Newport Beach in the Rearview Mirror

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23: The 20 Worst Ideas in Newport Beach History (Part 2) Aug 12, 2022

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Trying to develop Corona del Mar in the early 20th Century. Planning for Fashion Island to be an indoor shopping center. Proposing to jam 80,000 residents (for context, Newport's population today is about 87,000) into the Newport Coast. Newport Beach, in one form or another, has been around for more than 150 years, and over that time, there's been some terrible ideas floated, and some even implemented. In the second installment of this three-part episode, we count down the 12th to the 7th worst ideas in Newport Beach history.

22: The 20 Worst Ideas in Newport Beach History (Part 1) Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

A race-car track on Balboa Island. Surfboard licenses. Tearing down the China House. Newport Beach, in one form or another, has been around for more than 150 years, and over that time, there's been some terrible ideas floated, and some even implemented. In the first installment of this three-part episode, we countdown the 20th to the 13th worst ideas in Newport Beach history.

21: How Newport Beach Became the Kitty Hawk/Woodstock of Hang Gliding Jul 14, 2022

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On a sunny day in the spring of 1971, a ragtag group of adventures gathered on a Newport Beach hilltop to participate in the first hang-gliding meet in modern history. A front-page story in the Los Angeles Times and an eight-page spread in National Geographic magazine about the rickety flying machines and their pilots captured the imagination of readers around the world and launched the sport of hang gliding.

20: Pop Quiz on Newport History, Bridges Edition Jun 09, 2022

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The mostly forgotten, rich history of the many bridges of Newport Beach, beginning in 1889.

19: The Seven Architectural Wonders of Newport Beach Apr 05, 2022

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Legendary architect and Corona del Mar resident Ron Yeo counts down the seven best examples of architecture in Newport Beach.

18: The Dirty Old Wedge: The World's Most Dangerous Bodysurfing Wave Mar 01, 2022

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At the end of the Balboa Peninsula, the Wedge is internationally recognized as the world's best (and most dangerous) bodysurfing spot. In this episode, learn:

How the Wedge was created by a manmade accident in 1936.
Why no one dared to ride the Wedge for decades.
Why bodysurfing at the Wedge faced extinction twice.
How a rag-tag group of bodysurfers formed the Wedge Crew and has ruled the break for more than 50 years (all while wearing just Speedos).
How bodysurfing the uniquely dangerous wave has led to leading innovations in the sport.
The art of bodysurfing is being preserved through new generations of the Wedge Crew.

Guest: Tim Burnham, Wedge Crew member and producer and director of the award-winning surf documentary, "The Dirty Old Wedge."

17: Pop Quiz on Newport History, Origins Edition (Part 2) Jan 07, 2022

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In this pop quiz on Newport Beach's origins, you’ll be tested on:

Why Newport Landing (Newport’s Plymouth Rock and first port, which is on the site of what’s now the Lower Castaways) became a ghost town virtually overnight after a successful 18-year run.
What ingenious method did Newport’s pioneers use to widen and deepen the entrance to Newport Bay in 1876. (It's mindboggling!)
How the McFadden brothers, Newport’s founding fathers, selected the site for their oceanside wharf (eventually replaced by the Newport Pier) to accommodate the largest commercial ships of the era.
What was the fatal design flaw in the construction of the first wharf that caused its destruction after just four years after completion.
How many structures, including warehouses, shanties and a two-story home, were moved from Newport Landing inside the bay to McFadden Wharf on the ocean. (You'll never guess!)

16: Pop Quiz on Newport History, Origins Edition (Part 1) Dec 24, 2021

Show notes

This multiple-choice test covers the earliest days of Newport Beach history. The six questions are:

Despite explorers and merchants sailing off the coast of California beginning in the mid-1500s, why was there no mention of Newport Bay in the historical record for 300 years? (The answer will surprise you.)
Why in 1870 did Capt. Samuel S. Dunnells decide to turn into Newport Bay and search for a "new port" despite ample warnings that the inlet was too dangerous. (The answer is not what you would expect.)
A tiny settlement sprung up at Newport Landing soon after its discovery. Who were the first settlers? (This is a shocker as well.)
What made Newport Landing unlike any port along the California coast? (It has to do with the shallow depths of and high surf at the bay's entrance.)
How as the cargo loaded onto ships at Newport Landing? (It was an ingenious method in a time before cranes were common.)

Each answer comes with plenty of context. Enjoy!

15: The Coastal Freeway: A Postscript Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

Episode 14, "The Coastal Freeway: A Concrete Monster that Almost Destroyed Newport," has generated some amazing responses on social media.
Some expressed disbelief at how close Newport was to having a freeway (12 lanes at its widest) run through the center of town. Others simply wanted to thank the Freeway Fighters and others who thwarted this plan more than a half-century ago. And finally, we heard from some Freeway Fighters and their family members who provided first-hand recollections of the greatest "what if" moment in Newport Beach history.
We've put together the best of these comments for a postscript episode on the Coastal Freeway. It seemed like the perfect way to wrap up this story.

14: The Coastal Freeway: A Concrete Monster Almost Unleashed on Newport Nov 13, 2021

Show notes

In 1970, the Newport Beach City Council and California Department of Highways signed an agreement to build a coastal freeway—12 lanes wide in places—that would run through the heart of Newport and include a five-level interchange at MacArthur Boulevard and East Coast Highway. The route had been decided upon, funding was in place, and the Coastal Freeway appeared to be a fait accompli. But then, the Freeway Fighters of the Harbor Area came to the rescue.

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