Featured image credit: Darkest tree
Is anyone surprised that the market remains hot in the LBC? Of course, when we think of homes for sale in Long Beach CA, we’re often picturing seaside condos or positively charming Bixby Knolls bungalows. But by fixating on these fractions of a larger picture, those hoping to make Long Beach their community may be overlooking something special. For example, at the southeast edge of the city, you’ll find three man-made islands, collectively referred to as Naples Island. Accessible by bridge, Naples Island takes obvious inspiration from Italy with its street names and network of canals. And, if you’re lucky enough, you could even find a house there.
Mired Marsh to Man-Made Masterpiece
Though it’s considered a man-made island, you could still see Naples Island prior to human intervention. You just needed to know when to look. It would appear only at low tide, punctuating the wetlands of Alamitos Bay where the San Gabriel River flowed into the Pacific Ocean. Look again at high tide, and its sandy banks would be completely lost beneath the water’s surface.
Somehow, despite its natural impermanence, developer Arthur M. Parsons had big plans for the island. He commissioned clandestine site testing with an engineer who concluded that the island could be upgraded. The test results inspired enough investor confidence for Parsons to raise $500,000 toward the purchase of the site. On August 23, 1905, ground (if you could call it that) was officially broken on the ambitious project that would become Naples Island. By excavating canals, establishing concrete walls, and dredging up sand, construction crews managed to boost the island above sea level, even at high tide.
Southern California with an Italian Feel
Before it could become one of the most coveted communities for homes for sale in Long Beach CA, it needed a name. Parsons liked Venice, but that had already been taken by Abbot Kinney’s neighborhood development up the coast. The developer sagely turned it over to the public, and they quickly landed on another Italian reference: Naples. Marketed somewhat ambiguously as the “Dreamland of Southern California”, Italy remained the chief inspiration. Parsons promised gondolas languidly coasting beneath romantically arching bridges and down placid canals.
While Naples Island was officially completed in the 1920s, the sailing wasn’t quite as smooth as Parsons had hoped. Following a 6.4 earthquake that shook Long Beach in 1933, the island’s seawall needed to be urgently rebuilt, with the restoration completed in 1938. That same seawall is currently in the midst of extensive (and expensive) restoration efforts that started in 2015.
Life on Naples Island
However, looking back over the nearly century since its completion, most would agree that Parsons delivered on his vision. The three distinct islands of Naples host some of the most in-demand homes for sale in Long Beach CA, attracting people with an affinity for the sea. Its convenient canals form approximately a mile of waterways, including the semi-circular Rivo Alto Canal and the briefer Naples Canal, both pouring into Alamitos Bay. Homes that overlook the water and canals frequently offer docks, allowing boat owners easy access to the sea.
But even Naples Island homeowners without boats can enjoy the canal system through the Gondola Getaway company, established in 1982. Though it’s a privately-owned company, it helps to further distinguish Naples Island as one of only eight places in the western United States where guests can enjoy authentic gondola rides. Christmas is also a special time for the community with the renowned Naples Island Christmas Boat Parade, an annual tradition since 1946.
Can You Still Find Naples Island Homes for Sale in Long Beach CA?
Realistically, how much hope is there to find a home on Naples Island today among the high-demand homes for sale in Long Beach CA? We’ll be frank. It’s possible, but only at a premium. Naples Island may not be too good to be true, but it is too good to be affordable. In fact, it’s one of the highest-priced markets in Long Beach. Median home prices range from $2,200,000 up to $3,800,000, with waterfront homes easily commanding well over this amount. A lot of this has to do with the highly limited inventory. However, the constant demand from luxury buyers and strong long-term appreciation do their part.
According to Redfin, homes for sale in Long Beach CA spend an average of 59 days on the market. Naples Island homes take slightly longer than the average, currently spending about 78 days on the market, likely due to their lofty price tags. Priced-out buyers often turn their attentions to the surrounding Belmont Shore community, where they can still enjoy easy access to the canals without multi-million-dollar price tags. At least for now.
A Different Side of Long Beach
Naples Island paints an often overlooked picture of the Long Beach real estate market. It’s not as widely regarded as, say, a Spanish Colonial Revival home in California Heights or a mid-century modern house in Los Altos. But that’s likely because a house on Naples Island is harder to get into than most other homes for sale in Long Beach CA. Not everyone can swing the cost of a single-family home with a private dock along the Rivo Alto Canal. But, if you’re in the luxury market and don’t mind stiff competition, securing a home on coveted Naples Island could be immensely satisfying.
With a brand that says as much as JohnHart’s, Senior Copywriter Seth Styles never finds himself at a loss for words. Responsible for maintaining the voice of the company, he spends each day drafting marketing materials, blogs, bios, and agent resources that speak from the company’s collective mind and Hart… errr, heart.
Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
When not preserving the JohnHart essence in stirring copy, Seth puts his efforts into writing and illustrating an ongoing series entitled The Death of Romance. In addition, he adores spending quality time with his girlfriend and Romeo (his long-haired chihuahua mix), watching ‘70s and ‘80s horror movies, and reading (with a particular penchant for Victorian horror novels and authors Yukio Mishima and Bret Easton Ellis). He also occasionally records music as the vocalist and songwriter for his glam rock band, Peppermint Pumpkin.
.jpg){kind=link}