When Ross Cortese was looking for a name for his new residential development area, he didn't go past his own business card. The Ross in Rossmoor is for him -- and the moor part reflects the flat topography of this Orange County, California community. In fact, you'll find Rossmoors all over the U.S. thanks to Cortese's development business in California, Maryland, and New Jersey. But the ones in Florida and Kentucky? Those are just random.
The land on which Ross Cortese built his community of 3,500 homes in the 1950s originated (well, in a European-settler kind of way) as part of Rancho Los Alamitos before it was divided among the heirs of land grantee John Bixby in the 1880s
When Ross Cortese was looking for a name for his new residential development area, he didn't go past his own business card. The Ross in Rossmoor is for him -- and the moor part reflects the flat topography of this Orange County, California community. In fact, you'll find Rossmoors all over the U.S. thanks to Cortese's development business in California, Maryland, and New Jersey. But the ones in Florida and Kentucky? Those are just random.
The land on which Ross Cortese built his community of 3,500 homes in the 1950s originated (well, in a European-settler kind of way) as part of Rancho Los Alamitos before it was divided among the heirs of land grantee John Bixby in the 1880s. The fertile land here was used primarily for sugar beet farming. Cortese, playing the local government field, advertised Rossmoor as a subdivision of Los Alamitos and as Long Beach's "smartest new suburb." Rossmoor has long been subject to a bit of a tug-o-war between neighboring cities such as Los Alamitos, Garden Grove, Seal Beach and Long Beach. As things currently stand, Rossmoor remains unincorporated, though it is tended to by a community services district that trims the trees and runs recreational programs. Home to two major shopping centers, Rossmoor gains no sales tax revenue thanks to its unincorporated status -- and Seal Beach annexed one of those centers and claimed the spoils for itself not long after the area's development.
Moving to Rossmoor
Thanks to its sunny SoCal location, there's no bad time of year to find apartments in Rossmoor. Expect hot and dry summer months and mild winters, with temperature swings throughout the year confined to the mild 50s through the warm 80s. While there are plenty of popular tourist destinations surrounding this community, you aren't going to face competition from a tourist season.
Come prepared when you search for home rentals with the regular list of documents: proof of income, references, credit history, and deposit money.
Rossmoor Neighborhoods
You'll know you're in Rossmoor by the giant brick wall that helpfully outlines the whole dang thing. At just one-and-a-half square miles, Rossmoor is its own neighborhood with a history as a post-war suburban boom development promising all the latest in residential design. A home for rent will be easy to find here. Your apartment search may take a bit longer, but it's doable, though the overwhelming majority of options are houses, not multi-unit complexes.
Katella Avenue: Your best bet for apartment options will be to look in the north end of the community, along Katella Avenue. Rental homes are available across the community with varying floor plans since a majority of homes have undergone significant remodeling since their initial tract development.
Living in Rossmoor
A recent ranking of best suburbs to call home highlighted Rossmoor as a top ten option. There are 1,252 local amenities (stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc) within a five-mile radius of this community, and now we'll list them all. Just kidding! But here are some highlights of life in Rossmoor.
As mentioned, Rossmoor has two major retail centers conveniently located for residents to finish their errands in record time. The Shops at Rossmoor has a bit of a fib in its name: it was annexed by neighboring Seal Beach in 1962. This has nothing to do with what you'll find on offer here, from big-box retail and groceries to sit down and fast food options. The center is located in the southern part of town, along Seal Beach Boulevard and near the Old Ranch Golf Course.
At the northern end of town, you'll find the Shopping Village with local stores and restaurants like the Original Fish Co. and Fortune Cookies Chinese Restaurant. If you're Team Pie, check out local Orange County chain Polly's Pies and grab a fresh strawberry pie for your housewarming party.
Rossmoor Park offers a large playing field, playground structure, plenty of tall shade trees, tennis courts and a recreation center. The community room and kitchen can be rented by residents for events ranging from meetings to weddings. Rossmoor partners with neighbor Los Alamitos to provide recreational programing for area youth. Picnic sites are available for reservation in the park as well, for your next family reunion or company picnic. The community services district, which manages the park, also uses the site to host a number of community events like its Summer Ticket movies series.
Of course, just because a wall surrounds Rossmoor, doesn't mean you're confined to its boundaries. Your new home is conveniently located on the border of Los Angeles and Orange County, and you're not far from everything offered in this major metropolitan area. Boutique- and restaurant-filled Seal Beach is just south of Rossmoor -- and its signature pier is just about a 10-minute drive away. And, of course, theme park attractions like Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure and Knott's Berry Farm are only about 20 minutes east.
