Unlocking Huntington Beach

Lane Stone
  • 5.0 (1)
  • News Commentary

This is your quick rundown of what’s happening in Huntington Beach. Local news, events, grand openings, and updates hosted by HB local, Lane Stone. Easy, useful, and made to keep you in the know.

  1. 6d ago

    Living in Huntington Beach: 4 Pros, 5 Real Cons (Ep. 32)

    Living in Huntington Beach costs about 80% more than the national average — here's what that actually buys you, and what it doesn't. Lane Stone has been an HB resident for 35+ years and has sold real estate here for 14. He's talked people into this city and talked people out of it. This one runs heavier on the cons, because the pros you can already see from Google Maps. What you'll learn: - The real cost math: $1.3–1.4M median home price, $2,400–2,500 for a one-bedroom, and the income floor a single person or a family actually needs to live here without constant pressure - Why HB's crime rate sits roughly 34% below the national average — and which side of the city rates safest - What PCH really looks like on a summer Saturday, plus the 405 commute reality if you work in LA - The tourist-season tradeoff: what living within a mile of the pier feels like during the US Open of Surfing and the Pacific Air Show, and why locals swear by September through March - Where Surf City's political identity fits into the decision, framed as a factor to weigh rather than a side to pick If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

  2. Aug 6

    Wodapalooza Hits HB Pier + Red Wolf CrossFit (Ep. 31)

    Wodapalooza SoCal brings 30,000 people and 1,500 athletes to the Huntington Beach Pier this September — and Matt Banwart has a front-row seat to all of it. He's owned Red Wolf CrossFit on Beach Boulevard since 2012, and he breaks down what the festival actually looks like from the sand, plus why the gym everyone assumes is for hardcore competitors is mostly busy parents squeezing in an hour before work. What you'll learn: - What the Gymreapers Wodapalooza SoCal festival is, why HB beat out every other SoCal beach town for it, and what spectators can actually watch on the sand September 25–27 - How "The Gauntlet" lets non-competitors jump in for a one-hour taste of the competition floor - Why Matt says 95% of CrossFitters look nothing like what Instagram shows you - The 42-day mark: what Red Wolf's own client data shows about when results start showing up - Why Red Wolf runs body composition scans before writing anyone a program - The Red Wolf love story involving the Chamber of Commerce and a proposal on the gym floor 🏪 Red Wolf CrossFit | 16929 Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 | (949) 876-7482 | redwolfcrossfit.com Free Intro: redwolfcrossfit.com/programs/get-started Instagram: @redwolfcrossfit 🎟️ Gymreapers Wodapalooza SoCal | Sept 25–27, 2026 | Huntington Beach Pier (Main St. & PCH) socal.wodapalooza.com — use code CFREDWOLF15 for 15% off tickets, 20% off Gauntlet registration If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

  3. Jul 30

    HB's Free Summer Movies, Camps & Pump Track (Ep. 30)

    Huntington Beach runs free movie nights, a traveling pump track, and a 95-year-old indoor pool most residents have never set foot in. Kaci Thol has spent 23 years building those programs — and she's here to tell you which ones you're sleeping on. Kaci is the Recreation Supervisor at Edison Community Center, and she oversees youth sports, city field reservations, and the events HB families plan their summers around: the Pier Swim, the Overnight Family Campout, and the HB Surf Contest. Lane gets her to walk through what's still open this summer, what sells out before you've heard of it, and why the passport idea they invent on-air might actually happen. What you'll learn: - Why Camp HB sells out at spring registration — and the other city camps still taking late signups - Where the free Summer Movie Series lands next (Lake Park, then Worthy Park), plus the 7 p.m. pre-show crafts and giveaways - Overnight Family Campout at Central Park, Aug. 15–16, on the Gothard side — dinner, breakfast, and registration still open - The HB Pier Swim's new date: August 29, after June's swell forced a reschedule - Inside the City Gym & Pool, built in 1931 — indoor swim lessons from 6 months old to adult - The free pump track at Edison Community Center and where it travels next - The 107 Parks Challenge Lane and Kaci cook up mid-episode Presented in part by the Sackin-Stone Team, a major sponsor of City of Huntington Beach community events. 🏪 City of Huntington Beach - Community Services Department | 2000 Main St #5, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 | hbsands.org 📞 714-960-8870 🌐 huntingtonbeachca.gov 📱 Instagram: @hbcommunityservices | @cityofhb If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

  4. Jul 20

    US Open of Surfing 2026: Your Surf City Guide (Ep. 29)

    The Lexus US Open of Surfing returns to Huntington Beach July 25–Aug 2; half a million people, the world's best surfers, live music, and free entry. Here's how a born-and-raised local actually does the biggest week of the year in Surf City. What you'll learn: - The full US Open dates, format, and why it's been on the south side of HB Pier since 1959 - This year's music lineup: G. Love & Special Sauce with Matt Costa, Real Estate, and Local Natives (and what's free vs. ticketed) - The free Surf City USA Bike Valet on 5th Street that skips the parking nightmare entirely - Exactly what to pack and the hard-rule list of what security won't let in - Lane's start-to-finish plan for one perfect US Open day downtown If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

