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Surf City, here we come. With 10 miles of beaches, one of the world’s largest recreational piers, surf museums and a laid-back yet active community, Huntington Beach is the quintessential Southern California town. Sunny, temperate weather year-round means great outdoor activities abound, even in the dead of winter, and its nearly 200,000 residents certainly take advantage of it, whether they’re cycling on the Ocean Strand bike path or playing volleyball in the sand.
White-collar sales and management roles take the lead in the city’s economy, with an especially large concentration on young professionals in their 20s and 30s. Don’t be surprised to see surfers old and young hitting the waves side-by-side, or catching the same band playing at The Observatory. The city is full of active and ethnically diverse individuals, as well as many eco-friendly residents. This led The Arbor Day Foundation to notice the city’s tree-planting initiatives and nickname the town “Tree City USA.”
A car is recommended for visiting neighboring communities, but if you’ve only got two wheels, you’re in luck: Huntington Beach is incredibly bike-friendly. It offers an eight-mile stretch of bike path right along the ocean, plus numerous bike lanes in town. It’s also serviced by multiple Orange County Transit Authority bus lines, and while much of the city isn’t entirely walkable, its boardwalk and oceanfront areas most certainly are. If you need a break from too much fun in the sun, Huntington Beach is a quick drive from Disneyland, the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific and the Orange County Performing Arts Center and Repertory Theatre. Los Angeles is only 30 minutes away.
You can’t miss the U.S. Open of Surfing, held here every year, when more than 500,000 people hit the city to see international pros in the world’s largest surf competition. If you love music, you can hit a high note at the annual BB Jazz Festival, a Huntington Beach favorite for more than a decade. If all that surfing has worked up an appetite, visit one of the city’s acclaimed restaurants, take a local brewery tour or stop by one of the many farmers markets, each packed with local produce and vendors.