California Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Costa Mesa, California

Population: 108,724

Located in Orange County

Costa Mesa is a suburban middle class city in Orange County, in the past 50 years, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community to a suburban city with an economy based on retail, commerce and light manufacturing.

Economy
Costa Mesa's local economy relies heavily on retail and services. The single largest center of commercial activity is South Coast Plaza, a shopping center noted for its architecture and size. The volume of sales generated by South Coast Plaza, on the strength of 322 stores, places it among the highest volume regional shopping centers in the nation. It generates more than one billion dollars per year. Costa Mesa is also known for its excess of car dealerships and pet supply stores. Some manufacturing activity also takes place in the city, mostly in the industrial, southwestern quarter, which is home to a number of electronics, pharmaceuticals and plastics firms.

Recreation
Costa Mesa offers 26 parks, a municipal golf course, 26 public schools and 2 libraries. It is also home to the Orange County Fairgrounds, which hosts one of the largest fairs in California, the Orange County Fair, each July. The Fair receives more than one million visitors each year, adjacent to The Fair is the Pacific Amphitheater, host to many popular acts and concerts.

Known as the standing ovation capital of The OC, Costa Mesa is home to the Theater & Arts District, acclaimed as one of the most thriving performing and visual arts campuses in the world. The District includes the Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC), Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which comprises the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and Samueli Theater, plus the Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory (SCR), and a visual arts facility to be built at a later date. An expansive 46,000-square foot community plaza, which was created by Peter Walker and Partners, unites the two Centers.

Education
Institutions of higher learning located in Costa Mesa include Orange Coast College, a pioneer in the community college concept, a private institution Vanguard University, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. Another fine school is the Whittier Law School, a satellite of Whittier College.

Source: ci.costa-mesa.ca.us, travelcostamesa.com and wikipedia.org