Princeton by the Sea Memories

Story coming soon

Enjoy the “Dream Machine” Slide show by the popular photographers, Deb and Michael, 

pleasee click here

(Image by Photographers Deb and Michael Wong of “The Man,” Bob Senz)

Bob (at your left) chats with car enthusiast from Montara, the owner of the wonderful old car below)

All Images  by Photographers  Deb and Michael Wong)

We are all of us, better off, for having Barbara and Bob Senz in our community. They truly care and that is an unusual quality. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Senz for choosing to live among us.

(Image by Deb & Michael Wong. Me and Burt went with the Wongs to the airport and they got this great shot of  small plane ready to lmd/ Pretty cool.

To see for yourself, please click here

Lunch at Crab Landing (you can sit inside or out)

Coffee, goodies & gelato at Mezza Luna Cafe (you sit inside or out)

Go to Carol’s new bookstore and there are several new stores open, I am afraid I forgot to their names, but I will.

Before or after lunch and desert, take a walk down Harvard Avenue. Go to Maverick’s Surf Shop. Have an adventure. If you walk further toward the “Golf Ball” you will end up on the trail to famous Mavericks with the 70 foot tall waves (but you can only see those in the winter). Otherwise there’s a lovely beach with lots of sound and if its low tide, reefs and rocks to play on.

Bring your dog or doggie. They love the quiet bay (before the ocean). There’s a sweet beach there, the one where the dogs play. So much fun!

build such beautiful places to go in Princeton-by-the-Sea. People like to go to new places, they do. 

All of the places. You are truly nuts if you have not checked it out at Princeton. I’m referring to the malcontents nearby.

People put money out to build lovely places for us to enjoy, to eat, to drink, to look at Carol’s new bookshop. Have you seen it? She’s an artist, too. 

I admit it, I used to hate every new building that popped up on the Coastside, and in Princeton.

I don’t really like whatever it is going up in front of El Granada Market, blocking sensational views for the average walker or biker or driver. Are views like that a right? Well, then we’ll get into private ownership, etc. and I can’t win the argument. 

As a sidelight, did you know that the same man who built the gorgeous long gone Palace Miramar Hotel at Miramar also built El Granada Market. There’s something to contemplate.Have you ever noticed the views from the market’s windows? Shockingly beautiful. I use the word “shockingly” because we are losing so many natural images of the sea.

But I do appreciate and admire people who do good things. Sure one day soon it will all be a great success in Princeton and those folks seeking seclusion and hideouts will find new ones That’s ok.

. Meanwhile, you gotta admit what was built in Princeton is really nice. And it was for us. For us. 

 Walk through there. Mezza Luna Cafe: HOT. Real Italians work there. They make their own Gelato!

Crab Landing: HOT. Nice waiters/waitresses. Fresh crab. Views.

The Oceano Hotel is really nice. The details are inspiring. It takes time and effort and great care  to develop such good plans. 

Here’s lunch my friend had at Crab Landing:

From the “Richard Schellen Files,”available at the San Mateo County History Museum and Redwood City Local History Room.

First Mr. Schellen wrote about Half Moon Bay.

“A general mercantile business was owned and managed by H. C. P. Morse and this was the only sore in town, as most of the marketing was done in Half Moon Bay when the people drove in to church on Sunday mornings

“Telephones were installed on May 5, 1914, John Kyne was the first long distance call to [the famous author[ Peter [Kyne] in San Francisco.

“The location of the first school house was at Princeton, where the Cosmopolitan building now stands. [note: this, I think was where Barbara's Fishtrap is today,directly across from the John Patroni House [today the location of the HMB Brewery[.

"It was a two-room structure. The district ran from Pedro Point to Miramar.The teachers were Miss Kate McCarthy, principal, who was a sister-in-law of Mr George Hall, and Miss Rose Meehan, who for many years was vice principal in San Mateo near near where the Junior College is now located,under George Hall.

"The school was moved in 1887 to Moss Beach, after a lengthy controversy over attendance and it was finally and it was finally settled when Kyne moved his family of seven children to Moss Beach. There was only one teacher, Mr. William Savage, who later became one of San Mateo County's prominent educators.

"After Mr. Savage, Rose Meehan returned to teach for a period of seven years. The school was located at the corner of Highway 1 and and Etheldore Street, which is now the residence of Gregorio Rossi.

"In 1890 a new one-room school was built in Sunshine Valley, which is now the house of Anthony Torre, and continued to be until 1910, when the present school was built. In these days attendance was just as great as it is now with 45 to 50 present.

"In the early days people enjoyed their card clubs and played regularly. The most exclusive club, according to the old timers, was the Cypress Club. The dances that the whole town looked forward to were given by this club in the hall over Peter Morse's store.

"Notes on RR Station: This was the first RR station at Moss Beach and is still standing (Note: it's' not still standing.[ The station has been well preserved. It has been used for various businesses and is a at present a brom factory.

"The Reefs.

This building was destroyed in 1931, when the tides changed, bringing the surf up to the e]beach. The pillars under the building wre undermined and the bank holding it in the back was washed away The resort gave pleasure not only to visitors but the people of this community as well.It was quite an amusement center and convenient for swimmers to obtain refreshments.”