Welcome to the complete buyer’s guide for finding and purchasing a Huntington Harbor home for sale. We are highlighting The Huntington Harbor area located at the north coastal end of Huntington Beach. We have tried to make this page as detailed as possible for you. We hope that it will provide you with a great understanding of the Huntington Harbor area and the types of homes it offers. We understand purchasing a home is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your lifetime, and we want to ensure no stone is unturned in your search for a Huntington Harbor home for sale. On this page, you will find a: Huntington Harbor overview, a history of the harbor, detailed information about each of the islands and the homes they have to offer, None island area and the homes that offer, a culture overview, as well as current listings of ALL Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
At the end of this information, I will also have a video highlighting the harbor and its intricacies. This short video puts all this information into a nutshell.
We hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions, please text or call Malakai directly at 714.655.1627. We hope you enjoy this information. Before we get started, here is a quick lifestyle video of the Harbor that we put together.
Video
Overview of The Harbor
There are so many types of properties in Huntington Harbor that one can call home. The Harbor is massive, it’s really a city within a city. How will someone unfamiliar be able to decipher what area and island are right for them? Answer: by someone who lives here breaking down each area to help them find out what is right for your particular wants and needs.
Some may argue that Huntington Harbor is the best place to live in all of Huntington Beach. Not only are the home prices the highest in a city filled with luxury, but it also offers some of the most unique and inspiring pieces of art in architecture and design. It literally has something for everyone. Being a Huntington Beach native for the past 34 years and selling real estate in the city for 10 years plus, I have been blessed to experience the Harbor and all it has to offer. The lifestyle, the people, the homes in the harbor are truly spectacular. Once you get a taste you will never want to leave! In this post, I will be your guide to everything Huntington Beach harbor real estate and lifestyle related. We will talk about each island individually and the types of advantages each one possesses. We will talk about the harbor’s history, how it came to be, and what it is like today. We will also talk about the homes that are not on the islands. Some call them the “mainland homes”.
The History of Huntington Harbor
I feel it is best to start with how the harbor became before we understand what it is today. Ever since its inception, Huntington Harbor has always been about a couple of things. Lifestyle, culture, seclusion, luxury, all things water sports. It’s hard to imagine a time the harbor did not exist as it is so beautifully built up and thriving. But it was only a short 60 years ago that the harbor was a completely different place. No islands, no developments, and no industries, all before 1963. Some locals I have spoken to called the harbor a “swop” before the major development. But like Bob Dylan once wrote: “the times they are a changing.”
In 1963 Huntington Harbor began its construction to start developing what we see today. It cost over $200 million dollars which were spent dredging the filling of what was once the Sunset Bay estuary wetlands. This prepared for one of the biggest Huntington Beach real estate developments the city has ever seen and maybe ever will. Since that time, the Harbour has been dedicated primarily to residential use, with over 1,000 Huntington Beach waterfront homes, including condominiums, townhouses, and detached houses. Popular activities have grown in scope as the area has matured, which now encompasses kayaking, fishing, sailing, stand-up paddle-boarding, and sunset boat cruises.
Huntington Harbor currently has five islands, but after the 1965 development, there were actually only three man-made islands at first. The three original islands were: Davenport, Trinidad, and Humboldt. One friend of mine refers to these three as “The OG islands”. I think that is kinda funny. The development to the harbor island was in 1965. It was now time to build new Huntington Harbor homes and begin to populate the area and islands. One of the cool things and spectacles about the Harbor is it is home to a Navy destroyer. While you go out to the ocean or come back to sea, you see the big beauty parked in all its glory. It’s hard not to be overcome with patriotism every time you pass this magnificent boat.
As part of this effort to build community, The Huntington Harbor Yacht Club was founded. Today it has over 300 members and continues to be part of the lifeblood of the community. One of the great things about The Club is it continues to offer sailing lessons to disadvantaged youth. Part of the culture in the harbor since day one has been a spirit of “giving back”. It has never lost its way when it comes to this guiding principle.
