Beach Patios Along The Strand

If you’re a Strand cruiser or a beach walker, you may have noticed a curious concrete structure on the 400 block of the South Strand. There used to be two, one at 416 South Strand and one at 408. The latter one is still very visible.

What was the purpose of the structures? Very simply – beachfront patios. The patios were built in the 1950s as an amenity for guests staying at the beach cottages of Vista by the Sea, 408 S. Strand, owned by Joseph Harris. The other patio was built in front of McComas Terrace Motel, 416 S. Strand, owned by Max McComas.

The patios provided guests a somewhat “private” perch just across from the beachfront property they were renting and included steps down to the sand. The concrete pad in front of the McComas Motel had convenient openings in order to erect beach umbrellas.

The patios were likely constructed by the property owners, as erosion began taking a toll on Oceanside’s beach south of the pier in the early 1950s. As sandy areas for beachgoers dwindled, the patios were meant for motel/cottage guests only (implied or otherwise).

However, this was public beach and around the time the 1976 California Coastal Act was approved, the patios could no longer be maintained or kept private.

After decades of heavy surf, the concrete slabs have deteriorated and the steps washed away. By 2022 rocks covered any semblance of the McComas patio in front of 416 South Strand.