2.
It may surprise visitors to learn that tiny Balboa Island, located at the head of Newport Bay, is entirely man-made. Indeed, what was a mere sand spit in the first quarter of the 20th century is now an island, composed mostly of fill, with a surface area of just under two miles. Available property on Balboa, as you can imagine, is at a premium, and it's not uncommon for even modest parcels of land to list for millions of dollars.
3.
Years ago, Newport Beach must have seemed like a world away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood. Perhaps that's why so many silver screen stars sought refuge here. Exclusive Balboa Bay Club alone counted many famous people among its members, including Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Greta Garbo.
4.
Never judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes ... or, that is, 14,450 miles. Balboa Island resident Dave Kunst became the first person to officially circle the entire land mass of the earth when he departed Waseca, Minnesota, on 20 June 1970 and returned on 5 October 1974. The feat brought Kunst a fair amount of renown, from book deals and TV appearances to an entry in the Guinness Book of Records and the honor of carrying an Olympic torch. The record-setting walk was not without its price: Dave's brother, John, who started the trek with him, died when the pair were attacked by bandits in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush Mountains.
5.
Sultans of style? While Rodeo Drive gets all the press as California's mecca for designer threads, Newport Beach is no slouch when it comes to high-end retailers. Fashion Island, of course, is the long-standing favorite. This versatile, Mediterranean-styled center continues to push the envelope by combining shopping, entertainment and dining in one place. Massive South Coast Plaza, meanwhile, stands as a gleaming, modern counterpart to Fashion Island. Billed as the "ultimate shopping resort," the mall is so large that it boasts its own concierge desk and express transportation services!
6.
Thanks to many artists who display their works along the harborfront, Cannery Village's eight square blocks are collectively regarded as Southern California's version of Montmartre by the Sea. And yet, things weren't always so: Cannery Village earned its name years ago when fishing boats docked here and unloaded their catches for processing.
7.
While Big Band aficionados may not think "California" when the subject of great music from the Swing Era comes up, long-time Newport Beach residents may remember something called the "Balboa Hop," a popular dance that originated in the famous pavilion at Balboa Beach during the 1940s.
8.
It may surprise you to learn that Newport Beach was once a dukedom in a manner of speaking. Legendary actor John Wayne, whose nickname was "The Duke," relocated from Beverly Hills to Newport Beach's Bayside Drive in 1966 and lived there until his death in 1979. Legend has it that the Oscar-winning actor "discovered" Newport Beach's beauty during his college days at Southern Cal.
9.
Have board, will surf, dude? California's first surfing contest pitted legends Duke Kahanamoku and Tom Blake against each other. Promoted as the Pacific Coast Surfing Championship, the event was held on the Corona del Mar side of Newport Harbor on 5 August 1928, and several hundred onlookers cheered as Blake won the inaugural title.
10.
You don't have to travel to Beverly Hills to see where stars once lived you can do the same thing in Newport Beach, where harbor cruises take you past the former homes of Shirley Temple, George Burns and James Cagney. A few of today's famous folks, like Dennis "The Worm" Rodman and author Dean Koontz, call Newport Beach "home," but their residences are a tad harder to find.