At the end of this post see all currently active Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
The Islands
There are currently five islands that make up the Harbor: Admiralty, Davenport, Gilbert, Humboldt, and Trinidad. We will look at each Island and see what they are like so you can see which island is right for you.
Humboldt
Humboldt Island is the most unique island of the five. It has a lot of off-the-main channel waterfront homes. Which is more private and, for some, preferred. The island can be accessed from Edinger Avenue and Saybrook. Consisting mainly of single-family residences such as houses and estates, there are no association fees in Humboldt Island, and the area is open to the public. Located in Huntington Harbor, the community features on- and off-water houses, including many with boat docks, with interior square-footage numbers, starting around 1,850 and going as high as 10,000 square-feet (for a waterfront estate).
Homes in the Humboldt Island community can indeed be very large in scale when you first lay eyes on one and feature Mediterranean, Spanish, Tuscan, and Modern architectural elements. The community also features some of the largest boat docks and slips for private luxury yachts; indeed, for those looking to invest in a new home, Humboldt Island features a wonderful variety of designs to suit the buyer’s needs – perfect for those with vehicles, many of these residences, which were built between 1965 and 2014, feature a driveway with a garage.
If you are in the market for a luxury home in Huntington Beach, we recommend looking in the Humboldt Island community (the “luxury market” in Huntington Beach is defined as homes over the $2 million price point) – indeed, with Humboldt being located in the Huntington Harbor area, you will find the large majority of these homes priced over $2 million, and Humboldt Island continues to represent the most expensive place to live in all of Huntington Beach, California. From Mediterranean and Tuscan-style mega-mansions to waterfront homes offering up to 100-feet of water frontage to accommodate a 90-foot boat dock, this area is desirable because of its waterfront location and unique properties that offer large private boat docks.
What’s more, homes in Humboldt Island have large open floor plans with gourmet kitchens and rooms that overlook sparkling Christina Bay.
For more information about Humboldt Island visit:
At the end of this post, see all currently active Humboldt Island – Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
Davenport
Davenport Island is the most accessible of all the islands. If you are someone who needs easy access to major highways and freeways, this is probably the best island for you. The island boasts over 400 waterfront homes on two beautiful bays, Weatherly and Christiana, with the nearest cross streets being Warner and Algonquin. Many homes on Davenport Island include boat slips and views of the bay, and houses come in either three- or four-bedroom guise with up to three-and-a-half baths; most homes were built from 1968 up to the present day. At the foot of the bridge on Davenport Lane is the small local beach all residents tend to enjoy – but don’t expect smooth, flawless sand on this beach. The coastline here has genuine seafaring topography, including broken seashells that create a rough yet authentic texture.
Davenport Island homes are located in the northwest Huntington Beach area. The “island” itself is man-made to accommodate the over 400 luxury properties, many of which are situated right on the main channel of Huntington Harbor. Select homes will accommodate two boats and is ideal for a buyer looking for a home with a boat dock.
The majority of the Davenport Island homes were built in the mid-1960s and range in size from 1,667 to 6,429 square-feet. Examples of the types of homes we have listed in this area include spectacular Davenport Island waterfront masterpieces with incredible entries, dramatic wood staircases, soaring ceilings, chandeliers, open floor plans that incorporate the living/dining/wet bar, and massive gourmet kitchens with water views/top-of-the-line kitchen appliances/granite countertops/huge cooking islands with breakfast bars, wine refrigerators, built-in refrigerators, main floor bedrooms with en-suite baths, second floors that open to studies/offices with built-ins and three bedrooms with large closets and beautiful bathrooms, private master suites with balconies overlooking the water, his and her luxurious master baths and walk-in closets, third-level bonus rooms with balconies and full baths/large storage closets/ocean views, stone patios with fire pits and docks for boats up to 50-feet.
