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Chris Lynch: Anaheim more than just Disneyland

Author
Chris Lynch ,
Publish Date
Tue, 4 Oct 2016, 2:47PM

Chris Lynch: Anaheim more than just Disneyland

Author
Chris Lynch ,
Publish Date
Tue, 4 Oct 2016, 2:47PM

Newstalk ZB’s Chris Lynch travelled to Anaheim, California and discovered there’s more to the city than just Disneyland.

Anaheim in Southern California is home to the most famous theme parks on earth. Disneyland resort remains the city’s number one attraction and with good reason, given it’s “the happiest place on earth.” The park is ever expanding and construction for a Star Wars themed attraction is well underway at Disney’s California Adventure Park, located next to Disneyland. The city has a lot more to offer travellers than just magic kingdoms and rollercoasters.  Locals are proud to live in a city with Disneyland as their backyard but they’re equally appreciative when Disney fans venture further afield to explore their vibrant city, which boasts superb restaurants, food outlets and markets.   

Like many international destinations, Anaheim is encouraging residents and visitors to get out of cars and into public transport. TheAnaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (or ARTIC as it’s known to locals) is impressive and an attraction in its own right. It serves as a train and bus station for a range of different companies.

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The centre opened in 2014 and makes good use of the all-year round Californian sun. The steel-frame building’s entrance is a 120-foot-tall glass wall. The curved shell structure is covered with air-filled plastic pillows, which allows sunlight to illuminate the spacious interior. Christchurch developers should look at this building for inspiration. Like many modern structures in Christchurch, this building is transparent and built with a lot of glass, but it’s architecturally brilliant.

DOWNTOWN ANAHEIM

Downtown Anaheim is a lot different than Anaheim resort and Disneyland district. It’s trendy and has an urban vibe, with a mix of historical buildings, established houses and modern structures. It’s a relaxed atmosphere, far removed from Disney; the perfect location to wind down, catch your breath and recover after spending several days at the theme parks. The area can be busy, but it’s not crowded, which is part of its charm.

Downtown is home to the amazing Packing House; a two-storied food market where you can find just about any food you desire. It features a large central atrium with communal dining surrounded by cafés and kiosks of various sizes as well as outdoor picnic gardens and outdoor dining porch, which runs the length of the building.

It’s the sort of place where you don’t feel like you’re in commercial America. There are no multinational brands, but there’s certainly a lot of food for any budget. There’s everything from eateries like Kroft, where their mission is to “reinvent comfort food,” to Hans’ Homemade Ice Cream, which has been an Orange County tradition since 1972.  But if you prefer something healthy, then there’s the Lemon Drop Pressed Juice and Farm Shoppe; a fresh juice bar and vegetable stand. All of its ingredients are sourced from local organic farms.  I wanted to try something ‘American’ and devoured cheese-burger fries from Kroft. It tastes as good as it sounds.

Many locals from across Anaheim city visit this place at least once a week, as there’s so much to choose from and it has a great citywide reputation. People I spoke to at the Disney district insisted I visited the Packing House and they all provided different recommendations on food.  You could easily spend half a day here, looking at all the menus before relaxing in the local atmosphere. You can dine at small tables located directly next to the kitchens or eat at bigger communal tables in the middle of the market. It’s a fun experience and not as awkward as it sounds. Locals are friendly and polite. If they see you coming, they make room, acknowledge you and continue eating. The social experience on its own is worth the visit. There’s a great mix of people from romantic couples cuddling on wooden swings, to families and groups of teenagers lounging on bean-bags, all co-dining together.   

Across the road is a spacious community garden. It’s the perfect place to blob out after visiting the Packing House. On the day I was there, it was nearly empty, given the hot dry day. The weather was the perfect excuse to wash the food down at the Anaheim Brewery. It’s a council owned outlet, managed by local couple Barbara and Greg Gerovac. Anaheim Brewery includes a tasting room and decent sized beer garden. The vintage wooden bar has a great view of the shiny brewery tanks. There’s plenty of history here. In 2010, the brewery re-established a famous Anaheim beer that disappeared when national prohibition occurred in 1920. The bar has become the ‘popular local’ for city hall staff.

Downtown Anaheim is home to Center Street Promenade, which is lined with stylish boutique shops and restaurants. A local favourite is Vida Latin Flavor. They make amazing handcrafted tacos and fresh pressed juices. I ordered a range of tacos and they all had contrasting and delicious tastes.  The sizes are generous too.

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Other attractions include The Muzeo, a museum, which opened in 2007. It prides itself on circulating exhibits, so there’s a new experience every time you visit. From classic sculptures, to pop art; nothing is off limits. It’s best to check their website to see what's on display. It’s a quiet space to retreat to for a few hours.

