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This site explores the past, present, and future of downtown Riverside, California — one of Southern California’s truly historic downtowns, and indeed, a nice surprise within the suburban sprawl that is Greater Los Angeles.
The name Raincross Square comes from a downtown civic plaza of the 1970s and 1980s. It is also a derivative of “Mile Square,” the original 1870s street grid for the City of Riverside.
Within the Mile Square district of downtown are numerous historic homes and buildings, a handful of museums (including The Cheech), a four-block pedestrian mall, and the magnificent Riverside County Courthouse as well as the eclectic Mission Inn. Many stand as testament to the riches attained from Southern California’s once-mighty navel orange industry, which originated in Riverside in the mid-1870s.
Latest Posts
- Riverside’s connection to the Ferris Wheel
Where is George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.? The final resting place for the inventor of one of the world’s best-known amusement rides — the Ferris Wheel — remains a mystery… - Mixed-use back as part of the mix in downtown RiversideSince the early 2000s, Riverside has sought and encouraged more mixed-use and higher-density residential developments within the downtown core, specifically on portions of Market Street and along the Main Street…
- We’re back! Well, sorta …2024 UPDATE: After remaining dormant since June 2014 — due in part to a multi-year, out-of-state relocation — RaincrossSquare.com has been resurrected (May 2024). Initially, the site will serve as…
