More about Newport Beach California

Newport beach is a city in Orange County which was incorporated in 1906 and has an estimated population of 86,252 residents as of January 2009. The city is considered on of the wealthiest communities in the state and is consistently ranked highly in the country. The city received its name in 1870 when a steamer named “The Vaquero” made its first trip to the lagoon for trading. After this maiden voyage, the owners of the area decided that the area should be known as “Newport”. The area known as Newport Harbor was originally carved out by the natural flow of the Santa Ana River, and the area feeds the delta of Beck Bay. The city is most well-know for the Balboa Pavilion; a state landmark, it was established July1, 1906 and is one of the state’s last surviving waterfront recreational pavilions from the beginning of the 20th century. Not only is the pavilion one of the last surviving pavilions in the state, it is also the oldest building in the city. The city houses Balboa Island, an artificial island that was dredged and filled before the start of World War I and houses the Balboa Fun Zone and Newport Harbor Nautical Museum. The Catalina Flyer makes its home in Newport Beach; a giant 500 seater catamaran which provides daily transportation to Avalon on Catalina Island. The Orange County Museum of Art is also located in the city and showcases modern and contemporary art, mainly focusing on works by California artists. A notable location in the city is Fashion Island, and upscale, open-air plaza owned by The Irvine Company. Fashion Island was opened in 1967 and featured only four department stores, Buffum’s, J.W. Robinson’s, The Broadway and J.C. Penny. The center holds the world’s largest wind chime as according to the Guinness Book of Records. The chimes, which were installed in 1967, were designed and sculpted by mural artists Tom Van Sant.