At the end of this post see all currently active Davenport Island – Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
Trinidad
This upscale Huntington Beach neighborhood features architecturally-unique homes with lush, mature landscaping as one of its main draws, and Conrad Park is located within the community. It is maintained by the association and offers lovely greenbelts, park-like settings, and a basketball court and children’s playground. Homes in Trinidad Island are located in the northwest Huntington Beach area and include panoramic waterfront views, the majority of them built in the late 1970s and featuring three-to-six-bedrooms. Sizes of these homes range from 2,090 to 6,739 square-feet, and the community itself is surrounded by water with perimeter homes offering waterfront views with a small central park area.
Trinidad Island is considered by many to be the most luxurious of the Huntington Beach “islands,” and while Huntington Harbour is primarily residential – with most homes listing from one to nearly five-million dollars – there is a shopping center on Algonquin Street, the Huntington Harbour Mall, as well as a Trader Joe’s, which opened in 2009. There are also two banks, a medical center, a UPS store, and several restaurants, including Rita’s Italian Ice, the Harbour Rackhouse Bar, and Grill, Red Table Restaurant, VegiLicious Vegan Restaurant, A Slice of New York and AoSa Coffee.
At the end of this post, see all currently active Trinidad Island – Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
Admiralty Island
This island contains about 95 custom homes, with more than half of them being on the water. It’s bound by Admiralty and the Main Channel, the island is not gated. The streets that make up Gilbert Island are Gilbert Dr, Malden Cir, Mariana Cir, Melville Cir, Peale Ln, Somerset Ln, and Wellington Dr.
Admiralty Island is a quiet place with well-kept streets and landscapes. It has tons of unique houses, many with water, incredible views, and a private dock. It’s one of the closest Islands to the open water; therefore, if boating and trips to Catalina are regular for you then this could be the perfect island for you to reside.
On Admiralty Island, you can see kayakers paddling the gentle waters, large yachts docked at homes and estates, and a variety of landscaping and home decor from simple, original homes that are usually one story tall to the re-build houses and small castles that are often two-stories tall. Admiralty Island is the “in-between island.” On one side of it sits a channel that overlooks Sunset Island waterways and houses.
What makes this island different from the rest of the Harbor islands is that Admiralty Island connects to Gilbert Island, where there is a playground with a famous big bear sculpture, swing, and slide children’s play area. One of the best and quiet parks in all of Huntington Beach as it sits on a hill overlooking the main channel with a lush green parkway. While the playground area is great for children, Admiralty Island residents enjoy close proximity to the Pacific Ocean in Sunset Beach. From many Admiralty Island homes, it is actually closer to crossing over Pacific Coast Highway to Sunset Beach.
For people passing through, there’s not much to do on Admiralty Island, which makes the island free from random looky-loos. Lots of residents like to paddle through the channels in their kayak or cruise it in their Duffy boat. Need a paddle board, kayak or Duffy? You can rent any of them at a rental house on Pacific Coast Highway nearby.
At the end of this post, see all currently active Admiralty Island – Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
Gilbert
Gilbert Island is the hardest island to get to and is arguably the quietest and most secluded of the five islands. It is best-known for its neighborhood beach with kids’ swings and a playground, several community parks, and spectacular views of the upscale homes and condos that populate this residential area – a beautiful stretch of land that has become one of five Huntington Beach “islands.”
Bounded by waterways and boasting jaw-dropping channel views, Gilbert Island is the neighborhood for anyone seeking contemporary quiet and serene peace, with most of the “action” taking place on the side of the “street” residents don’t normally see – the waterways and channels. During the annual light decoration contest and “Cruise of Lights” boat tours open to the public, guests fully realize the beauty of Huntington Harbour with just one glance. Indeed, homes here – while designed and built to offer incredible curb appeal – are at their most gorgeous when viewed from the water, which is why real estate agents in the area often own boats and provide water tours for serious buyers looking to become a part of Huntington Harbour.
As the inner sanctum of two islands, Gilbert Island includes a common area (public park) with treatments that have been added courtesy of the Garden Club; these include the aforementioned playground with bear sculpture, swing and slide in a children’s play area that sits at the base of a small hill and lush green parkway. While the playground is ideal for children, adults tend to flock to the grainy sands of Sunset Beach, an unincorporated community with services maintained through the County of Orange that’s a mere walk from the Gilbert Island neighborhood.
