Little slice of Mayberry – Seal Beach
Just over that bridge, over the mighty San Gabriel River, south of Long Beach, sits our own Southern California version of Mayberry, Seal Beach. My dad lived in Seal Beach as a teen, and I spent many years there visiting with my grandmother. It holds a special place in my heart and I love sharing it.
The area was originally called Anaheim Landing, as it was a boat landing and beach recreation area. The original landing is a registered California Historical Landmark. The named changed to Bay City in the early 20th Century, but a northern California town had already incorporated with that name. Instead, the town incorporated with the name Seal Beach in 1915.
Main Street and the pier are the two biggest attractions in town. With a collection of unique shops, excellent restaurants and other small businesses, it’s a destination for a sunny afternoon.
Some of the long time businesses in Seal Beach include the Shell Shop, with it’s brightly painted façade. Kids will find something to fascinate them, that they just can’t live without, and adults will appreciate the wallet friendly prices.
Across the street is the slightly more upscale shop, with the same owners, California Cottage. There you can find everything sea related, including some cool lighted pictures to go on the wall, mermaid everything, and lots of slogan signs. All are reasonably priced, as well. There are several t-shirt and beach apparel shops, and enough restaurants and bars to do a pub crawl. The Hangout at the end of Main Street gives you a pier and ocean view. River’s End, at the mouth of the San Gabriel River, and the end of the bike trail, gives you almost toes in the sand dining.
One of the local restaurants, Walt’s Wharf, has been in the Babcock family since 1970 (with some years off when owned and close by another owner). They are the same Babcock family of Babcock Winery in Santa Barbara County. Their motto is “If it’s fresher… it’s still swimming”. Stop in for their grilled artichokes and wonderful wine list. It’s a favorite of mine and I frequently take out of town visitors there.
www.waltswharf.com
There is a lot of free parking along Main Street, as well as a few coin lots. The lot next to California Cottage has a plug for your electric vehicle.
Seal Beach is served by the Los Alamitos School District, which is among the best in the state. Real estate in Seal Beach tends to be on the higher side, given the wonderful location, the walkability, and the schools. If you’re interested in learning more about Seal Beach real estate, please give me a call or send me an email. It’s a wonderful place to call home.
Post Tagged withocean front,real estate,Seal Beach,Southern California beaches
Posted on 04/13/2015 at 12:00 AM
