BALBOA ISLAND

In 1899, a real estate speculator, W. S. Collins, acquired land in Newport Bay and created the artificial island of Balboa by draining part of the port, which he connected to Los Angeles via the Pacific Electric Railroad. In the 1910s, the small town became one of the most popular places to enjoy and holiday in the region. Examples include the Balboa Fun Zone, created in 1936, an outdated miniature children's amusement park on the water's edge, and the charming Balboa Pavilion, which was originally a Victorian bathhouse built on the harbour. Always brave at that time, there were many concerts, balls and gala dinners during the golden age from the 1920s to the 1940s.

Here we enjoy the local entertainment on Marine Avenue. This main street of the island has a multitude of shops: flowers, ready-to-wear, books, gifts. Balboa is essentially residential and can be visited on foot. We stroll between the villas of multimillionaires, built in extreme promiscuity: more than 3,000 people live here over an area of 0.5 km2. Every year, during Halloween and Christmas, villas around the island compete to win the prize for the best decorated house, in a deluge of lights and stage settings worthy of Disneyland.