Newport Center

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Newport Center is a business, shopping, and entertainment district located on a high bluff overlooking Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, California. It was created in the early 1960s as part of William Pereira's master plan for the Irvine Ranch. Newport Center was created as the unofficial "downtown" of the Irvine Ranch, which at the time extended all the way down to Pacific Coast Highway.

The site itself has some interesting history. It was one of the first sites considered for Disneyland. During excavation of the site for the first buildings, a considerable amount of petrified wood was discovered, indicating that a small forest once existed in the area.

The center has a large circular road, called Newport Center Drive, with high-rise buildings encircling the outside edge of the road. The center of the circle is occupied by Fashion Island.