recalled Glenn Ford, Dean Martin, William Holden … and others dining at Sinbad’s during those times. I fondly remember one morning on the pier when a man in a Farmer John’s outfit along with his young son in similar outfit walking hand in hand. Both had similar blonde haircuts strolling down the pier. It was Dave McCowan and his very young son. A memory that was etched in my mind forever … Yes I have fond memories of those simpler times.”
“I N 1973 WH EN TH E BUSI N ESS minded City Council at the time wanted to tear down the pier and build an artificial island in the bay, and there was so much public outrage, rather similar to the outrage over the trees the current council wants to tear down. The council was forced to have a public meeting at the Civic Auditorium with about 1,500 citizens there saying save the pier. And because we all did that, the pier was saved. Second cherished memory was 1983 when we were having the El Nino storms … A friend and I walked down to the pier to the lower level in the early morning, went and had breakfast and by the time we returned, that very level we were just standing on was gone and was gone for a long time after that. That was a little scary looking back. Had we been there an hour later we could have been washed away. I have fond memories of the pier since ‘59. I think the pier should just be a place to go to and not make money on, just to enjoy. That is the best kind of pier.”
“IN THE ‘50S WE USED TO CRAWL underneath the handrails and go sit on the girders underneath the pier down at the end and fish for perch. That was in the mid ‘50s and some kid got killed by a pervert down there and we never did it again. We all got scared and we started fishing on top after that.”
“THE THING I THINK ABOUT THE most is that it’s there. It has been there for so long and so many people have gotten so much entertainment and enjoyment from it being there and if I’m not mistaken it may be the only amusement park on a pier. There used to be more and maybe Santa Monica is the only one left. Congratulations to the pier.”
“I HAVE JUMPED OFF THE PIER, SWAM underneath it, worked on it and dined there. Now I think it is time to say good-bye to this multi-million dollar tax payer-financed log pile. The pier costs millions a year to support a few business people who may be related to or be friendly with someone at City Hall. It’s laughable to think some tourist in Japan wakes up one morning and says to himself ‘I’m going on vacation. The pyramids along the Nile (River), the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, heck no. I want to see the Santa Monica Pier with two-bit movies and third-rate bands and a phony Coney Island cheapness.” It’s time to pull the tax payer, multi-million dollar life support plug on the pier.”
“I HAVE SO MANY WON DERFU L memories of the pier. In the ‘70s when my daughters were small we would go to Moby’s Dock to great the aquarium fish at the entrance and might have a Bloody Mary or something while watching the ocean in front of the bar and my daughters were offered a hot chocolate by the gracious owners of Moby’s Dock. We’d often visit this shop located on the lower level and my daughters enjoyed buying beautiful rock specimens and present it to me. Then there was the carousel. It was a lovely, lovely place to visit and it still is.”
“MY MOST CHERISHED TIME OF THE pier is when the Twilight series is being held. My husband enjoys it for about two and a half hours a week and I enjoy the time by myself. That’s my most cherished memory.
“TH E PI ER IS NOT TH E PI ER OF yesterday.”
“MY FRIEND AND I AT THE AGE OF 21 years old realized we did not need to act like adults. We had a good time on the merry-go-round acting silly and bought cotton candy, laughed and had a great time. We were the kids that we were.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 20, 2007. Read the original PDF.