In 1906, William Miles used part of his two-week vacation
to drive from Los Angeles to Laguna. The buggy manufacturer
had retired to California in 1902 where he had bought property.
He had heard about Laguna Beach and wanted to take a look.
Laguna did not impress him. The weather during his stay was
terrible and there was a problem getting fresh water. He was
ready to return to Los Angeles when the sun and Joe Jahrus
Sr. appeared. Jahrus owned the tobacco shop at the 14-room
Hotel Laguna where Miles was staying with his 15 year old
son. The store owner also dealt in real estate and knew of
a little stretch of property further north that Miles might
be interested in, called Green Beach.
It was nearly 150 acres of property with a beautiful sandy
oceanfront that owner James Irvine wanted to sell to raise
cash, Jahrus told Miles. Would he like to see it? Interested,
Miles took a buggy north to look.
He found a half-mile crescent beach that was protected at
each end by towering cliffs. Behind the oceanfront was a canyon
with a stream that gave a promise of fresh water.
Miles liked what he saw. He and partner Harry Callendar bought
it from Irvine for $26,000, or about $175 an acre.
In the 1920's the name was changed to Emerald Bay. The beach
still arches from cliff to cliff and the sparking verdant
waters that gave the cove its original name can still be found
at the north end. There are 529 homes in this exclusive guard
gated community that sweeps from oceanfront to hillside.
The only interruption is Pacific Coast Highway. It appears
to divide Emerald Bay and offer no access to the beach side
of the community. What is not seen by the passerby is the
tunnel that burrows under PCH.
Today, Emerald Bay boasts having some of the finest properties
in Southern California. The village of Laguna offers many
tourist attractions. Driving a short distance north there
is the famous Fashion Island that offers incomparable stores,
restaurants and theaters. Easy access to John Wayne airport.
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