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The "Balboa" got its name from the coastal Balboa Peninsula at Newport Beach, California. People from the Los Angeles area who'd seen it started referring to it as 'The Balboa', or the dance being done in Balboa. So just what is the famous Balboa Peninsula? Why did so many people travel here and become exposed to this dance? Take the tour below for an over-view of the dance's original birthplace and some of it's highlights.  1.
The Balboa Pavilion (1906) is the unquestioned focal point of the
Balboa Peninsula. Built as a Victorian bath house and terminal for the Pacific
Electric Red Car. Fashionably dressed bathers arrived from the Greater Los
Angeles area to spend the day at Balboa frolicking in the Bay. The Pavilion
has been home to the big bands of the 30's & 40's, bingo parlor, amusement
arcade, sportfishing, harbor cruises, Catalina ferry service, seafood restaurant,
shell museum, and the first home of the Newport Harbor Art Museum. The Balboa Pavilion,
listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is still the center
for marine recreation in Newport Beach. Look to the right sidebar for a shot of the current Pavilion as it stands on the coast.
2. The Balboa Hotel (1905) was located on the site where our Balboa
Post Office stands today. Built in only 10 days to be ready for the arrival
of the big Pacific Electric Red Cars, this two-story, single wall structure
wasn't pretty but it housed thousands of tourists throughout the years.
3. The Rendezvous Ballroom (1928) was Southern California's premier
dance hall throughout the Swing Era of the 30's and 40's. All the "big
bands" - Stan Kenton, Dorsey Brothers, Harry James, Glenn Miller, Benny
Goodman - played at the Rendezvous until 1966 when it succumbed to fire.
Today a condominium stands on the locale. A marker on the corner of Washington
Street and Ocean Front commemorates the site. 
4. The Balboa Inn (1929) in its day, was the number one hostelry
on the Orange County Coast. The Inn has been remodeled and modernized a
number of times but its graceful Spanish architecture remains virtually
unchanged today. At one time the Balboa Theater, operated by the colorful,
hard-drinking, hard-swearing character Madame LaRue, stood next to the Balboa
Inn. our early photo of Main St. shows the theater on the far right. 
5. The Balboa Ferry (1919) began as a skiff, "The Ark",
powered by an outboard motor and carried oars ... just in case. Later the
ferry graduated to a cumbersome craft, "The Fat Ferry", which
could carry only one car. Founded by a Balboa Island pioneer, Joe Beek,
the ferry, running between the Balboa peninsula and Balboa Island, remains
in the Beek family. The sleek modern craft crossing the bay today has come
a long way ... and, they each carry 3 autos as well as passengers. 
6. The Balboa Fun Zone (1936) was built on Abbott's Landing where
Mr. Abbott brought soil from the mainland and planted the Peninsula's first
trees. At one time the Fun Zone, a miniature amusement park, covered the
entire block between Palm Street and Washington Street on the Bay Front.
The ferris wheel and the merry-go-round remain, nostalgic memories from
an era which provided pleasure to generations of visitors to Balboa. 
7. Soto's (1935) Japanese Curio Shop stood at the corner of Bay Avenue
and Main Street. Soto's was headquarters for all the curious Balboa youngsters
who pawed over his exotic merchandise. While Soto was one of the most loved
men in Balboa, he fell victim to World War II hysteria and, with thousands
of other loyal Japanese-Americans, was sent to an internment camp. He was
sent to one of the worst, Poston, located on the Colorado River in Arizona.
Soto never made it back to his beloved shop. 
8. The Catalina Flight (1912) Today a plaque at the foot of the Balboa
Pier honors the memory of Glenn Martin, aviation pioneer, who, on May 10,
1912, flew from Balboa Bay to Avalon and back in a primitive hydroplane
which he built in Santa Ana. The flight took 37 minutes and was the longest,
fastest over-water flight ever recorded at that time. 
9. The Balboa Fire Station (1927) was for years the only governmental
building in Balboa. While primarily a fire station it did double duty on
Saturday nights as an impromptu holding cell for the numerous citizens arrested
for over-consumption of alcohol during the rowdy days of Prohibition. Balboa
was pure honky tonk in those days. Today the location of the Fire Station/Police
Station is a parking lot adjacent to a public restroom...known at the time
as a "comfort station." 10. Flag Pole (1991) Located on the green at the foot of the Balboa Pier, the Flag Pole commemorates the Bicentennial of the adoption of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. The granite base of the 80-foot flag pole, topped with the 20x30 foot flag, is inscribed with the Preamble to the Constitution and the First Ten Amendments. The Balboa Area Today Today Balboa Penisula is like many other communities in America with a rich history. Visit and wander among the historic spots they've saved such as the Balboa Pavilion, the boardwalk and the Ferris wheel. Then head to their modern costal 'playground' with kayaking, arts and more. If you want further news on Balboa Peninsula, it's on-going renovations and activities there, stop by BalboaNewportBeach.com. Finally, for you curious dancers, just how far are you from Balboa Peninsula?  Click for Larger View Select photographs and parts of this article are copyright newportbeach.com and balboanewportbeach.com |
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