Brookhurst St, Huntington Beach

My son has a friend who lives on Spar Circle in Huntington Beach. One afternoon, just as I was dropping him off for the afternoon, a street barbecue broke out spontaneously with at least 25 neighbors converging on the cul-de-sac within a matter of minutes. I was asked to join and so, I also had the chance to speak to several of the people about the neighborhood.

When I asked them what was up regarding the gathering, they all laughed, shrugged and said that it was a fairly common occurrence. They said that the street is normally very quiet and orderly and its location is safe and secure for kids’ play. It’s obvious that everyone took a lot of pride in their well kept homes.

They like it for its proximity to just about everything. Brookhurst Ave. is the main artery and that can get them to Bella Terra, the huge mall, in fifteen minutes or to the beach in less than 5. Everything else, including a favorite restaurant, Market Broiler, several grocery stores, Target, Kohls, dozens of dining options, are all located in between.

One of the neighbors wanted to show me what lay just beyond his backyard fence. It was the Santa Ana river, which, by itself, didn’t offer much in terms of aesthetics. Just beyond the river, however, was a wildlife park and trail that seemed to run as far as the eye could see from the north all the way to the ocean. I just happened to have my bike on car bike rack and, after downing some barbecued chicken and a soda, I took off for a ride in the direction of the beach.