Ocean Beach, San Diego
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Ocean Beach (also known as O.B.), a beachfront community that is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego, California, is comprised of an eclectic mix of surfers, punks, bikers, granolas, intellectuals, families, and professionals.
OB is located south of Mission Bay and Mission Beach and west of downtown on the Pacific Ocean at the western terminus of Interstate 8. According to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau report, the population of the community of Ocean Beach was 27,179.
In the 1950s, the brush-covered hills were developed into housing and larger houses than on the flatland of Ocean Beach. Ocean Beach extends south into Sunset Cliffs, a residential area in the city of San Diego at the north end of Point Loma. The northern part of Ocean Beach is laid out on a remnant of the old delta deposit of the San Diego River, plus sand dunes then in the area. The beach was subject to periods of accretion following floods. South of Ocean Beach the coast rises, consisting of Cretaceous and Pleistocene sedimentary formations, forming the scenic Sunset Cliffs area.
Ocean Beach has three schools (Ocean Beach Elementary, Sacred Heart Academy, and Warren Walker), multiple churches, an international hostel, a public library, and the convenience of a U.S. Post Office. The main street of business is Newport Avenue (off of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard), with antique stores, and restaurants, coffee houses, bars, bike and surf shops up and down the street. The street is part of one of the city's Business Improvement Districts that helps out communities. Local organizations include the Ocean Beach Town Council, the Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association,the Kiwanis Club of Ocean Beach, and the Ocean Beach Antique District. Local events include the Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cookoff in late June, a jazz festival at the foot of Newport in late September, the Ocean Beach Christmas Parade in early December, and the Ocean Beach Kite Festival on the first Saturday of March. Also, a block of Newport Avenue is open to only foot traffic and bicycles for a farmer's market each Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m.
The Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, built in 1966, is the second-longest pier on the West Coast, measuring 1,971 feet. The pier, which includes a restaurant and bait shop, is located at the south end of the beach and is available to the public for walking and fishing. A concrete walkway spans most of the length of the one-mile beach.
The northern end of OB's waterfront is known as Dog Beach, alongside the canal that empties into San Diego River. It has been set aside specifically for leash-free pets and their owners 24 hours a day.[1]
History
Ocean Beach was given its name by developers Billy Carlson and Frank Higgins in 1887. They opened the real estate firm of Carlson & Higgins and proceeded to develop Ocean Beach.
The pair developed the Cliff House Hotel and subdivided the area into lots. The development did not do well because it was 2-1/2 hours by carriage from downtown San Diego. They rented a locomotive, but by that time, in 1888, the boom ended and the development was put on hold. Higgins' partner committed suicide and the Cliff House burned from a fallen chandelier in 1898. Carlson sold the Ocean Beach development to an Eastern financier, and its development would wait another 20 years for permanent rail service -- trolley cars -- to arrive, carrying riders from Ocean Beach to Old Town. A wooden bridge, built in 1914 across the San Diego River flood-control channel between Mission Beach and Ocean Beach, was demolished in January 1951, thereby cutting off through traffic to Ocean Beach from the Mission Beach and Pacific Beach communities.[2]
Earlier names for Ocean Beach include Mussel Beach, Mussel Beds, Medanos (Spanish for 'dunes'), Palmer's Place/Ranch, and Palmiro's.
The northern end of Ocean Beach was once dominated in the early 20th century by the Wonderland Amusement Park, which opened on July 4, 1913. It boasted a large roller coaster, dance pavilion, large menagerie, roller skating rink, merry-go-round, children's playground and 22,000 lights outlining the buildings. Wonderland was a popular attraction until 1916, when most of it was washed away by high tides. Some of the buildings, however, still stand and businesses occupy them.
Weather
The average warmest month is August, the average coolest month is December, and the most precipitation on average occurs in March.
Economy
In the 1990s and early 2000s, several chain businesses moved into Ocean Beach. However, the economy of Ocean Beach is primarily dominated by small independent businesses.
In 2001, Starbucks rented property within the community. A grassroots effort attempted to block Starbucks from opening in Ocean Beach, including printing bumper stickers that read "No Corporate Whores On O.B. Shores."
Shortly after that, the historic, single-screen movie house The Strand Theatre, which opened in 1924, was converted into a Wings, an East Coast chain store selling beach apparel.[3]Beginning in 1977, The Strand was the only venue in San Diego showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was a “midnight movie” and the admission was just $1.25.[4] The theater was designated a historic building by the San Diego Historical Resources Board in December 2003. The center of town -- Newport Avenue -- in 1900 remains the center today.