Balboa Island

The view down Park Avenue across Marine to the bridge has changed a bit since the1920s. Photo by Roger Bloom

Bridge From the Past

The first Bridge from the mainland to Balboa Island was built in 1912, it was not capable of carrying automobiles. In 1924, the narrow bridge to Balboa Island was replaced with two lanes of wood, also not able to handle cars. That bridge existed until 1928, when it was demolished to make way for a Concrete Bridge – construction of which is shown here - that carried cars to and from the Island for 51 years. In 1981, the Concrete Bridge was replaced with a modern concrete structure with 9-feet-wide walks.

Photo by Roger Bloom

Intersection of Past and Present

The view down Mariner’s Mile from the Newport Boulevard bridge has changed a bit since jalopies jammed the two-lane Pacific Coast Highway on a summer’s day in the 1920s. Both the original Arches gas station and the later Arches restaurant and liquor store are now gone (though, thankfully, the restaurant still exists at another location).  Coast Highway is four lanes now, but hardly more passable in the summer beach season, and it’s lined with businesses and restaurants, not vacant lots and makeshift signs.

Photo by Roger Bloom

Landing in the Past

In 1919, Joseph Allan Beek got the first contract for a ferry between Balboa Island and the Peninsula. In 1920, the first car was pushed across the bay (for 10 cents). In 1922, Beek got a 15-year franchise, using the ferryboat "Joker," which could hold two cars. That franchise has continued until this day, with three 64-foot boats that can carry three cars each.

Source: Marine Avenue Business Improvement District

Photo by Roger Bloom

The Lady of the Harbor

Built in 1905-1906, the Balboa Pavilion is Newport Beach’s oldest standing structure, recognized for its long sloping roof and ornate Victorian cupola at its crown. The original building consisted of a large meeting room on the second floor and a bathhouse on the first floor, where people could change from street clothes into bathing suits. 

At various times in its long history, the Pavilion has housed a post office, barber shop, bowling alley, art museum, gambling parlor, dance hall, bowling alley, archery range (!), art museum and restaurant. During the 1930s, the Balboa Pavilion became a popular dance hall that hosted many legends of the Big Band era, including Count Basie and Benny Goodman.

In 1969, Davey’s Locker purchased the Pavilion to provide a permanent terminal for its Catalina Island passenger service. The interior was refurbished to urn-of-the-century architecture. In 1980, the Balboa Pavilion Company branched off from Davey’s Locker and took over ownership of the Pavilion. Recent additions include the Harborside Restaurant.

In 1968, the Balboa Pavilion was named a California State Historic Landmark. The Pavilion is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Photo by Roger Bloom