Beach and Pier Visit - 9/13

I decided to visit the beach today with my camera. Yesterday, an electrician that is doing work for Benny's chatted with me about what he was hearing - how their operations would be impacted during work on the pier. From what he was saying, the dining area on the pier will be temporarily removed for as long as needed to provide access for the crane. Apparently, the plan was to use the upstairs area as the dining area in the mean time, but that might be in question now as the stairs may not be able to be used.


Other than the southern part of the upper parking area being cordoned off from the general public, things looked pretty much the same as my last camera photo safari on July 1st - same trash pile by the dumpster, same condition of the western end of the pier building, etc. The areas that I pointed out as structural flaws in the Casino building have had a coat of paint put over them - is this some sort of "cover up"? Seems like it, although Mother Nature and chemistry are still hard at work regardless of the paint.

The following is an exchange I had with a professional colleague yesterday. I share it here since it made me realize that we really don't have a waterfront restaurant that takes the most advantage of an Intracoastal or ocean location. I was not sure of the status of Benny's at the time, so I recommended the Dune Deck Cafe that is part of the Town of Lantana Beach property.

Here is the exchange:

I meant to ask you Wes, can you recommend some (several to choose from) luncheon (not too noisy) restaurants in lake Worth? In particular some on the water? And not on the water as well? We have friends in Boynton and we're in WPB, and we need to find some weekend luncheon places but we don't know the area. thanks.

I wish we had more restaurants on the water. We have John G's which has a lunch menu, but is most famous for its breakfast menu. That is right at our beach property, but its ocean view is not that great. Another one which is excellent, but not in Lake Worth, is the Dune Deck - that is at the Lantana Beach. You can get there via the Lantana Road exit from 95, go to Dixie Hwy, turn right and then make the first left. You'll be on Ocean Avenue and that will take you right to the Ritz Carlton, but turn left at A-1A and you'll be at the Lantana Beach. Park there, metered parking and walk up the stairs towards the beach. The Dune Deck is right there. I take my out-of-town visitors there all the time and it makes a nice impression. Bring the camera and take pictures looking over the beach before or after.

As for downtown Lake Worth, Dave's Last Resort is a good bet at the NE corner of K and Lake. And, of course, Toojays at the southeast corner of M and Lake.

I would really recommend the Dune Deck.

Wes

So, think about it. The parking area at the Lantana Beach is down below and you have to walk up stairs to get to the Dune Deck and, only then, can you access the actual sand beach and ocean. Hmmmm - some how that seems oddly like the Greater Bay plan doesn't it? Although the Greater Bay plan would provide a much better view of the ocean from the building and be unlike anything in the region.

Here are some more pictures in case you haven't been there recently:

No work on-going today. Oh, and I didn't see any interviews going on either.

This is the same pile that was here on July 1, 2007.

Construction staging area with crane delivered and some supplies, but not much else.
No one present at 1:15 p.m.

Hmmmmm.

A view of the northern part of the cordoned-off area.

This is the former bar area at the west end of the pier. Besides the wood being more weathered than in July, it could be exchanged for the picture taken then.

Same.