San Diego Real Estate Blog

La Jolla, the infamous collection of affluent neighborhoods that make up a 7-mile slice of beautiful curving coastlines and hilly streets, lays just north of San Diego proper. Along with boasting some of the most gorgeous beaches on the west coast, La Jolla is home to world renowned restaurants like George’s at the Cove and is dotted with some truly astounding architecture and luxury housing. All of these traits, and endless things to do, make La Jolla a very desirable place to live if one has the means to do so.

Real Estate

Located just around 20 minutes north of San Diego, all the conveniences of the city are just a short drive away while still being distant enough that La Jolla holds onto its relaxed So-Cal beach-town vibe. However, living in La Jolla, otherwise known as the jewel of San Diego, comes with quite a hefty price tag. The median home value in La Jolla is $1,682,900, which is almost 1.5 million dollars more than the national median home value of $200,000. This means that the price per square foot in La Jolla is around the ballpark of $797, well above the average per square foot cost of San Diego, which is around $448. That said, this price tag comes with unparalleled luxury.

Activities and Attractions

The coastline of La Jolla is exceptionally diverse. From smooth, golden sandy beaches, to high cliffs overlooking the shores, to La Jolla’s infamous secluded sea caves carved by thousands of years of gentle tide, it is near impossible to grow bored of this small slice of tranquil opulence. 

La Jolla Cove is perhaps the best-known section of the coastline; it is a deep-water bay enclosed by sea caves that is either accessible by foot or via kayak. The cove is home to colorful and vibrant wildlife, making it the perfect place for snorkeling.

Ellen Browning Scripps Park is another popular hang-out spot in La Jolla and is widely considered one of the most photographed locations in all of San Diego. This is no doubt due to the three different beaches it overlooks, making it an ideal spot for watching beautiful California sunsets.

The beaches and parks aren’t the only source of entertainment in La Jolla. If sports, and in particular, horse racing is more your speed, head thirty minutes north of La Jolla to the Del Mar Racetrack. Every racing season, this venue hosts thousands of fans from San Diego and elsewhere, but also serves as a space for great summer concerts and festivals.

La Jolla is also a small haven of arts and culture, being home to a slew of galleries, museums such as the La Jolla branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and historic sites and organizations like the La Jolla Historical Society and the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library.

Living and working in the Jewel of San Diego

If you have the means to buy or rent property in La Jolla, it is a fantastic place to live, work and play. However, if you are just working there, it might be more financially prudent to commute from San Diego, which has a considerably lower cost of living.

A big reason La Jolla is such a sought-after area to live is the schools. La Jolla is home to many high ranking public and private schools, from preschool the high school. The relatively small class sizes and many of the school’s close proximity to residential neighborhoods make La Jolla an ideal and safe place for families to live.

On top of that, there are a handful of notable Colleges and Universities in and shortly outside of La Jolla, such as the University of Notre Dame, The University of California – San Diego, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Indeed, La Jolla, California, has a little bit of everything. Beautiful homes, great food and entertainment, top notch schools, and vibrant arts and culture all encapsulated by diverse and pristine coastal shorelines. Even if relocating there permanently is outside your price range, it well worth a visit.