Unlocking Huntington Beach

HB headlines this week: a record-setting Surf City 10, a California first for accessibility, and a Civil War story hiding behind the Newland House.

Lane Stone digs past the headlines on Surf City's oldest road race, what HB's WalletHub ranking actually measures, and why the city is weighing a six-figure restoration of a house built in 1898.

What you'll learn:
- Why PCH shut down completely for the Surf City 10's 70th run, and the only two other events that get a full closure
- What KultureCity's Sensory Inclusive certification changes at the beach, from lifeguards to hotel staff, plus where Mobi-Mats, beach wheelchairs and accessible fire pits fit in
- Where Huntington Beach landed in WalletHub's 2026 Best Cities for Women, and the one category where HB cracked the top 10
- What's in the proposed $628,600 contract to restore the Newland House and water tower (still pending council approval)
- How Union veterans camping at "Shell Beach" in 1884 connect to two street names you drive every day and today's Civil War Days in Central Park

Got an old HB story we should dig into? Send it to @unlockingHB.

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

Most of Huntington Beach has driven past SeaCliff's hedges and gates on Golden West. Far fewer have been inside. Lane Stone, who's sold HB homes for 14+ years, walks the neighborhood between Dog Beach and the Bolsa Chica Wetlands — and explains how one zip code can cost $1.7 million or $6.5 million.

What you'll learn:
- The three price tiers inside SeaCliff, and the first question Lane asks every buyer who says they want to live there
- What HOA dues run with no gate, an electronic gate, and a guard gate — and the one document that settles the Mello-Roos question
- What the reinvented Huntington Club, formerly SeaCliff Country Club, means for neighborhood social life
- Which streets feed Huntington Seacliff Elementary vs. Smith Elementary, and why SeaCliff kids walk or bike to Dwyer and HB High
- The honest part: former oil-field land, life behind a staffed gate, and Golden West at 5 p.m. on a summer Friday

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

October in Huntington Beach means chili on Main Street, costumes in Central Park, and a Bavarian village next to the 405. Lane Stone lays out the three events worth planning your fall weekends around, then digs into how Old World ended up in Surf City in the first place.

Plus: a family haunted house from 1990s HB that some longtime locals might still remember.

What you'll learn:
- When Chili at the Beach takes over Main Street (Sunday, Oct. 11), and which museum the tasting wristbands support
- What's happening at Fall-O-Ween in Huntington Central Park (Saturday, Oct. 17), and how to get Lane to cover your Fun Zone wristband
- The Torrance connection and the German village that inspired Old World
- How long Oktoberfest at Old World has been running, and what's on the 2026 lineup (wiener dog races included)
- What Halloween looked like at the Newland Barn back in 1994

Comment "Fall-O-Ween" on the YouTube episode and Lane will cover your Fun Zone wristband.

Grew up in HB? Send Lane an old Huntington Beach tradition, restaurant, event, or place that's gone. It might make the next episode.

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

Parking in Huntington Beach isn't one system — it's three, and they don't share rates or passes. Lane Stone, born and raised in HB, walks through where to park based on what you're actually coming to do, from Main Street to the sand at Bolsa Chica.

What you'll learn:
- Why the Main Promenade garage on Main Street is Lane's first recommendation for downtown HB
- The arrival-time rule for grabbing Pier Plaza on a summer weekend
- Where to park for Huntington Dog Beach (hint: not near the pier)
- The Bolsa Chica State Beach vs. Ecological Reserve mix-up, and which side of PCH you want
- When the city's annual beach parking permit pays off, and where it won't work

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

The Huntington Beach bike trail runs about 8.5 paved miles from Bolsa Chica to Huntington State Beach — and you can ride the whole coastline without moving your car once. Lane Stone rides it end to end, from the Sunset Beach greenbelt down to the Santa Ana River Trail junction, and flags the rules, crowds, and turnaround points most riders find out the hard way.

There's one thing you absolutely cannot do with your bike at the HB Pier. Lane covers it around the halfway mark.

What you'll learn:
- Where the trail actually starts — Warner Ave and PCH for the simple version, the Sunset Beach greenbelt (Linear Park) if you want the extra mile and a half
- Why the 2.9-mile Bolsa Chica stretch is the calmest section of the whole route, and why the paved path is not the same thing as the Ecological Reserve trails across PCH
- The posted speed rules through Huntington Dog Beach between Seapoint and Goldenwest — including when you're required to walk the bike
- What you can and can't do with a bike at the Huntington Beach Pier, plus the free bike valet at the Strand
- Three options at the Santa Ana River Trail junction: turn back, keep going toward Newport, or head inland on the OC Loop
- Realistic timing — roughly two hours if you're riding, three to four if you're actually stopping

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

Huntington Beach isn't one beach. It's five, and picking the wrong one can quietly wreck an otherwise good day. Lane Stone breaks down all eight-plus miles of coastline — City Beach, Huntington State Beach, Bolsa Chica, Dog Beach, and Sunset Beach — and matches each one to the kind of day you're actually trying to have.

Born-and-raised local, 14 years running a real estate team here, and a strong opinion about which stretch of sand wins for bonfires.

