La Habra

La Habra is a great family friendly community located in north Orange County. La Habra and neighboring La Habra Heights have rich histories rooted in the agricultural and oil industries. The Haas avocado originated here and La Habra was an important stop along the Pacific Electric Railroad line and at one time housed Sunkist citrus packing houses. The location is now a park containing the original depot, a theater and a Children's Museum. La Habra's family oriented population of about 50% Hispanic, 40% Caucasian and 10% Asian and other has remained relatively stable since the mid 1950's. The school system is strong with three excellent high schools and nearby colleges and state universities in Fullerton and Pomona. La Habra has a community friendly police and fire and a relatively low crime rate. Highly rated hospitals are located within 2 miles in neighboring Whittier and Fullerton. La Habra is well known for their youth sports leagues including soccer, basketball, Challenger Little League, Little League baseball, and Pop Warner football. Community engagement is notable with the Lions Club and its annual Corn Festival and parade every August, one of the longest running festivals in the state. The Chamber of Commerce and Recreation Department also puts on the annual Citrus Fair in spring, Independence Day fireworks and summer concerts, as well as the Tamale Festival in November. The bustling Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church holds La Fiesta celebration annually during October. The church building itself is a beautiful building and is a must see if visiting the city. Other recreation includes several parks, ball fields, golf courses, and miles of hiking trails within the oak and walnut woodlands in the adjacent Puente Hills which offer breathtaking 360 degree views of Orange and LA Counties from Workman Peak along the Skyline Trail above the town. Chino Hills State park is just a few miles away in neighboring Brea and is another great place to hike and bike.
La Habra offers many shopping opportunities including Costco, Sams, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Target, TJ Max, Ross, Trader Joes and an impressive Gonzalez Grocery Market. Many popular chain, fast food and mom and pop restaurants of all types dot the town. Nightlife is minimal with the La Habra 300 Bowl being one of the more popular destinations for fun and league play. Several small lounges and bars can be found including a craft beer lounge, pizza pubs, and cocktail bars, but the police department has really cracked down on the nightlife in recent times. Housing includes a mix of apartments, condos and single family homes. Larger lots and homes generally exist "above the Boulevard" meaning north of Whittier Blvd and south of Imperial Hwy. Home types include horse property, homes on the golf course, ocean view homes in the hills, ranch, mid-century, bungalow, spanish, and craftman's styles. The core downtown area is in the midst of a revitalization process with a brand new city hall building, police, community center, library, museum, and new housing. However the main downtown street La Habra Blvd is not very impressive compared to most cities and not considered 'walkable' in my opinion as few shops and restaurants exist in this area of the town. Not really a main street feel but a relatively quiet community with easy commute times to many major employers and a great mix of housing options without mello roos.