La Jolla, CA

zip code:  92037

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La Jolla is an affluent hilly seaside resort community, occupying 7 miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California within the west-central city limits of San Diego.

La Jolla is surrounded on three sides by ocean bluffs and beaches and is located 12 miles north of Downtown San Diego, and 40 miles south of Orange County California.

The climate is mild, with an average daily temperature of 70.5 °F

La Jolla is home to a variety of businesses in the areas of lodging, dining, shopping, software, finance, real estate, bio-engineering, medical practice and scientific research.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is located in La Jolla, as are the Salk Institute, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the headquarters of National University (though its academic campuses are elsewhere).

Geography

The community's border starts at Pacific Beach to the south and extends along the Pacific Ocean shoreline north to include Torrey Pines State Reserve ending where Del Mar starts.

La Jolla encompasses neighborhoods including Bird Rock, Windansea Beach, the commercial center known as the Village of La Jolla, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Farms, Muirlands, Torrey Pines, and Mount Soledad to name a few.

The City of San Diego defines the community's eastern boundary as Gilman Drive, former Highway US 101, with the exception of some of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the northern boundary as La Jolla Village Drive.

The U.S. Postal Service defines a somewhat larger area as it assigned the community the 92037 ZIP code recognizing it as a historically and geographically distinct area. This unique ZIP code allows addresses to read La Jolla, CA. This sometimes leads to the erroneous conclusions that it is a separate city or that its schools are part of a nonexistent "La Jolla School District".

The 92037 zip code extends the northeasterly boundary to Genesee Avenue and the northerly boundary to Del Mar, California. The UCSD campus, although it is part of La Jolla, has ZIP codes 92092 and 92093.

Geology

La Jolla is an area of mixed geology, including sandy beaches and rocky shorelines. The area is occasionally susceptible to flooding due to ocean storms, as occurred in January and December 2010.

Mount Soledad is covered with the narrow roads that follow its contours and hundreds of homes overlooking the ocean on its slopes. It is the home of the large concrete Mount Soledad Easter Cross built in 1954, later designated a Korean War Memorial, that became the center of a controversy over the display of religious symbols on government property.

Beaches

The most compelling geographical highlight of La Jolla is its ocean front, with alternating rugged and sandy coast line and wild seal congregations. Popular sandy beaches along the coastline are:

• Windansea Beach

• Marine Street

• Horse Shoes

• Wipeout Beach

• Children's Pool Beach

• La Jolla Cove

• Boomers Beach

• La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club

• La Jolla Shores

• Scripps

• Black's Beach (a de facto nude beach leading up to Torrey Pines State Reserve)

La Jolla - Origin of the name

Local Native Americans, the Kumeyaay, called this location mat kulaaxuuy [mat kəlaːxuːj], 'land of holes' (mat = 'land'). What sort of topographic feature the description "holes" refers to is uncertain, but it may be the sea-level caves on the north facing bluffs which are visible from La Jolla Shores. This was apparently corrupted by the Spanish occupiers to "La Jolla". An alternate suggested origin is that the name is a corruption of the Spanish La Joya, meaning "the jewel".

This origin of the name has been widely cited in popular culture. That supposed origin gave rise to the nickname "Jewel City", which was once commonly used but now exists mainly in commercial references.

Some significant events in La Jolla's history:

• 1850 - the area of La Jolla was incorporated into the City of San Diego

• 1880s - the area was surveyed and subdivided by Frank Botsford, "the father of La Jolla"

• 1890s - railroad arrives in La Jolla

• 1893 - the La Jolla Park Hotel opened

• 1909 - The Bishop's School was founded

• 1911 - electricity came to La Jolla with 4 customers

• 1912 - the first motion picture in town was shown

• 1913 - the first La Jolla Light newspaper was printed and the Orient Theater opened on Girard and Wall

• 1922 - La Jolla High School was founded

• 1926 - La Valencia Hotel opened and La Jolla Country Day School started

• 1944 - the first stop sign was installed at Girard Avenue and Torrey Pines Road

From its beginnings to the early 1960s, La Jolla was and is marketed for its exclusivity.

Neighborhoods

• La Jolla Farms - the homes on top of the cliffs above Black's Beach and adjacent to the western boundary of the UCSD campus.

• La Jolla Shores - the residential area and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus along La Jolla Shores beach and east up the hillside. Also includes a small business district of shops and restaurants along Avenida de la Playa.

• La Jolla Heights - the homes on the hills overlooking La Jolla Shores. No businesses.

