Seal Beach :

Seal Beach, California, is now known for its wooden pier, shaded Main Street, and ocean vistas, and Forbes magazine once ranked it among the five friendliest towns in the United States. Its path to that reputation was rowdy. Beginning in the 1860s as Anaheim Landing, it served as the first seaport in what later became Orange County, then turned into a summer haven for squatters and unlicensed bars. Developers hoped to build an amusement resort and a hub for flying and filmmaking, yet the town instead grew into the nearby Long Beach area's place for taverns, brothels, and gambling. Eventually, stability and wealth took hold, producing the calm residential city that stands today. Author Larry Strawther traces this transformation from a lawless waterfront to a beloved community.