  5. Jul 16

    HB Chamber CEO Max Daffron on Sector Partnerships (Ep. 28)

    Huntington Beach has 10,000+ businesses, and most of them aren't on Main Street. Max Daffron, the HB Chamber's first CEO in eight years, is building five industry coalitions to fix that — and you don't need a membership to join. Max grew up here, worked in the City's Economic Development Office, then spent years in Colorado watching recruiters build trips around pulling Surf City businesses out of California. He came home to do something about it. What you'll learn: - Why an out-of-state recruitment trip to "Los Angeles aerospace" turned out to be entirely Huntington Beach companies - The five Sector Partnerships — Health & Wellness, Professional Services, METAL, RED, and Restaurants/Retail/Hospitality — and why none of them require Chamber dues - How Orlando Precision navigated parking and planning red tape into an 80,000 sq ft second facility near Boeing - The reason HB's industrial employers are what keep downtown restaurants open in January - What a longtime member said out loud at the Professional Services meeting that changed his mind about renewing - Max's five-year goal for where the Chamber sits in Orange County (Irvine gets a nod) 🏪 Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce | Currently officed at Golden West College, Huntington Beach, CA | 714-536-8888 | https://hbchamber.com/ 📧 Max Daffron: mdaffron@hbcoc.com 📱 Instagram: @hbchamber Upcoming Chamber events: - Annual Golf Tournament & Sunset Mixer, Huntington Club — July 27, 2026 - State of Orange County (with Newport Beach Chamber) — August 7, 2026 - State of the City — tentatively September 10, 2026 - State of Public Safety — late 2026 - SBDC Business Conference — January 2027 Robert Mayer Leadership Academy: https://hbchamber.com/events/rmla If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

  6. Jul 13

    HB's Pacific Air Show: Parking, Tickets, Best Spots (Ep. 27)

    The Pacific Air Show returns to Huntington Beach's sand October 2–4, 2026, and whether you pay or go free changes your whole day. Lane breaks down exactly where to stand, when to arrive, and how to skip the parking nightmare. What you'll learn: - Show Center sits on PCH between Twin Dolphin Street and Beach Boulevard, free beach viewing is legit, but the ticketed zone gets you closer - The Surf City Bike Valet at the Strand runs all three days so locals can skip the parking chaos entirely - 2026 single-day tickets start around $30, VIP beachfront runs about $170/day, and RV camping on the beach is roughly $3,800 for the weekend - Friday is the quietest day to go; Saturday brings the biggest crowds and worst traffic - The Pacific Air Show newsletter at pacificairshowusa.com is the only way to get the daily flight schedule before showtime If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

  7. Jul 2

    Surf City Summer: Camps, Bonfires & Kid Activities (Ep. 26)

    Summer in Huntington Beach means camp drop-offs, bonfire nights, and bike rides down the Strand — here's the full parent playbook for filling the calendar through August. What you'll learn: - Camp HB pricing and schedule breakdown: 3-day ($135) vs. 5-day ($221) options at Murdy Community Center, plus the Teen LIT program for ages 13-17 - Where to find Junior Lifeguards and how to reserve a beach bonfire pit before it fills up - Free outdoor picks: Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, the Strand Bike Path, and Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Central Park - Indoor backup plans for hot days: Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley, HB Sands recreation classes, and the International Surfing Museum - The full HB summer movie series schedule — dates, parks, and what's playing If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

  8. Jun 25

    HB 4th of July: A Local's Complete Guide (Ep. 25)

    The Huntington Beach 4th of July draws half a million people for the largest Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi — and Lane Stone has the 35-year local playbook for doing it right. From the Surf City 5K to fireworks launched straight off the pier, this is the hour-by-hour guide to Surf City's biggest day. What you'll learn: - Where to claim a parade spot along PCH (and why locals set up the night before) - The three ways to watch the 9 PM pier fireworks — free beach, paid pier tickets, or oceanfront hotels - Bonfire-pit strategy across Huntington City Beach, Huntington State Beach, and Bolsa Chica - Parking moves that beat the post-fireworks gridlock, including the free downtown bike valet - A full hour-by-hour plan, from the 5 AM bonfire alarm to the last firework If you live in Huntington Beach, just moved here, or are thinking about making it home, this podcast keeps you in the loop on what’s happening locally every week. New episodes drop weekly. Do Good. HB deserves it. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockinghb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockinghb Sackin-Stone Team: https://sackinstoneteam.com LANE STONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laneinoc

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About

This is your quick rundown of what’s happening in Huntington Beach. Local news, events, grand openings, and updates hosted by HB local, Lane Stone. Easy, useful, and made to keep you in the know.

Information

  • Creator
    Lane Stone
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unlocking Huntington Beach
  • Show Website
    Unlocking Huntington Beach