Despite carrying some disapproving connotations, the label ‘beach bum’ has become a term of endearment for many Southern Californians. One of the first references to the handle popped up in a 1950 Life magazine exposé on ski and surf culture, and the description was, to put it kindly, unflattering. Like many disparaging terms, however, it was later co-opted by its targets—surfers and the sun-loving youth of the 1960s—who imbued it with elements of stoicism and Zen culture. To be a beach bum was to be chill, to be free.
Today, that seaside philosophy lives on, though it’s no longer exclusive to salty-haired teenagers. Thanks to the rise in remote working, wealthy professionals have increasingly embraced the beach-bum mentality, trading their blazers for board shorts and catching waves on lunch breaks.
In fact, one of the central tenets of the beach-bum lifestyle—living by the ocean—has practically become exclusive to these ‘flip-flop millionaires.’ Parking restrictions have ended the glory days of sleeping by the shore for free in, say, a VW van, and the once relatively affordable beach towns of Southern California have grown into some of the region’s priciest.
This is not to say that the endless summer has ended. Though the salad days of beach-bum culture have evolved into a more mature one, the SoCal coast remains a haven for hanging loose. The water is nonetheless active with boogie boarders and boats, and the sand continues to be covered by sunbathers and volleyball players. You can still find a ‘surf shack’—albeit one with motorized shades, an elevator and a heftier price tag.
One such property, at 937 Gaviota Drive in Laguna Beach, puts you so close to the sea’s foaming edge that you can taste the salt on your tongue.
Hugging a bend in the coast just south of Laguna Main Beach Park, this three-bedroom residence sits directly on the sand—and what a stretch of sand it is. A 7-mile mosaic of sea caves, tide pools and oceanside bluffs, Laguna Beach holds up its reputation as one of the most sublime coastlines in the country. Visitors, armed with volleyballs, coolers and, of course, surfboards, travel from around the world to witness its splendors, creating a palpable energy.
Housed in a fourplex, the turn-key condo occupies one of the building’s top-floor units. Views from this elevated position are far-reaching and accessible from almost anywhere in the 2,500-square-foot interior. However, the balcony ranks number one in the best-vista awards.
While you’ll likely want to invite in the sights and sounds of the shore by opening one of the home’s oversized windows, you may not want to welcome in the texture. Thankfully, there’s an outdoor shower to keep the sand where it belongs.
Additional amenities include a private balcony in the primary suite, a fireplace and a shared patio on the sand. Most importantly, as any Laguna Beach local will tell you, there are two parking spaces.
The beach is not the only popular destination nearby—downtown Laguna Beach is less than a mile away.
Although the $8.2 million listing price is not exactly chill and certainly not free, the laid-back spirit of the 1960s beach scene is less a matter of how much the home costs and more of who kicks back into it.
AJ Olson Whitfield of Newport Beach-based brokerage EQTY holds the listing.
EQTY is a member of Forbes Global Properties, an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
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Source: www.forbes.com