San Diego/La Jolla

La Jolla (pronounced: La HOY-yah) is an upscale beach neighborhood of 48,000 people (2010) in San Diego that, while part of the city, is often viewed as its own distinct community. La Jolla is home to the University of California, San Diego campus, beautiful beaches, and gorgeous scenery. Fans of brutalist architecture will not want to miss two of the world's most significant works in that style, the Geisel Library at UCSD and the Salk Institute.

By car
La Jolla is off the I-5 freeway, north of downtown San Diego and Pacific Beach. There are several ways to get there:


 * La Jolla Parkway to Torrey Pines Road from I-5 North (there is no exit to La Jolla Parkway from southbound I-5) or westbound State Route 52
 * Northbound Mission Boulevard and La Jolla Boulevard from Pacific Beach
 * Southbound Torrey Pines Road from Del Mar
 * Westbound La Jolla Village Drive to southbound Torrey Pines Road from southbound or northbound I-5. La Jolla Village Drive from I-5 can also get you to University City (east), or UCSD (west).

By public transit
San Diego's public transit outfit, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), operates a small hub of bus routes at the UTC shopping mall in University City. Route 30 serves the La Jolla village, connecting to Pacific Beach and Old Town to the south (as well as Downtown on weekdays) and UCSD and UTC to the east, stopping within walking distance of many of La Jolla's attractions, such as the Cove and the Birch Aquarium. North County Transit District's Route 101 serves UTC and UCSD and runs north on Torrey Pines Road and up the coast of Northern San Diego County, connecting to Torrey Pines State Park and other destinations around there.

Get around
When you're in the La Jolla "village" area (near the Cove), the best way to get around is not to drive. This area is dense enough that you can easily walk, bike, or roller skate around the neighborhood. Plus, parking can get a little difficult to find, so once you get a spot you might not want to risk losing it.

For the areas of La Jolla outside the "village", such as around UCSD or Torrey Pines, a car will be the easiest way to get around due to the distances and hilly terrain of the surrounding area.

See

 * Be sure to see the, named for the noted author Theodore Geisel (you may know him as Dr. Seuss!) This library is truly outstanding and looks a bit like a giant UFO. Seeing it at dusk is preferable, when the lights are on and the spaceship look is complete. On one side of the library, a sidewalk paved to look like a giant snake brings you down to a sculpture of a book. The floors in the library are quieter as you go higher up, with almost zero tolerance for noise on the eighth floor. The building's design was used for the snow fortress set at the end of the 2010 science fiction film Inception.
 * Also look for some of the campus artwork, such as, which is a realistic sculpture of stonehenge, and the , which is bright, flamboyant and huge, but somehow camouflaged in a dark lawn.
 * There's also a Che Cafe and Porter's Pub, which should entertain some amount of counterculture. Next to Porter's Pub there's an outside glass blowing facility attached to a coffee shop, so you can sip coffee while watching people blowing glass. Adjacent to that is a blacksmith and pottery workshop.
 * UCSD also has many food joints, dining halls and restaurants that are open to the public. Be sure to hop into the Price Center, which is very close to the Geisel Library and Gilman Drive. There you will find a Burger King, a Subway, Round Table Pizza, Bombay Coast, Rubio's and more.
 * UCSD offers tours for prospective students Monday through Saturday, as well as visitor tours most Sundays.
 * UCSD offers tours for prospective students Monday through Saturday, as well as visitor tours most Sundays.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve


A 2000-acre reserve consisting of a plateau with steep cliffs overlooking small canyons and the beautiful Torrey Pines State Beach. There are a number of hiking and beach-access trails, and a variety of wild flora and fauna, including the rare Torrey Pine tree, for which the park is named. There's also a wide variety of animals. Rabbits, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, hawks, hummingbirds, and owls are all a part of the landscape, so sightings are common -- especially as sunset approaches. From agave and freesia, to sage and strand, visitors will also see plenty of wildflowers and plant life along the way.

There is a visitors center with a small museum on top of the plateau. Here you can pick up a map, check out a few exhibits, and gather any information that you may need before preparing for a hike down to the beach. The hike down from the visitor center offers excellent views of the ocean, but there are several other trails, such as the Broken Hill Trail, leading to the beach also with great views of the ocean - if you're lucky, you may spot Gray Whales in the winter or bottlenose dolphins. The beach itself is at the base of scenic cliffs and is excellent for swimming. It is also one of the least crowded beaches in the area, and is also great for picnics, walking, and relaxing.

Buy
There are high-end shops and art galleries along Prospect Place and Girard Streets in downtown La Jolla.



Go next

 * Pacific Beach lies just to the south, on the coast.
 * Del Mar is to the north, past Torrey Pines State Park.