“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/
I was torn — Anaheim or Long Beach? Yes, I know I’m a writer for an Orange County blog, but I was born and raised in LA County, and have lived most of my 25 years in the city of Norwalk. Now, for the past 2 months, I have been on the house hunt (almost daily, actually), but I was torn on where I wanted to live.
With a range of emotions, questions, learning stretches, and realizations, I’m ready to share my experiences buying my first home in Orange County, and becoming an Orange County resident for the first time. But let me give you my answer first. I chose Long Beach.
The Hunt
As they say (I really don’t know who “they” is, but who cares), location is key to buying your first property. With my budget, I could find a beautiful home out in Corona or Chino. But seriously, I did NOT want to be living out there. That left me searching through several cities nearby. From Long Beach to Anaheim, all the way out to Whittier, my real estate agent and I scoured these areas for anything within my price range for anything that may have potential. Originally looking for a single-family detached home, all we found really were mostly Real Estate or Bank-Owned properties that were often fixer-uppers. After putting in bids on 6 homes and not winning a single one, I wanted to give up.
I started to look at condos and town homes, which I surprisingly liked more than I had expected. And then, I finally was able to zone in on two areas that I realized I wanted to live — Long Beach and Anaheim.
In particular Downtown Long Beach or the Platinum Triangle…
And I have to say, Long Beach won. How could I pass on being blocks away from the ocean? But more importantly, how can I give up being able to walk down the street with my partner, holding hands, without being judged?
The Blockquote
President Obama declared June as LGBT month (so that’s what the quote is at the beginning), and cities across America held their annual gay pride celebrations, Long Beach always having a large one. But it hurts to say that Orange County has yet to follow. When it comes to LGBT issues, I feel the OC is still steps behind. So that made my decision. Yes, I chose Long Beach over Anaheim, but unfortunately, I was again outbid on a large and beautiful loft in the heart of downtown.
Stadium Lofts
So, here I am signing contracts for another beautiful (yet significantly smaller) loft in the Platinum Triangle. Though I’m not out of the waters yet, as I still have to close, living at the Stadium Lofts seems pretty promising. “Something for Everyone”… the first residential properties for sale in the Platinum Triangle.
Am I excited? Yes! It’s an up and coming urban area, and I’m excited to be a part of it. Am I disappointed about Long Beach? Yes, but I also realize that Orange County needs more residents ready for a change, and I’m ready to be a part of it. Obama’s proclamation is just a very small step toward equality. I’m buying into my Orange County lifestyle, and I’m dragging my partner along with me! So if you’re homophobic and living in Orange County, get over it, because I’m about to make Orange County my home.
I’m hoping other LGBT’s will soon follow, not because of any of my doing, but because they’re proud to show they are living their normal lives with the ones they love, despite the overwhelming number of Yes on Prop 8 signs that were shoved in their faces. They are willing to face adversity and make the OC lifestyle their own.
That’s right, I did it. I turned my home-purchasing experience into another LGBT issue.
Upcoming Part II — the Platinum Triangle (because I didn’t know what it was either until my house hunt).
[Image taken from http://www.stadiumloftsnow.com/]