La Jolla Alta Houses For Sale

Nestled on the foothills of Mt. Soledad, La Jolla Alta is an affluent community that offers an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean, the saltwater lagoon of Mission Bay and downtown San Diego, which can be breathtaking at nighttime when all the lights compete with the stars in the night sky for your attention.

The neighborhood itself is composed of several gated communities but you will not be greeted by arrogant or loud neighbors. In fact, affluence here is largely understated and implied.  Most of the communities have clubhouses, tennis courts, and modern gyms.

If you like the open concept home, you will love La Jolla Alta. Most of the properties in this community are characterized by clean lines, space, and scale, all the more to take advantage of the year-round sunny weather. Large windows flood the houses with natural light which brightens the mood.

The community is a picturesque slice of modern America with a touch of European elegance. The lawns are manicured, and the shrubs are trimmed. It’s like an artisan picturing what would be the perfect neighborhood, committing it to canvass and finally, building it into reality.

La Jolla Alta is quickly expanding. More and more residential developments are mushrooming by the second, which speaks volumes about the attraction of the place despite its hefty price tag.

History of La Jolla

It’s not exactly known where the name La Jolla originated.  The Native Americans reportedly called it “mat kulaaxuuy,” which means a place of holes. To this day, scholars are divided as to why the original residents of the area named it that way.

Nevertheless, when the Spanish settlers came, the name was changed to La Joya, which reportedly meant “The Jewel.” Again, that derivative is contested by scholars but then again, when you see the neighborhood yourself, you will realize that it’s the perfect name to describe La Jolla Alta.

In its genesis, this was just a pueblo subdivided into 60 lots. A pueblo is basically Spanish for village. This was incorporated into greater San Diego when California became a state in the mid-1800s.

Getting Around La Jolla Alta

Although the neighborhood offers peace and quiet, it’s good to get out once in a while. Just walking distance away is La Jolla Village, which features a lot of dining areas and boutique shops.

Also, you are just 20 minutes away from downtown San Diego so you are not exactly isolated.

There are dog parks in the area, as well as swimming pools to cool off from the scorching summer heat.

Schools are also numerous in the La Jolla neighborhood, from elementary, secondary and right through college. The University of California-San Diego is just around the corner, while the UC San Diego School of Medicine, the historic John Muir College, and the Earl Warren College also find their home in La Jolla.

Things to Do in La Jolla

When you live in La Jolla, boredom should be the least of your concerns. There are so many things to do in the neighborhood, which makes it a perfect retirement haven or a nice place to raise kids.

For instance, you can swim at the Children’s Pool Beach and maybe catch a glimpse of the seals, visit the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, hike the Mt. Soledad Cross landmark and see the images of the veterans—both living and the dead from the time of the revolutionary war and the modern war on terror—placed on the wall.

If you love golf, there’s the challenging course of the Torrey Pines. If culture is your thing, you can visit the Map & Atlas Museum of La Jolla and the La Jolla Playhouse.

Exclusivity May Cost You

If you think that we are describing utopia, you may be right. But then it’s not cheap. The median value per square foot in La Jolla Alta is much higher than in greater San Diego area.

For instance, the average cost of owning a home in San Diego is around $608,000 or a per-square-foot price of $460. In La Jolla, the median price per square foot is $508. The target market of this exclusive enclave is the client who wouldn’t blink with seven figures. Indeed, the median cost of a home in La Jolla Alta is around $1.24 million.

You may expect to pay homeowners fees in a range between $200 and $600 every month for the neighborhood upkeep, trash collection, use of club facilities, etc.

Property Outlook

A sub-neighborhood of La Jolla, La Jolla Alta is much desired because it’s facing the Pacific, and that view is just spectacular. There’s nothing like waking up in the morning and be greeted with the endless ocean.

The other sub-neighborhoods are La Jolla Farms, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Mesa, La Jolla Heights, La Jolla Village, Lower Hermosa, Upper Hermosa, Village, Beach-Barber Tract, Muirlands, Birdrock, Soledad South, Muirland West, Hidden Valley and Country Club.

Even today, you can see the influences of the first European settlers in greater San Diego area, La Jolla included. A number of the homes are styled in the Spanish Colonia Revival architecture. That means the Neo-Mediterranean touch of tiled roof, arches, stucco finish and plaster to resemble adobe are evident in the designs.

However, some homeowners have introduced contemporary styling to the traditional architecture without looking too kitschy and gaudy. Elegance and class are the words that would describe the houses in the neighborhood.

Don’t let the pricey cost of the property in this posh sanctuary fool you as homes are selling like hotcakes here. On average, there are two offers right away every time a house is listed. A listed house in the area spends 4-6 weeks on the market before it is scooped up.

As you know, the value is always dictated by the market. It would be logical to assume that the price will only go up in the future so if you are planning to move here, now is the time to do it.