Downtown Anaheim
Encyclopedia
Downtown Anaheim, also known as Anaheim's Colonial District http://www.anaheimcolony.com/index.html, is the administrative and historic center of Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...

. Unlike most big city downtowns, Downtown Anaheim is not the economic heart and focal point of this city. The economic heart and focal point of Anaheim and Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

 is the adjacent district just south of Downtown Anaheim--the Anaheim Resort District, which includes the Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...

 and the Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim Convention Center
The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...

. Another prominent district located south east of Downtown Anaheim, and adjacent to the Anaheim Resort, is the Platinum Triangle
Platinum Triangle, Anaheim, California
The Platinum Triangle is a district of Anaheim, California surrounding the city's two major sports venues, the Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim...

 District.

Buildings and attractions

The Downtown Anaheim Skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...

 consists of the Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...

 Building and the Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...

 Building, which are both over 10 stories high. Other high-rise buildings in Downtown Anaheim include City Hall, West City Hall, the AT & T Building, the Anaheim Memorial Manor, and the Kraemer Building. Anaheim Police Headquarters, Anaheim's Main Central Library, and the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce are also located in Downtown Anaheim. The "Center Street Promenade" consists of shops, restaurants, and Downtown Anaheim's Farmers Market. Other attractions in the Center Street Promenade innclue Anaheim's "Art in Public Places" Artwalk, and Anaheim's History Walk which was unveiled on June 20, 2007. Also near the Center Street Promenade are The Muzeo, a major museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 which opened in the Fall of 2007, and Anaheim Ice
Anaheim Ice
Anaheim Ice, formerly known as Disney Ice, is an indoor ice rink complex in Anaheim, California. It is known for being one of the major works of architect Frank Gehry. It is the practice and training rink of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League, and also hosts youth hockey, figure...

 (formerly called "Disney Ice"), which is an ice skating rink opened to the public, and it also serves as the practice arena for the NHL team, the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

. Also located in Anaheim's Colonial District is the oldest museum in Orange County—the Mother Colony House. The city park in Downtown Anaheim is Pearson Park, which was named after Charles Pearson, who served as Mayor of Anaheim when Disneyland opened its doors to the public in 1955. The Pearson Park Amphitheatre, an outdoor theater, is one of the big attractions in Pearson Park.

History

During the days when Anaheim was a rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 community surrounded by orange groves
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....

, the geographic center of town was at the intersection of Center Street and Los Angeles Street (now Lincoln Ave and Anaheim Blvd.) and the central business district was built around the center of town. Prior to the Grand Opening of Walt Disney's Theme Park, the old business district consisted of establishments such as the SQR Department Store, Chung King Restaurant, and the Pickwick Hotel. The Grand Opening of Disneyland brought the need for expansion of the Heart of Anaheim. Prior to Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

's death in 1966, The City of Anaheim had plans to construct a forty-story office tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....

 on the other side of Ball Road from Disneyland. Walt Disney knew right off that the skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

 would be seen from inside Disneyland, thus altering the theme park's "Magic Kingdom Atmosphere." Disney met with the Anaheim city officials and an "Anti Skyline Ordinance" was passed, which stated that no high rise in Anaheim could be built which could be seen from inside Walt Disney's Magical Kingdom. This forced the city to expand its heart outward, instead of upward like most major cities do. Today, the heart of Anaheim consists of three districts: 1) Downtown Anaheim, 2) the Anaheim Resort, and 3) the Platinum Triangle
Platinum Triangle, Anaheim, California
The Platinum Triangle is a district of Anaheim, California surrounding the city's two major sports venues, the Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim...

. As the Heart of Anaheim expanded outward more and more during the mid-late 1960s and 1970s, the old downtown district began to deteriorate. By the mid 1970s, Downtown Anaheim had succumbed entirely to urban blight. The city began the process of demolishing the old downtown district and replacing it with a new Downtown District with a miniature skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...

 development. This process took a little more than fifteen years. The only structures from the old business district which still stand today are the old Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...

 Building which is now a museum, and the Kraemer Building (the old Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...

 Building) which was the tallest building in Anaheim prior to Disneyland's opening in 1955. The tallest building in Downtown Anaheim today is West City Hall, which is fourteen stories high. Currently, the tallest building in the entire city is the Anaheim Marriott Hotel which is nineteen stories high and located in the Anaheim Resort District.

New Developments

New Skyscrapers are planned for the city's A-Town Project which is currently under construction in the Platinum Triangle
Platinum Triangle, Anaheim, California
The Platinum Triangle is a district of Anaheim, California surrounding the city's two major sports venues, the Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim...

District. A-Town is supposed to be Orange County's Main "Downtown District" once it is completed. Downtown Anaheim's newest and most recent developments include, The Muzeo, the Promenade @ Anaheim, Carnegie Plaza, and the Harbor Lofts.

External links

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