Beach Days at The Pike in Long Beach, 1920s
July 8, 2019
LONG BEACH—The Pike at Long Beach is a favorite seaside hangout in Southern California, but in decades past it rivaled many coastal boardwalks. This photo, likely taken in the 1920s, shows what a bustling tourist attraction it was during the early half of the 20th century.
In an article by KCET, it explains how after 1934 Navy Sailors frequented the area – candy stands and innocent fun was replaced by tattoo parlors, bars, palm readers, sideshows and dance halls. The Pike was rebranded as Nu-Pike in 1950, but by most accounts stayed the same naval party ground it had morphed into overtime.
The year 2017 saw the only remaining original structure close, but The Pike location still hosts a variety of restaurants, Long Beach Aquarium, Queen Mary and more.
Photo: flickr.com/groups/thepike
