Northwest Anaheim

If you're looking for a house for your family in Northwest Anaheim, whatever you do, don't tell them Disneyland is a mile away. If you do, chances are you'll be moving in, whether it's the first neighborhood on your list or the last. But not to worry, being Mickey Mouse's neighbor is only one of the advantages of living in this friendly 10-square-mile neighborhood in Orange County. "It's an appealing location because the tourist industry offers a lot of jobs," says Matt Tilley, a local realtor with First Team Real Estate. Anaheim was named after the nearby Santa Ana River, which cuts along the city's eastern border next to Orange. Ana- for the river, and -heim for the German word for home. Given the wealth of family-friendly entertainment in the city – Knotts Berry Farm is even closer to Northwest Anaheim than Disneyland – it's easy to associate this neighborhood with the feeling of home.

The wide, flat streets of Northwest Anaheim are shaded by magnolia trees and bordered by well-marked bike lanes. It's easy to get around here. The homes are a mix of postwar ranch-style homes, newer duplexes, townhomes, and modern colonial-style builds. Prices range from as low as $200,000 for manufactured homes in the Casa Hermosa subdivision in the southern part of the neighborhood to over $1 million for plain but practical postwar minimal traditional dwellings with five or more bedrooms. Attractive ramblers painted in desert hues line these streets, with fan palms sprouting in their front yards and bricks paving their driveways. It's easy to imagine the Cleaver Family from Leave it to Beaver living here. New condominiums like the Nolin offer 2,000 square feet of living space with low monthly HOA fees under $250.

The new school is replacing the old in Anaheim these days, as the city and entrepreneurs breathe new life into the post-Covid dining and entertainment scene. New low-brow places like China King took over a postwar Pioneer Chicken spot and transformed it into a popular fast-food restaurant serving chow-mein and fried rice to Anaheimers on the move. And there are new high-brow places like The Anaheim Packing House, an upscale food bazaar in a renovated prewar orange packing warehouse built back when Anaheim was nothing but citrus groves. If you go to the Packing House, try Zabon Ramen, a branch of an original restaurant located in Japan whose chef came stateside. Anaheim Plaza is a central retail and shopping area in this neighborhood. Walmart and Old Navy are just two of the many options here. Regional Asian supermarket 99 Ranch has an outpost here, as do Aldi and Target. There's plenty of recreation on days when you're not at an Angels game or visiting the Happiest Place on Earth. Dad Miller Golf Course is a popular public course in the neighborhood. The Tiger Woods Teaching Center on-site offers free tutoring for disadvantaged youth for 12 hours daily. There are several good-sized parks in the community, too.

Students in the area can attend Melbourne A. Gauer Elementary School or Adelaide Price Elementary School, among others. Both were given a C-plus grade by the school rankings website Niche. Nearby Brookhurst Junior High School, serving grades seven and eight, was rated the same by the site. In the backyard of Dad Miller Golf Course, Savannah High School was given a B-plus for its overall performance and college preparatory program. Niche ranked this high school among the top 1,000 in the nation. The 5 Freeway cuts right through Northwest Anaheim, serving as the main north-south freeway in the Southland. "The 5 makes Northwest Anaheim a great place to commute from," says Tilley. Northwest Anaheim is a great Orange County neighborhood for those looking to enter the home market or find a place to raise a family. Disneyland might be The Happiest Place on Earth, but next-door Northwest Anaheim can be a close second.

Written By

Abbot Street

Photography Contributed By

Samuel Evans

Video By

Daric Clarke