Whittier, California is known for its close-knit community and the passion that the locals have for their community. The small city of Whittier still has many of the historic houses of history passed preserved and ready to be toured. There are tours, reenactments and celebrations all year round provided by locals who love their town. One of the sites that visitors see is the Pio Pico State Historical Park that pays homage to "El Ranchito"—the beloved rancho and adobe home of Pio Pico who was the last governor of California after Mexican rule. The enthusiasm for history and their city can be seen in the public's fight to keep this state park as well as others from being closed due to drastic budget cuts. Right now, volunteers are keeping to Pio Pico House open for tours and service hours. If you do end up at this location, make sure to tour the rest of the Historic District of Uptown Whittier. Locals recommend driving through the historic homes districts to see great Craftsman-style houses and other architectural wonders. Also, near by to this district is Disneyland and California Adventure.
Economy:
Whittier, California offers vacationers and business people a plethora of options and opportunities. Whittier has always been a great city supporting their history, but also investing in the future. Some of the recent projects that the city of Whittier has completed include the $7 million revitalization project near the historic Hoover Hotel and a project that added more restaurants to the Whittwood Town Center mall. The Whittier City Council has been implementing a Local Economic Stimulus and Business Assistance Plan since 2009. With this plan, the city hopes to bring individuals and companies to Whittier where new businesses will take root and benefit the economy. As more people are moving to Whittier, more the companies such as Whittier Moving Companies have to hire people for new jobs, and as a variety of businesses trickle in, that's where growth and diversify is generated. So far, Whittier has been doing great development projects expanding on hospitals, building townhouses, and constructing a new police headquarters facility.
History:
The land that composes today's city of Whittier, California was once in the hands of Spanish soldier Manual Nieto. In 1784, he received a land grant from the King of Spain as a reward for serving in the military. During the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848, Pio Pico owned most of the land of Whittier. After the war, German immigrant Jacob F. Gerkens bought 160 acres of land under the Homestead Act from the United States. As you can see the land was owned by many people until it was founded as a Quaker nation in 1887. The land's new settlers harvested fruits and vegetables on the land and brought in the right amounts of cultural, political, business and recreational opportunities to create a successful town. Ever since, the atmosphere of Whittier has been conducive to progress and activity.
Tourism:
Around Whittier, there is a lot to do in many different neighborhoods. One of the most popular places for visitors to the City of Whittier is the Uptown Whittier area where there are restaurants aplenty and places to drink coffee and make conversation all night long. On Greenleaf Street, you will find mostly locally owned eateries and business. Elsewhere, there are more commercial areas. While in Uptown Whittier be sure to pass by The Quad, which used to be an indoor mall that was once destroyed the 1987 Whittier Narrows Earchquake. Since then it has been rebuilt into a spectacular site of stores, parking and chain restaurants. For small specialty items there are many gift shops and old bookstores where you can purchase oddities and unique gifts. Around these areas, are restaurants that offer home cooked meals that you can only taste in Whittier. Also, be sure to check out the many pubs and bars in the area, as well.