marie

I am from the midwest and traveling to Orange county next spring. Is this shopping area worth a stop? I prefer unique stores to the mass malls. Is the area safe? Traveling with moms and teens (girls, of course).

chris

don't know have never been there!

ny

marie:
Which Orange County?

joe

I visit this area quite often and enjoy doing some of my Christmas shopping there.
Old Town Orange is one of the few areas of Orange County that has not razed their old buildings(most date from the 1880s and 90s I believe).
This area ( about four blocks long) is sometimes used by Hollywood film crews when they need that small town look in their scenes. Tom Hanks' "That Thing You Do" shot there for weeks.
There are probably 15 to twenty antique stores with a wide range of prices and eras. Several are large antique "malls" that have hundreds of stalls maintained by individual consignment vendors.
Lots of good dining and parking is easy.And it is very safe for all ages.

marie

To NY: Orange County CA
To Pope John: I am a good Catholic girl, and you know we start much too late!

sightseer

If you're looking for neighborhoods with unique shops in OC, I'd suggest that you head to Balboa Island and Laguna Beach.

If you enjoy antique shopping, the circle in Old Town Orange is a good choice. Citrus City Grille, Felix's (great Cuban food), and PJs Abbey (set in an old church and has live music on the weekends) are some of my favorite restaurants in the old town area.

Michele

The circle in old town Orange is one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon. Lots of antique shops, and I would suggest if you find something you like, buy it. You'll never remember which shop it was in! Also, lots of different restaurants, such as the already mentioned Felix's (highly recommended), and PJ Abbey's (though a bit pricey). There is also Watson's Drug Store, which has an old fashioned feel to it (Where they shot scenes from "That Thing You Do"), though the food is a bit to be desired. There is a pretty good Greek/Med restaurant, also, and within walking distance there is a good Lebannese restaurant, Papa Hassan's. There are also a couple of tea houses that you can sometimes pop in to relax, as well as coffee houses.

Almost all the buildings are old and interesting in and of themselves. The area is built around a traffic circle, so there are shops within the circle and on all four streets leading from it for about 2 blocks. Parking is also easy - there are several parking lots off from the circle itself. Parking within the circle can be a little tricky if one isn't used to it.

Most of the shops close around 5 or 6, though the restaurants stay open longer. It is safe, as long as you stay within the area of the shops around the circle. There are some "dicey" areas a few blocks away, but tourists would not have any need to be that far from the shops.

You and your daughters should have a great time.

daph

It's fun to go there but it seems to me that most of the stuff there would be found cheaper in the midwest, where you are coming from. "Old Americana"