Anaheim: Theme Parks, Professional Sports, and Orange County Suburbia
Anaheim was founded in 1857 by German settlers who planted vineyards in what was then a largely empty stretch of Southern California. Disease wiped out the vines within decades, and the land shifted to citrus and then to suburban development. The population today is roughly 351,000, making Anaheim the most populous city in Orange County. Disneyland, which opened in 1955 on 160 acres of former orange groves, transformed the city's economy permanently. The resort complex now includes two theme parks, three hotels, and a shopping district, drawing tens of millions of visitors each year.
Professional sports have been part of Anaheim's identity since the late 1960s when the California Angels moved to the city. The Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels) play at Angel Stadium, and the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL play at Honda Center. The Anaheim Convention Center is one of the largest on the West Coast and hosts events ranging from comic conventions to trade shows year-round.
Beyond the tourism corridor along Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim includes residential neighborhoods that range from affluent Anaheim Hills in the east to older, denser areas near downtown. The colony district, the original settlement area, has been undergoing revitalization with small breweries, restaurants, and a farmers market anchoring the effort.
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Anaheim was founded in 1857 by German settlers who planted vineyards in what was then a largely empty stretch of Southern California. Disease wiped out the vines within decades, and the land shifted to citrus and then to suburban development. The population today is roughly 351,000, making Anaheim the most populous city in Orange County. Disneyland, which opened in 1955 on 160 acres of former orange groves, transformed the city's economy permanently. The resort complex now includes two theme parks, three hotels, and a shopping district, drawing tens of millions of visitors each year.
Professional sports have been part of Anaheim's identity since the late 1960s when the California Angels moved to the city. The Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels) play at Angel Stadium, and the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL play at Honda Center. The Anaheim Convention Center is one of the largest on the West Coast and hosts events ranging from comic conventions to trade shows year-round.
Beyond the tourism corridor along Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim includes residential neighborhoods that range from affluent Anaheim Hills in the east to older, denser areas near downtown. The colony district, the original settlement area, has been undergoing revitalization with small breweries, restaurants, and a farmers market anchoring the effort.
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