For weeks now I have been reading that all of the Latino business owners at the Fiesta Marketplace are mad at their landlord, Irv Chase. But when I went to the Cinco de Mayo festival in Santa Ana, which was held in the same area as the Fiesta Marketplace, I spoke to a few of the business owners and found out that what the media and other blogs are reporting is not necessarily the truth.
I met Ray Rangel, the longtime owner of R and R Sportswear, and his family. He has been in business for many years and was recently lauded for helping to found the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He owns a part of the Fiesta Marketplace, including the land his store sits on, and he subleases to a few other tenants.
Rangel told me that he is a longtime friend of Chase and that he can appreciate what Chase is trying to do by bringing change to the Fiesta Marketplace. Rangel is not totally happy with everything Chase is doing, including not giving new leases to tenants who won’t update their product mix, but overall he gets it and is happy to see some change coming to the center.
I also met a lady who just opened up a music store and whose family has opened two other businesses – Charlie’s Tattoo Supplies and Body Piercing and Dame Elegante.
Danielle Barragan is running the tattoo supply store, which is located at 316 E. Fourth St.. She hopes that the City of Santa Ana will eventually allow tattoos to be applied, in downtown Santa Ana. I do think it is very odd for an Artists Village to not include tattoo shops. This definitely needs to get addressed by our City Council.
Dame Elegante features shoes and purses in a very nice fashionable setting. They are located at 516 E. 4th St.
All of the new business owners I mentioned above support Chase and say he has been a huge help to them in opening up their businesses – and this enterprising family is of course entirely Latino.
I never thought I would see the day that you could get body piercings in the Fiesta Marketplace, but that day has indeed arrived!
Click here for a map of the Fiesta Marketplace, which is located at E. Fourth St. and N. Bush St., in downtown Santa Ana.
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Are you kidding me, piercing and tatoos positive image for any downtown? The people that a tattoo parlor would draw to downtown would only be undesirables that would only bring trouble for any existing or future businesses established downtown. By the way, the owner of R&R Sportsware is Ray Rangel and Delia Rangel not Ray Romero. Please correct your error.
Thanks for the correction Pepa. Interestingly, Ray does not have a website - except for the one Irv made for him, as part of the Fiesta Marketplace.
As for piercings and tattoos, have you forgotten that these are traditions that were practiced by the Native Americans? These are ancient traditions that you should not belittle.
Furthermore, some of the richest people in the U.S. now have tattoos - including athletes, actors and models. Tattoos are not just for gangs anymore.
Next thing - Admin. will support massage parlors in downtown.
Junior,
Yes, I do - as long as they are trained and certified.
Admin, I did not know it was necessary to have a web site to get names correct in an article. I feel it is the reporters responsability to get the facts correct. In reference to the Native Americans getting tattoos, you are correct, the only difference is now we are talking 200 years ago. Even then I do not believe there were any tattoo parlors in downtown that served Native Americans.
We both agree Downtown Santa Ana is a great place but stop trying to get rid of the family atmosphere so many people and so much money was spent to achieve this goal.
Pepa,
There are many people in town which have tattoos and who are decent members of society. You are stuck in the past...
Admin, there is nothing wrong with the future or the past. As a matter of fact a combination of both makes for a stronger future. Learn from the past and use it in the future.
Pepa,
It is time for Santa Ana to leave its Puritanical bent behind and move on. We are a progressive city and it should be run thusly.
Admin, listen to your parent and grandparents, you have a lot to learn.
Pepa,
My father owned a business and so did my mom's father. The right to open businesses is vital to our community. There is nothing wrong with a tattoo supplies store - and I hope that the City will make it legal for them to apply tattoos as well.
Congratulations! I think that is very commendable that your Father and Grandmother owned their own business. It takes special people to take the risk and open businesses in this great country. At the same time I could bet your Father and Grandmother did not run a tatoo or piercing business.
With respect to all the changes Irv Chase has made, I think it is FANTASTIC!!!! It has brought Downtown Santa Ana into the new times. It's great to see all walks of life shopping and enjoying the atmosphere. Not to mention, it's great for the merchants of 4th street!