Ocean Beach is a laid back beach community about 7-miles west of Downtown San Diego. 

San Diego is much more laid back than the rest of the California coast, and Ocean Beach is the epicenter of this reputation.  Each community in San Diego has their own appeal.  In Ocean Beach, or OB as locals call it, you are surrounded by hippies, craft beer, beach bums, surfers and stoners.   The OB Pier is a popular local fishing spot with amazing panoramic views that extend from Sunset Cliffs to Pacific Beach and La Jolla. 

Newport Avenue is one of the main streets that ends at the beach.  Along this street you will find a variety of antique shops, beach and surf stores, organic groceries, taquerias, and brewpubs.  The Ocean Beach Farmers Market sets up here every Tuesday from 4-8 p.m. and features live music, fresh produce, ready to eat meals and unique homemade arts and crafts. Newport Avenue is also home to the original Hodad's, which many locals claim they have the best burgers in San Diego. There is almost always a line out the door.  Another popular street street in OB is Voltaire.  It runs down the hill from Point Loma and ends at the beach parking lot on the north end of OB.  Voltaire is lined with bars, restaurants, stores and local mom and pop shops.  

The beach itself is not nearly as busy as Mission Beach or Pacific Beach just to the north.  However, on the very north end is Dog Beach and this can get pretty crowded with locals bringing their furry friends for a day in the sun.  It was one of the first off leash dog beaches in the United States, established in 1972.  Here you will find dogs of all sizes and breeds, so beware if your little dogs are scared of the big guys.  It's a great place to bring some food and watch the sunset with your fur kids.   

Just a few blocks inland from the beach is Robb Field.  Here you can find a dog park, skate park and plenty of open grass for recreation.  There are also several ball fields where many local games are played.  However, what is unique here is the flocks of wild parrots that live in this community.  It all started about 50 years ago when a local resident began rescuing the parrots from Tijuana markets and bringing them to her home in OB.  This resident's home caught fire and the local firemen opened the cages to save the birds.  Since the birds had a year round food supply with the fruits and nuts from the palm trees, the birds never left and have continued to multiply.   

The beach's original name was Mussel Beach, named for the mussels available here.  It was changed to Ocean Beach in 1887 by developers Billy Carlson and Albert Higgins.  One of the earliest residents of Ocean Beach was D. C. Collier, who bought oceanfront property there in 1887 when he was just 16. He later became one of the "fathers" of Ocean Beach, laying out streets, promoting sales, and building the Point Loma Railroad in 1909 to connect Ocean Beach with the rest of San Diego. By 1910 there were 100 houses in Ocean Beach, compared to just 18 two years earlier.  

The northern end of Ocean Beach was dominated in the early 20th century by the Wonderland Amusement Park, which opened on July 4, 1913 and was constructed on eight oceanfront acres at Voltaire and Abbott streets. It boasted a large roller coaster, dance pavilion, menagerie, roller skating rink, merry-go-round, children's playground, a petting zoo with a variety of animals including 500 monkeys, and 22,000 lights outlining the buildings. However, Wonderland went bankrupt in 1915 due to competition from the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park and was sold at auction. It closed in 1916 after winter storms damaged the roller coaster. The name "Wonderland" lives on in some Ocean Beach business names, including the Wonderland Ocean Pub on the corner of Santa Monica and Abbott.