One of Orange County’s most affluent locales, Newport Beach real estate sits on the ocean just 10 miles south of Downtown Santa Ana. Newport Beach real estate is more than a vacation destination as residents enjoy award-winning schools, magnificent homes, world-class shopping and culturally-diverse dining, both in town and on the peninsula. Surfers and sunbathers flock to the city’s expansive, soft-sand beaches in Corona del Mar and on the Balboa Peninsula, where they also find the body-surfing hot-spot The Wedge, and Crystal Cove State Park is located at the southern end of the coast. The Balboa Peninsula features the city’s most popular attractions, including the Catalina Flyer, a giant 500 passenger catamaran that provides daily transportation to Santa Catalina Island. The Balboa Fun Zone, boasting a Ferris wheel, an old-time Merry-Go-Round, and bumper cars, as well as quaint shops and restaurants can also be found there. Other special features that make Newport Beach real estate stand out include Balboa Island, famous for its quintessential beach cottages and shopping on Marine Avenue, the Orange County Museum of Art, the Newport Aquatic Center, offering kayaking, rowing and canoeing, and the Back Bay wildlife sanctuary. Hidden at the edge of Newport Beach, Balboa Island is a charming and exquisite community that defines Orange County living. As a hidden jewel of Orange County, Balboa Island is close enough to the various freeways to allow for a quick commute to all of the attractions Orange County and Los Angeles have to offer. Balboa Island offers a unique and rustic charm that few places in Southern California can match. The beautiful local shops and boutiques offer a friendly atmosphere that draws locals out of their homes and visitors in throughout the year. Balboa Island is actually not a single island, but a composite of Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island, and Collins Island. Once accessible only by sailboat, Balboa Island can now be reached both by ferry and by a bridge that connects it to the mainland. The homes are gorgeous and the views are stunning. Most of the homes on Balboa Island have small docks for the locals’ boats. On the commercial spine of the town, the local shops often have a European style residence above, adding to the charm. Often considered one of the most beautiful and exquisite places to live, Balboa Island is the ideal place to buy a home.