OCEANSIDE PIER
Stretching out at about 1954 feet, Oceanside's pier is the longest wooden over-water pier on the west coast of the United States. Walk the length of the pier for some truly awe-inspiring views of our downtown coastline. You will see every manner of home, from turn of the twentieth century beach homes, to gleaming new hotels and condo complexes.
Before you head back to the mainland, why not reward yourself with a meal or a treat from Ruby’s Diner located at the farthest end of the pier. This 1940’s style diner is replete with lots of red and white tile and stainless steel, not to mention some mighty compelling desserts from the soda fountain. You surely burned plenty of calories on your tour of the pier, so why not indulge yourself?
As you make your way back towards solid ground, you may notice all the names engraved on the boards of the side railings of the pier. In the mid-1980’s a particularly destructive storm destroyed a large portion of our then current pier. The $5 million cost of a new pier would be a real challenge for the city to handle on its own, so they invited local residents to help with the costs by making a donation. To this day, when one of those engraved boards has to be replaced for whatever reason, the same gentleman who originally carved the names, recreates the board exactly as it appeared in 1987 at the current pier’s completion.
Look to the north just a few blocks and you’ll see Robert’s Cottages, originally a motor hotel, which became the first condo complex in the state. Each cottage is made up of a single room with an adjacent bath. They rarely come up for sale, more often having been handed down over the years to succeeding generations. They are coveted for being just a few short steps from the sandy beach. Until very recently, all the units were painted the same salmon color with multi-color roofs. While you may never be able to find a cottage for sale, many of them are available as vacation rentals.
Sitting in the shadow of the Oceanside Pier, the Tin Fish Seafood Restaurant is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Open seven days per week, the Tin Fish offers an assortment of fresh grilled and fried plates to satisfy any appetite.
We’ve never been without a pier for long. Our first was built in 1888, the year we were founded as a city and was located at Wisconsin Street. When it was destroyed, the next pier was built in the same location as our current pier which is our 6th. You will see a number of folks fishing off the pier. You don’t need to purchase a California fishing license as long as you are casting your line from the pier, and if you want to try your luck, you can rent equipment from the bait shop in the middle of the pier.
