Pacific Beach, San Diego

Before European contact, the area was settled by the Kumeyaay people, 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's development can be traced back to the completion of a cross-country railroad in 1885. The town developed 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.

File:Crystal Pier.jpg

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.{{cite book |last=Fetzer |first=Leland |date=2005 |title=San Diego County Place Names A to Z |location=San Diego |publisher=Sunbelt Publications |page=108 |quote=In 1869, the site of the district's first race track, Agricultural Park ... promoters founded Pacific Beach Subdivision in 1887. Here they erected the San Diego College of Letters ... When it failed, its buildings became the Hotel Balboa.}} 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 and a junior high in 1930. Crystal Pier construction in the 1920s shut down, and reopened in 1936. In 1927, Crystal Pier opened; the Roxy Movie theater opened in 1943 to cater to a population that grew five times during World War II. The postwar period saw the establishment of many hotels: the Bahia (1953), the Catamaran (1959), and Vacation Village (1965). High-rise construction in nearby Mission Bay led to the establishment of a 30-foot height limitation for buildings in 1972, an ordinance still in effect. Prominent boardwalk Ocean Avenue was closed in 1982 and became a park.

In 1902, lots sold for between $350–700 for oceanfront property. By 1950, the population of Pacific Beach reached 30,000 and the average home sold for $12,000.[http://www.welovepb.com/pbhistory.htm Pacific Beach and Mission Bay Visitor Center] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130105211554/http://www.welovepb.com/pbhistory.htm |date=2013-01-05 }} Nonetheless, a small number of farms remained. Today, homes can sell for millions of dollars.

Homelessness remains another pressing issue, Caryn Blanton highlighted, "There is no shelter and there is no housing right now. So what are we going to do as a community". According to the 2024 point-in-time count, in 2023 a 3% rise in homelessness affected the country with limited support. These challenges affect the community of Pacific Beach and its identity, as well as its adaptation to modern times. Long-term residents of Pacific Beach worry about the future, relating to drastic development plans and stress over the importance of homelessness.[https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2023/10/26/homelessness-concerns-raised-during-pacific-beach-town-council-meeting/]

In 1945, over 1,900 residents petitioned to remove the name of William Payne from the middle school because they did not believe that a black teacher deserved to be there. At the time, only two black families owned property in the neighborhood. In 2021, following a wave of name changes in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, San Diego Unified School Board voted to rename a joint-use field at the middle school after Payne and his wife Fannie.{{Cite web|last=Taketa|first=Kristen|date=2021-03-10|title=San Diego Unified changes name of Junipero Serra High School, removes conquistador mascot|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2021-03-09/san-diego-unified-changes-name-of-junipero-serra-high-school-conquistador-mascot-after-students-said-they-were|access-date=2021-03-10|website=San Diego Union-Tribune|language=en-US}}

The United States Navy operated an anti-aircraft training center at Pacific Beach during World War II.{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/USN-Act/CA.html|title=U.S. Naval Activities World War II by State|publisher=Patrick Clancey|access-date=2012-03-19}} During the 1960s, development continued to increase with the city's investment in Mission Bay Park, including the developments of the Islandia, Vacation Village and Hilton Hotels. In 1964, SeaWorld opened south of Pacific Beach.

The original name of this feature was "Bay Point" and today one may still find a USGS bench mark and associated RM (DC1025, DC1026 respectively) with that name there.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/datasheet.prl |title=NGS Datasheet Datasheet Page |access-date=2015-03-10 |archive-date=2014-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106055628/http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/datasheet.prl |url-status=dead }} The "Bay Point Formation" is the name of a local rock strata first found and described there.{{cite journal|url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/jpaleontol/article-abstract/33/4/685/79229/the-bay-point-formation-at-its-type-locality-calif|title=The Bay Point Formation at its type locality (Calif), (Part) 1 of Pleistocene molluscan notes|first=James William|last=Valentine|date=1 July 1959|journal=Journal of Paleontology|volume=33|issue=4|pages=685–688|access-date=15 April 2018|via=jpaleontol.geoscienceworld.org}}

File:Pacific Beach 5 2014-02-24.jpg

The beach stretches for miles from the Mission Bay jetty to the cliffs of La Jolla. The boardwalk, officially called Ocean Front Walk/Ocean Boulevard, is a pedestrian walkway that runs approximately 3.2 miles along the beach from the end of Law St. in the north down into Mission Beach, ending at the mouth of Mission Bay in the south. There are numerous local shops, bars, hotels, and restaurants along the boardwalk, and it is generally crowded with pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, skateboarders and shoppers. Adjacent to the boardwalk is the Crystal Pier, a public pier and hotel at the west end of Garnet Avenue. San Diego City Council banned the use of all electric-motor scooters in December 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/transportation/story/2019-12-16/san-diego-bans-e-scooters-along-the-boardwalk-from-mission-beach-to-la-jolla|title=San Diego bans e-scooters along the boardwalk from Mission Beach to La Jolla

