A vintage neon sign hanging in front of Balboa Pharmacy caught my eye and upon doing a little research online, discovered an article (link below) that highlights this sign and it reads:
Historic neon sign restored in Newport
Dec. 16, 2009
NEWPORT BEACH – One of the oldest landmarks in one of the oldest parts of town is looking young again.
The locally famous neon sign at the Balboa Pharmacy – rusted, faded and barely illuminated for some time – in recent weeks has been restored to its former glory, with a new coat of bright red paint and a new outline of tiny light bulbs.
Pharmacy owner Mike Martin says he is "not 100 percent sure" of the marquee's age but that he thinks it dates to at least 1950. Photos from around the time of the pharmacy's opening in 1925, however, do not show a sign.
The rebirth is just one highlight of a slow-but-steady revitalization of the heart of the Balboa Peninsula, known as Balboa Village, that has recently witnessed a sudden surge in activity.
Most recently, the Bal Harbor liquor store last month completed a remodel that transformed it into a chic market with tile floors, a flat-screen television and a green paint job. Earlier this year, the village has witnessed the debuts of an art gallery, a well-regarded restaurant called Miaffe and an eatery at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum called Bay Front Café.
Balboa Village – home to the Balboa Pavilion, the Balboa Fun Zone and one of the Balboa Island Ferry's docks – is jam-packed in summer but historically has gone nearly silent for nine months of the year, making it difficult for family businesses to survive.
City officials in recent years completed a $9 million beautification effort that added hundreds of trees, decorative concrete on sidewalks and even designer trash cans in hopes of spurring private investment.
It hasn't solved everything – the Balboa Village Market, for one thing, went out of business and stands empty, and could be bulldozed for parking. The Balboa Theater is years late on plans for reopening, although it has been moving forward with permitting and recently unveiled its vision for the future.
But now, even amid cold weather, visitors can be found eating raw fish at a newish sushi restaurant or sharing gigantic 28-inch pizzas at New York Style Pizza.
"The investment was certainly worth it," said David Lepo, city planning director. But at the same time, "It's a long-term investment – everybody knows that."
I wasn't able to take any pictures of these signs at night.