Santa Monica Pier Archives - Southern California Luxury Homes

Oceanfront Historic Real Estate Santa Monica Pier

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Monica Pier represents over a century of history. In addition to developments of historic real estate Santa Monica, a wide range of special events held at the Pier have been captured in diaries, history books, and all kinds of multimedia productions.

Santa Monica Pier is actually two combined piers. The City of Santa Monica opened a long narrow Municipal Pier in 1909. Its primary use was to carry sewer pipes out past the breakers. Then, to the south of Municipal Pier, in 1916 amusement park pioneers Charles I.D. Looff and son Arthur Looff built the Newcomb Pier or Pleasure Pier.

Pleasure Pier included many attractions which thrived until the Great Depression. People came from far and wide to its Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome, wooden roller coaster, merry-go-round, arcade, Wurlitzer organs, and fabulous carousel. Since the 1950s, Morris “Pops” Gordon and children George, Eugene, Marlene, and Joni acquired and have been operating their Playland Arcade since the 1950s. It is now the longest-running attraction at the Santa Monica Pier.

Enter the spectacular La Monica Ballroom in 1924. Boasting 15,000 square feet, it was the largest dance hall on the West Coast. La Monica ballroom hosted a long over lists of events until it was demolished in 1963. These included:

Spade Cooley television broadcast
Hollywood Autocade famous and unusual cars
Skater’s Ballroom
Santa Monica Roller Rink and championship speed-skating club

Comeback of Santa Monica Pier

Two major storms destroyed large portions of the Pier in 1983. In 1973, Santa Monica citizens saved the pier from destruction and it was purchased by the City in 1974. Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation, a nonprofit, was created by the city of Santa Monica afterwards. The pier has been restored and managed successfully. The organization is now simply the It is now simply called Santa Monica Pier Corporation (SMPC).

Santa Monica Pier has a new life. Special events, filming of film and television, video games, music videos promotions, numerous tenants, street performers, new acquisitions, and other exciting modern attractions are part of the colorful array.

Visit today’s exciting venues when searching for your own special real estate Santa Monica: Pacific Park, Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, unique shops, dramatic entertainers, lively video arcade, extraordinary trapeze school, casual pubs, and exceptional restaurants. Save some time to fish on the west end of the pier, ride bikes, and enjoy the Santa Monica Pier Paddle Board Races and the outdoor Twilight Summer Concert Series while you are here.