Orange County is a county located in Southern California, United States. The reason I am interested in this particular area is that I have lived in Orange County all throughout my childhood. I have lived there almost ten years and attended elementary, middle and high school there. Many people have heard of Orange County or at least parts of it, but I wanted to introduce this place in more detail and explain how beautiful it is. Orange County is a populous area and has a population of over three million, which makes it California’s second most populous county after Los Angeles County. The county is composed of 34 incorporated cities, of which many are known such as Newport Beach or Irvine. To describe Orange County in more detail, I am going to explain several points of interest such as beaches, shopping centers, amusement parks and sports.
California is very famous for its numerous beautiful beaches along its coast and many of them are located in Orange County. There are many famous, known beaches such as Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and so on. The one I would like to explain in more detail is the Newport Beach, which many people have become aware of through the famous American T.V. series “The O.C.” Newport Beach is actually a city in Orange County, and is known to be one of the wealthiest communities in California with the average household income being around $142,000. Newport Beach has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. There are many attractions in the city such as the Newport Pier, Balboa Island and Fashion Island. Balboa Island is an island off of the coast of Newport Beach and is one of the densest and most expensive real estates markets in North America.
Secondly, there are many shopping malls located in Orange County such as Fashion Island, Brea Mall and South Coast Plaza. The one I would like to explain in more detail is South Coast Plaza, and it is not too much to say that it is one of the greatest shopping centers in the United States. South Coast Plaza is an upscale, luxurious shopping mall located in Costa Mesa, one of the cities of Orange County. The mall is known for its great scale and size, more specifically it is 2,600,000 square feet in size and has more than 280 stores. Not only is it one of the largest malls in the US, it is also the highest grossing mall in the country, generating about 1.5 billion dollars every year. South Coast Plaza is a great place to shop and contains stores that fit the tastes of customers of all different ages.
Next, Orange County is the home to numerous amusement parks and water parks. The most famous one would have to be Disneyland. Disneyland is a theme park located in Anaheim, Orange County and is the second most visited theme park in the world. The park is famous for its fairytale-like themed areas such as Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrow Land, Holidayland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Mickey’s Toontown. In addition to Disneyland, there are several more theme parks such as Disney’s California Adventure, Knott’s Berry Farm, Wild Rivers, and Soak City. It possible to visit these outdoor amusement parks anytime of the year (water parks being exceptions) thanks to California’s year-round warm weather.
Lastly, several sports teams are based in Orange County, California, one being the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Anaheim Angels are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim and is a member of the Western Division of the Major League Baseball’s American League. The Angels are three-time and reigning Western Division champions. The team is based in the Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The stadium is the fourth oldest active Major League Baseball stadium and has been selected to host the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Other sports teams based in Orange County include the Anaheim Ducks, a National Hockey League team, and Anaheim Arsenals, an NBA team.
In addition to all the attractions of Orange County listed above, there are so many other interesting facts about the area such as the high level of education, the nice weather, or the unique laid-back lifestyle of the Californian people. Nonetheless, it is difficult to truly understand how Orange County is without actually having to be there so I would like to borrow a quote from the T.V. series “The O.C.” to describe the place, “It's nothing like where you live. And nothing like what you imagine.”
