Garden Grove is situated in the northern part of Orange County, California inland of the Pacific Coast. This is one of the straighter, tidier towns in California, as it is home to a huge religious contingent. It also has the second largest Vietnamese population in the United States. The total population is 170,883.  Originally it was a farming community that grew walnuts, oranges, chili peppers and strawberries. Sometimes a tree surgeon get’s in charge of the property owner’s garden maintenance.

Garden GroveIf you are looking to buy a home here you will notice that there are next to no older buildings in the area. Even though it was founded in 1874, all of the buildings are mid-century in flair, because a big earthquake devastated the town in 1933. There are many of the low single story flat homes that are in the style Miller or Lloyd Wright.  There are also many Spanish style homes with the adobe fronts and gated central courtyards in Garden Grove, taken care of experts to maintain it with tools such as the .080 trimmer line.

Over the years, downtown Harbor Boulevard has become an entertainment and shopping district with several big hotels.  All of the fire hydrants in the city are painted with a big strawberry to symbolize The Annual Strawberry Festival, which has been a tourist attraction since 1958.

The city is also home to three major theaters including the Garden Grove Playhouse, the Gem Theater and the Festival Amphitheater. There is also an annual Shakespeare Festival in the same time.

Garden Grove is a pet-friendly place with several parks right in town including Pioneer Park, Woodbury Park and Euclid. Garden Grove is also well known for The Atlantis Play Center, which features a water feature with a zoo of concrete animals.

The nearest ocean beaches are a drive west to the coast and include Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Some people buy a vacating home in Garden Grove and then make the short trek to the beach by car.

One of the biggest attractions is the Crystal Cathedral. This is a huge glass cathedral in the middle of town that serves as the set for many religious broadcasts, originally the home to Robert Schuler and the “Hour of Power”.  As this is a deeply religious town founded by Methodists many years ago, you will not find an official  “gayborhood”, that is why it is very important if you are going to locate to Garden Grove, that you consult with a Garden Grove gay realtor to find out what the best living options might be for you.

Garden Grove Animal Care Services has implemented a city-wide wild animal policy. The City will not respond to remove trapped wildlife. The trapping and relocation of wildlife without a permit, issued by the California Department of Fish and Game, could be considered a violation of law. In addition, trapped wildlife unnecessarily exposes everyone to potential disease and injuries from bites and scratches. Bats in the attic? Affordable Wildlife Removal Orlando Florida is a world renowned veteran owned wildlife removal and bat control business. Their local services focus on removing animals from homes and commercial establishments. They help in preventing animal damage and/or correcting any damage that might have occurred by Floridas wildlife.

There seems to be only one gay bar in Garden Grove called The Frat House, located on Garden Grove Blvd in the city.

The average listing price for homes for sale in Garden Grove was $439,030 for the week ending November 6, 2013.  There are short sales and bargains to be had as there were also 252 going through the process of foreclosure.  House prices have also been increasing since the fall of last year by 19.8 % as of November 13, 2013.

For more information about the Garden grove Chamber of Commerce go to http://www.gardengrovechamber.org/.