Brown's Park, Laguna Beach

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Joe Brown was the grandson of a businessman and artist who had arrived during the 1930s to purchase one of the grandest brick waterfront beach houses of Laguna Beach. Joe Brown's father and later he had grown up and retired at what would be 551 South Coast Blvd, but in 2002 an El Niño storm wave struck and destroyed the home. Rather than rebuild or sell the property for what was estimated to be about 2 million dollars at the time, Joe Brown, with the help of the city and state, dedicated the narrow beachfront access to the citizens of Laguna Beach. The used brick from the original structure were used to construct the entrance and much of the walls leading to a vista point deck. The vista deck has stained glass windows to break the wind, and about halfway back to South Coast Blvd, there are a couple of finely cast bronze chairs, that are really more art than function. On one wall is bronze plaque with a poem written by Joe Brown's father some 40 years ago.