32°43′47.02″N 117°15′09.21″W / 32.7297278°N 117.2525583°W / 32.7297278; -117.2525583
84-568: Sunset Cliffs is an affluent coastal community in the Point Loma community of San Diego, California . It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ocean Beach to the north, Catalina Blvd. and Santa Barbara St. to the east, and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park to the south. The area is named for the sheer cliffs which border the ocean. There are surfing spots below the cliffs. The cliffside trails are popular for walking and for watching
168-625: A 9-hole golf course, a 46-acre (190,000 m ) waterfront park and a 100-acre (0.40 km ) historic district listed with the National Register of Historic Places . The Day at the Docks festival each April highlights Point Loma's sport fishing industry. The Festa do Espirito Santo , or Feast of the Holy Spirit, is a religious festival put on by Point Loma's large Portuguese community. It has been staged annually since 1910 and
252-692: A Christian liberal arts college whose ocean-view campus was once the home of the Theosophical Society . The Peninsula also has a branch campus of the San Diego Community College District . Ocean Beach, San Diego Ocean Beach (also known as O.B. ) is a beachfront neighborhood in San Diego, California . Ocean Beach lies on the Pacific Ocean at the estuary of the San Diego River , at
336-547: A U.S. Navy submarine, through which visitors can see the surrounding neighborhood. The floor in the entry lobby features a terrazzo map of the Point Loma Peninsula. The library holds scheduled events such as story time for children, Thursday after school movies, and arts and crafts demonstrations. The Point Loma community is part of the city of San Diego . On the San Diego City Council it
420-421: A battery of coast artillery . Following the war the area retained multiple Navy commands, including a submarine base and a Navy Electronics Laboratory ; they were eventually consolidated into Naval Base Point Loma . Other portions of Fort Rosecrans became Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and Cabrillo National Monument . Following the death in 1891 of Helena Blavatsky , its founder, Katherine Tingley moved
504-519: A causeway is Shelter Island , which is actually not an island but a former sandbank in San Diego Bay. Shelter Island was developed in the 1950s after it was built up into dry land using material dredged from the bay. It is under the control of the Port of San Diego and contains hotels, restaurants, marinas, and public parkland. The bayside residential area called La Playa lies somewhat north of
588-435: A city park. The creations Spalding built were affected by the weather and wave action and eventually eroded. After the features had deteriorated significantly the city deemed the area unsafe and removed all the creations Spalding constructed. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a 68-acre (28 ha) city park adjacent to the Pacific Ocean on the western edge of Point Loma. It includes the entire strip of land immediately adjacent to
672-513: A few exist there. In the 1970s, community protests led a chain of donut stores to drop its plans to open a store in O.B. In 2000 an Exxon station abandoned its attempt to open a gas station there. In 2001, an organized grassroots effort attempted unsuccessfully to block Starbucks from opening a coffee shop in Ocean Beach. In 2019, a similar grassroots effort was unsuccessful in stopping Target from moving in on Newport Avenue. Ocean Beach
756-500: A good number of sailors, retirees and middle-class families. Some of the bungalows built as tourist accommodations atop the cliffs on either side of Niagara Avenue are still in use as businesses and homes. With the dredging and development of Mission Bay and the dismantling of the Ocean Beach-Mission Beach bridge, O.B. became geographically isolated from the rest of San Diego and the other beach communities, until
840-455: A kitchen area, a community meeting room, and outdoor sitting patios. The lower floor is the largest children's library in the City of San Diego, featuring a simulated ship, reading desks shaped like surfboards, an art space and a Story Time Zone. In connecting to the place of Point Loma, the library's architectural style features a nautical theme. There is even an operating periscope , salvaged from
924-533: A large roller coaster, dance pavilion, menagerie, roller skating rink, merry-go-round, children's playground, a petting zoo with a variety of animals including 500 monkeys, and 22,000 lights outlining the buildings. However, Wonderland went bankrupt in 1915 due to competition from the Panama–California Exposition in Balboa Park and was sold at auction. It closed in 1916 after winter storms damaged
