More than 100,000 people head towards the foothills in north Orange County to visit the city of Brea everyday. What draws so many visitors to the “City of Art”?
Perhaps is due to the city’s good looks and winning personality that so many flock to its many sites and scenes.
Just off the Orange (57) freeway a Brea-goer can visit Brea Mall. The shopping center is anchored by such department stores as Nordstrom, Macy’s, Sears and JC Penney. With more than 175 specialty shops to browse through as well, you may want to consider taking a moment to relax at Glen Ivy Day Spa after a long day of shopping.
After recuperating, make sure to stop by “Birch Street,” the epicenter of the city’s bustling downtown. Here you can enjoy more than 50 acres of entertainment and even more shopping.
Stroll along the village-like, pedestrian-oriented promenade, you can stop for a bite at such restaurants as Taps Fish House & Brewery, Market City Café and Pan e Vino Trattoria. You can also take in some laughs at the Improv Comedy Club.
The city boasts even more shopping centers, including: The Brea Marketplace, Brea Gateway Shopping Center; Union Plaza and East Imperial Center. They offer residents and visitors alike extensive choices for specialty retail and services, creating even more reasons to “Shop Brea.”
After spending some time (and money) wandering through the many shops of Brea, make sure to steal away a few moments to find out why Brea is called the “City of Art.” The city takes pride in hosting the nationally-recognized Brea Art Gallery and Curtis Theatre, a 199-seat professional theatre offering a wide range of entertainment, including music, dance, drama and children’s theatre. Brea’s “Art in Public Places” is an outdoor sculpture collection housing more than 140 sculptures, all in public view throughout the city.
Along Brea Boulevard, the city offers its estimated 39,000 residents a popular Concerts in the Park series in the summer and the annual July 4 Country Fair at City Hall Park.
The name “Brea,” Spanish for tar, hints at what kind of historical past ensued. The city was known as a place where tar seeped from the rolling hills. In early history, Indians and pioneers used chunks of the oil-soaked earth for fuel and domestic purposes like heating their homes and waterproofing their roofs.
Then came the big oil boom.
In 1894, the Union Oil company purchased 1,200 acres of land to be used for oil development paving the way for the thriving city of Brea.
Looking into the future of Brea, city planners are starting new developments for a sports park as well as a new school site. Additional hillside housing is expected as well as revitalizing existing properties. However, as Brea plans for the future, it still prides itself on preserving its “good looks” in historical buildings and its natural wildlife open space that borders the city and serves as a rare scenic break within the area’s urban sprawl.
