Sunset Cliffs is an affluent coastal community in the

Point Loma Point Loma (Spanish: ''Punta de la Loma'', meaning "Hill Point"; Kumeyaay: ''Amat Kunyily'', meaning "Black Earth") is a seaside community within the city of San Diego, California. Geographically it is a hilly peninsula that is bordered on the w ...

community of

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It is bordered by the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

on the west, Ocean Beach on the north, Catalina Blvd. and Santa Barbara St. on the east, and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park on the south. The area is named for the sheer cliffs which border the ocean. There are surfing spots below the cliffs. The cliffside trails are popular for walking and for watching the sunset, but are undeveloped and can be dangerous. Falls from the cliffs have resulted in deaths and injuries. The main street of the area is Sunset Cliffs Blvd. The neighborhood is almost entirely residential, with curved contour-following streets and custom homes. A small commercial strip is found along the northern end of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. running into Ocean Beach. The area contains Sunset View Elementary School, part of the

San Diego City Schools San Diego Unified School District (formerly known as San Diego City Schools) is the school district based in San Diego, California, United States. It was founded in 1854. As of 2005 it represents over 200 institutions and has over 15,800 employee ...

, as well as a private elementary/middle school called Warren-Walker School.

History

American Kumeyaay Indians used to travel through Sunset Cliffs to gather seafood from the intertidal areas on the beach below the cliffs. They also gathered various forms of plant life in the area. During the 1915

Panama–California Exposition The Panama–California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California, between January 1, 1915, and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first United ...

Albert Spalding Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...

developed the Linear Section of the cliffs. He spent around $2 million to hire Japanese architects to construct bridges, trails, benches and a stairway into the ocean. Spalding called his estate Sunset Cliffs Park, which then lent its name to the neighborhood. In 1925, John P. Mills bought the property and surrounding area and developed it into a residential neighborhood. Mills spent approximately $1 million to restore the features created by Spalding. Later the City of San Diego acquired the Spalding property from Mills and turned the coastal strip into a city park. The creations Spalding built were affected by the weather and wave action and eventually eroded. After the features had deteriorated significantly the city deemed the area unsafe and removed all the creations Spalding constructed.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a city park adjacent to the Pacific Ocean on the western edge of Point Loma. It includes the entire strip of land immediately adjacent to the ocean, between the water and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, as well as a larger area of undeveloped park and nature preserve on the south side of the area. It was dedicated in 1983. It stretches from Adair Street to Ladera Street. This coastal strip is connected to the Point Loma Reserve. The park includes carved coastal bluffs, arches and sea caves. From the cliffs, the California gray whale can be seen migrating annually from the Bering Sea to

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. The park is a popular place to view the sunset, hence the name.

Luscombs Point

The Luscomb Point area, at the end of Hill Street, is named after Happy Luscomb, a local resident who often surfed the area. Luscomb point is a popular location for weddings and sunset viewing.

In popular culture

The Inn at Sunset Cliffs is the filming location for the Mars' residence in ''

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series pr ...

''. ''

Friend of the World ''Friend of the World'' is a 2020 American independent black-and-white film written and directed by Brian Patrick Butler in his feature film debut, starring Nick Young and Alexandra Slade. The surreal experimental film takes place post-apocalyp ...

'' was filmed at Sunset Cliffs, resembling a juxtaposition to a modern era.

References

{{Neighborhoods of San Diego Neighborhoods in San Diego Point Loma, San Diego