Old World Village
{{Short description|Mixed-use village in Huntington Beach, California, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Old World Village
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| settlement_type = Neighborhood
| image_skyline = Old World Village sign.jpg
| image_alt = Entrance sign reading "Old World Village" with red roof tiles
| image_caption = Entrance sign to Old World Village
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| pushpin_map = Los Angeles
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| coordinates = {{coord|33.7347096|-117.9969182|type:city|display=inline,title}}
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = California
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = Orange County
| subdivision_type3 = City
| subdivision_name3 = Huntington Beach
| established_title = Founded
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| governing_body = Old World Owners Association
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| unit_pref = Imperial
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| area_total_acre = 8
| area_land_acre = 8
| population_as_of =
| population_total = 150 (approx.)
| population_density_km2 = auto
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| postal_code_type = ZIP code
| postal_code = 92647
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| area_code = 714
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| website = {{URL|https://visitoldworld.com/}}
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Old World Village is a German enclave in Huntington Beach, California. It features shops, restaurants, a chapel, and a hotel.{{cite news|url=https://www.ocregister.com/articles/village-old-world-2001446-owners-say|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322234255/https://www.ocregister.com/articles/village-old-world-2001446-owners-say|archive-date=March 22, 2008|first=Annie|last=Burris|newspaper=Orange County Register|title=What's to become of Huntington's Old World Village?|date=March 18, 2008}}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bestoforangecoun00leeg/page/202 |title=The Best of Orange County California|first=Gregory|last=Lee|year=1993|isbn=978-1-881409-05-2|publisher=Jasi}} Many of the proprietors of its businesses live above their establishments. This live-work arrangement is unusual for Orange County.{{cite news|title=Old World Village Captures Bavarian Flavor|last=Young|first=Karen|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 10, 1988|page=OC_E5|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-10-li-5086-story.html}}{{cite news|title=Piggyback Apartments Work Elsewhere in County|last=O'Dell|first=John|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles, Calif.|date=23 February 1991|page=5|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-23-hm-1484-story.html}}
About 40 families live in the village.{{cite news|title=Old World Village|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 16, 1989|page=OC_G2}} When it opened in 1978, the proprietors were primarily from Germany and Austria, but the Village has become more ethnically diverse over time.{{cite news|title=Old World village brings a taste of Europe to OC|first=John|last=Westcott|newspaper=Orange County Register|location=Santa Ana, Calif.|date=22 September 1988|page=b02}}
History
In 1952, Josef Bischof emigrated from Germany to the United States. He was inspired by Ports O' Call Village in San Pedro, to create the shopping center Alpine Village in Torrance in 1965. Wanting to have spaces to both live and work in the same place, he split with his business partners from Alpine Village to found Old World Village in 1978.
Ownership of the 53 live-work units is distributed among private owners, with governance administered through a homeowners association. As of 2007, the Bischof family continued to own several of the commercial and residential properties.{{cite news|last=Burris|first=Annie|title=Who Owns Old World Village?|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2007/08/09/who-owns-old-world-village/|work=Orange County Register|date=August 9, 2007|access-date=April 7, 2025}}
= Controversies =
In the 1980s, the village experienced an internal feud, with owners of the live-work establishments accusing Bischof of a "reign of terror".{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-29-fi-2441-story.html|title= Old World Village Suit to Go to Jury: Business Owners Accuse Developer of 'Reign of Terror'|last=Lucas|first=Greg|date=April 29, 1986|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} An initial $2.1 million judgment in favor of the merchants was later reduced to $1.25 million ({{Inflation|US|1250000|1986|r=-4|fmt=eq}}).{{cite news|title=Shopping Center Award Excessive, Judge Rules|last=Spano|first=John|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=Jun 18, 1986|page=OC_A2|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-18-me-11141-story.html}}
