Eastside Costa Mesa: The Un-Newport Neighborhood That's Actually the Real Thing

Costa Mesa Has a Split Personality

There's the Costa Mesa people think of — South Coast Metro, the 405 corridor, the strip malls along Harbor Boulevard. And then there's Eastside. This part of town operates on a different frequency and has no interest in the other side's energy. Same city, fundamentally different place.

One clarification before you go in: Eastside Costa Mesa is not "The Triangle." The Triangle (formerly Triangle Square) is a shopping center on Harbor Boulevard on the west side of town. Eastside is purely residential and local-commercial, which is exactly how the people who live there want it.

The Actual Borders

Eastside is bound by the 55 Freeway/Newport Boulevard to the west, the 73 Freeway to the north, Irvine Avenue to the east, and the Newport Beach city limits to the south. The streets aren't perfectly straight, the trees are decades old, and the "local vibe" isn't a marketing slogan. It's the actual character of the neighborhood.

The Housing

The stock runs from 1950s ranch homes and mid-century moderns to occasional modern-farmhouse rebuilds on the same block. In a county where "walkable" usually means a stroll through a shopping center parking lot, Eastside is the exception. People walk to the grocery store, bike to the Back Bay, and push strollers under canopies of mature eucalyptus. The neighborhood sits at the edge of Newport Beach without the Newport price tag or the performance that comes with it.

The 17th Street Corridor

17th Street technically borders the neighborhood, but it functions as Eastside's living room. Three spots worth knowing:

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee — the 17th Street location is the original flagship. The Huckleberry doughnut draws lines. The coffee is serious. This is a genuine institution, not a hype shop.

Ospi Costa Mesa — opened in 2024/25 by Top Chef alum Jackson Kalb. Refined Italian without the stiffness. Currently the hardest reservation on the Eastside.

Plums Café — the Northwest-inspired brunch anchor. The Dutch Babies are the order. Locals treat it as a rite of passage.

The Coffee Situation

Kéan Coffee sits at 2043 Westcliff Dr — technically across the border in Newport Beach, but it's the neighborhood's de facto anchor. Founded by coffee pioneer Martin Diedrich, it's one of the best specialty roasters in the state. Serious about beans, small space, reliably excellent. If you want to stay inside Costa Mesa city limits, Milligram (234 E 17th St) is the local coffee anchor — precise pour-overs, a small footprint, and no pretense.

Antique Row

Along Newport Boulevard on the western edge runs Antique Row. This isn't the curated museum-style experience at the Orange Circle — it's grittier and more rewarding for it. Mid-century modern furniture, vintage records, and the kind of "junk" that turns into something good with a little patience. Worth a slow Saturday browse.

One Logistics Note

If you're looking for the Saturday farmers market, it's not on the Eastside — it runs at SOCO (The OC Mix) on the northwest side of town. Easy to assume otherwise.

The Honest Take

Eastside Costa Mesa is where people who've outgrown the Newport scene tend to land. It's quieter, more eclectic, and has a lived-in character that feels earned rather than manufactured. If you want to see what Orange County looks like when it isn't trying to impress anyone, spend a Saturday morning here.