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#17327910942991008-580: A locomotive, but by that time, the boom ended and the development was put on hold. The Ocean Beach Railroad, launched in April 1888, was a casualty of the economic decline. Passengers could take a ferry from San Diego to Roseville in Point Loma to ride the train to the Cliff House. Later, Higgins committed suicide, and a fire started by a fallen chandelier burnt down the Cliff House in 1898. Carlson sold
1092-564: A much smaller public library. The new library, built by Conwell Shonkwiler & Associates, was partly funded by a donation via the San Diego Foundation from the Hervey family, who had close ties to the area. Jean Jessop Hervey in particular used to visit the old Point Loma Library every Tuesday to read with her children. The library, located at 3701 Voltaire Street, is over 25,000 square feet and holds over 80,000 books. It includes
1176-458: A nine-hole golf course. Most of the ocean frontage of the peninsula is a public shoreline park called Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. The Point Loma Native Plant Garden features plants and flowers native to the San Diego area. Cabrillo National Monument is a federal historic park at the southern end of the peninsula. The James Edgar and Jean Jessop Hervey Public Library opened in 2003, replacing
1260-538: A private elementary/middle school called Warren-Walker School. American Kumeyaay Indians used to travel through Sunset Cliffs to gather seafood from the intertidal areas on the beach below the cliffs. They also gathered various forms of plant life in the area. During the 1915 Panama–California Exposition , Albert Spalding developed the Linear Section of the cliffs. He spent around $ 2 million to hire Japanese architects to construct bridges, trails, benches and
1344-810: A public library, a U.S. post office, and a vegetarian food co-op. Recreational facilities include the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, Dusty Rhodes Park, and the Robb Field athletic fields and skate park. Local events include the Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cookoff in late June, a jazz festival at the foot of Newport in late September, the Ocean Beach Christmas Parade in early December, the Ocean Beach Kite Festival on
1428-518: A result of community beautification efforts. The newest commercial and retail area is found at Liberty Station , site of the former Naval Training Center San Diego , which also has residential and educational sections. The Midway district at the northern end of the peninsula, adjacent to the San Diego River and the I-5 and I-8 freeways, is primarily commercial and industrial with a few small residential developments. Connected to Point Loma Village by
1512-518: A seasonal village remembered by them as Totakamalam and visited Ocean Beach periodically to harvest mussels, clams, abalone and lobsters. Point Loma was discovered by Europeans on September 28, 1542, when Portuguese navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ( João Rodrigues Cabrilho in Portuguese) departed from Mexico and led an expedition for the Spanish crown to explore the west coast of what
1596-492: A second partial cycle from Alcott to Lytton. The northwest corner of the peninsula, where the San Diego River flows into the ocean, is a separate community known as Ocean Beach . The southern one-third of the Point Loma Peninsula is entirely federal land, including Naval Base Point Loma , Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery , and Cabrillo National Monument . The area contains multiple species of wildlife , both in
1680-446: A sizable population of feral parrots and their offspring. The sub-tropical climate is nearly ideal for parrots. The parrots, mostly Amazons , are most active and vocal at sunrise and sunset. Santa Cruz Ave. is a street in Ocean Beach that begins at a cul-de-sac by Catalina Blvd. and ends at a cliffside that has access to stairs that lead to the beach below. At the bottom is a small cove named Santa Cruz Cove, hidden from other parts of
1764-477: A stairway into the ocean. Spalding called his estate Sunset Cliffs Park, which then lent its name to the neighborhood. In 1925, John P. Mills bought the property and surrounding area and developed it into a residential neighborhood. Mills spent approximately $ 1 million to restore the features created by Spalding. Later the City of San Diego acquired the Spalding property from Mills and turned the coastal strip into
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#17327910942991848-416: A storm and the city subsequently announced plans to demolish and replace it with a new design based on community input. A concrete walkway spans part of the length of the 1 mi (1.6 km) beach. The economy of Ocean Beach is dominated by small, independent retail businesses, including the clothing brand Seedless Clothing . Newport Avenue, the main business street, featured family-owned businesses from