|date=17 December 2019

|access-date=3 March 2020}}

File:Pacific Beach 9 2014-02-24.jpg

The streets in Pacific Beach were renamed several times before receiving their current designations in 1900.{{cite web|url=https://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/76spring/izard.htm|title=Locker, Z.B., "Whatever happened to Izard Street?" Journal of San Diego History, 1976|website=sandiegohistory.org|access-date=15 April 2018}}{{Cite book|title=A Short History of Pacific Beach|last=Fry|first=John|publisher=John Fry Productions|year=1987|location=Pacific Beach}} The primary north-south street running parallel to the beach is Mission Blvd., with the streets named after late 19th century federal officials, then incrementing in alphabetical order as they move further from the coast: Bayard, Cass, Dawes, Everts, Fanuel, Gresham, Haines, Ingraham, Jewell, Kendall, Lamont, Morrell, Noyes, Olney, Pendleton, Quincy, and Randall. Mission Boulevard was formerly Allison Street, being the "A" street of the series. Ingraham was initially named Broadway (1887), then was changed to Izard (1900), back to Broadway (1907) and finally settled as Ingraham Street in 1913.

The east-west streets are mostly named after precious stones. Starting at the north end of Mission Blvd. and heading south, the streets are:

• Agate
• Turquoise
• Sapphire
• Tourmaline - see Tourmaline Surfing Park
• Opal
• Loring
• Wilbur
• Beryl
• Law
• Chalcedony - pronounced locally "chal-SED-nee" or "CHAL-sə-doh-nee", unlike the stone: "kal-SED-n-ee"
• Missouri
• Diamond
• Emerald
• Felspar - an alternate spelling of "Feldspar" that has fallen out of use
• Garnet - pronounced locally with the second syllable accented, {{IPAc-en|ɡ|ɑr|ˈ|n|ɛ|t}}, unlike the pronunciation of the stone
• Hornblend - spelled differently from the mineral hornblende
• Grand
• Thomas
• Reed
• Oliver
• Pacific Beach Drive

File:Pacific Beach southwards.JPG

Pacific Beach has a semi-arid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk) with warm-summer Mediterranean characteristics. The sun shines more than 300 days each year in Pacific Beach, and rainfall averages less than 11 inches per year.

{{Weather box

| location = Pacific Beach, San Diego

| width = 50%

| single line = Y

| Jan high F = 65.6

| Feb high F = 65.7

| Mar high F = 65.8

| Apr high F = 68.3

| May high F = 69.0

| Jun high F = 71.0

| Jul high F = 74.5

| Aug high F = 76.0

| Sep high F = 75.5

| Oct high F = 72.6

| Nov high F = 69.1

| Dec high F = 65.2

| Jan record high F = 89

| Feb record high F = 91

| Mar record high F = 95

| Apr record high F = 99

| May record high F = 101

| Jun record high F = 103

| Jul record high F = 108

| Aug record high F = 104

| Sep record high F = 108

| Oct record high F = 107

| Nov record high F = 97

| Dec record high F = 87

| year record high F = 108

| year high F = 69.9

| Jan low F = 48.9

| Feb low F = 50.6

| Mar low F = 53.1

| Apr low F = 55.8

| May low F = 59.5

| Jun low F = 61.9

| Jul low F = 65.4

| Aug low F = 66.7

| Sep low F = 64.7

| Oct low F = 60.5

| Nov low F = 53.6

| Dec low F = 48.5

| Jan record low F = 30

| Feb record low F = 32

| Mar record low F = 39

| Apr record low F = 40

| May record low F = 47

| Jun record low F = 51

| Jul record low F = 57

| Aug record low F = 57

| Sep record low F = 54

| Oct record low F = 42

| Nov record low F = 36

| Dec record low F = 34

| year record low F = 30

| year low F = 57.4

| Jan precipitation inch = 2.24

| Feb precipitation inch = 2.08

| Mar precipitation inch = 2.12

| Apr precipitation inch = 0.73

| May precipitation inch = 0.21

| Jun precipitation inch = 0.09

| Jul precipitation inch = 0.03

| Aug precipitation inch = 0.10

| Sep precipitation inch = 0.22

| Oct precipitation inch = 0.39

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.04

| Dec precipitation inch = 1.27

| year precipitation inch = 10.51

| precipitation colour = green

| source = {{cite web|url=https://www.plantmaps.com/92109|title=Zipcode 92109|website=www.plantmaps.com|access-date=April 11, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/zip-code/california/san_diego/92109|title=Climate in Zip 92109|website=www.bestplaces.net|access-date=July 26, 2023}}

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| image1 = SurfPacificBeach.jpg

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In addition to bordering the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay Park, 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 a many-acre unmaintained area used for hiking and mountain biking. Fanuel Street Park is a popular bay-front park with playground equipment suitable for toddlers and school-age children. Rose Creek, which flows through Pacific Beach before emptying into Mission Bay, provides open space and a rich wetland area.

