For most Americans, life without a car is unthinkable.
But tucked away in a small harbor town in California lies an island community for which the hum of traffic is a far-fetched thought.
In Avalon on Santa Catalina island, there’s even a 25-year waitlist for a permit to own one.
The 3,000 residents have, instead, built themselves a Mediterranean-esque paradise.
It’s a stark contrast from the chaotic 12-lane freeways that are commonplace in nearby Los Angeles.
Avalon is the only city in California that puts strict limits on the number of cars on its roads.
And even if you’re approved to have a residential vehicle after a quarter century of waiting, you’ll then face restrictions on the size of it.
‘A full size vehicle can measure no more than 200 inches in length (including the bumpers), and 80 inches in width,’ according to the city website.
Pictured: The harbor of Avalon, a city on Santa Catalina Island that has a 25-year waitlist for car permits
Locals and tourists alike instead primarily get around the narrow hilly streets with golf carts
Most full-sized SUVs and even mid-sized trucks are far longer than 200 inches.
The behemoth pickups that clog roads and parking lots all across the US would never be approved in Avalon.
The lack of cars gives Avalon a completely different feel than practically every other US city.
There are no gas stations, no highways, no drive-thrus, and no exhaust fumes, making it cleaner and quieter.
In fact the only large vehicles that can be found in Avalon, or near it, are cruise ships.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are typically the days when the giant luxury liners loom over the smaller sailboats and other watercrafts that dot the city’s semi-circle harbor.
Cruise ships dock nearly a mile out and passengers are then ferried to shore by smaller boats.
Their arrival can double the population of the city in a matter of minutes.
But even Californians, not tourists coming by cruise, say Avalon and the island as a whole is a underappreciated gem.
Brandon and Claire D’Sa, two Long Beach school teachers, said it feels like a secret even among Angelenos.
‘It’s off the radar. A lot of our friends in LA have never come here,’ Brandon told SFGate.
‘If you’re in Italy, everyone says go to Capri, but in LA, no one tells you to take the boat to Catalina.’
Cruise ships dock nearly a mile out and passengers are then ferried to shore by smaller boats. Their arrival can double the population of the city in a matter of minutes
Most homes are perched on incredibly steep hills near the bay, offering beautiful views of the harbor
Before the era of cruise ships, Catalina was an island that functioned almost as an exclusive getaway for the who’s who of Hollywood.
Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable were regular visitors.
The island is also where actress Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned while yachting with her husband Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken.
An entertainment complex built by William Wrigley Jr. – the chewing gum magnate and former Cubs owner – is a towering Art Deco masterpiece at the northern end of the Avalon Bay.
Contrary to its name, the Casino is not a gambling complex.
Rather, it has a silent-era movie theater and a giant 1920s ballroom that is now being used as a roller-skating rink.
Tourists and locals alike also stroll down the shoreline walkway to gaze into the clear waters.
The city is also full of bars and restaurants, one of the most famous being Luau Larry’s, a staple tiki bar right on the water.