1932-608: A theater. The theater was designated a historic building by the San Diego Historical Resources Board in December 2002. Residents of Ocean Beach often refer to themselves as "OBceans" or "OBecians," which is pronounced "oh-BEE-shun" (although the proper spelling is a matter of dispute). Ocean Beach has two schools: Ocean Beach Elementary (a K-4 public school ) and Warren-Walker (a K-8 private school). The community also features multiple churches,
2016-443: Is San Diego's oldest ethnic tradition. The Cabrillo Festival each October is a weekend-long commemoration of the landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in Point Loma in 1542. From June through September, nationally known musicians and comedians perform at an outdoor concert venue on Shelter Island . A free outdoor concert series features local musicians on five Friday evenings in a local park each summer. Every year since 1952,
2100-685: Is also a neighborhood-wide lighting of luminarias on Christmas Eve in the Plumosa Park area. On two Sundays in December there is a Parade of Lights, with brightly decorated boats sailing on the Bay to be viewed from the shoreline. Both Top Gun movies were shot at the New Point Loma Lighthouse and the sequel at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery . A shipyard set in Patuxent, Maryland , for The Hunt for Red October (1990)
2184-484: Is also a public charter school campus in the Liberty Station area which encompasses three high schools, two middle schools, and one elementary school, collectively known as High Tech High . Point Loma educational facilities also include a K-12 religious school, a religious elementary/middle school, and a private elementary/middle school. Post-secondary education is offered at Point Loma Nazarene University ,
2268-639: Is an advisory board which makes recommendations to the city on planning, land use, and similar matters for the Point Loma area. There are separate planning boards for Ocean Beach and the Midway area. Point Loma has several public, charter, and private schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as multiple private preschools, an adult school and a university. Point Loma's public schools are part of San Diego Unified School District . Neighborhood public schools include Point Loma High School , two middle schools, and seven elementary schools. There
2352-535: Is capped by much younger sandstone and conglomerate deposits from the Pleistocene era, 1 million years or less in age. These flat-lying beds lie directly on top of the gently dipping Point Loma and Cabrillo formations. The gap in the sedimentary record, called an Angular unconformity , represents about 70 million years of non-deposition and/or erosion. The cliffs on the ocean side of the peninsula are sheer and are undergoing constant erosion due to wave action. On
2436-464: Is now the United States. Cabrillo described San Diego Bay as "a very good enclosed port". Historians believe he docked his flagship on Point Loma's east shore, probably at Ballast Point . This was the first landing by a European in present-day California, so that Point Loma has been described as "where California began". More than 200 years were to pass before a permanent European settlement
2520-602: Is now the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University . During the 1920s there was a dirt airstrip known as Dutch Flats in what is now the Midway neighborhood of Point Loma. That is where Charles Lindbergh first tested and flew his airplane, The Spirit of St. Louis , which had been built in San Diego by the Ryan Aeronautical Company . A U.S. Post Office now located on the site contains several historic plaques commemorating Dutch Flats and Lindbergh. Due to
2604-492: Is part of District 2, currently represented by Jennifer Campbell. In the government of San Diego County , Point Loma is divided between District 1 and District 4. In the California state legislature it is part of Assembly District 78 , currently represented by assembly member Todd Gloria and Senate District 39 , represented by Senator Toni Atkins . At the federal level it is part of the 52nd Congressional District and
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2688-692: Is recognized as a National Landmark of Soaring of the National Soaring Museum because of the many record flights that took place along the promontory. Two plaques honoring these accomplishments are near the entrance to Cabrillo National Monument . On the west side of the peninsula there are sandstone cliffs along the ocean, called the Sunset Cliffs. Geologically these cliffs are known as the Point Loma Formation . They contain fossils, including dinosaur fossils, from
