La Jolla is a seaside community within San Diego, occupying seven miles of beautiful coastline along the Pacific Ocean. Surrounded on three sides by ocean bluffs and beaches, La Jolla is located about 12 miles north of Downtown San Diego.

There are 17 neighborhoods within La Jolla: La Jolla Farms, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Heights, Hidden Valley, Country Club, Village of La Jolla, Beach - Barber, Lower Hermosa, Bird Rock, Muirlands, La Jolla Mesa, La Jolla Alta, Soledad South, Muirland West, Upper Hermosa, La Jolla Village, and La Jolla Hights. La Jolla is home to the University of California, San. Diego (UCSD), the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Salk Institute, the Scripps Research Institute, and headquarters of National University. Beaches in La Jolla include Torrey Pines City Beach, Black's Beach , La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Cove, Boomer Beach, Shell Beach, Casa Beach, Wipeout Beach, Whispering Sands Beach, Marine Street Beach, and Windansea Beach.

 

Mount Soledad Cross

The Mount Soledad Cross, formerly called the Mount Soledad Easter Cross, is a prominent landmark located on top of Mount Soledad in the La Jolla community of San Diego. It was erected in 1954 being the third Christian cross in that location, the first having been erected in 1913. The magnificent cross is 29 feet high. From 1989 until 2015, the Mount Soledad Cross was involved in extensive costly litigation by atheists who wanted the cross removed. In 1998, the City of San Diego sold the site to the nonprofit Mount Soledad Memorial Association ending all litigation.

 

Mount Soledad

Mount Soledad, also known as Soledad Mountain, is an 823 foot high mountain in the La Jolla region of San Diego. The community of Pacific Beach is on its southern slope. The mountaintop is the site of the Mount Soledad Cross which is a landmark in San Diego County. The mountain is the location of the last home lived in by Dr. Seuss and his wife.

 

La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove is a small cove, ecological reserve, and public beach surrounded by cliffs in La Jolla, which is within the city of San Diego. Point La Jolla forms the south side of the cove. Hundreds of sea lions make the cove their home and can often be seen on the beach and in the water. On the bluffs above the beach is Scripps Park which is a popular area for picnicking and family gatherings. Just north of La Jolla Cove is Torrey Pines State Beach.

 

La Jolla Shores

La Jolla Shores is a one mile long beach located in the La Jolla community of San Diego. The beach is adjacent to the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve. Fishing and removal of anything from the beach is prohibited. Scuba diving lessons are available and life guards are usually on duty.

 

Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier

The Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier is a 1 ,084-foot pier that was constructed in 1988, replacing the original pier built in 1916. The pier is a San Diego landmark, a part of the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and houses several environmental monitoring stations. It also serves as a launching pad for small boat scientific diving operations. Each month, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography offers free historical tours to the public.

 

San Diego-Scripps Coastal Marine Conservation Area
Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve

The San Diego-Scripps Coastal Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) and Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve (SMR) are adjacent marine protected areas that extend offshore from La Jolla in San Diego County. The two protected areas cover 2.5 square miles. Below the two areas is the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park which is popular with scuba divers and snorkelers.

 

Red Rest and Red Roost Cottages

The Red Rest and Red Roost Cottages, built in 1894, are historic beach cottages overlooking La Jolla Cove in La Jolla, San Diego. The cottages are listed on the US. National Register of Historic Places and are a San Diego Historic Landmark They are excellent examples of first-generation California bungalows.

 

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a 2,000-acre state reserve located in the community of La Jolla which is in the city of San Diego. The reserve, which is a natural area, is bordered on the south by Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course and on the north by the city of Del Mar. The reserve, which is a National Nature Landmark, consists of a large plateau with cliffs that overlook Torrey Pines State Beach and a large lagoon. Wildlife includes coyotes, bobcats, and raccoons.

 

University of California, San Diego

The University of San Diego (USD), established in 1949 in San Diego, is a Roman Catholic research university with an enrollment approaching 10,000. Even though USD is a Catholic University, it is no longer governed directly by the Diocese of San Diego. A lay board of trustees currently governs the operations of the university. USD offers 89 undergraduate and graduate programs which includes a paralegal school, an accredited law school, a school of business, and a school of engineering.

 

Jacobs Medical Center

Jacobs Medical Center is a 364-bed advanced medical center and teaching hospital that opened in 2016 on the University of California San Diego campus in the La Jolla community of San Diego. It offers outpatient services, surgical services, a birth center and much more. A helicopter landing pad is on the roof of the ten story facility.

 

Old Scripps Building

The George H. Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory, built in 1909, on the campus of the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, is the oldest oceanographic research building in continuous use in the United States. It is also the historic center of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography established in 1903. The architecturally significant structure has been declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark and a San Diego Historic Landmark. It is also listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

 

La Jolla Timeline

1850

Lands of La Jolla are incorporated as part of the City of San Diego.

1887

Auction of lots takes place in the first La Jolla Park subdivision; considered as the founding year of La Jolla.

1893

Opening of La Jolla Park Hotel.

1894

Railroad extended to La Jolla from San Diego; La Jolla Post Office established. Anna Held arrived in La Jolla and created Green Dragon Colony.

1895

First La Jolla Village Improvement Society organized.

1896

Ellen Browning Scripps buys two lots on the ocean side of Prospect Street and builds her first home.

1897

Library Association of La Jolla formed.

1899
Barber Tract development begins (first known as Neptunia); first telephone lines installed.

1904

Wisteria Cottage is built.

1905

Marine Biological Association is organized, later Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

1906

Ground broken for new bathhouse at the Cove; first La Jolla newspaper is published.

1907-09

Architect Irving Gill designs a re-model of Wisteria Cottage for Virginia Scripps.

1910

The Bishop's School, with buildings designed by Irving Gill, is built; Gill also designs and builds the first Scripps Institution of Oceanography building.

1912

Opening of Colonial Inn (Grande Colonial La Jolla).

1914

La Jolla Woman's Club is built.

Arsonist sets fire to several La Jolla buildings, including Ellen Browning Scripps' house; work begins on new home designed by architect Irving Gill; La Jolla Community House and Playground, now La Jolla Recreation Center, also designed by Irving Gill, opens.

1918
Scripps Memorial Hospital opens (first known as the Sanitarium); paving of La Jolla streets begins.

1924

Electric railroad begins operations; Casa de Manana opens as resort hotel; street lights are introduced.

1926

The La Valencia Hotel opens; The Balmer Schoof is started at the La Jolla Country Club; The Muirlands development begins.

1927

La Jolla Beach and Yacht Club formed (now La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club).

1931

Children's Pool breakwater built.

1932

Ellen Browning Scripps dies (August 3).

1940

Art Center organized in former home of Ellen Browning Scripps.

1941

Camp Callan is established at Torrey Pines Gliderport with the start of World War II.

1942

Wisteria Cottage becomes The Balmer School, later La Jolla Country Day School (until 1961).

1944

First stop signs are installed at Girard and Torrey Pines Road.

1947

La Jolla Playhouse founded by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer.

1948

The Cove Movie Theater opens.

1956

White Sands begins operations as a retirement home.

1960

University of California San Diego campus established in La Jolla; La Jolla School of Arts and Crafts is formed.

1967

The La Jolla Community Plan is adopted by the San Diego City Council.

1974

The University Towne Center shopping mall opens.

1983

BLOB (Ban Large Office Buildings) is organized to oppose large structures.

1987

La Jolla celebrates its centennial.

1996

Architect Robert Venturi designs an update to the former home of Ellen Browning Scripps, originally designed in 1916 by architect Irving Gill, as the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.