Clairemont, San Diego facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clairemont, San Diego
|
|
|---|---|
| Clairemont Mesa | |
 |
|
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  California |
| County |  San Diego |
| City |  San Diego |
| ZIP Code |
92110, 92111, 92117
|
| Area code(s) | 858 |
| Website | sandiego.gov/clairemontmesa |
Clairemont (also called Clairemont Mesa) is a community in San Diego, California, United States. It is home to about 81,600 people and covers an area of about 13.3 square miles (34 km2).
Clairemont is surrounded by major roads. Interstate 805 is to the east, and Interstate 5 is to the west. To the north is State Route 52, and to the south is the community of Linda Vista. Clairemont is divided into several smaller areas: North Clairemont, Clairemont Mesa East, Clairemont Mesa West, Bay Park, and Bay Ho.
Contents
Clairemont's History
Before Europeans arrived, the Kumeyaay people lived in this area. The Spanish came in 1542 and later founded Mission San Diego de Alcalá nearby in 1769. One of the first settlers in Clairemont was Judge Hyde, who started farming in Tecolote Canyon in 1872. Farming and ranching continued here until World War II.
In 1887, a map was made for the Morena Subdivision. This area was about 1,200-acre (490 ha). Its borders included streets now known as Morena Boulevard and Milton Street. A train station was built around Kane Street and Morena Boulevard in 1887 to help people buy land in the Morena Subdivision. It was taken down in the early 1920s.
In 1936, the Bay Park Village Subdivision was approved. This project, located south of the Morena Subdivision, offered large lots for single-family homes. Bay Park Elementary School was built in 1939.
Building a New Community
In 1950, Carlos Tavares and Lou Burgener started building what became San Diego's largest new community after World War II. It was first called "The Village Within a City." People began moving into this new area, named Clairemont after Tavares's wife, Claire, in May 1951.
The design of Clairemont was new and different. Instead of straight, uniform blocks and streets, it had winding roads and scenic lots. These designs took advantage of the canyons and bluffs overlooking Mission Bay. The first homes had unique floor plans.
The developers bought land from three main owners to build Clairemont. Before any homes were built, Tavares and Burgener spent $125,000 on improvements like sewers, water, and roads. This was important because the new area was not next to any developed parts of the city. The first map using the name "Clairemont" was approved on October 16, 1950. This area included streets like Deerpark Drive and Burgener Boulevard.
According to Burgener, "Between 1952 & 1954, seven homes were constructed a day." Clairemont was one of the largest developments of its kind in the country at that time.
Within a few years, thousands of homes were built, including single-family houses, duplexes, and apartments. Since Clairemont was a bit far from the main city, the plan included places for businesses, shopping, schools, and libraries. This idea of suburban living is common today, but it was new back then. Tavares's idea for Clairemont helped San Diego grow outwards and started the trend of people moving from the city to the suburbs.
Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, Marian Bear Memorial Park (also known as San Clemente Canyon) and Tecolote Canyon Natural Park became official parks in San Diego. In 1976, the first Price Club (which later became Costco) opened in Clairemont.
Clairemont's Geography
Clairemont's land is mostly made of sandstone mesas (flat-topped hills) with canyons. These canyons were formed by streams that flow during certain seasons. These streams support woodlands along their banks. Most of the buildings in Clairemont are on these gently rolling mesas.
The main canyon system is called Tecolote Canyon. It was named by Spanish speakers after the native owls that live there. Tecolote Canyon Natural Park is a protected part of San Diego's park system. Tecolote Canyon runs north to south through the middle of Clairemont. Tecolote Creek, a seasonal stream, flows through it. San Clemente Canyon runs east to west and borders Clairemont on the north. You can find trails in both canyons for hiking or mountain biking. The ground in Clairemont is mostly made of sedimentary rock.
The natural plants here are mainly chaparral. Trees include coast live oak and California sycamore. Wildlife in the canyons includes coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, and owls.