2772-579: Is represented by Congressman Scott Peters . Some portions of the Point Loma peninsula are not under the jurisdiction of the city, including the federal and military lands as well as the bayside tidelands governed by the Port of San Diego . Approximately 60% of the Point Loma community is included in the Coastal Zone and is subject to regulation by the California Coastal Commission . The Peninsula Community Planning Board
2856-401: Is the Spanish word for hill. The original Spanish name of the peninsula was La Punta de la Loma de San Diego, translated as Hill Point of San Diego. This was later anglicized to Point Loma. The original Kumeyaay name was 'Amat Kunyily' meaning "black earth". There were no permanent indigenous settlements on Point Loma because of a lack of fresh water. Kumeyaay people did probably have
2940-635: Is the site of a historic single-screen movie house, the Strand Theater, which opened in November 1925. In the late 1970s, the Strand survived with midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Friday and Saturday nights. By the early 1980s it was running pornographic films. Community reaction forced it to change back to regular films. It closed in the 1990s and was converted into a clothing store after several failed attempts to preserve it as
3024-579: The Bering Sea to Baja California . The park is a popular place to view the sunset, hence the name. The Luscomb Point area, at the end of Hill Street, is named after Happy Luscomb, a local resident who often surfed the area. Luscomb point is a popular location for weddings and sunset viewing. The Inn at Sunset Cliffs is the filming location for the Mars' residence in Veronica Mars . Friend of
3108-613: The Late Cretaceous period, about 75 million years ago. The formation represents one of the few sites containing dinosaur fossils in the state of California. Overlying the Point Loma Formation is another Late Cretaceous deposit called the Cabrillo Formation, which crops out in various areas of Point Loma. The top of the peninsula is fairly flat, reaches an elevation of 422 ft (129 m), and
3192-726: The Pacific Fleet . At the southern end of the peninsula is historic Fort Rosecrans, site of the U.S. Army 's Coast Artillery Corps during World War I and World War II . Fort Rosecrans also includes the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and the USS Bennington Monument . Naval Training Center San Diego served as a basic training facility for new Navy recruits for more than 70 years, as well as hosting many specialty schools providing advanced career training for sailors. In April 1997
3276-660: The San Diego Class 1 Streetcars , which connected OB with downtown San Diego and encouraged the development of both Ocean Beach and Mission Beach. The bridge was demolished in January 1951, thereby cutting off through traffic to Ocean Beach from the Mission Beach and Pacific Beach communities. The small cottages, bungalows, single-family homes and two-storied apartments in the residential areas, were filled with college students from several local colleges, joined by
3360-960: The 1930s through the 1960s, such as a bakery, drug stores, a book and novelty shop, a shoe store, men's and women's apparel shops, and a family-owned pet store. In the 1960s and 1970s, larger stores and shopping malls elsewhere in the city gradually ran the small local stores out of business. Many of the storefronts were then turned into antique stores, and the area is now known as the Ocean Beach Antique District . Also on Newport are restaurants, head shops , tattoo and piercing shops, coffee houses, bars, bike and surf shops, and an international youth hostel. In 1969, Hodad's opened on Newport, gaining national attention in 2007 after appearing on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives . There are several small independent hotels in O.B., but no nationally franchised hotels. The community has actively opposed chain businesses opening in Ocean Beach, and only
3444-423: The 2010 Census. The Peninsula Planning Area, which includes most of Point Loma, comprises approximately 4,400 acres (1,800 ha). Point Loma is historically important as the landing place of the first European expedition to come ashore in present-day California. It houses two major military bases, a national cemetery, a national monument, and a university, in addition to residential and commercial areas. Loma
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3528-863: The Bay (eastern) side of the peninsula, where there are three yacht clubs , including San Diego Yacht Club , which was home to the America's Cup from 1988 to 1995. There are half a dozen small-boat marinas on the Bay side of Point Loma. There is also a commercial dock which services sport fishing cruises as well as seasonal whale watching expeditions. Point Loma hosts the biggest sport fishing fleet in Southern California. The Bay side hosts numerous other businesses related to yachting and fishing, such as marine supply stores, yacht brokerages, boat repair yards, and hotels and motels catering to fishing enthusiasts. Some restaurants and hotels have docks for customers who arrive by boat. Tourists and locals visit
