137 The Masters Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

It is a neighborhood in flux. Costa Mesa's east side is saying goodbye to retired World War II veterans who raised their families in its modest homes and is welcoming a new generation of professionals with growing families. They are upgrading the small homes and bringing children into the neighborhood again. Early days Costa Mesa's east side began as a town called Harper, named for a nearby rancher, and had its first post office in 1909. The name was changed in 1920 to Costa Mesa, which means "coastal tableland" in Spanish, and the community continued to grow as an agricultural center. World War II brought thousands of people to the area for training at the Santa Ana Army Air Base, site now of the Orange County fairgrounds and Orange Coast College. With the population boom came a need for housing, and the east side's quaint homes, known for minimal square footage and big backyards, were built. Costa Mesa was incorporated in 1953 and had an area of 3.5 square miles. Today, it is about 17 square miles and is home to more than 180,000 people.