Introduction to this Enclave: The popular tree streets section of Laguna is in the most southern section of North Laguna. It got its tree street nickname from the street’s tree names such as Aster, Cypress, Cedar, Myrtle, Locust, Jasmine, Magnolia, Hawthorn and Cypress.
Bordered by: Three of the tree streets can be accessed from the inland side of Coast Highway – Myrtle, Jasmine and Aster – just before dipping down to Main Beach by the landmark Cottage Restaurant and the Laguna Art Museum. It’s further bordered by lower Cliff Drive to the south, High Street to the east and the Pavilion’s shopping center to the north.
History: North Laguna, called Laguna Cliffs, was developed by Howard Heisler, L.C. McKnight and the Thumb Brothers. In 1905, they subdivided and laid out the only streets in Laguna that run at straight angles to one another. Water was piped in from Laguna Canyon, and this was the first neighborhood offering water with every lot.
Popularity: The Tree Streets community is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, sections of Laguna and for good reasons. With its wide curbed streets, mature landscape, large street to alley lots and its classic architecture, it has a kind of throw back East Coast quiet and tranquil town atmosphere to it. However, the streets, with their gentle uphill slope, give many of the houses an ocean view, which makes for a unique East/West Coast combination. The backside of the property lots back up to an alley that many times have a garage with a living unit over it. With rare exception, there aren’t many places in Laguna that have this total package.
But it Only Gets Better: With its location right next to the downtown village everything is immediately accessible. It literally is a five to 10 minute walk to everything from Main Beach, and to the downtown shops, galleries and world-class restaurants. Furthermore, the tree streets have offer quick access out of town without having to go through the downtown area. One can jump on Laguna Canyon Road to quickly head inland toward Irvine and the 73 Toll Road, or Coast Highway can be accessed to the north for a 10-minute trip up to Fashion Island and Newport Beach.
Market Activity: Charming cottages and bungalows still line beautiful tree streets. These homes are Laguna’s treasures to a simpler time and highly sought after. In fact buyers usually pay a premium to be in such an ideal setting. In fact, the neighborhood is so nice it doesn’t have much turnover. In the last nine months, only three single-family residences were sold, ranging from $725,000 for a total fixer upper to $1.8 million for a 2,300-square-foot, four-bedroom cottage. Currently there are three single-family homes for sale ranging from $1.6 to $2.2 million.
