marine avenue, balboa island, CA

Are you looking for a inexpensive, yet thoroughly enriching experience? Why not venture down to Balboa Island, a charming oceanside community located in the heart of Newport Beach Harbor. Accessible by ferry from Palm Street at the Balboa Peninsula, and by car or foot from Jamboree Road at Pacific Coast Highway, this Cape Cod-style community is home to more than 80 - 100 picturesque gift shops, galleries and restaurants.

Best seen by foot, Balboa features a walkway which offers wonderful views of the beautiful homes, bay and harbor. Many of BalboaÕs streets are named after precious stones. After passing by Topaz, Turquoise, Diamond and Sapphire, you reach the districtÕs popular Marine Avenue, where one can shop for unique gift items or eat at one of many sidewalk cafes.

Marine Avenue is the heart of the island's Apparel district with marvelous boutiques and galleries. When the munchies strike, indulge in the delectable "Balboa Bar," made of vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate. If a more substantial meal is in order, Amelia's restaurant promises tasty Italian entrees, fresh seafood and a casual family atmosphere. The two-mile walk around the island's perimeter is requisite and offers views of the harbor's yachts and the island's bayside bungalows and million-dollar mansions. Newer residents cringe upon learning that the island's original plots of land sold for as little as $250. This stroll turns into a romantic stroll as evening falls and twinkling lights of the Fun Zone and Balboa Pavilion appear across the water.