415 East Bay

Our Beach House at 415 East Bay in Balboa Beach, California has so many layers of paint that the corners of the windows and door frames are round. To be exact, the house is 99 years old this year. My grandparents bought the house in 1960 for a song. At that time, lots of Hollywood celebrities like John Wayne, Shirley Temple, and even Frank Sinatra all had houses on Balboa Island, which is just a short swim or ferry ride away.

My grandfather put countless hours of labor into that house while he was alive; it seems that the whole place is held together by nails and putty and will collapse at any given moment. The porch is slanted, the floor is creaky and in some parts of the attic, you can actually see down into the house. When they purchased the house, it was full of 40's rattan, bark cloth covered furniture which was eventually thrown out. The house has been host to endless family summer parties, overnight stays and I even lived there as a kid.

Though it is tiny, weathered and rickety, I still think it's the most charming place on earth. Staying there makes me want to abandon New York, throw away all my nice shoes and just live barefoot on the sand, selling good like a gypsy somewhere so I have money for cocktails to sip on the porch. This is one of the places I like to visit in my mind when I am stressed or sad; these pictures might explain why.

Welcome to 415 East Bay!