All posts tagged: O.C

This O.C. city has California’s richest real estate. Why it beat out Silicon Valley gold

This O.C. city has California’s richest real estate. Why it beat out Silicon Valley gold

Published by Sam Flores

It’s hundreds of miles from the AI boom and tech billionaire class of Silicon Valley. It maintains an image, at least in some minds, as a beachside mecca for old money, big yachts and conspicuous consumption. And now, a new Times analysis of the highest home values in California shows Newport Beach perched at the top. Among California’s most upscale neighborhoods, a subtle reshuffling has taken place in recent decades, with the highest home values migrating from Northern California to Southern California. A Times analysis for 2026 shows three of the top 10 ZIP Codes for highest home value were on Newport Beach. Only one other community showed up twice on the list: Los Altos in Silicon Valley. Attendees toured the showcased pleasure yacht Aviator, with its opulent salon, during the Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival. (Susan Hoffman) Shift from north to south Property values are just one way of assessing wealth and do not take into account such markers as income and tax base. But they do offer a window into the demographic patterns …

The best tiki bars in San Diego, L.A., O.C and Ventura

The best tiki bars in San Diego, L.A., O.C and Ventura

Published by Sam Flores

Ever since Don the Beachcomber debuted in Hollywood in the 1930s, tiki has ingrained itself in American bar culture. Nearly a century later, we still delight in drinking a Mai Tai from an elaborately carved mug beneath a palapa, all without stepping foot on a plane. No wonder tiki bars are enjoying a contemporary revival. Maybe it’s our nostalgia for midcentury Americana, or simply a desire to retreat to a world where we can sip umbrella-adorned cocktails without a care in sight. The latter explains why Don the Beachcomber, offering a cheerful distraction during the Great Depression, was so popular in its heyday. The tropical-themed cafe laid the foundation for modern-day tiki bars like Belles Beach House in Venice. “Tiki culture was brought to Southern California as a way to create an escape for people,” said Belles general manager Chris Newcomer. “You walk into a room and have a drink that makes you feel like you’re somewhere else.” With the recent tiki resurgence comes increased scrutiny of its not-so-sunny aspects, mainly the fact that the …

Things to do in L.A., O.C.: Movies, music, theater, dance

Things to do in L.A., O.C.: Movies, music, theater, dance

Published by Sam Flores

Hello and welcome to this week’s update of the Culture Guide, our curated rundown of where to find Southern California’s most promising cultural happenings this weekend and beyond. I’m listings coordinator Matt Cooper. Summer’s in full swing, and that means outdoor Shakespeare including al fresco productions of the Bard’s “Measure for Measure,” “Twelfth Night” and “Julius Caesar” as well as an indoor staging of “The Tempest.” Other theater picks include a top-flight revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” at the Ahmanson plus the kid-friendly shows “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Classical music aficionados can enjoy the Summer of Paris Chamber Music Festival, the iPalpiti Festival and a free performance by Pacific Opera Project, while on the pop tip, Kool & the Gang and the Village People share the stage at the Hollywood Bowl and Tori Amos holds court at the Greek. Dance lovers need look no further than DTLA with upcoming performances by Viver Brasil and the Dutch National Ballet, while drag fans can get an eyeful with shows …