Economic Development, MTV-Style

Laguna Beach is the venue for a popular new MTV teen reality show. The community has been catapulted into national prominence, but perhaps not with the image it wants.

1 minute read

November 7, 2005, 9:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"With season two ending on Nov. 14 and new faces for season three currently being cast, "Laguna Beach" has not only brought the city of 25,000 to the world, it has also brought the world to its shores, shops and schools. Shopkeepers are swamped with tourists and callers wanting to track down the stars.

...Even some critics concede that they had already been losing the cultural battle before the film crews arrived. Some residents remember Laguna Beach as a modest and eclectic mix of people who started their own schools, chained themselves to bulldozers to protest development and pursued surfing or art. Shifting economics have raised the average home price in the "art colony" to $1.5 million. "Laguna Beach: The Real O.C." only accentuated and accelerated the reality that Laguna has become a town of wealth, glamour and celebrity culture..."

FULL STORY: There's Laguna, and Then There's MTV's 'Laguna'

Monday, November 7, 2005 in The Los Angeles Times

Community / Economic Development California

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