Polishing La Jolla, San Diego's ‘crown jewel,' after historic designation

It is no secret that San Diego is known for its scenic coastline. Now, eight acres along the coast, outlining La Jolla, will be recognized for years to come. In early May, the 2.5-mile stretch was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District. 

The work started in 2017, according to Diane Kane. She lives in La Jolla and is currently a member of the La Jolla Historical Society as well as the co-chair of La Jolla Parks and Beaches. 

“I love it here. This place is so special,” Kane said.

She began by trying to only add a small portion of the coastline to the national register, then over the years more people jumped in on the project and ended up including more of La Jolla in the nomination.

“The people who came here initially were enamored with the beauty of the coastline,” she said. “Normally this would have been prime real estate and people would have taken it for commercial purposes, so the fact that this was all part of the original layout of La Jolla and preserved for the public was astounding.”

However, she said it is no surprise that over the past century, there has been significant wear-and-tear on some of the area's staircases, railing and other structures. 

“This is a major tourist attraction worldwide,” she said. “We are very well-known, and we would like to keep it lovely for visitors and locals alike into the next century.”

The hope is that with the historic designation the area could receive more funding either from the city of San Diego or other grants that it is now eligible for.

“It really tugs at my heart to see it failing. It’s very sad,” she said. “We have this fabulous coastline, but you can’t get to it. The people come here to see this. This is our front door, and when they see yellow tape all over everything, it's not a good welcome mat.”

The city of San Diego sent NBC 7 the following statement in regard to repair work:

The City of San Diego is enthralled about the recent distinction of our beautiful La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. Assessments, evaluations and minor repairs and improvements are currently underway in the area, with additional solutions to be considered during the City’s budget process. We are excited to work with the La Jolla Historical Society Landmark Committee and other community members to continue caring for this iconic San Diego park.

It is a promising sign, but Kane is not getting her hopes up. 

“Looking at the city’s budget, I'm not hopeful that anything will be happening soon, but it does give us leverage to find other sources of money,” she explained. 

According to the National Register of Historic places website, the district spans “from [the] intersection of Coast Walk with Torrey Pines Rd. and following Coast Walk, then Coast Blvd. southwest to its southernmost intersection with South Coast Blvd.” 

NBC 7 visited the area on Tuesday and noticed several staircases leading from Coast Boulevard to the sand that were cracked or completely falling apart. There were also noticeable results of small bluff collapses, at least one covered with tarp and blocked off by caution tape, and rusted railing, chains and bolts along with old, peeling paint.

Kane referred to La Jolla as the city's "crown jewel," but said work will need to be done for it to be "polished."

“Things need love, and they not have been getting a lot of love as of late," she said.