Pacific Beach is a neighborhood in San Diego, California, bounded by La Jolla to the north, Mission Beach and Mission Bay to the south, Interstate 5 to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. While formerly largely populated by young people, surfers, and college students, the population is gradually becoming older and more affluent because of rising property and rental costs. “P.B.,” as residents know it, is home to one of San Diego’s more developed nightlife scenes, with a great variety of bars, eateries, and clothing stores located along Garnet Avenue and Mission Boulevard.
Before European contact, the Kumeyaay people settled the area, who built a large village then known as Hamo, or Jamo, on the banks of Rose Creek at the entrance of Rose Canyon. As with many California cities, the history of San Diego, CA’s development can be traced back to the completion of a cross-country railroad in 1885. During the boom years between 1886 and 1888 by D. C. Reed, A. G. Gassen, Charles W. Pauley, R. A. Thomas, and O. S. Hubbell. It was Hubbell who “cleared away the grainfields, pitched a tent, mapped out the lots, hired an auctioneer, and started to work.” A railway connected Pacific Beach with downtown San Diego starting in 1889 and was extended to La Jolla in 1894.
Early landmarks and attractions in Pacific Beach included an asbestos factory (established in 1888), a race track, and the San Diego College of Letters (1887-1891), none of which survive today. At the turn of the century, lemon growing and packing dominated the local economy. In 1910, the San Diego Army and Navy Academy, a preparatory school, was established in an old College building; in 1922, a public high school followed a junior high in 1930.
Parks and Recreation
Pacific Beach includes Kate Sessions Park and the Pacific Beach Recreation Center. Kate Sessions Park has a playground, a large lawn with ocean views, and many acres of the unmaintained area used for hiking and mountain biking. Fanuel Street Park is a popular bay-front park with playground equipment suitable for toddler and school-age children. Rose Creek, which flows through Pacific Beach before emptying into Mission Bay, provides open space and a rich wetland area. EZ San Diego Junk Removal
Surfing
Pacific Beach is open to all surfers. The level of difficulty is intermediate and can be surfed all year. However, the south wind makes surfing best in the fall and winter. Many surfers wear dry, or wetsuits as the waters are in the high 50s in the winter and high 60s to low 70s in the summer.
Check out other neighborhoods like Point Loma