Newport Avenue offers restaurants, surf shops and several antique stores and clothing boutiques. The main public lot is at the end of Voltaire Street. This lot is adjacent to the north end of the beach and Dog Beach. There is a smaller lot on Santa Monica Avenue next to the main lifeguard station and another on Newport Avenue, at the foot of the Ocean Beach Pier. If you can't find parking in a lot, good luck finding a spot on the street.
Owners are responsible for control of and clean-up after their pets.
This is basically a family beach with an occasional hot-body strutting his or her stuff. Alcohol is permitted, so be prepared for a few buzzed beach goers. There is a grassy area adjacent to the main parking lot for picnics, but this is not the ideal picnic beach. A wide variety of food choices is available on Newport Avenue. There is wheelchair access along the walkways at the south end of the beach and on the Ocean Beach Pier.