 HOTELS GALORE

Despite the large concentration of hotels and restaurants in the Anaheim resort district, the area continues to grow in ways that pleasantly surprises locals.Nine new hotels opened in the Anaheim Resort District in 2014 and 2015. The hotels are reasonably priced too. Homewood Suites by Hilton, for example, is just a few blocks from Disneyland. It’s family friendly, but still appropriate for couples and solo travellers. The lobby and lounge areas are spacious without feeling over the top. The rooms are beautifully presented and have a homely feel about them. Like many hotels in Anaheim, there’s no restaurant. Instead, at this hotel, they have what’s known as ‘social evenings’ where guests enjoy a set menu buffet-like dining experience at the ground floor lounge. It’s a great opportunity to speak casually to hotel staff. They’re genuinely interested in talking to you, and serve guests wine or beer at the buffet area.

 

 A block away is the Residence Inn hotel. In fact, it’s the newest hotel in the district. If you want the Disney experience day and night but too exhausted to stay for the nightly fireworks, this is the one of the best hotels to stay at as some of the rooms overlook Disneyland and offer VIP views of the park.

The rooms are well appointed, and have a sleek apartment-style feel to them. The bathroom is at least half the size of the bedroom. All rooms come with a fully equipped kitchen. However, cooking was the last thing on my mind. There’s plenty of cafés and restaurants in the area. The hotel gym is bigger than your average hotel facility and it has plenty of treadmills. When I visited it, there was no one there. It’s a different story next door at the outdoor rooftop area, with a swimming pool and hot tubs. They overlook the Disney district on one side and convention center on the other. This hotel offers complimentary breakfast. Pace yourself before heading to the parks. Despite my best efforts to remain semi-healthy on holiday, I gave in to the temptation of sugar and salt at Disneyland.

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ANGELS STADIUM

It’s definitely worth attending a baseball game at Angels Stadium and even if you’re not a sports fan, it’s a ‘must-do.’ The stadium is a major league baseball facility and home to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  In fact, it doesn’t matter if you don’t follow baseball. The three-hour game I attended flew by. There’s plenty of on and off field entertainment and the atmosphere is electric. It’s overwhelming, but in a good way.

Fireworks erupt from a massive Californian rock feature at one end of the field every time an Angels’ player scores a home run. There are plenty of food options and depending on where you sit, you can order refreshments and nibbles using credit card. You don’t even have to get out of your seat to order. It’s exhilarating watching some of Amercian sport’s most well-known stars in action, some of whom command multi-million dollar contracts, including Mike Trout. He’s described as a “young, daring center fielder who is arguably the best player in the planet.”

HUNTINGTON BEACH

For an authentic and down to earth Californian beach experience, Huntington Beach is another “must do attraction” and is only 40 minute from Anaheim by car. Time Magazine named Huntington the best beach in America. It’s a busy city, but it’s not pretentious and like many cities in Orange County, locals are friendly and relaxed. While Venice Beach is famous for its eccentric atmosphere, you can walk along this beach without having to navigate stallholders or buskers. There are many activities on the beach, from locals cooking food on bonfires, to volleyball games by the pier. You can hire electric bikes and ride along the Ocean Strand, or paddle board in the Pacific Ocean. There are even dance classes. The beach features the most consistent waves on the West Coast, an attribute that’s helped the city receive the nickname "Surf City USA."

Huntington Beach hosts the Surf City Marathon, which attracts nearly 20,000 runners representing all 50 United States and 24 countries. After an afternoon on the beach, a great place to eat is Ola Mexican Kitchen. The restaurant’s located across the road from the beach, and has stunning views of the ocean. I went at sunset. It was a remarkable view and the food is just as good as the view. It pays to book, as it’s always busy. Despite the packed atmosphere, the dining areas are divided into small sections, which absorb the sound. The service is efficient and fast. It’s exactly what you want after a day in the sun. The menu is extensive, so I got the waiter to recommend a selection of food. You can’t go wrong with any of their Tacos.

SOUTH COAST PLAZA

South Coast Plaza is by far the best shopping experience for any shopaholic. Located in Costa Mesa, it’s the largest plaza on the West Coast and takes in sales of over $1.5 billion. It’s not hard to see why. Every high-end luxury brand and item can be found here.  South Coast Plaza is home to the world’s most sort after brands including Bottega Veneta, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels to Hermès, Gucci, and Roger Vivier to name a few. The plaza is huge. There’s plenty of staff only too willing to help you find your way around. In fact, if you need some shopping tips, you can book a personal stylist.

The stores are beautifully presented; attention to detail counts. All of the shops have gone out of their way to create a VIP shopping experience, from the shop windows, to the décor and interior lighting. South Coast Plaza offers award-winning restaurants from American to contemporary French. After shopping, I visited Marché Moderne. This French Bistro opened in 2007 and has won countless awards. For lunch, I chose a light option and ordered “Amelia's Chopped Salad” which includes kale, French feta, cucumber, celery, mint, tomato, avocado caramelized pumpkin seed, raw golden beets, and citrus-honey vinaigrette. It was delicious and the first salad I’ve had in a long time that was healthy and actually filling. 

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