Ruby Street Park In Laguna Beach Is A Gem

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—An ocean view and benches at Ruby Street Park make it an ideal overlook for sunsets. Still, visiting the park during quiet mornings may be the ideal time. The light is beautiful streaming through the trees and lush shrubs; plus, it’s more likely to be empty.

Though the park is quite small, it packs a punch on the imagination. You step from the busy rush of activity on Pacific Coast Highway into a sanctuary that a meditator might visualize as an ideal relaxation spot. A screenwriter may see it as a movie set, perfect for a "meet-cute."

On the first level, two permanent tables with checkerboards embedded on the tops provide a shady place to sit and read or write. Or bring an opponent and checkers or chess pieces to play a game on the grid.

A few steps down, and you reach the ocean overlook. A wooden rail protects the cliff—and people leaning over it to get an even better look along the bluffs—is carved with hearts and initials. This defacing by young romantics is also in evidence on a paddle of the cactus that's blooming just beyond the rail. Hopefully, the plant will grow back over those initials, but not jinx the love affair.

As is true for the entire Woods Cove neighborhood, a century of architectural charm resides on Ruby Street itself. Equal distance from Diamond Street to the north and Moss Street to the south, the board-and-batten bungalows set amidst dense foliage date back to the early 1920s. On nearby Ocean Way, two remarkable estates include the idiosyncratic but elegant Wave House and the Last Resort, which was built in 1928.

The City of Laguna Beach states that use of all parks is first-come, first-served—no reservations allowed for gatherings of any kind. If you are inspired to shoot a movie or get hitched in one of Laguna’s picturesque locations, know that “Permits are required for weddings and filming on parks and beaches and can be obtained from the Community Services Department at (949) 497-0716.”

Do you have a favorite location in Laguna Beach you'd like us to share, or you would like to learn more about? Email Lisa.Black@Patch.com!