What you'll learn:
- Why Huntington City Beach is the right call for first-timers — pier, Main Street, and Pacific City all within walking distance — and why it's the wrong call if you want quiet
- Where the fire rings actually are: Bolsa Chica's roughly 200 rings vs. the designated rings at Huntington State Beach
- The exact boundaries of Huntington Dog Beach (Golden West to Seapoint), its 5am–10pm hours, and the leash rules that change the moment you hit the sand
- Why dogs are off-limits on Bolsa Chica's sand entirely, and where to go instead
- Sunset Beach's trade-off: one of the widest stretches of sand in Southern California, free parking near Warner, and almost none of the visitor amenities
- The rip current warning near the Santa Ana River jetties that inexperienced surfers keep ignoring

Quick picks inside: best for families, best for bonfires, best for dogs, best for avoiding downtown crowds, best for biking.

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

Living in Huntington Beach costs about 80% more than the national average — here's what that actually buys you, and what it doesn't. Lane Stone has been an HB resident for 35+ years and has sold real estate here for 14. He's talked people into this city and talked people out of it. This one runs heavier on the cons, because the pros you can already see from Google Maps.

What you'll learn:
- The real cost math: $1.3–1.4M median home price, $2,400–2,500 for a one-bedroom, and the income floor a single person or a family actually needs to live here without constant pressure
- Why HB's crime rate sits roughly 34% below the national average — and which side of the city rates safest
- What PCH really looks like on a summer Saturday, plus the 405 commute reality if you work in LA
- The tourist-season tradeoff: what living within a mile of the pier feels like during the US Open of Surfing and the Pacific Air Show, and why locals swear by September through March
- Where Surf City's political identity fits into the decision, framed as a factor to weigh rather than a side to pick

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

Wodapalooza SoCal brings 30,000 people and 1,500 athletes to the Huntington Beach Pier this September — and Matt Banwart has a front-row seat to all of it. He's owned Red Wolf CrossFit on Beach Boulevard since 2012, and he breaks down what the festival actually looks like from the sand, plus why the gym everyone assumes is for hardcore competitors is mostly busy parents squeezing in an hour before work.

What you'll learn:
- What the Gymreapers Wodapalooza SoCal festival is, why HB beat out every other SoCal beach town for it, and what spectators can actually watch on the sand September 25–27
- How "The Gauntlet" lets non-competitors jump in for a one-hour taste of the competition floor
- Why Matt says 95% of CrossFitters look nothing like what Instagram shows you
- The 42-day mark: what Red Wolf's own client data shows about when results start showing up
- Why Red Wolf runs body composition scans before writing anyone a program
- The Red Wolf love story involving the Chamber of Commerce and a proposal on the gym floor

🏪 Red Wolf CrossFit | 16929 Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 | (949) 876-7482 | redwolfcrossfit.com
Free Intro: redwolfcrossfit.com/programs/get-started
Instagram: @redwolfcrossfit

🎟️ Gymreapers Wodapalooza SoCal | Sept 25–27, 2026 | Huntington Beach Pier (Main St. & PCH)
socal.wodapalooza.com — use code CFREDWOLF15 for 15% off tickets, 20% off Gauntlet registration

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

Huntington Beach runs free movie nights, a traveling pump track, and a 95-year-old indoor pool most residents have never set foot in. Kaci Thol has spent 23 years building those programs — and she's here to tell you which ones you're sleeping on.

Kaci is the Recreation Supervisor at Edison Community Center, and she oversees youth sports, city field reservations, and the events HB families plan their summers around: the Pier Swim, the Overnight Family Campout, and the HB Surf Contest. Lane gets her to walk through what's still open this summer, what sells out before you've heard of it, and why the passport idea they invent on-air might actually happen.

What you'll learn:
- Why Camp HB sells out at spring registration — and the other city camps still taking late signups
- Where the free Summer Movie Series lands next (Lake Park, then Worthy Park), plus the 7 p.m. pre-show crafts and giveaways
- Overnight Family Campout at Central Park, Aug. 15–16, on the Gothard side — dinner, breakfast, and registration still open
- The HB Pier Swim's new date: August 29, after June's swell forced a reschedule
- Inside the City Gym & Pool, built in 1931 — indoor swim lessons from 6 months old to adult
- The free pump track at Edison Community Center and where it travels next
- The 107 Parks Challenge Lane and Kaci cook up mid-episode

Presented in part by the Sackin-Stone Team, a major sponsor of City of Huntington Beach community events.

🏪 City of Huntington Beach - Community Services Department | 2000 Main St #5, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 | hbsands.org
📞 714-960-8870
🌐 huntingtonbeachca.gov
📱 Instagram: @hbcommunityservices | @cityofhb

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

The Lexus US Open of Surfing returns to Huntington Beach July 25–Aug 2; half a million people, the world's best surfers, live music, and free entry. Here's how a born-and-raised local actually does the biggest week of the year in Surf City.

What you'll learn:
- The full US Open dates, format, and why it's been on the south side of HB Pier since 1959
- This year's music lineup: G. Love & Special Sauce with Matt Costa, Real Estate, and Local Natives (and what's free vs. ticketed)
- The free Surf City USA Bike Valet on 5th Street that skips the parking nightmare entirely
- Exactly what to pack and the hard-rule list of what security won't let in
- Lane's start-to-finish plan for one perfect US Open day downtown

If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week.

New episodes drop weekly.

Do Good. HB deserves it.

FOLLOW US
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb
Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com

LANE STONE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc