Googley_Eye_McGee
Tourist
Reged: 08/05/05
Posts: 3
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There is an abandoned floating building in the bay, but no one knows what it is / once was, or what it's doing out there.
Edited by Googley_Eye_McGee (03/29/06 03:34 PM)
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budetski
First Post
Reged: 07/08/06
Posts: 1
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Maybe it's a barge or something? 
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mcrodgers2
Tourist
Reged: 09/14/06
Posts: 21
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I work across the bay from this structure and the theories regarding it are many. It's definitely not a barge or floating structure of any kind. From my vantage point it is definitely built on piles. It is a house like structure with a peaked roof.
The most plausible story I've heard is that it was a restaurant in Los Angeles that was towed to San Diego and was later abandoned. This is a third hand account related by a co-worker who heard the story from another co-worker.
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mcrodgers2
Tourist
Reged: 09/14/06
Posts: 21
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Correction:
Upon closer inspection with binoculars this is a floating structure.
I conclude this could be the former Neptune's Palace, which comes with an infamous reputation. Here is an excerpt from an article in San Diego City Beat: http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=4607
Among the A-8’s most infamous residents were the Floating Castle, a dance club resembling a medieval fort built atop several old Navy barges, and Neptune’s Palace, a five-story party boat complete with hot tubs, mirrored ceilings, wet bars and a dance floor boasting views of the underwater surroundings.
Owned by James Morgan, a hedonist with a financial interest in a local strip club, the Floating Castle and Neptune’s Palace were home to special events and raucous swingers parties during their heyday. However, the party pads became the subjects of protracted legal battles between Morgan and the port, and they wasted away in the A-8 for years.
In the end, the Floating Castle was towed away and destroyed by the port. Neptune’s Palace escaped, eventually breaking free from its anchor and drifting into the shallows off of Chula Vista, where it remains stuck in the mud.
What is currently there does not appear to be "5 stories" tall however, as the article describes. It is definitely not the Floating Castle which according to the article was destroyed. The structure that is there now does not resemble the "Floating Castle" as shown in this Union-Tribune article: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20020130-9999_7m30castle.html
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mcrodgers2
Tourist
Reged: 09/14/06
Posts: 21
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Seems most likely:
After asking around, at least two co-workers remember the arrival of this structure to San Diego. Both have been to visit it as well after it drifted to Chula Vista some twenty years ago.
The consensus is that it was indeed a restaurant. This description is much more consistent to what appears there now, than does the "5 Story" "Neptune's Palace" description in the San Diego City Beat article.
Here's what my co-worker had to say:
"It was a restaurant called “The Undersea Garden”. It was in LA harbor and the entire under side has glass windows that look out into the underwater. It sat about 125 people and is really much larger that it looks from here. Somebody towed it down to San Diego from LA."
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azurelazuli
Tourist
Reged: 09/21/05
Posts: 2
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I drove past this structure about a month ago, and it is sitting on top of several pylons. It is (I believe) a 2 story structure with a glass lower floor. The upper deck appears to have a living area and a patio with lawn chairs.
It appears to have not been maintenanced or set foot on in some time.
The building has a sign on it saying you can rent it out for parties or events. The contact # is on the sign.
(No I do not know it).
Someone go check it out. 
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ljmajer
First Post
Reged: 01/10/07
Posts: 1
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Ah, yes. The infamous Floating Castle.
Back in the '80's I spent many a weekend partying on this.
Usually, the Chula Vista Police would alert the San Diego Harbor Police that there were many cars parked at the J Street Marina.
The Harbor Police would come out and bust up the party, because there were no lifejackets for the number of partyers.
If you didn't get a trip back to shore on one of the boats, you could wade through the 3ft water!
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RPJ1
First Post
Reged: 01/23/07
Posts: 1
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The structure is on pilings. The water depth there is quite shallow and were it not for the silt, you could walk on the bottom at that location. It was intended to be a casino but the developer went bust and there it sits.
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heamit
Master Cartographer
Reged: 10/26/06
Posts: 2333
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Hi RPJ1 and welcome to Google Earth!
Thanks for the photo! A nice conclusion to an interesting thread
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bigirishmug
First Post
Reged: 02/07/07
Posts: 1
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The thing in the south bay is part of a bar that was closed down by port authority in the 80's. It was a crazy place that allegedly was a brothel . It broke free from its moorage during a storm and has been stuck there ever since. It waoriganally had another barge attached to it. The place was notorious amungst the local sea types . It had private rooms a bar and a glass bottum lounge .The walls were made to look like a castle.
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