- Balboa Pier
The Balboa Pier is one of two piers located in the city of
Newport Beach , Orange County,California . It is located in a part of Newport Beach called theBalboa Peninsula .The Balboa Pier was constructed in 1906 as a sister project of the
Balboa Pavilion . The Newport Bay investment Company wanted to attract lot buyers to an undeveloped spit of sandy land now called theBalboa Peninsula . In order to do so, they built both theBalboa Pavilion and the Balboa Pier. These two structures were built to coincide with the opening of the southern terminus of thePacific Electric Railway Red Car line from Long Beach to the Balboa Peninsula. The plan worked; multitudes of beachgoers flocked to Balboa and many purchased lots.The pier is a popular fishing spot. The fish caught from the pier consist mostly of
mackerel andflounder . Additionally, the pilings are home to a large population ofstarfish that feed on the large colonies ofmussels growing there, and are easily spotted at low tide. Fishermen catching starfish by mistake are a relatively common sight.In the 1980s, the first of Orange County's famous
Ruby's restaurants opened on the pier. The 1950s nostalgia-themed restaurant has since become a famous Orange County landmark.The pier was heavily damaged in the severe
El Niño storms of 1998, which also destroyed the famous Diamond Pier inDana Point . One of the pillars was damaged, causing a partial collapse of one corner. The wooden posts have since been reinforced with steel sheathing and braces to prevent further damage.External links
*http://www.balboapavilion.com/history.html (Section 4c of this article contains photos and data related to the pier).
*http://www.pierfishing.com/pier_of_the_month/balboa.html
*http://www.newportbeachpostcards.com/1.htm
*http://www.newportbeachpostcards.com/14.htm
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