Pacific Beach is open to all surfers.{{Cite web|date=2019-09-05|title=Surf in San Diego: Why Surf Pacific Beach?|url=https://www.pacificsurf.org/surf-in-san-diego-why-surf-pacific-beach/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=San Diego Surf Lessons {{!}} All Ages Surfing School in San Diego 4 Beaches|language=en-US}} The level of difficulty is intermediate and can be surfed all year.{{Cite web|date=2016-04-22|title=Pacific Beach Surfing|url=https://rootsrated.com/san-diego-ca/surfing-windsurfing/pacific-beach-surfing|access-date=2021-10-05|website=RootsRated|language=en}} The south wind makes surfing best though in the fall and winter. Many surfers wear dry or wetsuits as the water is in the high 50s in the winter and high 60s to low 70s in the summer.{{Cite web|title=Pacific Beach Surf Report, Live Surf Cams & 16-Day Surf Forecast|url=https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/pacific-beach/5842041f4e65fad6a7708841|access-date=2021-10-05|website=Surfline|language=en-US}}

The nonprofit Pacific Beach Town Council promotes the area and organizes community events.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbtowncouncil.org/|title=Pacific Beach Town Council|website=www.pbtowncouncil.org|access-date=15 April 2018}} Save Pacific Beach is residents working together to better the community.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.savepb.org/about-us |website=Save Pacific Beach |access-date=9 August 2023}} The Pacific Beach Planning Group advises the city on land use and other issues.{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/pacificbeach/agendas.shtml|title=Pacific Beach Planning Group - City of San Diego Official Website|website=www.sandiego.gov|access-date=15 April 2018}} The Pacific Beach and Mission Bay Visitor Center provides information on the Pacific Beach Town Council, special events, lodging, dining, and Pacific Beach history. Service clubs include Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions Club, Girl Scouts, Pacific Beach Woman's Club,{{cite web|url=https://pbwomansclub.org/|title=Pacific Beach Woman's Club|website=www.pbwomansclub.org|access-date=1 January 2021}} Surf Club, Friends of the PB Library, PB Garden Club, and Toastmasters.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) have been practicing at a temple in Pacific Beach since 1977.{{Cite web |last=DeWyze |first=Jeannette |date=2006-08-03 |title=After 30 years, Reader writer revisits the Krishnas {{!}} San Diego Reader |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2006/aug/03/lion-shaped-means-wider-front/ |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=San Diego Reader |language=en}}

Pacific Beach public schools are part of San Diego Unified School District. They include Mission Bay High School, Pacific Beach Middle School, Pacific Beach Elementary, Kate Sessions Elementary, Barnard Elementary, and Crown Point Junior Music Academy .

Pacific Beach is serviced in print by the daily San Diego Union Tribune and the weekly Beach & Bay Press.

In John Dos Passos's The 42nd Parallel (1930), Fainy "Mac" McCreary briefly lives in a bungalow in Pacific Beach with his wife Maisie and their daughter Rose.

Love All You Have Left was filmed at a private residence in Pacific Beach.{{Cite web |last=Elling |first=Regina |date=2023-10-03 |title=Pacific Beach residents star in horror comedy perfect for Halloween |url=https://www.pbmonthly.net/news/story/2023-10-03/pacific-beach-residents-star-in-horror-comedy-perfect-for-halloween |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=PB Monthly |language=en-US}}

Pacific Beach is featured in the seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as the starting point of the Steel Ball Run race from San Diego to New York.https://jojowiki.com/SBR_Chapter_1

• Caroline Amiguet, actress
• Frank Bompensiero, mobster
• Vinny Curran, actor and co-owner of Thrusters Lounge
• Dinesh D’Souza, political commentator
• Mark Dice, a YouTuber
• Roger Guy English, businessman and world record holder
• Donna Frye, former city council representative and mayoral candidate
• Skip Frye, professional surfer
• Vic Fuentes, musician
• Adam Gnade, musician-novelist
• Tony Gwynn Jr., former outfielder in the MLB
• Robert Hays, actor, known for role in Airplane
• Mark Whitney Mehran Owner of Hotrodsurf
• Kate Sessions, Landscape Architect
• Pauly Shore, actor, former MTV host
• Eddie Vedder, musician

File:Crystal Pier PB Sunset.jpg|The Crystal Pier at sunset

File:Pacific Beach Crystal Pier.JPG|Pacific Beach looking north, Crystal Pier in the distance

File:Pacific Beach Surfer.jpg|Surfers at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, California.

{{Wikivoyage|San Diego/Mission Beach-Pacific Beach|Mission Beach & Pacific Beach}}

{{commons category|Pacific Beach, San Diego}}

• Tourmaline Surfing Park at the north end of Pacific Beach
• List of beaches in San Diego County
• List of California state parks

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{{Neighborhoods of San Diego}}

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Category:Beaches of Southern California

Category:Entertainment districts in California

Category:Neighborhoods in San Diego

Category:Populated coastal places in California

Category:Restaurant districts and streets in the United States

Category:Beaches of San Diego County, California