Inside Ultraexclusive California Enclave That Has Served as a Hideaway for the Rich and Famous for Decades—From Lori Loughlin to Warren Buffett
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Realtor.comAmanda Edwards/WireImageWarrenBuffett/X
Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Hills, Malibu, and Montecito are all neighborhoods that have long been known to house some of Los Angeles’ most famous and wealthy residents.
But just an hour outside of Tinseltown lies a tony Orange County enclave that has quietly been used as a secret escape for the rich and powerful—from A-list actors to professional sports stars, and even the odd astronaut.
Emerald Bay, an exclusive gated community, lies just along the coast from Laguna Beach.
While Laguna Beach has long been the source of much fascination—thanks in large part to the popular MTV reality show that was set there—its neighbor has managed to remain very much under the radar, making it ideal for high-profile homeowners seeking a secret sanctuary from the bright lights of Hollywood.
“Offering privacy as well as a sense of community, Emerald Bay is sought out for its unparalleled amenities,” one local listing notes.
“The highlights of this guard-gated enclave include a residents-only beach, green sections, sports courts, a lap pool, and a neighborhood atmosphere—all in an accessible North Laguna Beach location.”
Those in the know have always been privy to the very extravagant world of Emerald Bay. However, the community has now been thrust into the spotlight courtesy of one of its former residents, a popular influencer who grew up in the area.
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(Realtor.com)
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(Realtor.com)
In a now-viral TikTok video, Alexa Losey lifts the lid on what life in the guarded community was really like, recalling the unique makeup of people who chose to make Emerald Bay their home.
“I grew up in this neighborhood called Emerald Bay, which even [author] Eve Babitz has gone on record saying that it was very Nixon-y, very Stepford-y, which it totally is,” she explains.
“And it totally is because Orange County is a red bubble within a blue state, but then Laguna Beach is blue bubble within a red bubble, but Emerald Bay is like a red bubble within a blue bubble.
“It’s a very weird blend of people but somehow everybody kind of gets along.”
Losey, who shot to fame as a YouTuber at the tender age of 16, goes on to reveal the slightly more scandalous underbelly of Emerald Bay.
The neighborhood was also known “for the parents being swingers,” she says. “It’s basically people who are probably multimillionaires who have their full-time home in Emerald Bay, they live in Laguna, and then it’s billionaires who have one of their extra 15 houses,” she continues.
“Sometimes there’s like a retired country star who was a really big deal in the ’90s and they’re trying to run away from their life. My next-door neighbor was an astronaut who went to the moon. … A lot of Olympic tennis players, a lot of former touring tennis players because they have a bunch of tennis courts in the neighborhood, a lot of athletes.
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(TikTok/Alexa Losey)
“A lot of people that really made it and then were like, ‘F— it, I’m going to chill for the rest of my life,'” she adds.
Losey’s inside glimpse at the intriguing cast of characters who have lived in Emerald Bay during her family’s residency there left her TikTok fans stunned.
One viewer expressed her shock over the “lore” Losey was sharing about her community: “The Emerald Bay lore is a lore I didn’t know I needed to hear, OMG.”
Another added: “I used to do a lot of work in Emerald Bay. The vibes were definitely … Interesting.”
Though the name of the community might not be of note for many, its list of prominent residents, both past and present, will no doubt ring bells.
Over the years, a wide variety of celebrities and other high-profile personas have called Emerald Bay home, including “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin, 60, and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 61; billionaire Warren Buffett, 94; and former baseball commissioner and U.S. Olympic chairman Peter Ueberroth, 87.
Other residents include Tennis champion Lindsay Davenport, 48, and her husband, former professional tennis player Jon Leach, 51; astronaut Buzz Aldrin, 95; late LA Fitness Club President Louis Welch; and brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, who own the Las Vegas Station Casinos and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
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(Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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(@TheRealBuzz/X)
Given the cost of Emerald Bay’s luxurious real estate, it is no surprise that the area is filled with Hollywood’s elite.
There are currently only six properties in Emerald Bay listed for sale on Realtor.com®, with the cheapest—a three-bedroom, three-bathroom Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired dwelling—asking for $7.7 million. The priciest is tagged at a staggering $22.5 million. For that price, you get a four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom beach house.
As for its most famous residents?
Loughlin and Gianulli resided in a stunning cottage in the area until 2010, when they offloaded the residence for $4.1 million.
Buffett also once held the keys to a home in Emerald Bay. However, he sold it for $7.5 million in 2017—having paid just $150,000 for it in 1970.
The sprawling mansion spanned 3,600 square feet and featured six bedrooms and seven bathrooms across the three levels.
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(LindseyDavenport/X)
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(Realtor.com)
Aldrin sold his luxe pad in Emerald Bay in 1998 for $925,000 to Newport Beach attorney Paul Wollam and his wife, Jean, when he decided to move back to Los Angeles.
Although she loved her secluded California property, Davenport was among the few A-listers to say goodbye to Emerald Bay.
In 2016, Davenport sold her lavish property there for $2.84 million. She picked up the property in 2000.
That home was built in the 1950s and boasted a ranch-style aesthetic. It featured vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, and cozy brick fireplaces.
It spanned 2,134 square feet and offered three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Ueberroth has held on to the home he purchased in Emerald Bay. The baseball mogul’s property boasts four bedrooms and four bathrooms. It measures 3,869 square feet.
It is unclear when Ueberroth purchased the home, and what he paid for it. Though, Realtor.com estimates the home is now worth $8.5 million.
Meanwhile, the family of Welch—the LA Fitness CEO who died in 2023 at age 71 following a two-year battle with cancer—is believed to still be in possession of the home he purchased for $34.5 million in 2008. It was the second priciest sale in the area at the time.
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