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Point Loma/Harbor Island/Shelter Island Guide
A Surfer Carves Into a Wave
A Dog Receives a Pat on the Head
Point Loma is a neighborhood of dramatic contrasts encompassing at least four distinct districts. Up on The Point are beautiful, multi-million dollar mansions. Down by The Midway you'll find seedy strip shows. On the Ocean Beach side, surf pounds the rugged coastline, while The Harbor side is a safe haven for yachts.
A peninsula jutting into the sea, it's easy to think of Point Loma as a dead end - "land's end" in fact. But, as the site where San Diego was discovered in the first place, it seems more appropriate to consider Point Loma as a starting point - the start of a new land, a new dream, a new way of looking at things. And that's just the place to start your own exploration of San Diego, with a voyage around Point Loma.
Cruising around
For starters, take "the high road" and take a ride out Catalina Boulevard to Cabrillo Memorial Drive. You'll pass through the Fort Rosecrans Military Reserve and National Cemetery with its orderly rows of grave markers commemorating soldiers lost in battle and sailors lost at sea. At the end of the road, on a promontory high above the water, three inspiring sights await you at the Cabrillo National Monument (619-557-5450). The first is the Cabrillo Monument itself, a simple statue honoring the momentous occasion in 1542 when European explorers discovered San Diego Harbor and set foot on the West Coast of what would later become the United States. The second is the historic, 150 year old Point Loma Lighthouse that guided ships safely home from the sea. But the most worthwhile reason to make the trip to the tip, is the spectacular 360 degree view. To the north, miles of white, sandy, San Diego beach. To the west, open ocean stretching to the horizon. To the east, sailboats racing in the protected waters of San Diego Bay. To the south, the Downtown San Diego skyline, Coronado Island and Mexico beyond.
You'll have to backtrack to Hill Street to reach "the low road" - also known as Sunset Cliffs Blvd. - that will carry you to Ocean Beach. In the 60's, Ocean Beach used to be a hippy community of sorts, and as the Aquarian generation matured so has the neighborhood. But O.B. has retained the best and hippest aspects of its old, free-thinking atmosphere and you'll find a refreshing mix of responsible real estate remodeling combined with simplified lifestyles and social liberation.
Continuing your circumnavigation of the Point Loma Peninsula, take West Point Loma Blvd. to Sports Arena Blvd. This primarily commercial area of town is known as The Midway District or Loma Portal. If you need to buy hardware, gardening supplies, sporting goods, stereo equipment, discount clothing or anything of that nature, The Midway is a good place to find it. The Sports Arena complex hosts everything from hometown hockey games to high-profile rock concerts. Swap meets are held in the parking lot on weekends, and many of the surrounding stores seem to hold perpetual sales in answer to the bargain-minded clientele that frequent the area.
Take Sports Arena Blvd. to Rosecrans Street to complete your circuit. Rosecrans leads you past the new planned residential communities around the Airport, to North Harbor Drive and the Harbor Island and Shelter Island yacht harbors. Here you'll find shipyards and marinas, tackle shops and marine supplies, every conceivable need to serve San Diego's voracious boating community. Racing enthusiasts will enjoy the daily spectacle of America's Cup Class sailboats training offshore, while hands-on seafarers can book fishing trips, whale-watching tours and harbor cruises at Fisherman's Landing (619-221-8500), Point Loma Sportfishing (619-223-1627) or any of a dozen other private charter operations in The Harbor area.
Inside tips
Geographically speaking, Ocean Beach is a simple place to figure out. All the stores and restaurants are centralized along Newport Avenue and down around the beach by the foot of the Municipal Pier. Take a stroll out to the end of the Pier on a stormy winter's day, and watch the surfers battle the sea from the comfort of an indoor cafe, or join a beach volleyball game in the midsummer sun.
With its close proximity to the Airport, it comes as no surprise that there are a large number and variety of hotels in the vicinity of Point Loma's Harbor District, especially on Harbor Island. And, with its large population of sailors, it's also no surprise that there are a wide array of bars and restaurants in the area, particularly in and around Shelter Island. Check out Humphrey's summer concert series, where you're certain to find one of your favorite artists on the bill (800-542-7400).
For shoppers, the best prices and selection on everyday items can be found in the Midway District around the Sports Arena, while the most unusual merchandise is on offer in Ocean Beach. In fact, O.B. is the perfect place to shop for old-school surf gear or new-age novelties, buy take-out junk food or sample exotic health foods. In the Harbor area, try Seabreeze Books, where you'll find a small, but outstanding selection of nautical books and by-products to inspire your own adventurous spirit.
Experienced surfers will like the challenging reefbreaks along Sunset Cliffs, and skaters will enjoy the public skateboard park by the soccer fields in Ocean Beach. Also in O.B., check out Dog Beach, where our four-legged friends can mingle freely with their own kind. The beaches on the Harbor side aren't really suitable for swimming but they're great for jogging. There are excellent tide pools to explore below the lighthouse at the west end of Point Loma and, in the winter, you stand a good chance of spotting Gray Whales here.
Point Loma isn't land's end at all; it's a beginning, the start of great adventures and new discoveries during your stay in San Diego.
Getting there
From the North and East: Take I-8 West, which turns into Sunset Cliffs Blvd. For Point Loma, exit on Rosecrans. Follow Rosecrans for about 2.5 miles to Fenelon Street.
From the South: Take 5 FWY north to Hawthorn St. Exit toward the airport, turn right onto N. Harbor Dr. Continue until Rosecrans St. and turn left.
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San Diego Neighborhood Guide