Many neighborhoods in Clairemont have great views. To the west, you can see Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean. To the east, you can see Fortuna Mountain and Cowles Mountain. Neighborhoods along Tecolote Canyon have views of this protected open space.
Fun Things to Do in Clairemont
Clairemont Mesa has many parks and fun places to visit:
- Tecolote Canyon Natural Park - This park runs through Clairemont Mesa and became a natural park in 1977. It is about 903 acres (365 ha) and around six miles (10 km) long. You can enter the park from many spots, and some have parking and restrooms.
- Marian Bear Memorial Park - Also known as San Clemente Canyon, this park was renamed in 1960. It's about 467 acres (189 ha) and runs next to the 52 freeway. Main entrances are off Regents Road and Genesee Avenue, offering parking, restrooms, and picnic areas.
- North Clairemont Community Park - This 14.5-acre park has basketball courts, sports fields, playgrounds, and a tennis court.
- MacDowell Neighborhood Park - This 3.14-acre park has wide lawns, shade trees, and a playground. A path for walking or biking starts here and goes south towards Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
- Gershwin Neighborhood Park - This 5.39-acre park features basketball courts, a playground, and a tennis court.
- Cadman Community Park - This 8.36-acre park has baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a play area for toddlers.
- Olive Grove Park - This park was built on the site of an old olive farm.
- Mount Etna Neighborhood Park - A 7.32-acre park with three baseball fields, a playground, and restrooms.
- Western Hills Neighborhood Park - This 12.82-acre park has basketball courts, a playground, and nice views of the canyon.
- Mount Acadia Neighborhood Park - This 9.13-acre park has two softball fields, a playground, and a toddler play area.
- East Clairemont Athletic Area - This 9.13-acre sports park has three softball fields, a baseball field, a playground, and restrooms.
- Tecolote Golf Course - This 18-hole golf course is 3,161-yard (2,890 m) long and is located inside Tecolote Canyon.
- YMCA's Krause Family Skate & Bike Park - This popular park is in Clairemont Mesa. It allows skateboards, bikes, scooters, and inline skates. The park has courses for beginners, intermediate, and advanced riders, a street area, mini ramps, a concrete pool, and a large vert ramp. It also has the world's first Skatercross track. The park is open to visitors who pay daily or monthly.
Education in Clairemont
Clairemont has many public schools, including twelve elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and a community college. Five schools with special programs are also located here. The San Diego Unified School District runs the public schools in Clairemont.
Elementary and Middle Schools
- Alcott Elementary
- Bay Park Elementary
- Cadman Elementary
- The Child's Primary School
- CPMA Middle School (Creative Performing Media Arts)
- Field Elementary
- Hawthorne Elementary
- Holmes Elementary
- Innovation Middle School
- LaFayette Elementary
- Lindbergh/Schweitzer Elementary School
- Maria Montessori Schools
- Marston Jr. High
- Ross Elementary
- Sequoia Elementary
- Toler
- Whitman Elementary
High Schools
- Clairemont High School
- James Madison High School
College
- San Diego Mesa College
Other Education Programs
- In 2015, the Minato School, a weekend Japanese school, started holding classes at Madison High.
Famous People from Clairemont
- Melanie Barcenas, athlete. She signed with the San Diego Wave professional soccer team in 2023 when she was 15.
- John P. Dolan, a Catholic leader.
- Adam Gnade, a novelist.
- Mark Hamill, actor, famous for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies.
- Ken Henderson, a former Major League Baseball player.
- Major Garrett, a journalist.
- Kris Jenner, a television personality and star of the reality TV show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
- Kevin Mitchell, a baseball player and MVP winner.
- Kendra Wilkinson, a model and television personality.
- Luís Alberto Urrea, a writer and poet.
- Pete Wilson, former mayor of San Diego and governor of California.
- Todd Gloria, a politician and current mayor of San Diego, California.
