Mt. Soledad in La Jolla is a fascinating place to visit for a visual perspective on the San Diego area.
With views extending 30 miles or more in all directions, one really gains a better idea of the diversity of the San Diego landscape, as well as a bird’s eye view of La Jolla itself…considered “the Jewel” of Southern California.
Mt. Soledad is a great place to visit on a clear (or relatively clear) day, and residents who live in the area often bring their out of town guests for a tour. Sunsets are spectacular, unless you have a marine layer rolling in.
The Mt. Soledad Cross and War Memorial at the summit have provided lots of controversy over the years, which continues today. Read: Controversial Landmark in La Jolla
Mt. Soledad is the location of many of La Jolla’s most expensive homes, in part due to the amazing views of down town and the ocean. The area, however, has suffered landslides over the years, including the recent past in the fall of 2007. There is still some controversy over what caused this most recent problem, and repairs are still on-going (1 home was destroyed, 5 were damaged, multiple homes were evacuated).
There are several radio and television transmitters atop Mt. Soledad as well – stations 8 and 10 (CBS and ABC affiliates). They can be seen for miles, and from up top look a bit odd with multi-million dollar mansions scattered about.
If you are a bike rider, the challenge of riding up the hill from down below may be your thing. It’s not quite the Alps, but the ride up Via Capri on the north side is pretty impressive and difficult (shorter but much steeper than the route up from the south – there’s a sign for trucks stating 15% grade). The drive up in your car may be more your style, and the views are terrific no matter how you approach the summit.
VIDEO of Mt. Soledad views (Part 1)
VIDEO of Mt. Soledad views (Part 2)
LA JOLLA REAL ESTATE
If you are interested in La Jolla real estate, here’s some information to help you out. La Jolla is one of the most expensive communities in San Diego County, so prices are high, but the ocean views from many homes are gorgeous…there’s a cost to living in paradise. The village is very upscale with lots of high-end boutiques, restaurants and galleries.
Read: La Jolla Real Estate for general information about the community
Some things to know about current La Jolla real estate prices (at the time of this article):
- There are 212 detached homes on the market as of the beginning of June 2008, priced from $645,000 to $39,000,000. The average price per SF is $1060/SF (with so many multimillion dollar homes this is not a surprise)
- There are 235 attached homes in La Jolla on the market ranging in price from $219,000 to $8,900.000 (with an average price per SF of $633/SF).
- Luxury homes in La Jolla (using the top 10% as a guideline) start at about $8 million.
- There are 16 homes currently priced at $10 million or above
- 100 homes have sold in the last 6 months with an average marketing time of 78 days
- The median price of a detached home, based on the last 6 months of sales, is $1,784,000, up 7% from 1 year ago
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If I can provide more information about La Jolla, Encinitas, Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360
or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com.
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