Newport Beach is not a hot spring break destination and other lies Arrested Development told you
Now you’ll know better than to ask for Bluth’s Bananas when you visit for spring break
As a Newport Beach native, I’ve always been intrigued by Arrested Development’s presentation of my small coastal hometown. Some shots are pulled straight out of reality, but other episodes are based entirely on locational fiction, such as the idea that it hosts a spring break so crazy that Girls Gone Wild comes to the Peninsula to film (that’s actually Fourth of July, in reality).
I worked many odd jobs on Balboa Island over my summers in high school, and after binge watching the show on Netflix, I began to notice the amount of tourists that visited my hometown solely from watching Arrested Development. One of the most common questions these fanatics asked me was, “Where’s Bluth’s Banana Stand?” I figured it was time to separate fact from fiction. Below is a look at six different locations from the show, all of which are derived from real places in Newport Beach.
Balboa Towers
As much as I wish Balboa Towers existed, the Bluth family’s penthouse does not exist. In reality, the towers resemble the luxuriousness of Balboa Bay Club waterfront residences, or the high-rise Newport Towers located off PCH.
Bluth’s Banana Stand
You won’t find George Michael behind a cash register on Balboa Island. Frozen bananas are sold at Dad’s Original Frozen Banana as well as Sugar ’n Spice, but you won’t hear George Bluth screaming “there’s always money in the banana stand!”
The Milford Academy
The academy is a fictional private school with the motto that “children should be neither seen nor heard.” Thankfully, the Bluth children’s alma mater isn’t real. There’s quite a variety of private schools (with much less menacing mottos) for Newport Beach residents to choose from, such as Carden Hall.
Bluth Company
George Bluth founded this massive real estate company in the 1950s, and its headquarters are located on the top floor of a very expensive office building in Newport Beach. The company is based off of The Irvine Company, the largest private landowner in Orange County, which is headquartered in multistory buildings facing Fashion Island.
South Coast Boutique
Who can forget Lindsay and Tobias’ “We’re having a fire…sale” audition? The upscale retailer is known as South Coast Plaza in reality, and is home to many designer stores and booming restaurants. We can just picture Tobias rolling around on the floor next to the koi pond.
Balboa Country Club
Lucille’s favorite place to show off to other Newport Beach residents is inspired by the Balboa Bay Club. I’m sure Lucille could make herself at home at the Balboa Bay Club, as it boasts an expansive fitness center, waterfront pools, and top-notch amenities. The BBC is home to many fundraisers and social functions, but unfortunately mother-son productions like Motherboy are not one of them.
I have to hand it to the writers of Arrested Development. They did a fantastic job researching the ins and outs of Newport Beach, and certainly captured the essence of “the Newport Bubble.” While most of the locations from the show are fictional, they have taken a great deal of inspiration from the coastal city of Newport Beach.
Now you’ll know better than to ask for Bluth’s Bananas next time you visit!