There's a nice ocean breeze that blows much of the year to remind you you’re on some pretty valuable California real estate. We also like The Packing District where over 50 artisans offer Bubble tea, grilled cheese, hot pot, cocktails and crepes at this two-story culinary Mecca. Bonus: On any given day, the Packing District is a musical smorgasbord with rockabilly, folk, soul, jazz and western swing bands.

**Local note on living in the Packing District:** 
*We live walking distance to the packing house and love it. We like the ability to take a quick 10 min walk over for dinner and drinks at the Packing House and Make. Best of all we don’t have to deal with parking. If we want to venture further it’s not too much farther to get to Center Street. If you like beer, Modern Times will be opening up their newest facility on Anaheim and Water.*

*Occasionally there’s events like the ART Walk or beer festivals so it’s really nice to once again be able to walk and not have to Uber or drive.*

For more reviews of what living in Anaheim is like from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/anaheim?page=buzz)

The Breeze

The Best Thing About Anaheim?

Housing and the cost of living is not cheap (40% higher than the national average) and there are still some not so safe neighborhoods but most agree you just need to be smart about where and when you move through the city (just like every big city). 

**Note from a local on prices in Anaheim:**
*Con is definitely the cost of living. Rent and home prices are very high*

Worst Thing About Anaheim

Anaheim is a tale of two cities when it comes to lifestyle. On the one hand you have Disneyland. If you want to make the park the centerpiece of your social and “cultural” life then you’re all set. 

On the other hand you have downtown Anaheim which while not “major” relative to neighboring cities like Los Angeles or Pasadena, does have a commercial district called Center Street Promenade, which has plenty of shops, restaurants, a big farmers market and several museums. The Colonial District is the other big draw downtown. This area includes; the Mother Colony House which is a beautiful older museum, Pearson Park which houses an outdoor theater for performances, and the Packing House gourmet food hall. 

To see what's happening in Anaheim check out the calendar of events: https://www.anaheim.net/calendar.aspx

Lifestyle Of Anaheim

It should probably go without saying but lots and lots of people who live in Anaheim work at Disneyland and in the tourism economy in general. Since Anaheim also has two major sports teams, the Ducks and the Angels baseball team, you can work in the service/entertainment and tourism industry and not work at Disney. The Anaheim Canyon business park is one of the largest industrial districts in California so if you’re working in Anaheim in a professional capacity, particularly tech, there’s a good chance you’re commuting here. As with most California cities the commute is a constant consideration for your in work-life balance. Pick the wrong job or neighborhood and your commute can be a living hell. Pick right or WFH and everything comes up roses. 

Workstyle Of Anaheim

If you want to escape the madness of a big city, but still have lots to do, Anaheim is a good choice for your short-list. Naturally, there’s lots of family fun to be had (theme parks, children’s museums and parks) but there’s also grown-up fun. Check out the Anaheim GardenWalk which offers loads of restaurants, entertainment, shopping, Center Street Promenade for artisan goods, and the Old Towne Historic District for antique shopping. 

Break Free

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Good, The Bad and The Ugly**

Orange County to the south and Los Angeles County to the North, Anaheim is considered part of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and is home to The Ducks, The Angels and of course, that mouse. 

Somewhere in the mid to late 90’s the city revitalized its downtown and it has exploded in recent years. House of Blues, hundreds of bars and some pretty good restaurants. It is also replete with breweries and loft style apartments. The Train station ARTIC takes you to cool places like Downtown Los Angeles. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are nearby but high-paying jobs usually require those same commutes. Once you settle though, good schools are easy to find as well as nearby universities.

**The Best Thing About Anaheim?** 

There's a nice ocean breeze to remind you you’re on some pretty valuable California real estate.  In The Packing District. Over 50 artisans offering Bubble tea, grilled cheese, hot pot, cocktails and crepes await at this two-story culinary Mecca. Bonus: On any given day, the Packing District is a musical smorgasbord with rockabilly, folk, soul, jazz and western swing bands.

**The Worst Thing About Anaheim?** 

Housing and cost of living is not cheap (40% higher than the national average) and there are still some pretty violent neighborhoods with gang affiliations that go back several generations (white supremecist skinhead groups.).

**How You Living?** 

Anaheim Hills is the extremely affluent area (like professional athlete affluent.) There are very nice neighborhoods to live in, if you can afford them. Thankfully, many of the housing tracts and subdivisions do not feature the cookiecutter-style houses that exist in other cities. The Colony District has many homes that reflect a simpler gentler time and an area where it’s considered safe to walk to school, work and to the shops. Southwest Anaheim is the home of Disneyland and it is also considered a walkable suburb and has some good schools. Northwest Anaheim is also a suburb considered by those with families and offers lower costs.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?

If you want to migrate out of a bigger city, Anaheim is a good place to have it both ways. Naturally, there’s lots of family fun to be had (theme parks, children’s museums and parks) but there’s also grown up fun to be had including The Anaheim GardenWalk which offers loads of restaurants and entertainment in addition to shopping and Center Street Promenade where you can find artisan goods and the Old Towne Orange Historic District where you can shop antique stores. Plus, you can outlet shop at Outlets of Orange and end the day with a massage or at the IMAX theatre.



The Colony Historic District includes the Packing House District, a hot spot for young professionals to live and socialize. Plenty of breweries, restaurants, parks and shopping all within walking distance make it an easy choice if you’re just moving to Anaheim and want to live where you go out. The District also has plenty converted and new buildings with nice (albeit pricey) lofts/condos/apts for younger population as well as retirees looking to live in an active neighborhood. 
- Colony Historic District
- Platinum Triangle


Young Professionals / Retirees

Colony Historic District

Platinum Triangle is a really interesting newer area of Anaheim. Designed to be a mix of new businesses and new housing, it has high-rise loft and cool townhouse living options. An emerging entrepreneurial center, it's an interesting option for singles and couples who want a more upscale and growth-oriented neighborhood than the Historic District. 

In addition to the versatile housing you also get an active commercial district with excellent restaurants/bars and cafes so you can walk to go out at night without needing to go downtown or into LA when you aren't up for it. 



DINKs/SINKs

Platinum Triangle

Anaheim doesn’t have a singular LGBTQ+ neighborhood but the entire city is considered LGBTQ+ friendly. People are mostly spread across the entire city with Anaheim Hills popular for those looking for a more luxurious lifestyle and The Colony Historic District for those who want a lovely home but prefer a walkable social scene via the local Packing District marketplace. The Packing District is a revitalized commercial and social district with tons of bars/restaurants/cafes so locals can live and play in the same neighborhood.

The Colony also has the lovely Pearson's Park, a scenic open green space with trails, a lagoon and even an outdoor amphitheater for year round performances. 



LGBTQ+

The Colony Historic District

Anaheim Hills is a master-planned community that serves the wealthy of Anaheim. Filled with gated streets and surrounded by lush greenery, parks for kiddos and outdoor adventurers,  beautiful views of the mountains, and the best public schools in the city. This is the spot for living large in the city. Northwest is another good option for families with plenty of greenery and parks for play. One of the great things about Northwest is that while it has the homes and blocks of a suburban neighborhood in the city, it also has a bounty of restaurants and shopping to make the living easier and a bit more energized than really moving out to the suburbs. 
- Anaheim Hills
- Northwest Anaheim


Families

Anaheim Hills

Anaheim

What is it like to live in Anaheim, CA?

Depends on what part of Anaheim.

Generally speaking, the West End of Anaheim is not very nice. Anaheim Hills on the east side is the place to live, although it gets very hot in the summer.

The Colony District of Anaheim is charming, but go a mile in any direction and you will find yourself in questionable areas.

In terms of the area around Disneyland... nice place to visit, but I wouldn't live there. Lots of apartments, decaying neighborhoods, strip malls, liquor stores... you get the picture.

Update August, 2019: I was in the downtown area recently, and I have to say the area has greatly improved, with the opening of the Packing House, remodeling of the Central Library, development of modern townhouses and apartments, and new restaurants. It is ironic that the area is reverting back to what downtown Anaheim used to be, before it was demolished to put in strip malls.



What is it like to live in Anaheim, CA?

I lived in Anaheim for 9 years. I would also agree with most of what Mr. Steve answered.

Housing

Most of the nicer and quieter neighborhoods are in small pockets around the west side of Anaheim (I'm just referring to Anaheim—not Anaheim Hills). Most people living on the west can watch the Disneyland fireworks from outside their homes every night after 9:30pm. As you head east, you'll find residential roads not well maintained and you'll find a lot more of apartment complexes than you would find on the west side. North of the Packing District there are new flats and townhomes (and still building more), which make the area look even nicer.

City Life

Surprisingly enough, in my opinion there's not really much to do in Anaheim. The downtown is usually very lonely, quiet, and kind of hidden. However, they did add a bar, a small park, and the Anaheim Packing District which help extend downtown and gave it more life.



The platinum triangle area is very up and coming and skews higher density, younger, and attempts to be more like downtown LA. I know they’re trying to get a Trader Joe’s there so that says a lot about what kind of demographics are in the area and what the city wants it to be like. Lots of food and entertainment options. If you’re a young professional probably great. Maybe meh if you have a family and probably not your style if you’re close to retirement.

**Pros and cons of living here**

Honestly, I feel like Anaheim is undervalued. We have great access to most of Greater Los Angeles. We can easily drive to the beach, south Orange County, LA county, and Inland Empire, Anaheim is centrally located with good access to major freeways. Downtown Anaheim and Platinum Triangle (near Angels stadium) has seen a lot of improvement recently, plenty of entertainment and food. North and west Anaheim tend to be the sketchier parts of the city though, but I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous. East Anaheim and Anaheim hills are more quiet, but much more expensive. The biggest con is the cost of living, but that applies to pretty much all of SoCal.

**Pros and Cons of Living in Anaheim 2022**

Are you considering moving to and living in Anaheim, California? We're weighing the pros vs cons to help you decide whether Anaheim is the best place for you to live. From Disneyland TO a plethora of places to eat & drink TO the traffic rush hour, there are plenty of factors to consider before buying your home in Anaheim. 

Anaheim, California

Ducktown

Looklyloo Score: 87

We're on it!