Supermarkets come to Newport Beach

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Supermarkets come to Newport Beach

From the start of World War II through the early 1960s California’s population increased dramatically, making it the most populous state by 1962. Like California as a whole, Newport Beach grew faster than any point its history, from 4,438 residents in 1940 to 26,564 in 1960. The influx of new residents also meant an increased need for housing and shopping.

Small neighborhood stores such as Arborn’s Harbor Market on Balboa Island were typical in the years prior to World War II. But with the increased population, larger stores became viable. Supermarkets, characterized by larger stores, self-service shopping and individual departments began to emerge.

Kay Finch: Corona del Mar Artist

For more than twenty years, the ceramicist Kay Finch produced artful porcelain figurines in a studio near the corner of Coast Highway and Hazel Ave.  Kay, along with her staff,… Read More »

You Could Have Lived on Pansy Street: A History of Corona del Mar’s Flower Streets

If George Hart, the original developer of Corona del Mar, had his way Sherman Library would be on 32nd Street instead of the much more pleasing Dahlia Avenue. So, how were the flower streets of Corona del Mar named? Why does an alphabetical scheme include three sets of duplicates: Avocado and Acacia, Marguerite and Marigold, and Poinsettia and Poppy? How did Hazel get included, after Poppy? And for good measure, do Avocado, Acacia, Fernleaf and Hazel qualify as flowers?

Eight Decades of Change in Two Photographs of Corona del Mar

At first glance, this photograph may seem uninteresting. It is after all, a shot of a nearly empty street with a few buildings. If you look closely, you will see a number of clues to the location and date. To the left, you can see the Goldenrod footbridge and to the right a grocery store, which also served as a post office. The store was Scott’s Grocery, which city directories indicate was on the corner of Coast Highway and Marigold Ave. In the distance toward the center of the photo, you will notice two additional buildings. The nearer of the two, on the left, was Brigg’s Service Station, and the smaller building in the distance was the K. I. Fulton real estate office.

The Goldenrod Footbridge

Sometimes as the small bungalows that once dominated the area around Sherman Library are replaced by large residences it seems nothing of “old” Corona del Mar survives. Yet amid the new homes are some elements of the past. One of these is the iconic Goldenrod footbridge, which is nearly 90 years old. The bridge over Bayside Drive, connects two segments of Goldenrod Avenue. It is not only quaint, but it represents a different time, when Newport Beach city leaders sought new ways to attract people to Corona del Mar.