3612-548: The Mast , Richard Henry Dana Jr. describes how sailors in the 1830s camped on the beach at La Playa, accumulated cattle hides for export, and hunted for wood and jackrabbits in the hills of Point Loma. The beach at La Playa continued to serve as San Diego's "port" until the establishment of New Town (current downtown ) in the 1870s. Ballast Point got its name from the practice of ships discarding their ballast there on arriving in San Diego Bay and taking on ballast as they left for
3696-421: The Midway area into San Diego Bay, isolating Point Loma from San Diego. Because of fears that San Diego Bay might silt up, the river was diverted to its present course north of Point Loma by a levee built in 1877. Parts of Liberty Station and Point Loma Village are also fill land, reclaimed from sand spits and wetlands surrounding the Bay. The only remnant of the formerly extensive wetlands in Point Loma, aside from
3780-527: The Midway neighborhood of Point Loma. Point Loma is home to several major military installations including the US Navy's SPAWAR program, the US Marine Corps' Recruit Training Depot (MCRD San Diego) and Naval Base Point Loma . The Navy controls approximately 1,800 acres (730 ha) of Point Loma and provides employment to about 48,000 military personnel and civilians. Naval Base Point Loma, at
3864-590: The Ocean Beach Cottage Emerging Historic District consisting of various Craftsman bungalows , cottages and other structures built from 1887 to 1931. There are a number of other individual San Diego Historic Landmarks in Ocean Beach . Designated city historic landmark buildings are the Ocean Beach Library and Strand Theater. The 1,971 ft (601 m) Ocean Beach Municipal Pier , built in 1966,
3948-445: The Ocean Beach tract to an Eastern financier, delaying its development for 20 years. Carlson and Higgins were not the first to file a subdivision map in Ocean Beach. They filed with the city on May 28, 1887, but on April 22 of that year J.M. DePuy filed "DePuy's Subdivision" on 15 blocks in the northern portion of O.B. One of the earliest residents of Ocean Beach was D. C. Collier , who bought oceanfront property there in 1887 when he
4032-771: The Point Loma Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to beautification and civic improvement, and the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Service clubs include Rotary , Kiwanis , Optimists , Lions , the Point Loma Assembly, and the Thursday Club. Point Loma contains a few small neighborhood parks and the Cabrillo Recreation Center. There is large waterfront park at Liberty Station , which also contains
4116-642: The St. Nicholas Home Tour has been held on the first Saturday in December. The tour typically includes 4 - 6 significant homes decorated for the holidays, and is accompanied by tea, cookies, and caroling. All but one of the tours has been hosted by All Souls' Episcopal Church. This is said to be the oldest home tour west of the Mississippi River. Point Loma is noted for neighborhood Christmas decorations. Several blocks of Garrison Street near Chatsworth are particularly well known for elaborate decorations. There
4200-524: The World was filmed at Sunset Cliffs, resembling a juxtaposition to a modern era. Point Loma, San Diego Point Loma ( Spanish : Punta de la Loma , meaning "Hill Point"; Kumeyaay : Amat Kunyily , meaning "Black Earth") is a seaside community in San Diego, California , United States. Geographically it is a hilly peninsula that is bordered on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean ,
4284-609: The area Fort Rosecrans . Significant U.S. Navy presence in San Diego began in 1901 with the establishment of the Navy Coaling Station in Point Loma. Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego was commissioned in 1921 and Naval Training Center San Diego in 1923, both in Point Loma; the Naval Training Center was closed in 1997. During World War II , the entire southern portion of the peninsula was closed to civilians and used for military purposes, including
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#17327910942994368-404: The area as "Tunaville" because of its association with the tuna-fishing fleet. The hilly area above Roseville is known as Fleetridge, named for its developer David Fleet, a son of Reuben H. Fleet . The bayside hills between Rosecrans Street and Chatsworth Boulevard north of Nimitz Boulevard are known as Loma Portal . A distinctive feature of this neighborhood is the location of street lights in
4452-418: The base was closed and these schools were moved to Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois . The former site of the base is now Liberty Station , a 361-acre (1.46 km ) mixed-use redevelopment project that includes residential, office, retail, educational, and civic, arts and cultural districts. Liberty Station was developed by the City of San Diego and The Corky McMillin companies. It also includes
4536-482: The beam for ocean-going vessels. On March 23, 1891, the lighthouse ceased to be used for its original purpose, as a new lighthouse was built nearer sea level on the same southern point. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is now partially open to the public and has been refurbished to its historic 1880s interior. It is located within Cabrillo National Monument , named after Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ,
4620-542: The city. Most of that land became Cleator Community Park (a ballfield), Correia Middle School (originally named Collier Junior High School), a YMCA and a church; a small remnant at Greene and Soto streets is still called Collier Park. The northern end of Ocean Beach was dominated in the early 20th century by the Wonderland Amusement Park , which opened on July 4, 1913 and was constructed on eight oceanfront acres at Voltaire and Abbott streets. It boasted
4704-473: The cliffs on the western side of the peninsula for views of the ocean and the sunset - hence the name, Sunset Cliffs . The cliffs are unstable and can be dangerous; a woman died in a fall from the cliffs in December 2008, and other falls have resulted in injuries. The Point Loma area has a number of hotels, restaurants, and local businesses. The San Diego Sports Arena and the SOMA concert venue are located in
4788-404: The construction of Interstate 8 in 1967. The westernmost segment of I-8 from Interstate 5 to the terminus in Ocean Beach is officially labeled the "Ocean Beach Freeway". Surfing was introduced to San Diego at Ocean Beach in 1916 when a local lifeguard borrowed a board from Duke Kahanamoku (although it's possible that George Freeth surfed there between 1907 and 1909). By 1966, the sport
4872-539: The early 1970s, local development and land interests pressed for the development of Ocean Beach's oceanfront, with plans for tourist-oriented resorts, hotels and a marina outlined in the Ocean Beach Precise Plan. With the passage of a 30 ft (9.1 m) height limit in 1972 and the re-writing of the Precise Plan, the development plans for the waterfront were abandoned. Ocean Beach contains
4956-463: The east by San Diego Bay and Old Town , and the north by the San Diego River . Together with the Silver Strand / Coronado peninsula, the Point Loma peninsula defines San Diego Bay and separates it from the Pacific Ocean. The term "Point Loma" is used to describe both the neighborhood and the peninsula. Point Loma has an estimated population of 47,981 (including Ocean Beach ), according to
5040-428: The east side the land slopes into San Diego Bay more gradually, so that homes and developments go right to the water's edge. At the northern end of the peninsula the cliffs and hills become lower, disappearing entirely in Ocean Beach and the Midway area, where the San Diego River flows. Much of the Midway area is former marshland which has been filled in for development. In fact, the San Diego River used to flow through
5124-666: The federal lands at the southern end of the peninsula (managed in part as an ecological reserve) and in the developed suburban areas. Mammals include raccoons , skunks , possums , bats , rabbits , California ground squirrels , gray foxes , and occasional coyotes . More than 300 species of birds have been observed in Point Loma, which lies on the Pacific Flyway migration route. The main economic engines of Point Loma are military facilities, neighborhood-serving retail, and marine recreation, particularly yachting and deep-sea fishing . Marine activities are mostly located on
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#17327910942995208-603: The first European explorer to see San Diego Bay . The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In addition to the lighthouse, there are five other sites in Point Loma listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Cabrillo National Monument, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Historic District , Naval Training Center San Diego , and Rosecroft . Point Loma
5292-590: The headquarters of the Theosophical Society to " Lomaland ", a hilltop campus in Point Loma overlooking the ocean. The facility with its unusual architecture and even more unusual lifestyles became an important source of music and culture for residents of San Diego between 1900 and 1920. Producing most of its own food, the Society also experimented widely with planting trees and crops such as eucalyptus and avocado , giving that formerly barren part of Point Loma its current heavily wooded character. The Lomaland site
5376-520: The middle of several street intersections instead of on the sidewalk. Loma Portal lies directly in the takeoff pattern for planes from San Diego International Airport , making it the home of the "Point Loma Pause" where all conversation ceases temporarily due to airplane noise. The east–west streets in Roseville and Loma Portal are known as the "alphabetical author streets". The streets are named for authors in alphabetical order from Addison to Zola, with
5460-502: The ocean side (because of the proximity of Point Loma Nazarene College ). The Sunset Cliffs neighborhood is on the west side, above ocean bluffs, and is known for its views of the Pacific Ocean. Roseville , named for San Diego pioneer Louis Rose , encompasses the oldest settled part of the peninsula. Roseville was originally a separate town but later was absorbed into San Diego. Many Portuguese fishermen and fishing boat owners settled there more than 100 years ago. Some people refer to
5544-512: The ocean, between the water and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, as well as a larger area of undeveloped park and nature preserve on the south side of the area. It was dedicated in 1983. It stretches from Adair Street to Ladera Street. This coastal strip is connected to the 640-acre (260 ha) Point Loma Reserve. The park includes carved coastal bluffs, arches and sea caves. From the cliffs, the California gray whale can be seen migrating annually from
5628-441: The open ocean. Fort Guijarros was constructed at Ballast Point in 1797. Ballast Point and La Playa are now on the grounds of Naval Base Point Loma . The longtime association of San Diego with the U.S. military began in Point Loma. The southern portion of the Point Loma peninsula was set aside for military purposes as early as 1852. Over the next several decades the U.S. Army set up a series of coastal artillery batteries and named
5712-530: The original La Playa, the beach where commercial and military ships anchored during the early days of the city. La Playa includes some of the most expensive homes in San Diego. Some bayfront homes have private piers for small boats. The hills above La Playa are known as the Wooded Area on the bay side of Catalina Boulevard (so called because of the many mature trees in the area), and the College Area on
5796-690: The prevailing sea-breezes and long north–south ridge, Point Loma was a well-known gliding site during 1929–1935. William Hawley Bowlus , the Superintendent of Construction on the Spirit of St. Louis and a resident of Point Loma, built the first American sailplane, the Bowlus SP-1, and flew that aircraft along the west side of Point Loma to establish new American endurance records. Bowlus later used other refined designs to soar for over 9 hours near Cabrillo National Monument, and one of Bowlus' students, Jack C. Barstow, soared over Point Loma for over 15 hours in 1930 to establish an unofficial world record for soaring endurance. In light of these accomplishments, Point Loma
5880-535: The riverbed itself, is a city-owned nature preserve called Famosa Slough , which branches off from the river near its mouth. There are several distinct neighborhoods in the Point Loma peninsula. Most neighborhoods in Point Loma consist primarily of single family homes. The commercial and retail heart of the peninsula is called Point Loma Village. Its retail establishments serve local residents as well as yachting and sport fishing interests. The streets in Point Loma Village are lined with hundreds of jacaranda trees as
5964-404: The roller coaster. The name "Wonderland" lives on in some Ocean Beach business names as well as the title of a documentary series on KPBS television hosted by Ocean Beach native Noah Tafolla. In 1915, John D. Spreckels and his Bayshore Railway Company built a 1,500 ft (460 m) wooden bridge connecting Ocean Beach with Mission Beach. The company used the bridge for a trolley, part of
6048-476: The south by Adair Street. Prior to European contact, the Kumeyaay people inhabited Ocean Beach and had established the fishing encampment of Hapai . The Kumeyaay visited the area to conduct fishing and food processing operations, as mussels, clams, abalone, and lobsters were harvested from the area. The beach's initial name was Mussel Beach, for the mussels available there. Its current name, Ocean Beach,
6132-513: The southern end of Rosecrans Street in the La Playa area, is the home of Submarine Squadron 11 , with several nuclear fast-attack submarines, and the Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command, including eight Avenger class mine countermeasures ships. The naval base also houses extensive electronic and communications operations (including the former Naval Electronics Laboratory ) serving
