Orange County Almanac
The wide greenbelt that runs down the middle of Electric Avenue is one of Seal Beach’s most famous landmarks.
For the first half of the century, the land was a right of way for the Pacific Electric streetcar network. The city’s pier area and amusement park--called “Coney Island of the West”--was a popular destination for tourists. They used the Pacific Electric cars to get from Los Angeles and other inland areas to Seal Beach.
For years after the trains stopped running, the area remained undeveloped. Then, in the 1970s, residents successfully killed a proposal to build condominiums on the right of way, and it was later turned into a luxuriant greenbelt with grass and trees.
Today
Olympic gymnast and gold medalist Peter Vidmar will speak at the Garden Grove annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast.
Vidmar led the U.S. men’s gymnastics team to a gold medal as captain in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He has been inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and was appointed by former President George Bush to serve on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
The mayor’s breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. Information: (714) 741-5280
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