Laguna Beach - An Ocean Front Town with Arts Galore

This isn't specifically a San Diego thing to do, but an art walk in Laguna Beach is close enough to the area that it's easily managed. And Laguna Beach is such a beautiful town on the coast, with a terrific reputation for the arts, so a visit anytime is worth the 45 minutes drive up the freeway from Carlsbad.

Laguna Beach, in addition to beautiful homes on the hills with fabulous ocean views, a great beach, and numerous shopping opportunities, has a very active arts program and has garnered a reputation nationally and internationally for the art galleries and art-related events throughout the year for which it is known.

During the spring Laguna Beach has 1^st Thursday art walks, from 6 - 9 PM, in April, May and June. All the area galleries are open, and this is a great opportunity to explore a wide array of great galleries, enjoy some wine and snacks (or a more substantial meal at local restaurants such as Cedar Creek in the heart of town - photo at right). These events are well attended by locals and visitors, and you will see a good crowd, including dogs, on the sidewalks strolling from gallery to gallery throughout the evening.

Artists are often in attendance, so it's a great opportunity to chat with those whose works interests you, or simply to enjoy the broad range of paintings, sculpture, drawings and more. Other stores are open, too, so you can enliven your evening with a substantial shopping expedition if you so choose.

Laguna Beachhas been a recognized art colony for decades, and perhaps one of the pre-eminent art events in California (and perhaps anywhere) is the Festival of Arts and the Pageant of Masters. The festival attracts artists and visitors from around the world, and this year's festival is a 75^th celebration with special events and activities. The festival runs from July 1^st through August 31^st. The highlight of the festival is the Pageant of the Masters, 90 minutes each evening during the festival of "living pictures" with recreations of actual paintings including live people posing as their painting counterparts.

Another very popular Laguna Beach art event is the Sawdust Art Festival. This festival is designed to educate the public about all the art that is created by local artists in Laguna Beach. The festival runs from June 29 through September 2.

If, by chance, you are interested in homes for sale in Laguna Beach, know that prices here are pretty high. In general you can expect to pay at least $700,000 (and that is for a very modest home), with the majority of homes priced at over $1,000,000 and easily into the 8 figures. There are only a handful of homes under $1 million (6 as of this writing), and even those in the low $1 millions may only offer 2 bedrooms and 1 bath.

More affordable options, without the spectacular views but with fairly easy access to Laguna Beach, can be found in the nearby communities of Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo.

I can provide some excellent contacts to assist you with your real estate selection in Laguna Beach if that is of interest. A personal referral is the best way to find a quality REALTOR to help you, either as a buyer or seller, find your dream home in Laguna Beach.