About La Jolla's Mt. Soledad

The Mount Soledad Cross- La Jolla, California

I just conducted a La Jolla home inspection not far from the Mount Soledad cross and War Memorial. After finishing the inspection, I took a few moments to stop at the site and take in the beautiful vistas of the surrounding terrain. It is one of my favorite places to visit in San Diego!

Mount Soledad stands at 822 feet above sea level. From the top, there is a stunning 360-degree view: La Jolla shores, Scripps pier, Mission Bay, the Coronado bridge, the skyline of downtown San Diego, and the northern and southern shorelines can all be seen. And, of course, there is always an abundance of fresh ocean air and drenching California sunshine!

Atop Mt. Soledad sits the 43-foot concrete Mount Soledad cross and War Veteran's Memorial. It was erected in the early 1950's in memory of our Korea War veterans. The site has since evolved into a standing testament to all American war heroes and the unending commit of our military to defend freedom. There are approximately 2700 plaques at the Memorial’s base, featuring photos and name engravings of war veterans.

The next time you visit San Diego, be sure to stop by and see the Mount Soledad cross and War Memorial in La Jolla!

Steve Stenros is the owner/inspector of First Choice Inspections. Besides La Jolla home inspections, Steve also serves all other regions in San Diego county, as well as Orange and Riverside counties. He holds certifications as a CREIA MCI and ICC home inspector, and is a Level 1 Infrared Thermographer. Clients receive a FREE lifetime appliance RecallChek with every standard home inspection. Inspection appointments can be obtained by calling 888-335-3040.

Originally posted at First Choice Inspections.

The Mount Soledad Cross- La Jolla, California

Mount Soledad overlooks La Jolla and is home to the Mount Soledad Cross.  The land and the cross have experienced a long term controversy over the involvement of religion in government.  The cross was erected in 1954 and is 43 feet tall including the base and 29 feet across.  According to Wikipedia, there were three other crosses on the site before this final one.  The first cross was erected by private citizens from La Jolla and Pacific Beach in 1913 and was stolen in 1923.  Replaced, it was allegedly burned down by the Ku Klux Klan.  The second cross was erected in 1934 by a private group of Protestant Christians from La Jolla and Pacific Beach, but was blown down by strong winds in 1952.  The third cross was installed in 1954, but stormy winds damaged the 29 foot cross and it was replaced with the one standing today. 

In 1989, the City of San Diego was sued, charging that the cross violated the California Constitution and the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  In 1998 the City of San Diego sold the cross and the land it stands on to the nonprofit Mount Soledad Memorial Association and the site became the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial.  Over the last 20+ years there have been many federal and state court delays, rulings against the cross, and finally in 2008 the U.S. Federal Judge ruled, "The Court finds the memorial at Mt. Soledad, including its Latin cross, communicates the primarily non-religious messages of military service, death and sacrifice.  As such, despites its location on public land, the memorial is Constitutional."  The ACLU has appealed the decision and the case is now with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal. 

The views of San Diego from this site are stunning with 360 degree views of ocean, city, mountains, bays and even to the hills of Tijuana, Mexico.  The memorial is equally impressive with loved ones displaying, with pride, pictures and military records of those brave men and women who honored us with their military service.

For me, Mount Soledad is a place for quiet reflection of what is our past, our present and our future, and is truly an inspirational place to visit...

Mount Soledad La Jolla San Diego CA

Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial is located in La Jolla in San Diego California. Mount Soledad is part of the Federal Government and the Department of Defense. Mount Soledad has some of the best views in San Diego County and has a panoramic 360 degree view of the San Diego Coast to the San Diego Mountains. The Mt. Soledad viewpoint is over 800 feet above sea level and if you are visiting San Diego or if you live in San Diego this is a must see.

The history of Mount Soledad began in 1914 when it became a Memorial Park. In the 1920's the Lindbergh boys used the mountain for glider flights. The Mt. Soledad Memorial is now managed by Commander, Navy Region Southwest located in San Diego, California.

Here are some videos of the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial

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Posted in La Jolla, Central Coastal, Blogroll

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. It’s a great place to visit on a clear (or relatively clear) day, and folks who live in the area often bring their out of town guests for a tour. Sunsets are spectacular, unless you have a marine layer roll 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:

• 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 JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2007 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits