Artists’ community Laguna Beach, with a population of about 22,000, is the second-oldest city in Orange County. The city hosts several art exhibits throughout the year, and draws both artists and those who appreciate their work to its seaside location.
Laguna Beach Homes for Sale |
History
When American settlers arrived in what would become Laguna Beach shortly after the Civil War, they found few vacant parcels available for homesteading. However, a small community known as Arch Beach formed near the mouth of Bluebird Canyon. Residents changed the community’s name to Lagonas in 1887, and to Laguna Beach in 1904. The region was known to the Spanish as “La Canada de Las Lagunas,” which means “The Canyon of Small Lakes,” for two lakes found near the head of Laguna Canyon.
The city later relocated to the mouth of Laguna Canyon, and, by 1900, was occupied by five families and several homesteaders who struggled to farm the land. To supplement their livelihoods, they began renting sections of the coastline to residents of nearby inland communities of Santa Ana, Riverside, Fullerton, and Tustin desperate to escape high temperatures.
This was the beginning of the Laguna Beach tourism industry, which remains strong. The city’s arts colony roots go back to the early 1920s, when a group of landscape painters discovered the area’s sweeping ocean views and other natural beauty.
Laguna Beach was incorporated in 1927. Since then, artists and wealthy arts patrons have continued to call the community home. The city became Southern California’s headquarters for alternative culture in the 1960s.
Laguna Beach Today
The city hosts the Pageant of the Masters, a live show in which actors pose in a set of what appears to be original artwork, each summer. Other local arts festivals and events include the Sawdust Art Festival, Festival of Arts, and Art-A-Fair, and an annual winter chamber music festival.
The Laguna Art Museum and Laguna College of Art & Design are further evidence of the city’s artistic leanings.
Real Estate
Commuters tend to prefer living in North Laguna, while those looking for a more traditional neighborhood migrate to South Laguna. Those who like to walk to restaurants and shops usually choose Laguna Village for their home base.
Laguna Beach features a variety of home styles, including townhouses and condominiums. The average listing price for Laguna Beach homes in mid-December 2012 was $3.7 million, down 1 percent from the same time the previous year.
Latest Laguna Beach Homes for Sale:
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See more Real estate in the city of Laguna Beach.
(all data current as of
5/22/2013)
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$1,499,900 : 1445 Cerritos Drive, Laguna Beach3 beds, 2 full, 2 part baths
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$1,499,900 : 1445 Cerritos Drive, Laguna Beach3 beds, 2 full, 2 part baths
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$18,800,000 : 1901 Ocean Way, Laguna Beach3 beds, 2 full, 2 part baths
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$4,500,000 : 856 Diamond Street, Laguna Beach3 beds, 3 full, 2 part baths
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