Santa Ana: Santa Ana is the county seat and most populous city in Orange County, California, and the 53rd-most populous city in the United States with a 2007 estimated population of 339,555. (The California Department of Finance puts the city's 2009 estimated population at 355,662.) Founded in 1869, Santa Ana is located in Southern California on the Santa Ana River, 10 miles (16 km) away from the California coast. The city is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with almost thirteen million people. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, of U.S. cities with more than 300,000 people, Santa Ana is the 4th-most densely populated, behind only New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago, and slightly denser than Boston.


Now fully developed, Santa Ana has several distinct districts. The core of the city is the downtown area, which contains retail and housing, as well as the Santa Ana Civic Center which is a dense campus of administrative buildings for both the city and the county of Orange. The civic center is also home to the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse. Several historic homes dating from the late 1800s can be found as well, and their preservation is a key issue as development of the downtown area continues.


North of downtown is the "Midtown" district along Main St., home to entertainment destinations such as the Bowers Museum, MainPlace Mall, and the Discovery Science Center.


Near the intersection of the Santa Ana Freeway and the Costa Mesa Freeway is the newly-designated "Metro East" area, which the city council has envisioned as a secondary mixed-use development district. Currently the area is occupied by several office towers, but little retail or housing. Also on the east side of the city is the Santa Ana Zoo, notable for its collection of monkeys and species from South and Central America.


The south end of the city is part of the South Coast Metro area, which is shared with the city of Costa Mesa. South Coast Plaza, a major shopping center, is the primary destination of this area, which also contains several high-rise office and apartment buildings.


North Santa Ana is comprised of many vintage homes broken down into several unique historical neighborhoods:

FLORAL PARK: Located in the northern tip of Santa Ana, the Floral Park neighborhood is a community of more than 600 period (vintage) homes built in the 1920s through the 1950s. Recognized as one of Orange County’s most established neighborhoods, it is representative of a bygone era-one of gracious tree-shaded streets, abundant lawns and flowers, unique and stylish homes and, most importantly, friendly neighbors. Once blanketed by orange, avocado and walnut groves, the neighborhood features original farmhouses and the sweet smell of orange blossoms still fill the air.


The Floral Park Neighborhood Association works actively to preserve the character and beauty of the neighborhood and to provide a sense of community and tradition to its residents. Currently, over thirty-six homes in Floral Park are Registered Historical Landmarks.


Floral Park is the recipient of the NUSA (Neighborhoods, USA) 2005 Neighborhood of the Year Award and The Best of Orange County #1 Neighborhood for 2007.