• Hidden Valley - lower portion of Mount Soledad on the northern slopes. No businesses.

• Country Club - lower Mount Soledad on the north-west side, including the La Jolla Country Club golf course.

• Village - a.k.a. Village of La Jolla the "downtown" business district area, including most of La Jolla's shops and restaurants, and the immediately surrounding higher density and single family residential areas.

• Beach-Barber Tract - the coastal section from Windansea Beach to the Village. A few shops and restaurants along La Jolla Boulevard.

• Lower Hermosa - coastal strip south of Beach-Barber Tract. No businesses.

• Bird Rock - southern/coastal La Jolla, and the very lowest slopes of Mt Soledad in the area. Notable for shops and restaurants along La Jolla Boulevard, five traffic roundabouts on La Jolla Boulevard, coastal bluffs, and surfing areas just two blocks off the main drag.

• Muirlands - relatively large area on western middle slope of Mt. Soledad. No businesses.

• La Jolla Mesa - A strip on the lower southern side of Mt. Soledad, bordering Pacific Beach.

• La Jolla Alta - A master planned development east of La Jolla Mesa.

• Soledad South - Southeastern slopes of Mount Soledad, all the way up to the top, east of La Jolla Alta.

• Muirlands West - The neighborhood between Muirlands to the south, and Country Club - to the north.

• Upper Hermosa - North of Bird Rock, east of La Jolla Blvd.

• La Jolla Village - (not to be confused with the Village of La Jolla) - north-east of La Jolla, east of La Jolla Heights, west of I-5, and south of UCSD. This neighborhood's namesake, The La Jolla Village Square shopping and residential mall, including two movie theatres, is located here. It should be noted that The Village (of La Jolla) and La Jolla Village are not at all the same.

Community groups

• The La Jolla Community Planning Association advises the City Council, Planning Commission, City Planning Department as well as other Governmental agency as appropriate in the initial preparation, adoption of, implementation of, or amendment to the General or Community Plan as it pertains to the La Jolla area as well as review specific development proposals. The nonprofit La Jolla Town Council represents the interests of La Jolla businesses and residents that belong to the Council. The Bird Rock Community Council serves the Bird Rock neighborhood, while the La Jolla Shores Association serves the La Jolla Shores neighborhood.

• Community organizations include Independent La Jolla, a membership-based citizens group seeking to secede from the city of San Diego. Service clubs in La Jolla include Kiwanis, Rotary, La Jolla Woman's Club and the Social Service League of La Jolla to name a few.

Education

• UCSD's distinctive Geisel Library, named for Theodor Seuss Geisel ("Dr. Seuss") and featured in UCSD's logo.

 Higher education

• The University of California, San Diego is the center of higher education in La Jolla. The campus's original name was UC La Jolla before it was changed to UC San Diego. UCSD includes the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

• National University is also headquartered in La Jolla, with several academic campuses located throughout the county and the state. Among the several research institutes near UCSD and in the nearby Torrey Pines Science Park are The Scripps Research Institute, the Burnham Institute (formerly called the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation) and the Salk Institute.

Attractions and activities

La Jolla is the location of Torrey Pines Golf Course, site each January or February of a PGA Tour event formerly known as the Buick Invitational and now (since 2010) called the Farmers Insurance Open. In 2008, Torrey Pines also hosted the 2008 U.S. Open.

Nearby are the de facto nude beach, Black's Beach, and the Torrey Pines Gliderport.

Downtown La Jolla is noted for jewelry stores, boutiques, up market restaurants and hotels. Prospect Street and Girard Avenue are also shopping and dining districts.

Museum of Contemporary Art - La Jolla

The Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1941, is located just above the waterfront in what was originally the 1915 residence of philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. The museum has a permanent collection with more than 3,500 post-1950 American and European works, including paintings, works on paper, sculptures, photographic art, design objects and video works. The museum was renamed Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in 1990 to recognize its regional significance.

Beaches and ocean access include Windansea Beach, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Cove and Children's Pool Beach. For many years, La Jolla has been the host of a rough water swim at La Jolla Cove.

Landmarks

• Grande Colonial Hotel

• Wisteria Cottage, home of the La Jolla Historical Society

• La Valencia (Cabrillo) Hotel

• La Jolla Women's Club

• Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (Ellen Browning Scripps residence)

• The 12 Green Dragon Buildings

• Bed & Breakfast Inn at La Jolla

• The Bishop's School

• Mt. Soledad Memorial

Oscar Castillo 

BROKER - REALTOR®

(858) 775-1057

DRE# 01140298