The Summer I Turned Pretty Where Does Belly Live

Every summer binge-worthy show steals a little piece of our hearts, and The Summer I Turned Pretty is no exception. Between the love triangles, the beach sunsets, and the heartbreak, fans are dying to know one thing: where does Belly actually live?

Meet Cousins Beach: Belly's Iconic Home

Belly Conklin, the girl at the center of all the drama, lives at a place fans now know by heart — Cousins Beach. While the town itself is fictional, it draws heavy inspiration from charming North Carolina shoreline communities.

In the show, Belly shares a gorgeous coastal home there each summer with her mom, Laurel. The estate doubles as the backdrop for years of memories with her best friend Susannah and her two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah.

Cousins Beach blends laid-back Southern charm with the kind of easygoing summer energy we all chase. Think sandy driveways, the smell of salt air, and porches that practically beg you to sit and stay a while.

Is Cousins Beach a Real Place?

Here's the fun part — Cousins Beach is entirely fictional. Jenny Han, the author behind the original novels, invented it as a dreamy getaway that could embrace every ounce of teen summer magic.

Shooting for the series, however, used real locations across Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina. Those beaches offer exactly the golden-hour glow that makes every frame feel like a postcard.

Interestingly, fans geographically mapped Cousins Beach to the fictional island off the coast of the Carolinas. Others have suggested small beach towns like Wrightsville Beach carry that same unpretentious, nostalgic feel.

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What Makes Belly's Home So Special

There's something undeniably magnetic about a summer house. It becomes a container for the happiest moments of the year — and sometimes the most painful ones too.

For Belly, Cousins Beach is where she transforms from a shy girl into a confident young woman. Every hallway and sandy step represents a chapter of her coming-of-age story.

The beach house itself is styled with cozy wood tones, open windows, and breezy linens. It honestly looks like the ultimate design mood board for anyone reworking a guest room this summer.

• Open-air living spaces keep the outdoors flowing inside.
• Natural textures like wicker, linen, and driftwood add warmth.
• Neutral palettes let ocean light do all the talking.

Cultural Impact: Why This Location Stuck With Fans

Fictional towns earn their spot in pop culture when they feel real enough to visit in your mind. Cousins Beach does exactly that — it lives rent-free in millions of fans' imaginations.

Similar magic happens in places like Hawkins from Stranger Things or Tree Hill from One Tree Hill. A well-drawn setting almost becomes a character itself.

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So powerful is Cousins Beach that travel pages across the internet now reference it in "best coastal town vibes" roundups. Fiction or not, it clearly resonates.

A Practical Tip: Recreate the Vibe at Home

You don't need a beachfront mansion to capture that mood. Swap out heavy curtains for sheer white ones, add a jute throw, and play some soft ocean sounds every evening.

Light candles with sea-salt or coconut scents — they trigger the nostalgic summer feeling in seconds. Small shifts, big atmosphere.

Little Facts You Might Have Missed

Cousins Beach was written before the show even existed, making it part of the novels' DNA since the very first page. The TV adaptation amplified its visual appeal without changing the essential soul of the place.

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Additionally, Belly's hometown scenes were filmed on tape when not at the beach, adding an authentic suburban contrast to her summer escape. That back-and-forth dynamic mirrors how many of us split time between city life and vacation mode.

Fun trivia: the term "Cousins" in the name hints at the tight-knit, almost family-like bonds that everyone in the town shares. It's subtle, but it reinforces why the characters feel so connected year after year.

Tying It Back to Real Life

Hasn't that feeling bubbled up for you too — arriving somewhere familiar and feeling instantly lighter? We all carry a personal version of Cousins Beach, real or imagined.

Belly's home reminds us that places shape us more than we realize. The rooms we grow up in and the summers we spend somewhere peaceful leave permanent footprints on who we become.

So the next time life gets chaotic, find your version of Cousins Beach — a favorite patio, a quiet park, even a corner of your living room. Protect that space, because it just might be where your best summers still live.