Here we have an aerial photo of the Santa Monica pier from 1924. We can see the Looff Hippodrome. Built in 1916, it’s that square building with the tower. It houses the Looff’s carousel and is still there. Meanwhile, the Deauville Beach Club at the base of the pier hadn’t yet opened. Construction started in October 1926, but in this photo it’s still a regular bath house. From this bird’s-eye view, we can see how empty the land around Santa Monica was back then. My guess is that most of those large buildings were hotels for Angelenos to stay in when they made the trek all the way from downtown for some seaside holiday-making.
This is a satellite image of the pier from May 2022.
Where is the famous Arcadia Hotel, which was across the street from Chez Jays? Does the photo include Pico and the oceanfront, which is where SM’s black community took hold (Inkwell Beach just south of Pico?
The Arcadia closed down in 1906, way before this photo was taken.
WOW! I hadn’t understood how much development had infringed on the beach with that car park!!!
I know, right? (The sand of) Santa Monica beach has been great extended!
Interesting how they excavated under the street that turns into the pier (Colorado?), so that Ocean Avenue could pass underneath. Can you imagine the cluster-you-know-what traffic would be if the original road configuration still existed?
In the second photo of how it looks now, what happened to the ocean? Did they build over it or did the water recede? I certainly like the original photo better. I know that things evolve and move on, but that, sometimes, does not mean it is better. Thank you for sharing, Martin.
It’s my understanding that they somehow managed to greatly extend the sand some years back.