Welcome to Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa is an eclectic city adjacent to Newport Beach on Orange County’s Pacific coastline. This hip and vibrant community offers residents an opportunity to live in a beach town with easy access to an abundance of shopping and dining options. Shopping ranges from the upscale South Coast Plaza shopping mall to the trendy “anti-mall” boutiques of The Lab. Costa Mesa also has a diverse restaurant scene and an arts and theater district staging Broadway shows and other award-winning productions.
Costa Mesa’s housing options are as varied as the city’s attractions. The real estate mix includes quiet neighborhoods of mid-century modern single-family homes, attractive newly built townhouses, and stunning contemporary properties with state-of-the-art design inside and out.
What to Love
Diverse housing options
Boutique shopping
South Coast Plaza
The OC Fair
People & Lifestyle
Costa Mesa is a relaxed community with lots to see and do. Within a short distance of your home, you can be hiking through mountains and national parks, surfing or sunbathing at the beach, shopping at chic boutiques or one of the country’s largest malls, or dining at superb restaurants. The year-round sunny weather makes it easy to live an active lifestyle in Costa Mesa, and you will often encounter neighbors out walking, biking, or dog walking.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Costa Mesa is a shopping and dining hub with numerous places to eat, drink, and shop. The Country Club is an upscale hot spot for drinks and dinner with an elegant 1950s-style atmosphere. SOCIAL serves craft beers and cocktails alongside an elevated menu of chef-driven seasonal cuisine. Costa Mesa’s many locally owned businesses exude an inviting vibe. Haute Cakes serves delicious sweet treats, egg and pancake-based breakfast dishes, and tasty sandwiches and salads for lunch. The Butchery is the go-to for picking up prime cuts of beef, such as wet-aged, dry-aged, and wagyu steaks. No Rest for Bridget is a women’s clothing boutique with a carefully curated collection of fashionable clothing and accessories. Costa Mesa’s premier retail base is South Coast Plaza, the largest mall in California and fourth-largest in the nation. South Coast Plaza is home to around 300 businesses with anchor tenants Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and three Macy’s stores. The Lab, Costa Mesa’s anti-mall, is filled with original boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. The Lab also puts on frequent events: live music performances, maker marts, and art installations. The Camp is another offbeat retail destination with an emphasis on eco-consciousness. Along with its popular shops and restaurants, The Camp’s rooftop Tree House venue hosts film screenings, art exhibits, and other special events.
Things to Do
The OC Fair takes place in Costa Mesa each summer for one month between July and August. This large fair attracts thousands of visitors and features animal exhibits, fairground rides, unique vendors, assorted food stalls, and open-air live music performances. Another crowd-pleasing local event is the Hi-Time Chili Cook-off at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in August. Between December and January, Winter Fest OC has, among other things, pig racing and an ice tubing slide during the day, and illuminated paths leading through holiday theme lands and live music performances by night. Adults and children will be entertained by the shows and events held at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The lineup at the Segerstrom Center ranges from classical music performances to special productions for kids.
Schools
Costa Mesa is zoned to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
Davis Magnet School, Public, Magnet, K-6
California Elementary School, Public, K-6
Killybrooke Elementary School, Public, K-6
Kaiser Elementary School, Public, 3-6
Early College High School, Public, 9-12