As you pass through Admiralty Island, traveling over three sets of bridges to enter Gilbert Island, you may notice homes that are fairly similar to those in Admiralty – you will no doubt take note of the kayakers paddling the gentle waters, large yachts docked at homes and estates and a variety of landscaping and home décor…from simple, original homes to the rebuilt houses and properties designed in scale and fascia to appear like castles.
Surrounded by Admiralty Island to the west and the Main Channel to the east, Gilbert Island plays home to 100 property sites, two-thirds of which boast on-the-water locations.
At the end of this post, see all currently active Gilbert Island – Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
Non-Island Homes
You don’t have to be on an island to enjoy the Harbor and the wonderful real estate it has to offer. Some people I know personally love to be on the “mainland” so to speak. Each island is hard to get to in some way, shape or form. Being on the mainland, you can get a beautiful home, whether a modern, mid-century, farmhouse, cap cod, or any style you like.
The harbor also has a lot of condo and townhome developments. Some on water, and some off the water. This makes it, so you don’t have to be a multimillionaire to live on the water or in the harbor. This is another great option for those who want to live in the harbor with a low-maintenance home or don’t want to spend millions. Check out some of my favorite harbor communities at Huntington Beach condos for sale. In this post I detail my favorite communities in the harbor to help you make a great decision. The most famous none island community is the planned community of Coral Cay.
At the end of this post, see all currently active Non-Island – Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
Coral Cay
Coral Cay represents the premier gated community in the Huntington Harbor area and is considered one of the best locales to find a luxury waterfront home in all of Huntington Beach. Many of the beautiful houses here boast a tri-channel and can accommodate boats up to 55-feet in diameter, and the community itself has many amenities beyond its perfect on-the-water geographic location, including lighted tennis courts for all residents and a 24-hour guard-gated entrance.
Homes in Coral Cay are situated in the northwest Huntington Beach area and primarily encompass three-to-five-bedroom models that were completed between 1975 and 1978, ranging in size from 2,400 to approximately 3,500 square-feet. What’s more, the Coral Cay community is under a homeowners association with monthly dues required, which cover the aforementioned 24-hour guard-gated entrance, a private beach, the also-aforementioned tennis courts, and close direct access to the harbor. All homes here are managed by Progressive Community Management.
Coral Cay plays home to 125 residences built by the Lusk company, arranged on blocks that include Coral Cay Lane, Courtside Lane, and Marina bay Drive; access comes via the Pacific Coast Highway at Cape Coral Lane. This community has some of the most exclusive Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
This hidden gem of a neighborhood comes loaded with views of the expansive channel, 24-hour guarded gates, lighted tennis courts, private boat docks, gated exotic tropical flagstone courtyards, large formal living rooms, and dining areas with romantic fireplaces, chef’s delight kitchens with ample cabinets and counter areas with charming breakfast nooks, family rooms with custom built-ins and cozy fireplaces, wood plantation shutters and custom crown molding, magnificent staircases with backdrops featuring walls of glass, secluded master suites with textured voluminous ceilings and water views and master baths with travertine floors, granite counters, antiqued cabinets, huge double showers, and enormous walk-in closets.
Whether it’s enjoying the Christmas “boat parade” from your own backyard or soaking in the seductive sunsets to finalize your day, this is a lifestyle that can be described as “a touch of heaven in Huntington Beach.”
Whatever property is right for you is what you should choose to pursue. The great thing about Huntington Harbour real estate is it has something for everyone. And that’s what makes the area so charming, delightful, inspiring, and full of diversity and culture. Speaking of culture, let’s dig a little more into that topic.
At the end of this post, see all currently active Coral Cay – Huntington Harbor homes for sale.
Culture
Shopping and Eating
There are two main places to shop and eat in the harbor area. The Huntington Harbour Mall and also Peters Landing. Let’s take a look at both.
