boardwalk to crystal pier

In the 90’s I learned what a good time could be about even if I didn’t always remember what happened the next day. No matter what there is always something moving along the three plus miles of boardwalk here.

From what I have found Pacific Beach might have become a separate city as developers began to sell plots of land through word of mouth and advertisements which ran in the San Diego Union newspaper in 1887, proclaiming a new city was being built at False Bay, now known as Mission Bay.

Pacific Beach began to take root as a farming community of primarily lemon groves. The town slowly grew and a pier was built in 1927, with a developer hoping to turn it into an amusement attraction such as existed in Los Angeles. The pier officially opened on the weekend of July 4th, 1927 with all of San Diego flocking to see the new Crystal Ballroom located at the end of the pier.

Two years earlier at another July 4th celebration down the beach a mile or two at Mission Beach, Belmont Park's Giant Dipper was introduced with fanfare and a big splash. This was the "feel good" era of expansion, just before the realities of a Great Depression rocked the world.

Up and down the California coast, the amusement parks suffered with local economies falling victim to lack of easy credit.

The wars were fought and when they ended, people clamored for housing in this desirable location where it never snowed, the beach was at your door and life was good. Pacific Beach Town Council was officially incorporated in 1950 and functions to this day as a representative for the interests of the community.