of Old Towne Orange, California (2023)

Introduction

Take a walk with me through one of my favorite places in Orange County, California.

Content

One of my favorite cities in orange county is the city of orange and more specifically old town orange, which is a collection of restaurants, antique shops and stores and bars here in the plaza it's morning time right now.

So not a lot of activity because of covid, they created an area called the paseo in the plaza, which allowed restaurants to build these places for people to dine so we're going to take a walk across glaselle street.

Hopefully we don't get run over people sometimes don't like to stop let's.

Go check out this beer place if you're an early bird like me and my wife, uh, exploring cities like this is best in the morning before all the crowds, um, it just feels fresh.

This is the wall it's, tucked in the corner of plaza square, right next to the wells fargo building, and they have small plates and tapas.

And of course, beer, you can pour yourself a drink, there ipas I'm also trying to get used to being in front of camera like this it's, very new to me, but uh, what better place to start than in your own backyard.

So let's get it done.

I gotta learn how to speak it's so awkward doing this in front of people, but I gotta get better at it.

This is one of my favorite spots.

When I lived here, it's called provisions it's a market, but they also have craft beer and just really fancy cheeses and wines.

This is a cute little restaurant here on the corner called the filling station it's a great place for breakfast people, having a nice breakfast on the patio and we're just going to keep walking up glaselle just to show you a little bit of the neighboring homes right outside the plaza.

Once upon a time I used to live here in orange with my wife.

It was our first place together after we married a couple years ago, we really loved living here because everything was walking distance.

You can go down to the plaza and grab a bite to eat or beer at provisions.

But then after a while it was, it became too easy to just go out and eat.

So I think I put on some pounds living here in old town, orange, but no complaints.

It was a beautiful place to live.

The local university is none other than chapman university.

And so you can now see how close you are from the plaza.

If you decide to get your education at chapman university it's, right here, and they have a beautiful campus.

They have an excellent film school.

Dodge film school is here that's across the way.

The landscaping here is gorgeous just beautiful.

And right now is the season for these crepe myrtles that are blooming everywhere in orange county.

These purple flowers.

This is what I want to show you.

This is a piece of the berlin wall.

And this piece also has a built seat where you can have a seat and reflect, although I was going to a different school at the time, getting my masters, because I lived so close.

Sometimes I just needed a place to study, and I would come take a walk over here to chapman university and find a quiet desk in the leatherby libraries.

It is a beautiful spot.

I love orange.

I love the city of orange.

It is unique to all the other cities in orange county, it's got a classic feel to it on labor day.

Weekend.

This place is packed.

And it is worth coming to the international orange street fair, lots of food, lots of boots.

If you do come for the street fair, I recommend getting here early unless you like the riffraff, if you like the big party and the crowds, I don't know, if we're gonna see the crowds like we did because of covet, but if you like all of that energy and just shoulder to shoulder, people then come down to the street fair on a saturday night.

There are several stages where lots of bands are playing, but me personally and my wife we like to show up around 11 12 in the afternoon and avoid all the lines and the heat and grab something to eat and drink and get out of there before the craziness happens.

But if you can handle that come down and check it out, and that happens labor day weekend.

This is phil's coffee.

It used to be an auto body garage.

People put brought their cars in here.

It smells great, you can really smell the coffee in there parking in around the plaza.

You can find parking here on this street, glaselle it's, two hours from eight to six pm.

And I don't believe there's a time limit on sundays or holidays here's, another public parking so it's, not too bad.

But orange is a popular place to visit so be patient when you are looking for parking.

This is the north entrance of the plaza.

Here is an old movie theater that has been converted into a christian church sunlight, christian center.

If you're thirsty, you want to stop for beer.

You got o'hara's pub, check it out.

I used to come here and watch the football games, grab a beer.

Another old establishment.

Mr, c's records record shops are becoming more scarce as we move forward in the digital age.

But there you go, you can find yourself a record and smoked barbecue california barbecue.

Unfortunately, they are closed, but it's.

One of my favorite spots to go.

And another favorite local establishment is the citrus city grill.

Okay.

So now we are at the crossroads between chapman and glissell, and the city of orange has done a great job.

Marketing.

This outdoor dining experience as the orange plaza paseo.

And this is for well, the summer of 2020, and it looks like it's still going on now.

Okay, the perimeter of the orange plaza, or the orange circle is the plaza square.

And so the street here is known as the plaza square.

And now this is chapman.

So we can go down chapman here elsewhere vintage.

So this is a vintage store.

Everything you need here in orange.

And of course, biblos cafe.

They just remodeled this place, and it looks excellent looks beautiful here.

One of my favorite places for lunch and dinner and a coffee.

And of course, your neighborhood barber.

This is circle city barbers.

This is paul's cocktails.

I took my wife here on a first date.

The day I met her.

I don't know if that was a good idea, but actually it was a great idea because we had a good time and here's the district lounge.

This is another place to go to party have a good time.

They have food and drinks a dance floor and dj, and if you venture off the beaten path, you're going to find little gems like this restaurant that I'm coming up upon taco, adobe it's, a tiny restaurant, but the food is big and flavorful.

Ah, look at this a parking structure.

This looks like a new structure.

So you don't really have to fight too much for parking.

The nice thing about living here in old town, orange is that it's a walking community.

You don't have to drive very far or at all to find a good spot to eat or a place to go out and spend a saturday night it's all here walking distance, it's a college town, but it's, not a college town, full of riff raff and wild fraternity and sorority parties.

And if there ever were anything crazy like that, I never heard it if you would like to come and visit orange, you can take a train take the surfliner that runs daily.

So if you're interested in coming for the day, you can take the metro link and stop here at the orange station and then you're about two blocks away from the plaza.

Okay, coming in from the west end into the circle.

There's.

This newer restaurant called snooze seems popular it's, a breakfast spot.

I've not been here, but it seems very popular.

And then you have the taco stand.

This is a place.

I have come before and there's no line.

I would have to say the best tacos around and the old favorite wahoo's fish, tacos.

I don't know if you've ever been to wahoos, but it is a healthier option for fish tacos.

I like the grilled spicy fish, tacos more antique stores.

We might have to go back for some of those tacos.

Hi.

Can I get a one turn of salad taco? Yeah, for here first believe me if you're looking for a place for lunch in old town, orange, you got to come here.

We are coming up on a newer restaurant here.

This is boss cats.

This actually used to be the old liquor store and gas station long time ago.

And it was just recently changed into this new restaurant called boss cat kitchen and libations.

And then on the corner here you have earth cafe.

This is one of the newer establishments here in the plaza as well hasn't been open very long here, tucked in the corner is a starbucks coffee.

Of course, you can't go anywhere without seeing starbucks felix is a cuban favorite here.

And then the classic barber I'm, not sure if it's still open francoli is a favorite here in the circle.

Excuse me in the plaza, a little bit on the pricier end.

But this is authentic northern italian cuisine.

And if you're looking for a good spot for lunch or dinner, try the haven it's, a craft kitchen, there's a bar here as well.

Their hamburgers are exceptional.

They are delicious here on the corner is kimmy's coffee cup.

They have two other locations here in orange county, but it's very popular.

They I love their eggs benedict here, it's a small restaurant, but a local favorite.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this tour of old town orange, it gives me joy to show you what I get to see, and hopefully you get to come and visit this town.

Thanks for watching.

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