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La Playa
a walking tour by Carol Mendel
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The special charm of La Playa lies in its quiet, elegant serenity. Its homes, whether built in the 1920's or the 21st Century, reflect the pride and care of their owners. Its lawns and gardens are beautifully kept, and unlike most areas of San Diego, it is blessed with many trees. Although only a few minutes from downtown, La Playa provides a sanctuary from the noise and bustle of city life. A walk along its beach and its tree-shaded streets is a rewarding and relaxing experience.
Distance: Two miles. Time: An hour
MAP of the walking tour
Terms of Use
Begin your walk through residential La Playa at the corner of Scott and Bessemer Streets.
Bessemer Street is the sole reminder of what was once to be a steel plant on Point Loma. In 1889, a Pittsburgh steel magnate decided that Point Loma would make a good spot for his West Coast operations. The ore would be brought up for processing from Baja California, Mexico. But before operations ever got beyond turning out a few nails, he died. His successors, deciding that Point Loma was not a good location after all, closed the plant.
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At that time the San Diego economy was based on cattle-raising, and La Playa was the center of the hide and tallow trade. Along the shoreline, hot beef fat was being converted into tallow in large iron kettles. Hides were being soaked in San Diego Bay, pickled in vats of concentrated brine, and then stretched out to dry in the sun. Inventories of cattle hides and tallow were stored in crudely built warehouses along the shore. The hides awaited the ships that would carry them to the East Coast to be converted into shoe leather; the tallow awaited the ships that would carry it to Mexico and Peru to be turned into candles.
Later in the century, whaling became an important Point Loma enterprise. On Ballast Point, two miles south of La Playa, bubbling try-pots rendered blubber into whale oil (to be sold for lamp fuel) and men bundled and stored whalebones (to be sold for corset stays).
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When you reach San Elijo Street you are entering the most secluded section of La Playa.
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Turn right at Owen Street, then left at San Elijo Street. This block of San Elijo is steep, but it makes possible the fantastic views along the rest of the walk.
San Elijo Street stops at Rogers Street, but a footpath on city-owned land takes you across to Armada Terrace. To find the footpath, walk up the driveway to your left about ten yards, and you will see the footpath on your right.
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Enjoy this walking tour?
Check out the others in this series Balboa Park Cabrillo National Monument Downtown San Diego The Embarcadero La Jolla La Playa Mission Bay Park Mission Beach Old Town Shelter Island Sunset Cliffs |
Enjoy full-color illustrated maps? Check out the ones below. Some can be purchased as laminated maps, some as folded maps, some as wooden trays, and some as all three. San Diego Los Angeles Palm Springs Santa Barbara San Francisco Bay Area Las Vegas Salt Lake City Oregon Washington DC |