Huntington Harbor Mall
described by the Huntington Harbor Mall website – “HHM is a neighborhood friendly shopping center located in the heart of the Harbour. Home to Traders Joe’s and many fine retailers, restaurants, and services. Take a stroll through the courtyard and discover one of Southern California’s favorite neighborhoods. Some of the services at HHM: Athletic Clubs, Dog Grooming, Medical Center, Health Center, Banks, Skin Care, Spas, Drug Store, Craft store, Restaurants, Hair Salon, Nail, Salon, Dry Cleaners, and Jewelry Stores.”
Peters Landing
Peters Landing is a shopping center on PCH next to the Admiralty and Gilbert Island entrance. It has a number of restaurants, breweries, and retail outlets. It is also a destination for avid boaters to rent a dock space and keep their prized vessels. This is a great option for those who buy a home in the harbor but the home or condo that does not come with a private dock. Peters Landing is one of the best options when it comes to this need. The location is also prime as it is close to the open water, so one can just hop on their boat and be out to the open sea in minutes.
Captain Jacks
Captain Jacks is a restaurant on one of the canals in the harbor. One can drive their Duffy boat or paddle-board to Jack’s private dock and enjoy the best crab legs in all of Southern California. It also has some of the best wines and mixed-drinks in all of the county. The environment is unlike anything in the city and truly memorable. It’s been around since 1965 and is one of the first restaurants to open since the 200 million restoration project of the harbor began.
Family Friendly:
There are five public “Mother’s beaches” in Huntington Harbor where local families bring their children to play in the sand and swim in the shallow water by shore. Kayakers and paddle boarders also use these beaches as access points to the harbour as well as swimmers who can enjoy long-distance swims undisturbed by waves and currents. Because of the relative shallowness of Huntington Harbor, 15–20 feet (4.6–6.1 m) when compared to the ocean, the harbor is generally three to four degrees warmer than the ocean in summer and, conversely, three to four degrees cooler in winter. Boat traffic is limited to 5 mph (8.0 km/h) no wake.
Safety
The harbor is patrolled by the Orange County Sheriff’s “Department Huntington Harbor Patrol” and Huntington Beach Marine Fire Rescue. This is located next to the public launch site across from the big Simple Green building before the bridge that will take you to Seal Beach.
Rowing
Rowers, ranging from middle-schoolers to Olympic gold medalists from the Southern California Scullers Club (SoCal Scullers) train daily on the main channel of Huntington Harbor. This makes it a great option for exercise or if you just want to get a sneak peek of who you will be rooting for in Tokyo in the now 2021 Olympics.
Cruise of Lights
During December, a boat parade takes place through the waterways. Also, during this time, the “Cruise of Lights” occurs in which tour boats go around the channels viewing the decorated homes as well as boat owners showing off their dressed-up holiday ships! It’s a fun time and party that the whole area gets together to get into the holiday spirit.
Conclusion
The Harbor has something for everyone. Whether you want to live on one of the five secluded islands or live on the mainland to be in the heart of the harbors culture. There is something for every personality. What makes The Harbor unique compared to other high-end real estate markets is its safe, family-friendly environment filled with luxury estates and great entertainment.
We also saw that even though it has some of the most expensive Huntington Beach Homes For Sale, there are still condos and townhomes that can be purchased at a much more reasonable price. This allows everyone to enjoy the Harbor lifestyle and rich culture. The Harbour is a perfect place for anyone who loves water sports and has a private boat which then can get to Catalina Island in about 45 minutes. Although it has some of the finest homes you can find, the harbour is more than just a luxury community – it’s a down-to-earth lifestyle. And one of the best ones anyone can ask for.
Thanks for reading! We hope you have enjoyed the information above and have found it useful. If you want more information about Huntington Harbour or to take a private tour of some of the homes please call or text me (Malakai) directly 714-655-1627. As I am the Huntington Beach Harbor expert, I will have knowledge of all the ins-and-outs for you. Thanks again. Below are ACTIVE Huntington Harbor Homes For Sale and a detailed Market Report.
Below are Active Huntington Harbor: Homes, Condos and Townhomes For Sale
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Market Report For Huntington Harbor Homes For Sale
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