6216-482: The sunset, but are undeveloped and can be dangerous. Falls from the cliffs have resulted in deaths and injuries. The main street of the area is Sunset Cliffs Blvd. The neighborhood is almost entirely residential, with curved contour-following streets and custom homes. A small commercial strip is found along the northern end of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. running into Ocean Beach. The area contains Sunset View Elementary School, part of San Diego Unified School District , as well as
6300-557: The third Saturday of May, and the Ocean Beach Canine Carnival on the third Saturday in October. On Wednesday afternoons two blocks of Newport Avenue are closed for a farmers' market. The northern end of O.B.'s waterfront is known as Dog Beach. It's open 24 hours a day for leash-free dogs and was one of the first such beaches in the United States (founded in 1972). Ocean Beach and adjacent Point Loma are home to
6384-431: The western terminus of Interstate 8 . Located about 7 mi (11 km) northwest of downtown San Diego , it sits south of Mission Bay and Mission Beach and directly north of Point Loma . The O.B. community planning area comprises about 1 square mile (742 acres), bounded on the north by the San Diego River, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by Froude St., Seaside St. and West Point Loma Boulevard, and on
6468-415: Was admitted to the United States. ) Perched atop the southern point that creates the entrance of the bay with Coronado, the small, two-story lighthouse was completed in 1854 and first lit on November 15, 1855. At 422 feet (129 m) above sea level at the entrance of the bay, the seemingly good location for a lighthouse soon proved to be a poor choice, as fog and cloud within the marine layer often obscured
6552-578: Was established in San Diego in 1769. Mission San Diego itself was in the San Diego River valley, but its port was a bayside beach in Point Loma called La Playa (Spanish for beach). The historic La Playa Trail , the oldest European trail on the West Coast , led from the Mission and Presidio to La Playa, where ships anchored and unloaded their cargoes via small boats. Part of the route became present-day Rosecrans Street. In his book Two Years Before
6636-479: Was filmed at Naval Base Point Loma . Werner Herzog filmed scenes for My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009) on the streets of Point Loma. Ken Davitian filmed some of his scenes for The Samuel Project (2018) at Shelter Island Cleaners and Alexandra Slade filmed one of her scenes for Friend of the World (2020) at Sunset Cliffs. Scenes from Antwone Fisher (2002) and Skid Marks (2007) were also filmed in Point Loma. Civic organizations include
6720-415: Was given in 1887 by developers Billy Carlson and Albert E. Higgins. The pair built the Cliff House, a resort hotel, and subdivided the area into lots. To promote their subdivision, Carlson and Higgins organized various activities, including mussel roasts and concerts. Despite their efforts, the development did not do well, because it was two and a half hours by carriage from downtown San Diego. They rented
6804-518: Was just 16. He later became one of the "fathers" of Ocean Beach, laying out streets, promoting sales, and building the Point Loma Railroad in 1909 to connect Ocean Beach with the rest of San Diego. By 1910 there were 100 houses in Ocean Beach, compared to just 18 two years earlier. According to historian Ruth Held, Collier's rail line "made OB possible." He also built Ocean Beach Elementary School (a two-room school) and donated park land to
6888-474: Was named as a National Landmark of Soaring by the National Soaring Museum in 1996 with a plaque near the launching area at Cabrillo National Monument. The best known landmark in Point Loma is the Old Point Loma lighthouse , an icon occasionally used to represent the entire city of San Diego. (It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the "Old Spanish Lighthouse"; in fact it was built after California
6972-666: Was sufficiently established that the World Surfing Championship was held in O.B. Nat Young won the event and was named world surfing champion . Ocean Beach was once known as the Haight-Ashbury of San Diego. The community became an attraction for hippies, who eventually became accepted by many local business establishments. The Black headshop opened on Newport Avenue, as well as the Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market . Beginning in
7056-498: Was the longest concrete pier in the world and the second longest ocean pier in California. The pier was closed in January 2021 due to storm damage. It was partially reopened in May of that year, but its long-term future was uncertain; a 2019 report said the pier had suffered significant deterioration and reached "the end of its useful life". It did reopen for several months in the summer of 2023. That winter it suffered severe damage during
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