Curious Rover

Living in California has its perks in discovering new unique places within every city. Orange County holds many hidden gems that you may not know of. That is why I introduce this place to you. SteelCraft in Garden Grove is on average just a 20-minute drive from California State University, Fullerton.

SteelCraft is a large networking pool is how I like to think of it. The business is a large open space with all its vendors facing the middle of the open space. Within the space, there are many benches and tables of all heights and sizes to fit whichever need you to want. There are also jumbo-sized classic games like Jenga and Connect 4. Also including regular games to play with friends such as ping pong and even the mini arcade within the place.

What makes this place unique is that SteelCraft is made of repurposed shipping containers. Each shipping container has its creative twist that goes along with the vendors. 10 vendors within this location offer food and drinks. This ranges from regular drinks to alcoholic drinks and the same goes for the food as it ranges from amazing food to yummy desserts.

If you don’t want to travel to Garden Grove then fear no more as SteelCraft also offers other locations with the same concept of repurposed shipping containers. The other locations are in Bellflower, CA, and Long Beach, CA. Each location is different making each one worth the visit to see the variety of different vendors.

The entire purpose and goal for SteelCraft is to unite people and surrounding communities. By implementing these unique plots of land with plenty of space to offer networking this goal can be achieved. This place is perfect for having a small get-together with friends or if you simply just want a new place to discover by yourself.

Have you ever been stuck with a feeling of wanting to go out to have fun and socialize but realized you have no place to go?

Fear no more as a place in Stanton, CA has emerged as a the new local hangout spot. Rodeo 39 Public Market is a new social setting for those to gather around with friends, family or even just by yourself to experience a variety of vendors offering food, drinks and fun. 

Just 30 minutes away from California State University, Fullerton is Rodeo 39 Public Market. It is still very new within the city of Stanton but flourishing in reaching unmatched expectations. The public market is just over 1 year old and has over 39 vendors within the property. Now you're probably wondering why it is even called Rodeo 39? It got it’s name by the cross roads the property is on. It is located on Beach Blvd and Highway 39 so the city thought and mentioned on their website that “capturing the exciting energy of a real rodeo - a gathering of people together, rounding up of good times.” seemed like a perfect idea to call it Rodeo 39. 

Each vendor has their own unique finish within their businesses to make each one stand out from one another. Vendors range from selling delicious foods, tasty drinks, tattoo services, flower services, and fashion items such as trendy clothes. Even if you want to spend no money and just hang out then they also offer patio hang-out spots. 

The way they have the patios decorated allows for many actives or social settings to come to life. Along with having an outdoor beer garden it sets the ambiance day or night with its modern finishes. Each part of this public market offers an aesthetic angle which creates a great setting for any online social media influencers. Taking an aesthetically pleasing picture is a guarantee here. 

I recommend you give this new hang-out spot a chance because it is still relatively fresh to the area. You are guaranteed a good time and lots of amazing food and drinks to choose from. 

Recently I have become more involved with the finding new places. This is because the Los Angeles County and Orange County has so much to offer compared to what I came from which was the High Desert. 

Orange County is a vibrant place full of social life. I like to think that the OC really only survives and thrives with the social life. People from around the world come to visit the many popular places in California specifically Disneyland or major beach cities. Though in Los Angeles County it can be harder to find fun things to do with friends or even by yourself. I want to share places to those who may not know how special these places really are compared to major tourist areas. 

The first place I have to highly recommend is for college students or anyone who just wants a quiet place. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is a sight to see. It's a small escape into an alternate world of books and garden ambience. The library is located in San Marino, CA just about a 45 minute drive from California State University, Fullerton. This place is a perfect place to relax and decompress of any feelings to just simply ease the mind. The place itself is 120 acres of land waiting for your presence to be changed. There is 11 million library objects, 15,000 plant varieties, and 42,000 works of art for you to be able to see and learn from. Can you imagine the amount of knowledge within that library that is waiting to be learned? Even if you are not wanting to learn about stuff then just the scenery itself is worth the time alone. 

The Huntington Library offers admission for entrance of the library grounds and usually is between $20-$30. Although that can be a lot of money they offer free days every month and update the schedule to notify those of free days. If you are wanting to go there is a free day coming up for this September 29, 2022 or on October 6, 2022. You can also become a library member and have free entry to the library. I encourage those who haven't went to take advantage of these free days and let the books, art, and plants speak for themselves.