Gem of a walk by the sea
Corona del Mar
Streets named for flowers and gardens filled with roses, lavender and olive trees -- if Corona del Mar has a sister city, it must be somewhere in Provence. The Newport Beach community lives up to its name as the crown of the sea. In this jewel, palm tree-lined streets invite a stroll; you’ll find homes worth millions in styles from Cape Cod to Italian villa and from French chateau to English cottage.
Where to find it
Take the 405 Freeway to the 73 south. Exit on MacArthur Boulevard and turn south on East Coast Highway.
The main drag
East Coast Highway.
Scenic walk
Park on Coast Highway and take a walk. It’s just a few blocks past Carnation, Dahlia, and Fernleaf avenues to Goldenrod Avenue. Turn toward the ocean and walk past 3rd, 2nd and 1st avenues. There you’ll see a footbridge lined with geranium boxes. Cross the bridge and continue past Seaview Avenue and Bayview Drive. When you come to Ocean Lane, bear left and soon you’ll find yourself at Lookout Point. From the top of a cliff, you’ll have a panoramic view of the Pacific. Look left and you’ll see the marina and a jetty. Look straight ahead, and watch yachts and sailboats glide by. Lookout Point has a grassy area for picnics or just lounging on the lawn.
Shopping
Corona del Mar is paradise for the credit-card set with places to shop along the Coast Highway, boutiques in a mini-mall anchored by Bristol Farms, and Fashion Island nearby.
The highway has an abundance of home design stores, antique shops and specialty home shops. Hearthstone has everything imaginable for your fireplace, from screens to tools and fake logs in every style.
If your budget doesn’t allow for shopping at the antiques and Persian rug stores, check out the reproductions at Knock It Off: Designer Furniture for Less. Cottage Corona del Mar has painted furniture, lamps and linens to decorate your shabby chic crib. Browse the racks at Recycled Rags for used designer clothes in pristine condition.
If you can’t find what you want on Coast Highway, cross the street and check out a collection of boutiques in Corona del Mar Plaza. You’ll see Waterworks, Sur La Table, Zany Brainy and other chain outlets. Cruise past those to more interesting boutiques.
At Marmi, you might find that perfect evening bag decorated with butterflies or feathers, or maybe some sexy silver strappy sandals or flats in Dreamsicle or pistachio colors.
There’s also Baby Unique, the place for gifts for the silver-spoon kid in your life. It has plush hooded towels packaged with rubber duckies, children’s beds shaped like sailboats, hand-embroidered layette items and pillows customized with baby’s face.
Great eats
For a lavish picnic, stock up at Bristol Farms. The deli case has Nova Scotia lox, crab cakes, sushi, pasta salads, rotisserie chicken, tamales, giant chocolate-dipped strawberries and other goodies. The bakery carries bagels, batards and sweets from crumb cakes to chocolate macaroons, sticky buns, toffee chip cookies and more.
For a leisurely lunch, take a quick trip to Florida at Tommy Bahama’s. It serves fruity, rum-laced cocktails decorated with paper umbrellas, as well as jerk chicken sandwiches, black bean soup, Key lime pie and other delectables in a tropical decor with live steel-drum music on nights and weekends.
If it’s getting late and you need dinner before heading home, check out Gulfstream next door, which specializes in American comfort food and seafood: oysters on the half shell, ribs with mashed potatoes, cedar planked salmon, generous martinis and jazz.
On hot days, Gelato Paradiso offers relief with gelato cakes, cones and dishes in refreshing flavors from cappuccino to coconut.
And for that caffeine fix before you get back in the car, Peet’s brews dark roast coffee as black as midnight and sells pastries to go with it: mini panettone, fruit bars, muffins and cookies. Tea grannies can’t leave without choosing something to go from the lengthy list of black, white and green varieties sold loose.
See the sights
There’s more to Corona del Mar than the beach and shopping. Side trips could include a visit to the Orange County Museum of Art. where an exhibit of video installations by Inigo Manglano-Ovalle continues through March 23.
Or visit the Sherman Library and Gardens, with 2.2 acres of plants and patios and a research center dedicated to the Pacific Southwest. The garden also has a cafe and a gift shop.
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Corona Del Mar
1. Lookout Point, Ocean Lane and Ocean Boulevard
2. Sherman Library and Gardens, 2647 E. Coast Highway,
(949) 673-2261
3. Knock It Off: Designer Furniture for Less, 2515 E. Coast Highway, (949) 675-9385
4. Hearthstone, 2711 E. Coast Highway, (949) 673-7065
5. Recycled Rags, 2731 E. Coast Highway, (949) 675-5553
6. Cottage Corona del Mar, 2411 E. Coast Highway, (949) 566-9339.
7. Corona del Mar Plaza
Bristol Farms, 810 Avocado Ave., (949) 760-6514
Baby Unique, 908 Avocado Ave., (949) 759-4222
Gulfstream, 850 Avocado Ave., (949) 718-0187
Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe, 854 Avocado Ave., (949) 760-8686
Peet’s Coffee & Tea, 894 Avocado Ave., (949) 640-6377
Marmi, 964 Avocado Ave., (949) 721-1325
Gelato Paradiso, 952 Avocado Ave., (949) 640-9256
8. Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, (949) 759-1122