Fullerton, CA Real Estate

Fullerton, an established community in northern Orange County, grew up with the oil and citrus industries, but now its education that keeps it going round the clock – it’s home to two of the OC’s colleges, California State University Fullerton, and Fullerton College, the oldest continuously operating community college in the US.

The 293-acre Hughes Aircraft Company's Ground Systems Group campus in western Fullerton was redeveloped into a major new residential and commercial district, called Amerige Heights, in 2001–2004. This development was accompanied by extreme shifts in neighborhood property values, first dropping precipitously in the late 1980s to early 1990s as the former Hughes employees sold their houses, and then rising rapidly as part of a general increase in real estate values throughout Orange County.

There is a proposal to develop the Coyote Hills area, the last undeveloped area in the city. This controversial issue has pitted local environmentalists and slow-growth activists (who argue that the city should seek state funding to buy the area and make into a park) against the pro-business and pro-growth City Council. There are also plans to build approximately 300 condominiums or apartments downtown, leading to more density.

The Muckenthaler Cultural Center on Malvern Avenue near Euclid Avenue houses art galleries and a theater group. The former estate of the Muckenthaler family, it was donated to the city by Harold Muckenthaler in 1965. The Fullerton Museum Center is a multidisciplinary exhibit space housed in the old Carnegie Library downtown. Fullerton is also home to a diverse and ever-growing theater scene.

The Fullerton Civic Light Opera, one of the largest theater companies in Southern California, is based at the Plummer Auditorium. Local educational institutions, such as Fullerton College and Fullerton High School's Academy of the Arts, are the source of numerous large-scale productions. Fullerton has more than 50 city parks and is home to the Craig Regional Park and Ralph B. Clark Regional Park. The Fullerton Arboretum comprises 26 acres of sculpted gardens and unusual plants in northeastern Fullerton.

College Park was the first major downtown neighborhood built from the 1900’s to the 30’s. Many homes are Arts and Crafts Style and some homes here are the famous Sears Roebuck kit homes. French Colonial and Queen Anne Tudor homes can also be found here. Many homes here have been rehabbed, but there are fixer upper opportunities. The neighborhood is walking distance from Fullerton College and the transportation center.

Located in the rolling hills on the north edge of Fullerton, is the prestigious community of Sunny Hills. The homes in Sunny Hills were primarily built in the mid 1940's and the 1950's. These estate properties were all custom built and are predominately California ranch-style homes located on large 1/2 to 3/4 Acre lots. These custom homes with a rambling country look originally had pitched gables and wood shake roofs. Homes range in size from 1,700 to 5,000 square feet in size. Many of the lots here are large enough to accommodate horse stables.

The Sunny Hills West area consists of three neighborhoods, built in the mid 60’s to 70’s, all carved into a moderate hillside. Homes here range from 1,600 to 3,500 square feet. Hidden Lakes is a condo community built in the early 1980’s. Its bordered by Brea Blvd, Lemon, Skyline, and Shadow Lane. It is also close to Hillcrest Park. Plans are underway for what might be Fullerton’s last major development, West Coyote Hills. Developers hope to develop this “low density community” on a tract once used by Chevron Oil. Numerous environmental concerns are currently being negotiated. There are also plans to build approximately 300 condominiums or apartments downtown, leading to more density.

The 293-acre former Hughes Aircraft facility in western Fullerton was redeveloped into a major new residential and commercial district, called Amerige Heights, in 2001–2004. This development was accompanied by extreme shifts in neighborhood property values, first dropping precipitously in the late 1980s to early 1990s as the former Hughes employees sold their houses, but then rising rapidly as part of a general increase in real estate values throughout Orange County.

In addition to Fullerton College and Cal State, Other institutions of higher education in Fullerton include Western State University College of Law, Hope International University, and Southern California College of Optometry. The city also prides itself on its public high schools: Fullerton Union High School, Troy High School, Buena Park High School, La Sierra High School, La Vista High School (currently undergoing extensive remodeling) and Sunny Hills High School.

Fullerton Union High School, the oldest high school in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District as well as all of Orange County, is the home of historic Plummer Auditorium and the Academy of the Arts magnet program. Public magnet school, Troy High School, is a perennial top 50 high school nationally and is known for excellence in math and sciences. Like Troy, Sunny Hills High excels in academics and athletics.

Fullerton is very accessible. The 57 Freeway is the main north-south freeway, with the 91 running east-west just to the south of Fullerton. The Fullerton Airport is a general aviation facility. Fullerton has Amtrak service to Los Angeles, San Diego and the daily Southwest Chief to Chicago and intermediate points. Metrolink commuter trains run to LA, Oceanside and to and from the Inland Empire.

The area around the Fullerton train station has been developed into a destination with several restaurants, including an Old Spaghetti Factory built into the old Union Pacific freight station. The annual Fullerton Railroad Days held at the depot features exhibits of both model and full-sized trains, and often includes a working steam locomotive.