Same Tagger, New Tactics

Our newest tagger has returned to our community. Once again, he brought along his handy little etching tool and tagged a unit on the North side of Santa Ana Boulevard.


But our "artist" didn't stop there. Desperate for attention and fame, he used a chemical or paint and wrote his name on the side of the (phase 2) blue buildings along Santiago Street.


I have a feeling that as schools begin to open their doors this year that this problem will continue to increase. What better way to show your homies how cool you are than to write your name on someone else's property?

You must make your parent's proud.

Happy Hour!

Thursday, August 30th @ 6:30pm.

Come meet the neighbors by the garages behind Building 9 .
(Building 9 is on the North Side of Santa Ana Boulevard).

Bring an appetizer, your favorite beverage to share and chair if you like.

Did You Smell Smoke Today?

Turns out you're not going crazy. In the planter area behind 928 Santa Ana Boulevard sat a cigarette butt smoldering in the new bark ground cover.

Some people can tolerate cigarette smoke, but I doubt that anyone would tolerate you burning down their house.

Please be considerate of your neighbors.

New Glass Etchings

It was only a matter of time until a glass-etching tagger made his way into our neighborhood, again. This time, it happened to "phase 2" units on the North side of Santa Ana Boulevard, Santiago Street, and Civic Center Drive.

Unfortunately, the glass on the first floor (with the exception of the front door) is not covered by our association. This translates into the etchings being more likely to stay up longer, as opposed to painted graffiti that can be easily cleaned/painted over, which in turn is an invitation to future or additional etchings.

Replacement of one window pane on the roll-up door(s) can run from $200-$300 dollars (installed). There are products available such as Vandal Shield available that act as a sacrificial layer. After the film has been etched, a new film will need to be reapplied.

Believe it or not, Santa Ana has a pretty decent graffiti clean-up program. The key is that it relies heavily on citizen participation to report incidents. Also, should you assist with the arresting of an individual who is defacing public/private property, the City of Santa Ana will mail you a check for $500! Just make sure you fill out the police report and you may also need to follow up to collect your check.

If you see graffiti happening, don't call 911. 911 can't help you and being dialed from a cell phone connects you to Highway Patrol.

Call Santa Ana Police @ (714) 834-4211.

Be ready with your location (cross streets and addresses help), a description of the person(s) committing the act including race, clothing type and color, and anything else such as spray paint color.

For immediate graffiti clean-up in Santa Ana, call 877-786-7824.

For graffiti found in unincorporated areas/County-owned and maintained property, call (714) 834-3400.

Read more about graffiti clean-up in Santa Ana here.

Read more about the Santa Ana Graffiti Reward Program here.

And so it Begins...

...with a disclaimer.

This blog is in no way meant to deface, defame or demoralize any persons, corporations or companies mentioned in any of its articles. We will always try to portray both sides of the story in an equal light and offer any parties mentioned to voice their own opinion as well.

The goal of this blog is to serve as a voice of the residents living at the Santiago Street Lofts, located in Downtown Orange County. We hope to unify neighbors and inform residents of current problems, issues, accomplishments and goals within our community. This blog is not only limited to the happenings within the community, but to post articles about upcoming events in and around the city, as well as spotlighting local "jewels" that city sometimes seems to hide.

Who am I you may ask? I have lived at the lofts since July of 2006 and it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. We have become great friends with many of our neighbors, seen and heard things that just don't happen in suburbia, and know that each day holds a new adventure that is waiting to happen.