In a separate case, Cathy Justine Adams, who operated the "Old World Psychic Reader" from 1985, was arrested and charged with grand theft after defrauding clients of over $400,000 in cash, jewelry, and vehicles. She pled guilty in 1991 to three felony counts and agreed to repay $150,000 in restitution to avoid prison time.{{cite news |last=Horton |first=Kristina |title=Psychic Pleads Guilty in Theft|work=Orange County Register |date=September 7, 1991 |page=B02}}{{cite news |last=Gollner |first=Phil M. |title=Fortuneteller Repays Clients to Keep Jail Out of Her Future |work=Orange County Register |date=March 23, 1994 |page=B05}}{{cite news |title=Future's Bleak for a Seer Who Admits Fraud |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 7, 1991 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-07-me-1722-story.html}}
In the early 2000s, the village experienced a series of antisemitic incidents reported by the owners of a Jewish gift shop, including vandalism, threatening phone calls, and hate-related graffiti. These incidents were part of broader tensions among some residents and businesses, and although they gained media attention, others in the village described the community as generally peaceful.{{cite news |last=Kornhaber |first=Spencer |title=Old World Village's Rep as a Haven for Skinheads Is the Least of the Huntington Beach Oddity's Problems |url=http://www.ocweekly.com/2009-03-19/news/old-world-village-huntington-beach/full/ |work=OC Weekly |date=March 19, 2009 |access-date=April 7, 2025 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905170453/http://www.ocweekly.com/2009-03-19/news/old-world-village-huntington-beach/full/}}
Description
File:Old World Village scene.jpg
Old World Village is active with various shops, cafes, and event venues. Its architecture evokes a stylized version of Europe, with cobblestone streets, stucco facades, and painted murals contributing to its distinct ambiance.{{cite news |last=Michaud |first=Anne |title=Huntington Beach's Old World Village: Easygoing Vendors, Hard-to-Find Wares |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-24-ol-6423-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 24, 1993 |access-date=April 7, 2025}}
Festivals
The Village holds annual German events, including an Oktoberfest{{cite news|title=Old World's Oktoberfest a Deutsch treat|first=Robert|last=Kinsler|newspaper=Orange County Register|location=Santa Ana, Calif.|date=29 September 1995|page=63}} and dachshund races.{{cite news|title=Corrections|newspaper=The Orange County Register|location=Santa Ana, Calif.|date=28 October 1994|page=A02}} Over time, events for other ethnic and cultural groups have been held at the Village, including Greek,{{cite news|title=Old World Village|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 8, 1990|page=OCF22}} Irish,{{cite news|title=Ways to Go for the Green: Irish-Heritage Celebrations Take a Festive Turn|last=Perry|first=Susan|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 17, 1988|page=G12}} Scottish,{{cite news|title=Old World Village Scottish Festival (advertisement)|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=February 14, 1988|page=OC_A6}} and South American{{cite news|title=Harpist Taps a Multi-Ethnic Background to Make His Music|last=Pasles|first=Chris|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 20, 1988|page=EOC13|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-20-ca-5923-story.html}} festivals. The village also hosts weddings{{cite news|title=Old World Village Serves as Wedding Center|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=February 14, 1992|page=OCE12}} and quinceañeras.{{cite news|title=Heels over head |newspaper=Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles, Calif.|date=March 29, 2000|page=5}}
Legacy
Old World Village was parodied in the television series Arrested Development as the fictional English enclave "Wee Britain".{{cite news |last=Coker |first=Matt |title=Arrested Development's Orange County |url=https://ocweekly.com/arrested-developments-orange-county-6426681/ |newspaper=OC Weekly |date=May 23, 2013 |access-date=April 7, 2025}} The village has also served as a filming location, often doubling for European settings due to its Bavarian-style architecture. It has appeared in television shows such as Hell's Kitchen and Welcome to Chippendales, and is part of Huntington Beach's broader efforts to attract film and television production.{{cite news |last=Fletcher |first=Jaimee Lynn |title=Hollywood Zoning in on Huntington Beach |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2013/01/24/hollywood-zoning-in-on-huntington-beach/ |work=Orange County Register |date=January 24, 2013 |access-date=April 7, 2025}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Huntington Beach, California}}
{{Ethnic enclaves}}
Category:1978 establishments in California
Category:German communities in the United States
Category:Huntington Beach, California