Rallying around Newport-Mesa

From 1980 to 1985, I worked as the sales manager, then vice

president, of a business-to-business company in the San Fernando

Valley.

In 1983, I made the first of many calls to our few accounts in

Orange County. What I saw on my first trip to Corona del Mar would

change my life. Now, the success of the Anaheim Angels may change it

again.

On that trip in 1983, it was clear to me that Orange County was

becoming a force to be reckoned with. I went back and told my boss as

much and he decided to put more effort into attracting business in

these parts. One of the new accounts I opened became the company’s

largest within six months.

But I wanted more. I didn’t want to just sell in Orange County, I

wanted to live here, particularly in the Newport-Mesa area.

Then I met Cay, who was working in Orange County. I got a job down

here and a year and a half later we were married. That was in 1987,

also the year we bought our first home.

Reading the newspaper after the outstanding World Series triumph

by the Angels, I was struck by the low self-image many residents have

of their home turf. In quote after quote, people were commenting

about how the area was no longer a stepchild or second-class citizen

to Los Angeles. I read more than once that finally the area is more

than Disneyland.

That saddened me. I had lived in too many parts of Los Angeles for

22 years and watched a once-great city become little more than a copy

of other big cities around the country with mismanaged resources,

political pettiness and poor planning.

Orange County was all that Los Angeles was not, and I loved it

here even before I stepped out of my car in 1983. It was cleaner,

quieter and a much better place to raise a family. I had not a moment

of longing to be like L.A. or even a moment of envy or jealousy

toward the City of the Angels. I didn’t care about the image of being

“less than” Los Angeles, I embraced it. It was the reason I wanted to

live here.

And to all those who wished to continue to live there, have at it,

I thought.

Then the Angels won the world championship of baseball and the

spotlight shined on our hometown. In San Francisco, the

geographically challenged Giants fans chanted, “Beat L.A.!” as though

they were the same. They may as well have chanted, “Beat whatever!”

And sure as the day of the Rose Parade is the most beautiful day

of the year and prompts thousands to relocate to Southern California,

I have no doubt that what America saw during the home games here will

make some want to think twice about spending another winter in the

snow. Many of those people will look to Newport-Mesa.

Sure, I haven’t seen even a fraction of the nice places to live in

the country. But I cannot believe that very many are better

communities than the ones served by this newspaper. I don’t even know

where to begin. How about, in 15 years at our old home in Costa Mesa,

we ran our air conditioner about a total of 10 days? How about being

at or near some of the best beaches in the world? How about our

rising caliber of cultural offerings? Or how about just continuing to

be an exceptional place to raise kids?

In the same way that the folks in Oregon and Washington were

chasing away the California carpetbaggers in the mid-1980s, I’m

beginning to get territorial about Newport-Mesa. Come on down and

listen to the Pacific Symphony Orchestra or watch a play at the

beautiful new South Coast Repertory. Eat dinner at Gustaf Anders --

in my opinion one of the best restaurants in California. Unwind with

a day at our spectacular beaches. Spend lots of money here. Then go

home.

Our home had not a shred of “finally” after the baseball crown;

not a moment of thought that this victory would finally put us on the

map for something besides Disneyland. I am quite fine being 40 miles

south of L.A. and 80 miles north of San Diego.

But until someone takes the World Series title out of the county,

I would appreciate the area’s designation as the real “City of the

Angels.”

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer.

Readers may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at

(949) 642-6086.