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Renting an Apartment in La Jolla
What You Should Know
La Jolla is a beach community comprising 42,808 residents within the city of
San Diego, California. Pronounced "la-HOY-ah" (which is based on "La Joya",
Spanish for "The Jewel") it is often referred to as the "Jewel by the Sea". La
Jolla borders Pacific Beach to the south and extends north to Torrey Pines State
Reserve and Del Mar, California. Along the way it encompasses neighborhoods like
Bird Rock, Windansea, The Village of La Jolla (including "downtown La Jolla"),
La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Farms, Torrey Pines, Mount Soledad and La Jolla
Village (including La Jolla Village Square). Interstate 5 forms La Jolla's
man-made border to the east, with the minor exception of some University of
California, San Diego and commercial property east of I-5 and north of La Jolla
Village Drive also considered by some to be part of La Jolla. Alternatively, the
name is thought by some to derive from an indigenous Native American word
(either Diegue�o or La Jollan culture) meaning "the cave", derived from the once
extensive number of caves in the hills along the shoreline. Most of these have
since either collapsed due to ongoing erosion, or have been intentionally
destroyed by local authorities to prevent the drownings that were once frequent
occurrences.
Identity
La Jolla residents and business owners often refer to the "village" or "town" of
La Jolla. The official postal address for La Jolla's 92037 zip code is "La
Jolla", not "San Diego" as it is for most communities within the City of San
Diego. This distinction sometimes confuses tourists into believing that La Jolla
is actually a separate city, which it is not. It is a community of the City of
San Diego. La Jolla has several community groups which work to unify the voice
of the community, including the non-profit La Jolla Town Council organization
which represents the interests of the La Jolla businesses that belong to the
Council. The USS La Jolla, a nuclear submarine, is named in its honor.
Landscape
With its palm-lined streets, large estate homes, and Mediterranean climate and
atmosphere, La Jolla is reminiscent of a southern European village with touches
of Beverly Hills along the upscale retail shops on Prospect Street. Much of La
Jolla's natural charm stems from the presence of the ocean and Mount Soledad.
Narrow curvy roads follow the contours of Soledad and hundreds of homes
overlooking the ocean are nestled on the slopes. The sandy beaches, dotting the
coastline extend from the south to the north, are Windansea Beach, La Jolla
Cove, La Jolla Beach and Tennis property, La Jolla Shores, Scripps, and Black's
Beach (leading up to Torrey Pines State Reserve).
Education
The University of California, San Diego (including the Scripps Institution of
Oceanography and the San Diego Supercomputer Center) is the center of higher
education in La Jolla. National University is also headquartered in La Jolla.
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. The
town's prep schools are La Jolla Country Day School, The Bishop's School, and
The Preuss School UCSD. The public high school, La Jolla High School, is in the
San Diego City Schools district. It is home to several famous alumni, including
Gregory Peck and Raquel Welch.
Literary La Jolla
Theodor Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, was a resident of La Jolla at the time
of his death in 1991. Unlike many celebrities, his address and phone number used
to be listed in the local phone book. In fact, the main library at the
University of California, San Diego, is dedicated to him. Raymond Chandler, an
early influential noir novelist, moved to La Jolla late in his career. He died
there 13 years later, but not before delivering a bleak aphorism about
then-stuffy La Jolla, "A nice place -- for old people and their parents."
The title article in Tom Wolfe's The Pump House Gang is about a group of surfers
from Windansea Beach in La Jolla who "attended the Watts riots as if it were the
Rose Bowl game in Pasadena." (see [1] for an excerpt)
Novelist Anne Rice moved from New Orleans to La Jolla in 2005.
Attractions and activities
La Jolla is also the location of Torrey Pines Golf Course, made famous by the
PGA TOUR Buick Invitational held there each February (in 2005, the competition
was held in January). Down the steep cliffs from the Salk Institute and the
Torrey Pines Golf Course is the famous de facto nude beach, Black's Beach.
Walking along the beach at all times (but especially at sunset) is popular
recreation. Those ambling along may be able to glimpse the "Green Flash."
Downtown La Jolla is noted for its jewelry stores, upmarket restaurants and
hotels. Prospect Street and Girard Avenue also have several famous boutiques and
restaurants (including local favorites, such as the Girard Gourmet and Harry's
Coffee Shop). Notable for its architectural and historical presence is the La
Valencia Hotel, which used to welcome movie stars on retreat from Hollywood
during the silent film era.
In recent years, harbor seals have taken over the Children's Beach, a quaint
man-made cove near downtown. The seals are protected animals under federal law,
so removing them has become a difficult and controversial issue. As of now, the
beach is open; the rope is down. However, harassment of the animals is
prohibited; swimming is allowed but not recommended.
Skimboarding and Surfing are very popular at many of La Jolla's world-famous
beaches including Windansea and the People's Wall.
Origin and pronunciation
The area was known as La Jolla Park at least as early as 1886. The origin of the
name is obscure. It is pronounced "Lah HOY-Ya," not "Lah Ho-Ya" as it should be
in Spanish. Some say it is a corruption of ahoy, called out by sailors seeking
the attention of people on the shore. The people of La Jolla claim it is a
misspelling of La Joya, meaning "The Jewel" in Spanish. Perhaps the most-likely,
although least-glamorous, theory is that La Jolla is a corruption of the Native
American word "Woholle," meaning "hole in the mountain," referring to the caves
in the north-facing cliffs next to La Jolla Cove Park.
Notable residents of La Jolla
* Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss,
called La Jolla home until his death in 1991 (see Literary La Jolla above).
* Actors Gregory Peck, Cliff Robertson and Raquel Welch have also called La
Jolla home, as have musician Michael Franks and the Hearst family.
* Sportscaster Dick Enberg lives in La Jolla.
* Rolf Benirschke, an NFL placekicker, attended high school in La Jolla.
* NFL quarterback Doug Flutie makes his home in La Jolla.
* Novelist Anne Rice, author of Interview With the Vampire, moved to La Jolla
from the New Orleans area in March 2005.[2]
* Rock guitarist Warren DeMartini of the metal band Ratt attended high school in
La Jolla
* V. Alexander Stefan, founder of The Stefan University (and The Institute for
Advanced Physics Studies), research physicist, educator, fine art painter,
writer - author of Doctor Faustef.
* Until recently, Deepak Chopra ran his Center for Well Being in La Jolla.
* Kary Mullis, a biochemist and surfer from La Jolla, invented PCR (polymerase
chain reaction) a very important procedure employed in genetic engineering and
forensic science, for which he won the Nobel Prize.
* Armi Kuusela, winner of the first Miss Universe beauty pageant, back in 1952,
lives in La Jolla with her husband, Albert Williams.
* Many of the Forbes 400 Richest Americans live in La Jolla, including Irwin and
Joan Jacobs, Margaret Anne Cargill, David C. Copley, and Audrey Geisel (the
widow of Theodore Geisel/Dr. Seuss)
* Ellen Browning Scripps, philanthropist, founder of Scripps Institute of
Oceanography and Scripps College
* Carl Rogers, eminent American psychologist.