Redlands CA: Big Town Charm, Small Town Charm
Redlands CA has a large town atmosphere with a smaller town feel. This is a wonderful place to explore and visit. Both residents and visitors will find a lot of things to do.
Redlands has a wide range of restaurants that will appeal to foodies. Redlands has everything from upscale gastropubs to traditional American restaurants.
Smiley Library,another must-see attraction. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in town and has a unique architecture style.
The University of Redlands
The University of Redlands is a private liberal arts college founded in 1907. The main campus of the University of Redlands is situated on 160 acres in Redlands,California. The university has over 2,600 undergraduate students and a 75% graduation rate of full-time freshman.
The university offers many academic programs. These include undergraduate majors such as astronomy and environmental studies. It also offers a master’s degree program in school counseling. More than half of the 187 professors at University of Redlands hold doctorates.
The University’s facilities are frequently used for filming,and the campus has been featured in movies such as Goodbye My Fancy with Joan Crawford,Hell Night,and Joy Ride. On campus,the University hosts a number of prestigious conferences and other events. Students are encouraged by the University to broaden their educational experience through a variety of learning experiences,such as study abroad,May term,and community service.
The City of Redlands
Redlands,founded in 1881 and incorporated 1888,has the feel of a large city with a charming small town. A major hub for citrus production,its streets are lined with trees and historic buildings. A popular downtown area hosts a variety of locally-owned businesses,shops and restaurants. The city is also home to an impressive symphony and theater company.
The nearby San Bernardino National Forest provides access to a variety of hiking trails and camping sites. In the area,you will find a number of parks,such as Smiley Park,Ford Park,and Prospect Park.
The city is renowned for its eye-catching historic homes. The city is known for its historic homes,including Morey Mansion (dubbed as “America’s Favorite Victorian”) and Kimberly Crest House and Gardens. This house and gardens was modeled on a French château. Other eye-catching properties include the Butler Belt,an area that once had the highest density of homes employing butlers; and the stately homes on Terracina Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Gay 90’s is also located in Redlands. It was made famous through its appearance on the TV show “Cheers”. The establishment was created by two University of Redlands alumni.
The Smiley Brothers
Alfred Homans Smiley,a twin brother of Albert Keith Smiley,built their winter home on the hills which today form Smiley Heights in Redlands. The Smileys also built Canyon Crest Park,a botanical park that became a major tourist attraction for the area. The twins took pleasure in their visual similarity and would often confuse people or play tricks on them by misidentifying themselves as one another.
Their Quaker heritage imbued them with a sense of service,a reverence for nature and a belief in peaceful resolution of conflict. They passed these values to their descendants,who continue to preserve the natural splendor of the property. For example,the great-grandnephew of one of the twins founded Mohonk Consultations,which convenes to discuss the interdependence of all life on earth and ways in which humans can live harmoniously with nature. The Mountain House and the surrounding land are now a National Historic Landmark.
Electricity
In the late 1880s,orange production had increased dramatically. More power was needed. Using the natural streams,power was being generated for irrigating and preserving the crop. However,it was limited by the distance the electricity could be transmitted with the single-phase DC generators available. Engineer Almarian Decker designed the Redlands plant to take advantage of the power from Mill Creek,with help from Elihu Thomson at General Electric. The first generators began to operate at the plant on Sept 7,1893.