The Quaint Life

Southern Californians originally sought out Corona del Mar as a refuge from the roar of the ‘20s. Flowering gardens and quaint cottages nurtured the flavor of an English seaside village.

These days, the beachfront cottages have given way to homes with seven-figure price tags. But amid the speed and sprawl of the ‘90s, 12,000 folks, who pay the price for shelter from the norm, still think it takes a village.

Bloom Town

Any walk through an area with side streets named Dahlia, Iris, Poinsettia and Poppy should begin at a garden. Behind a wall covered with greenery is the Sherman Library and Gardens (2647 E. Coast Highway, [949] 673-2261).

The babble of fountains beckons visitors to the 2.2-acre site, which for 33 years has offered welcome respite from the hubbub of the highway just a few steps away. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for youngsters 12 to 16. Admission is free on Mondays. The site is open daily 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The grounds feature a library dedicated to Pacific Southwest history, a horticultural display garden and another designed for the blind, with plants that appeal especially to the senses of smell and touch. There are also collections of ferns and roses.

For those who hunger for more than visual and olfactory treats, the gardens’ restaurant, Cafe Jardin, serves lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and high tea at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The high tea is $30, with reservations a must.

In the gardens, driftwood and stone sculptures of cranes, flamingos and pelicans accent the fountains. At one, a whimsical otter directs a hose into a pond surrounded by a bed of Iceland poppies.

Displays vary by season, but the one spot that always pleases is the tropical conservatory, said garden director Wade Roberts, who has tilled this soil since the gardens first grew from the charitable foundation of the late businessman M.H. Sherman in 1966.

The conservatory is climate controlled to suit lush Amazon lilies, dwarf banana trees and Spanish moss. Koi swim beneath a waterfall. A dozen varieties of bromeliads and just as many orchids in vibrant shades of lavender, gold and salmon arch toward the filtered sunlight.

“It’s beautiful any time of the year,” Roberts said. “It’s like opening the door and stepping into Hawaii.”

The gardens attract about 65,000 visitors a year. “We’re never crowded,” he said. “We’re like a secret place.”

Sorry, Wade, but the secret’s out.

Buoyant Toy Store

The tongue-twister-of-a-name suits Toy Boat, Toy Boat, Toy Boat, the buoyant toy store (3331 E. Coast Highway, [949] 673-3791) owned and operated by Diane Naumann and her husband, Gary.

“We have a commercial that runs on cable, with people saying our name,” Diane Naumann said. “The kids have no problem, but the parents keep screwing it up.”

The Naumanns fashion their store after a village toy shop, with a repertory based in the classics. “We carried yo-yos even when they weren’t popular,” Naumann said.

In the window is a pedal-powered fire engine with a bell on the front. Everything but the price ($250) will remind many parents of their childhood. A black-and-white car looks like a miniature version of the one Broderick Crawford drove in the ‘50s TV series “Highway Patrol.”

Other specialties include Steiff stuffed animals from Germany (Snobby, the bulldog, $140), Madame Alexander dolls (1910 Suffragette, $45) and Breyer horses (Arabian stallion, $34).

Not all selections are quite so pricey. An all-time favorite--the rubber chicken--comes on a key chain for $2.50. The 1,600-square-foot shop is about the size of the Barbie department in a Toys R Us, but the Naumanns depend less on volume and more on service.

“We have parents call us and say, ‘We’re leaving for a birthday party in 20 minutes. Can you give me something for a 7-year-old boy for $15 and wrap it up for us?” Naumann said. “We’ll have it waiting for them.”

Some of the regular customers end up working at Toy Boat, Toy Boat, Toy Boat--even if they already hold full-time jobs elsewhere. Hey, who wouldn’t want to hang out at a toy store?

“Everyone is in a good mood when they come in here,” Naumann said. “If they aren’t, there’s something wrong with them.”

To Dine For

Mealtime choices abound on or near the highway, from the affordability of Gina’s Pizza (420 Iris Ave., [949] 673-1121) and Gary’s Deli (3309 E. Coast Highway, [949] 675-2193), to the elegance and ambience of the Quiet Woman (3224 E. Coast Highway, [949] 640-7440), Five Crowns (3801 E. Coast Highway, [949] 760-0331) and Mayur Cuisine of India (2831 E. Coast Highway, [949] 675-6622).

A relative newcomer is Bandera (3201 E. Coast Highway, [949] 673-3524). The 2-year-old restaurant features American cuisine with a Southwestern flair. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the crowd at the bar was two deep with people in their 20s and 30s sipping martinis and cosmopolitans amid a chatty atmosphere of wood paneling and earth tones.

Specialties include black bean chicken chili with chopped salsa and goat cheese ($6.95), slow-roasted rotisserie chicken ($10.95) or leg of lamb ($18.75) and the CDM Salad of shrimp, warm chicken and corn-bread croutons tossed with romaine lettuce, savoy cabbage and vinaigrette dressing ($13.95).

Also recommended: the Texas Home smoked salmon appetizer ($9.95) and the Black Canyon special of grilled honey barbecued pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage ($17.45).

All in Stride

Coast Highway businesses from Avocado Avenue to Hazel Drive will be dressed up in their holiday finery Sunday for the 21st annual Corona del Mar Christmas Walk.

Festivities run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include refreshments, strolling musicians, costumed carolers, bungee jumping and complimentary pictures with Santa.

“People are always coming up with new ideas for fun things,” said Luvena Hayton, a board member of the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce, which coordinates the walk.

Of course, some ideas don’t last. The live reindeer weren’t invited back because of traffic concerns, Hayton said. “And we can’t have the organ grinder and monkey anymore.”

For more information on the walk, call the chamber at (949) 673-4050.

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IF YOU GO

Getting There: From the 73 or 405 freeways, take MacArthur Boulevard south. Turn left on Coast Highway.

Where to Park: If you’re lucky enough to find a spot, test your parallel-parking skills on Coast Highway. If not, scout the free parking on side streets west of the highway. There’s a metered lot at Coast Highway and Marguerite.

Check It Out: Other shops of note include Recycled Rags (2731 E. Coast Highway, [949] 675-5553), where you can get a faux fur vest or a feathered boa; Knock It Off (2515 E. Coast Highway, [949] 675-9385), which sells “designer furniture for less”; and Texas Tan (3707 E. Coast Highway, [949] 675-3436), where Arlington, Texas, natives Ava and Rory Havilland promise right on their sign: “We’ll tan your hide.”

Christmas Village

1. Sherman Library and Gardens, 2647 E. Coast Highway, (949) 673-2261

2. Bandera restaurant, 3201 E. Coast Highway, (949) 673-3524

3. Toy Boat, Toy Boat, Toy Boat, 3331 E. Coast Highway, (949) 673-3791