Home in a Water Tower, Sunset Beach, California

Table of Content

• Florida Ranks No. 1 as The Most Popular Vacation Destination in The U.S.
• ‘World’s Coolest Beach House’: SoCal Water Tower Rises Above the Rest
• Sunset Beach Water Tower Wows With Dramatic Ocean And Mountain Views
• 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' sells longtime mansion, moves to Florida
• Magnitude 6.4 earthquake shakes parts of Northern California
• Sunset Beach Water Tower Home Hits Market

Modern amenities include HD televisions with Direct TV, fine linens, updated bathrooms and a fully-stocked kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances and cookware. The ground floor holds two garages with a storage room and aboveground space. Upon entering the home skylights will guide you past a water fountain to a bedroom with a loft. "Sunset Beach has a green belt that runs down the middle of it that was used for trains," said Ostlund. The water tower was the pitstop for trains to fill up with water.

Drive north up the Pacific Coast Highway from downtown Huntington Beach, and you can’t miss it. Set a soaring 87 feet in the air, the water tower is the second tallest residential home in the United States. Built with an elevator, the second floor boasts an expansive deck with a Jacuzzi and seating area. The third floor features the kitchen, a pirate-themed bedroom and the wraparound deck. At the top level of the Sunset Beach Water Tower, you will find what Ostlund calls "the party room," complete with 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean to the mountains. “There’s a 360-degree, walk-around deck with a barbecue.

Florida Ranks No. 1 as The Most Popular Vacation Destination in The U.S.

A Midwestern boy at heart, he was raised in St. Louis and studied journalism at the University of Missouri. Before joining The Times as an intern in 2017, he wrote for the Columbia Missourian and Politico Europe. Old House Calling is an opinion-based blog and does not represent any property or agency. This site is strictly for informational and entertainment purposes and will not be held responsible or liable for its use or accuracy.

It has giant wood and sliding glass doors, so it is essentially open on one side of the house—which is facing the beach,” Arnold explains. It dates to the 1880s, when it used to service steam engines coming through for the railroad. A replacement for the original was built in the 1940s. Some of my favorites are attending concerts with my husband, watching our dog Luna run unleashed on the dog beach and taking endless photos of sunsets. I also ride my bike on the strand several times a week. More than just exercise, the view of the ocean energizes my soul as I cruise along the beach.

‘World’s Coolest Beach House’: SoCal Water Tower Rises Above the Rest

Initially built in the 1800s to service steam engine railroad cars, the once-functioning water tower has become a Southern California attraction. The 4-bedroom, 3-bath beach house has a rich history in Orange County. Built in 1892, the residence was originally used as a water tower. With 360-degree views of Southern California, this historic water tower-turned-beach rental is one of a kind. The property has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, a rotunda-style living room and, yes, an elevator, for all those levels. There’s also with a “secret room,” and hot tub on site.

A water tower bordering Sunset Beach and Seal Beach in California has been converted into a private oceanfront home and is now on the market for $4.95 million. "We're technically in Seal Beach," said Scott Ostlund, co-owner of the historic landmark. The property sits on the border of Seal Beach and Sunset Beach, a small community in Huntington Beach. …and the spacious kitchen features fire-engine red cabinets, open shelving, subway tiles and floor-to-ceiling farmhouse paneling. Listed for $4.95 million, with four stories of living space, it’s high above anything else in Seal Beach, CA. A home with one of the best beach views in the country has hit the market, but there’s a catch.

Sunset Beach Water Tower Wows With Dramatic Ocean And Mountain Views

A crew of 70 worked round-the-clock for three months to update the features and bring the water tower back to its former glory. The hard work and renovations paid off, and the one-of-a-kind-home will remain a neighborhood institution for years to come. Though the outside of the home still looks like the traditional structure of a water tower, the inside is cozy and rustic with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The historic and beloved water tower has long been a fixture of the Huntington coastline, but it was nearly torn down in the 1980s — until the local community pulled together and demanded it be saved. On the third level, there are two main bedrooms, each with a bathroom and stained-glass windows. The water tower, one of Southern California’s oldest and unique landmarks, is easy to spot.

The Sunset Beach Water Tower is a four-level home with sweeping windows and a wrap-around deck boasting unobstructed 360-degree views of the sea and mountains beyond. In 2016, new owners purchased the residence and had it professionally restored and decorated over the past two years. Recently, the owners placed the home, billed as “the world’s ultimate beach house,” on vacation rental website

There is an elevator, hidden rooms, stained glass accents, and a ground floor with two garages. A water fountain, loft, pirate-themed bedroom, and second floor jacuzzi deck, are among the highlights. And if you are looking to fire up the day’s catch, there is a gourmet kitchen too! A penthouse master retreat offers ocean-filled panoramas and two bathrooms with sunken showers, with nicely appointed guest suites.

Spanning 2,828 square feet, the home is made up of four levels with a wraparound deck for panoramic beach and mountain views. To the mountains beyond, making this 2,800 square-foot three-bedroom home quite the attraction. Additionally, a so-called “party room” boasts a fire pit that could double as a functioning table , adding yet another magnetic element to this other-worldly water tower-turned-residence. The first stop on the elevator goes is the second floor deck with a jacuzzi and seating area perfect for watching the sunrise with coffee or at sunset with a glass of wine. The third floor has a kitchen, the Hippolite de Bouchard (California’s first and only pirate) bedroom and bathroom with a large porthole window.

It’s different being up that high, I think it’s the tallest home in California,” says Mike Arnold, attorney for the owners of the Sunset Beach Water Tower House. It traded hands a few more times in the decades since and most recently sold to real estate investors Scott Ostlund and Barret Woods for $1.5 million in 2016. The pair quickly restored the home to its former glory, opening it up for public tours and renting it out for around $1,000 a night.

Except, it's not in Sunset Beach, and it's not a water tower; it's a house. The novelty of a water tower-turned-home isn’t lost on Ostlund, who knows how unique it is to the area as well as the whole country. Another level up is a floor with the kitchen, dining room, and another bedroom and bathroom.

It became a landmark for the community until it outlived its usefulness and was abandoned 35 years later. ’s tank was originally built in the 1800s to service steam engines along the coast of the Golden State, and was replaced in the 1940s during a “save our tower” movement redesign campaign. Armstrong’s son Dan, a building contractor, joined the project to create a house that would replace the tank but replicate its look.

Four BR including a pirate themed bedroom, two Master King Suites with Pacific Ocean Views, and a bedroom with a secret room attached. The top floor Rotunda encircled by windows offers a 360 degree unmatched view. Adorned with a Stained Glass Copula, the massive Rotunda includes multiple suspended TVs, a custom bar, and an Aquarium constructed from original Water Tower. An elevator and spiral staircase made of imported oak navigate the interior of the home.