Property Styles – Pacific Beach, San Diego

The community of Pacific Beach was put on the map with the the completion of the railroad connecting the East Coast to San Diego in 1885. By 1886, thousands of people started arriving in Pacific Beach and other San Diego communities hoping to benefit from the land boom.

The area known as False Bay (now called Mission Bay) was the epicenter of this community. By 1887, the first lots went on sale in Pacific Beach. In 1902, lots were selling for between $150 to $700. Lots closer to the ocean commanded the higher end of the price range. Lot sizes at the time were 25′ x 125′ (about 3125 square feet). Many lots were sold in pairs so buyers had 6,250 square feet.

The homes built in the early 1900s consistent of detached cottage-style homes, many with less than 1,000 square feet. These homes sat on either a single lot (3,125 square feet) or a double lot (6,250 square feet).

While these older cottages remain throughout pacific beach, the community has been transformed by larger homes and condominiums.  One configuration seen throughout Pacific Beach are lots that have been subdivided into two separate lots. For example, the property below has a single-family detached home in the front portion of the lot, and the rear portion of the lot contains a multi-unit condominium.

There are many condominium projects that have replaced the original detached homes that occupied the lot. The picture below is a multi-unit condo complex in the Pacific Beach area.

In some cases, several lots were combined to create a large multi-unit condominium or apartment complex. The picture below shows a large condominium complexe in North Pacific Beach.

Some old cottages have been replaced by spectacular beach-front detached homes. The picture shows a large beachfront home on the Boardwalk in Pacific Beach.