Simply stunning

June Casagrande

View City, USA.

That’s what one resident recently dubbed Newport Beach.

Even at street level, the city’s natural beauty draws awe: its

sparkling coastline, quaint harbor, serene natural habitats. Going

about the business of day-to-day life, it’s easy to forget that the

pretty all around is just the pretty on the ground. And it’s easy to

forget that, from the right perch, Newport Beach offers some views

that are nothing short of jaw-dropping.

In that spirit, the Daily Pilot offers our picks for the 10 best

views in Newport Beach.

1) Galaxy Park. A hunting hawk hangs effortlessly in mid-air,

buoyed only by the wind. In the background, natural bluffs drop

dramatically toward winding wetlands where egrets and least terns

feed almost oblivious to human existence. Occasionally, a kayaker

floats by, often quieter than the animals themselves. For a handful

of lucky landowners, this natural wonder is practically in their

front yards. Galaxy Park is a tiny strip of grass on Galaxy Avenue

that overhangs the Back Bay like a viewing balcony.

This is the place to enjoy the most beautiful part of the

ecological reserve, where the bluffs are steep and the nature below

seems worlds away from the outline of Fashion Island, which is

visible on the distant horizon.

“I like to just bring a sandwich and have my lunch here, it’s sure

better than sitting in some restaurant,” said Bob Anslow, a neighbor

of the park for nearly 30 years. “Not many people know about it. It

really is something.”

2) The View. On the 16th floor of the Newport Beach Marriott’s

north tower in Fashion Island is one of city’s best-kept secrets, but

it’s not a secret to outsiders. Ironically, it’s less known to

locals. Aptly named The View, it is a little lounge and sushi bar

serving a largely tourist crowd with cocktails, live music and an

unbelievable view. The nearly all-glass lounge offers sights of the

not just this city, but probably eight or 10 cities in any direction.

Look straight down and see the sprawling greens of the Newport

Beach Country Club. Beyond is the perfectly stunning sight of Newport

Harbor, the jetty, the ocean and, ultimately, Catalina. Look

northeast on a clear day, and Downtown Los Angeles looms tiny but

true on the horizon.

The best time to visit, says Chris Desprospo, director of food and

beverage for the Marriott, is undoubtedly sunset.

“You have to see it at sunset,” he said. “You won’t believe it.”

3) Inspiration Point. This is probably the view best loved by

locals. It is the spot on Corona del Mar State Beach where a natural

bluff forms a balcony over the ocean and the jetty. From here, the

vast ocean seems to go on forever. Not surprisingly, it’s a popular

place not just for picnickers and beachgoers, but even brides:

weddings take place here regularly. Inspiration Point also helps put

the “scenic” in the “Corona del Mar Scenic 5K,” an annual race that

owes much of its growing success to this spot’s natural beauty.

4) Castaways Park. Consider this Mother Nature’s high chair for

Newport Beach. This park, overlooking the intersection of Dover Drive

and Coast Highway, is the best natural way to take in as much of the

city as possible. In a single sweeping panorama the Back Bay, the

ocean, the harbor and Catalina are within a single glance.

Once the site of various man-made structures -- everything from a

dirt golf course near the turn of the 20th century to a its now gone

but namesake Castaways restaurant -- this park is in the process of

being restored to its original beauty.

5) Top of the Ferris wheel at the Balboa Island Fun Zone. Though

this may not be the best way to get a good, long look at the glory of

Newport Harbor, it’s a great way to get a bunch of good short looks.

Located at a top tourist hotspot in Balboa Village on the Peninsula,

a lot of visitors get their first good look at Newport Beach from

atop the Ferris Wheel. Among the sites they enjoy bustling beneath is

...

6) Balboa Island Ferry. Like a Fun Zone ride for locals, the ferry

is as fun as it is functional. That’s because it’s close-up view of

the harbor is constant but ever changing. Residents who use the ferry

for purely utilitarian reasons never know what they’ll see on the

water on any given day. The ever-dynamic life on the harbor includes

varying sailboats, powerboats and charter boats, as well as

occasional wildlife sightings. Depending on where the ferry floats,

it offers exciting sights at the Balboa Pavilion and alluring

expanses of harbor leading to and away from the ocean.

7) Ensign View Park. While looking to get a good look at the

water, the last place you’d think to look is inland from Coast

Highway. Yet lo and behold, lurching above this fast-moving

thoroughfare is a popular little park with perfect views of the

harbor. Located on Cliff Drive near the intersection of Coast Highway

and Riverside Avenue, this small blanket of green slopes gently down

toward the highway right where the Mariners Mile is at its best. And

when boat races are taking place in the harbor, there’s no place

better to be.

8) Crystal Cove State Beach. Sometimes you just want to feel like

the last person on earth, alone at the point where the world turns to

water and flows on never ending. Even when other people are visible

nearby, Crystal Cove creates a feeling that’s like a moment out of

the book of Genesis. There’s so little civilization. And the standing

on the cliff that drops to the ocean is a like standing at the

dropping off point to eternity.

9) Balboa Island Bridge. It’s just a little stretch of concrete

that serves as the main road onto the island, but the residents and

tourists who sit on the bridge with cameras know better. At sunset,

the westward view from this little bridge is as stunning as any in

the city.

10) Balboa and Newport piers. They’re almost too obvious as picks

for best views in Newport Beach because that’s what they’re there

for. Ruby’s at the end of the Balboa Pier is a great spot to watch

the ocean waves, but really, any place on the piers will do for a

breathtaking view.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].