Newport Beach Lives Up to Stereotypes : But Problems With Schools, Poverty Exist Behind the City’s Wealthy Facade

The recent exhaustive Times Orange County poll of Newport Beach was remarkable on many counts.

Many of the stereotypes of Newport as a glitzy sun capital actually hold up under survey research. To wit: 63% of the homes are worth $500,000 or more, and the median value is well above that amount.

Almost half the residents surveyed say they belong to a private club, and one in 11 has undergone cosmetic surgery. A full three-quarters of residents agree that materialism and conspicuous consumption are heavily emphasized in the Newport lifestyle.

And yet there is another side to Newport too. About 6% of the city’s population lives below the poverty line, according to the 1990 census. While there are no barrios, many people just get by.

Social service groups report more requests for help from residents affected by the recession. Single mothers are struggling, and behind the city’s facade of wealth, there are homeless people living on the edge.

At the same time, it is amazing how well most residents view their city. Seventy-five percent say it is a very favorable place to live, with its balmy breezes, access to the beach and reputation as a playground for the wealthy. Six of 10 would rather live in Newport than anywhere else.

But behind the obvious satisfaction, there are some glaring gaps between Newport’s promise and its reality. Residents have strikingly little confidence in their public school system, with only one in four satisfied customers. The district’s troubles of overcrowding, supply shortages and cutbacks were capped last year by the district’s top financial officer pleading guilty to the theft of millions of dollars. Somehow, Newport--woes and all--has remained for many something of a gilded place, even in tough economic times.

And yet, even in seeming paradise, there are pitfalls.