Dana Point

City, Orange County

© McCormack's Guides

 

Zip Code: 92629

On the ocean. Pretty, clean, well maintained. Prestigious. Expensive. Harbor and marina (about 2,500 berths). Population 36,982. www.mccormacks.com

Median age 40, a little long in the tooth. About 24 percent of the town is under age 21; fair number but towns with many young families usually place over 30 percent.

Almost built out. Now down to small parcels and ousting mobile homes. After years of pleading, a developer won his fight to build 118 homes and a hotel (70-90) rooms. As part of deal, he will donate 68 acres for a park with beach. Land is choice, overlooks ocean. Newspaper reported lots are selling for $3.7 to $7.8 million, the latter for an oceanfront.

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Many Orange County towns incorporated as cities shortly after the great residential boom started in the 1950s. Dana Point stayed under the control of the county government and county planners and when frustrated, occasionally mounted efforts to incorporate and take control of planning.

In 1940, the hamlet had about 150 homes, people attracted by the beach ambiance. Ten years later, the homes had doubled and by 1960, had reached about 1,300 — still small.

Then the boom began — 2,400 units in the 1960s and 5,000 in the 1970s. In the 1980s, about 4,800 more units, and you can almost hear the residents saying, enough. County governments are usually more favorable to developers than city councils.

In 1989, residents voted to incorporate as a legal city and took control of planning and development.

In the 1990s, the town built 2,200 units but as the decade progressed, housing fights intensified and development slowed. Anything major attempted these days will almost always arouse strong opposition. Between 2000 and 2006, Dana Point erected 218 units. www.mccormacks.com

Dana Point differs markedly from its immediate neighbor to the northwest, Laguna Beach. Mountains and tall hills confine housing in Laguna Beach, especially on its south side, to a narrow strip running along the Pacific.

At Dana Point, the terrain levels into smaller hills and mesas, and this permits the housing to move further in from the shore. Dana Point has many homes with ocean views but probably the majority of the housing lacks these views, although residents may enjoy the setting sun.

Many of the coast homes are custom upscale, especially at Monarch Beach, a gated community (one of several in town). Some of the newest homes with great views are located on steep hills on the west side of town.

As you travel south along the Pacific Coast Highway, nature conspires to shut off views for some residents— the protuberance of Dana Point. In the summer, people hike out on the breakwater to see the sun sink.

Golden Lantern Way, four-lanes, goes from the downtown into the hills where you’ll find mix of the old and modest and the new and upscale. In some spots, the views get turned around, countryside rather than ocean. The new or newer streets bury the utility lines, the old, run them overhead.

If you visited Dana Point in the early 1990s, you might find a few homes that could be described as run down. Now ... very few. This is a town where residents pay close attention to fixing up. Some homeowners shellac their garage doors. That kind of town. Residents who enjoy kayaking voluntarily pick up litter floating in the harbor. www.mccormacks.com

Valleys and San Juan Creek split the town and add to its scenic charm. South of the creek, and built on a small mesa is a neighborhood called Capistrano Beach. Older homes, many of them built between 1950 and 1970s, a mix of sizes, mature and tall trees. And, no surprise, level of care high.

Here and there, throughout the town, many residents have remodeled or upgraded their homes or replaced them with something bigger (but Dana Point seems to have avoided extensive supersizing.)

Several access points to beach. Downtown a mix of fast food and fancy restaurants and shops and, inevitably, a little touristy. On the beach, a Ritz Carlton that does a good imitation of the Palace of Versailles.

The state in 2008 counted 15,942 housing units, of which 7,933 were single detached, 2,271 single attached, 5,445 multiples and 293 mobile homes. Housing units are divided 62 percent owner occupied, 38 percent rentals (census 2000).

Kids attend schools in the Capistrano District. State rankings for Dana Point High School hit the 90th percentile but the rankings for the elementaries are muddied because many kids attend schools in the adjoining towns.

School district in 1999 passed bond to renovate schools. Much of the work was done recently: roofs, new tracks, fire alarms, etc. The district has expanded its program for autistic children. See Schools. www.mccormacks.com

In 2005, a dispute broke out over changing the attendance boundaries for the middle schools and high schools. See profile of San Juan Capistrano.

Overall crime rate low. Zero homicides in 2005, one each in 2004 and 2003, zero in 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996, two in 1995, and for previous years, zero, two, four, one. Dana Point contracts with the sheriff for police services. See Crime.

 One golf course, at least 14 parks, boating, fishing, whale watching, library, seniors center, shops, restaurants, Pacific, usual sports and activities. Shakespeare in the Park, concerts. Blues festival. Whale Festival. Winter jazz festival. Annual boat parade.  

• At San Juan Capistrano, a commuter train to downtown L.A. with stops along way. Also goes south to Oceanside in San Diego County. www.mccormacks.com

• Supermarkets. Possibly because of the upscale demographics, several supermarkets have been remodeled and stocked with organics, fresh fish, sushi, etc. What's the sense of money, if you can't eat happily.

• Winter rains in 2004-2005 undermined a few homes. No one likes to see this but it happens every so often in Orange County on streets that are built on steep hills or near bluffs. Caveat emptor!

• Toll highway from San Juan Capistrano to Newport Beach. Costs a bit but within 15 minutes you will get to Irvine and John Wayne Airport.

• Another big hotel, fairly new, the St. Regis, about 400 rooms and spa.

• Annual Whale Festival draws about 100,000. White and Blue whales can often be seen from the coast or just outside the harbor. Dolphins cavort offshore, sometimes in pods of 500 or more. www.mccormacks.com

• Ocean Institute, reconstructed, includes an ecology center, wave tank and weather station. Institute welcomes students, runs education programs and encourages an intelligent, helpful approach to marine life.

• Latin taught at Dana Hills High School.

• Controlling agency wants to revamp harbor and increase length of boat slips to an average 34 feet from 29. This would allow the harbor to attract larger boats in greater numbers but at the expense of slips for smaller boats. Arguments.

• In 2006, for the third time in four years, Wayne Aegerter won Christmas home decorating contest. The secret: “My daughter’s competitive and I’m competitive.” Also helping, 32,000 lights on the family domicile and an imaginative Ferris wheel that delivers Santa. Power costs for lights: $25 a day.

• Put down the axe and move slowly away from the tree. City hall in 2006 sued a woman for over $100,000, alleging that, to improve her view, she overcut 25 eucalyptus trees (city owned) and cut down 14 others. In 2005, a local resident, to settle a suit over topping seven pine trees, paid the city $175,000. www.mccormacks.com

• Dana Point has drawn up a plan to enliven its downtown: more shops, restaurants, galleries, fountains and tress,  apartments and condos atop stores and offices, designs that encourage walking rather than riding (the car).

• Following several accidents, city council voted to build a wall along 1.5 miles of the Pacific Coast Highway to protect pedestrians and cyclists. Job should be finished in late 2007.

Chamber of commerce (949) 496-1555.

City web site: www.danapoint.org