Westminster

Westminster is located in the northeast portion of Orange County and has a population of about 90,000. It’s one of the oldest communities in Orange County, founded in 1870 as a Presbyterian settlement. In 1957, it officially became a city. Unlike the neighboring cities of Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, Westminster is not located along the coast. Being inland, it gets warmer in the summer than the coastal cities.

In the 1970s, Westminster was given a much-needed shot in the arm when it was settled by many Vietnamese immigrants. The city had been in decline but since then has experienced a surge in new businesses and development. Westminster now has the largest settlement of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam and the commercial area along Bolsa Avenue has been officially designated “Little Saigon.” Westminster is home to several Vietnamese-language media outlets, including radio and television stations, music recording studios and newspapers. The city is host to an annual Lunar New Year festival.

Westminster has one of the largest cemeteries in the area. It also has the Westminster Mall, a large indoor mall that serves Westminster, Huntington Beach and other surrounding cities. The mall is located off the 405 freeway and features Macy’s, Sears, Target and JC Penney as anchors. Until the Bella Terra center was built a couple miles away in Huntington Beach, the Westminster Mall was the only major retail outlet in the area. Perhaps in reaction to the popularity of Bella Terra, Westminster Mall was recently renovated to update public areas and its food court.

A city founded in 1870, Westminster became part of the Orange County in 1957. This city used to be part of a tri city area that included Barber City and Midway City. Now the region known as Westminster is a combined area of Barber City and Westminster.

Westminster is also known as the capital of Vietnamese abroad. This is because a significant proportion of them came into the city of Westminster as refugees in the 1970s and settled in an area known as Little Saigon. Westminster is also the proud recipient of the All-America City Award in 1996.

The annual median household income of the people of Westminster is about $50,000. Education is provided by four different school districts, namely the Westminster, Garden Grove, Ocean View and Huntington Beach Union High School Districts. It also holds another branch of the Orange County Public Library. This branch is known for its large collection of Asian materials. They also provide services for their visually impaired members. They do so with their Kurzweil Reading Machine, Braille Library and a good set of large print books.

Some points of interest in the City of Westminster include the Liberty Skateboard Park, Little Saigon and the Westminster Mall. Liberty Skateboard Park is Westminster’s first and aims to provide a free skateboard region for their people to skateboard in a safe zone. Little Saigon provides apparels, foods and services to the unique Asian population within this region. This is a great spot for those who wish to experience the Asian cultures and culinary styles. Westminster Mall is a great shopping mall that comprises some of the bigger stores like JCPenny and Sears and also a few boutiques. This mall is aimed to cater to the shopping needs of everyone in the reion.

Westminster also has their own Community Theatre and is home to the Blakey Historical Park and Museum and Vietnam War Memorial.

I do not know what it is about Westminster, but, the whole area gives me a bad vibe. Maybe it really is beautiful down some side streets and I have just driven through some really crappy areas. The whole place looks run down, dirty and deserted. I take Goldenwest off the 22 home from work every day and you can definitely tell when you have crossed the Westminster/Huntington Beach border. There is a large Asian population in this area; it could be that they congregate in nicer areas that aren't on the main streets and I'm just missing them.

If you do not have time to go to South Coast Plaza (which, if you have read my other reviews, you know I love), then Westminster will do in a pinch. Their Macy's actually has stepped it up in the last couple of years. That is my favorite store and even I would not step foot in there before. My friends and I refer to Westminster Mall as the “ghetto mall”. Not because of the types of stores that are in it, but, the whole feel there is empty and depressing. Most of the stores are not very well stocked and the people that work in them are rude.