Mission Beach, San Diego, California

Mission Beach is a community on a stretch of sandbar along the Pacific Ocean to the west and Mission Bay to the east in San Diego. The main artery through Mission Beach is Mission Boulevard, which is divided into South Mission, a peninsula, and North Mission.

Mission Beach spans nearly two miles of ocean, with a boardwalk on both the ocean and bay side, between Mission Bay to the east and Pacific Beach to the north. The boardwalk has been expanded and separated by a yellow line for foot traffic on one side and wheels (roller blades, bicycles and skateboards) on the other. At the south end of the beach a jetty, with grass, parking and a walk, extends into the ocean.

Land

Many of the original residential structures in Mission Beach were built in the 1930s and '40s as summer cottages. Because of problems to work out with developing on sand, Mission Beach developed later than the neighboring communities of Ocean Beach to the south and Pacific Beach to the north. In 1914, encouraged by land sales in those next-door communities and a new wooden bridge linking Mission Beach with Ocean Beach, John D. Spreckels offered small lots for sale. As a result, Mission Beach is the most densely developed residential community in San Diego with a land use designation across the majority of its land area of 36 dwelling units per acre. It also has the smallest lots in the city, ranging from 1,250 to 2,400 square feet. Few have been consolidated to form larger lots. Many of the structures within the community have been redeveloped into two-story homes. [http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/missionbeach/index.shtml]

History

Attractions near Mission Beach include SeaWorld and historic Belmont Park, in South Mission Beach, which features the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster. Other amusement park rides include the FlowRider, Chaos, Vertical Plunge, Krazy Kars, Tilt-a-Whirl, Liberty Carousel, Crazy Submarine, The Beach Blaster, and The Chaos. The Mission Beach Plunge opened in May 1925 as the centerpiece of Belmont Park, which was built by John D. Spreckels to stimulate real estate sales and to promote his electric railway. The 60-foot-by-175-foot swimming pool, was at the time the largest salt-water pool in the world, holding 400,000 gallons. The plunge building, encapsulating The Plunge, which was featured in the Tom Cruise film "Top Gun," was styled after the Spanish Renaissance architecture that also were erected in San Diego's Balboa Park between 1915 and 1916. It originally opened as the “Natatorium.” The Mission Beach Plunge is the only remaining structure left from the original Belmont Park structures, which were razed in the late 1980s. Celebrities who once swam in the pool include Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmuller. The roof of the pool rolled open to make it both an inside and outdoor pool. [http://www.wavehouseathleticclub.com/mission_beach_Plunge_history.html]

Activities

Mission Beach offers opportunities to participate in sunbathing, horseshoes, surfing, bicycling, skateboarding, Frisbee tossing, and other outdoor activities. A local skating club, "Skate This!," performs for free on weekends, executing trick skating and dancing on both rollerblades and traditional skates. It has become well known as a popular place to engage in sports, including beach volleyball [http://southmissionbeachsportspark.com/Volleyball.asp] and basketball, with courts available for both.

Mission Beach includes Mariner's Point, the original site of the Over-the-line softball-on-the-beach tournament.

Thong bikinis are technically illegal on Mission Beach, but lifeguards and local police do not usually enforce the ban on such swimwear. The consumption of alcoholic beverages on the beach is illegal as of April 2008. Nudity is not allowed.

Many of the beachgoers are local college and university students, but both tourists and permanent residents of the beach and other areas are also frequent visitors to the beach. Weekly and monthly rentals are available during the summer months. Nearby Pacific Beach is to the north of Mission Beach.

Bars & Nightlife

Mission Beach has many well-known bars. Most bars in the neighborhood are relaxed, beach-style gathering places. Some of the more popular places include The Sandbar Sports Grill, and The Beachcomber and The Pennant in South Mission, The Coaster Saloon and The Wave House, a beachside bar-and-grill featuring an 8-foot tall barreling artificial wave called the Bruticus Maximus and a smaller flowrider.

=Prominent residents, past and present=
* Mike Alessio, from philanthropic family
* Lloyd Ball, Olympic volleyball player
* Chris Brewster, president, United States Lifesaving Association
* David C. Copley, billionaire "San Diego Union-Tribune" newspaper publisher
* Dave Costa, San Diego Charger
* Pat Gallagher, Olympics participant
* Mike Gotch, former San Diego City Councilman and former California state assemblyman [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080519-1101-bn19gotch.html]
* Dan Hamel, business owner (legendary Hamel's), boxing manager [http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/August-1999/The-Hamel-Brothers/]
* Edward B. (Ned) Huntington, [http://www.sandiego.courts.ca.gov/portal/about/judges_h.html| San Diego Superior Court judge]
* Allyn Johnston, editorial director, Harcourt Children's Books
* Monte Kobey, Kobey's Swap Meet [http://www.kobeyswap.com/] owner
* William H. Kronberger, San Diego Superior Court judge
* Lee Louis, KGTV Channel 10 veteran photojournalist
* Delmar Miller, Korean War POW and military veteran, and founder of OMBAC's Coming Out Party
* Shannon Palmer, Coronado Playhouse actress
* Pat Powers, Olympic gold medalist, Men's Volleyball
* Cathy Scott, [http://www.cathyscott.com/ true crime author]
* Walt Sweeney, San Diego Charger
* Rob Tell, Hall of Fame, Over-the-line Manager

External links

* [http://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches/mb.shtml City of San Diego Beaches Department]
* [http://www.MissionBeachVolleyball.com Mission Beach Volleyball]