Clairemont is a suburban neighborhood in northern San Diego.
It includes the separate neighborhoods of North Clairemont, Clairemont Mesa East and Clairemont Mesa West. It is bordered by State Route 52 in the north, Interstate 805 in the east, Interstate 5 in the west, and the neighborhood of Linda Vista on the south.
The neighborhood was first developed in the post-war building boom of the 1950s.
Etymology
Developers Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares called their community Clairemont after Tavares' wife, Marjorie Claire.
History
Clairemont Development in the 1950's (Courtesy of San Diego Historical Society)
In 1950, Carlos Tavares and Lou Burgener developed what became San Diego's largest post-war subdivision. Originally dubbed, "The Village Within a City", people started living in Clairemont in May, 1951.
Clairemont's design represented a new concept in community living because it did not incorporate the traditional grid system of uniform blocks and streets. Instead, winding streets and scenic view lots took advantage of the canyons and bluffs overlooking Mission Bay. The first homes, built by Burgener and Tavares Construction Company, had highly customized floor plans.
The developers assembled the necessary acreage to develop Clairemont from three primary land holdings: the Peavey Cattle Ranch, Mission Bay Heights (owned by the Hazard Family), & Tecolote Heights (owned by Jack & Dan Danciger).
Before any homes were built in the new development, Tavares & Burgener invested $125,000 in off-street improvements including sewers, water, and access roads; this was necessary because the proposed development was not adjacent to any developed areas. The original Subdivision map that used the name “Clairemont” for the first time was approved and recorded by the County of San Diego on October 16, 1950. The map was named “Clairemont Unit #1, Map #2725”. This is the area in Clairemont that includes Deerpark Dr., Burgener Blvd., and Grandview St. from Field St. to Jellett St. According to Burgener, "Between 1952 & 1954, seven homes were constructed a day". It is also noted that Clairemont was the largest development of its kind in the country.
Due to the road structure, Clairemont was laid out in a Northern direction from which "North Clairemont" evolved. However, Clairemont began to grow in an eastern direction which is now the political distinction of the area. Clairemont's western side has a majority of family homes created by Pardee homes. There are several apartments in this area but not nearly as many in the eastern side. The eastern side has row after row of apartments and duplexes scattered around the area east of Genesee Ave.
Local architects, Harold Abrams, Benson Eschenbach and Richard George Wheeler, designed 20 floor plans for the first development of 500 homes. Built in South Clairemont, these deluxe houses ranged in price from $13,000 to $20,000, featured spacious floorplans, large view windows, fireplaces, tiled bathrooms, paneling and the then latest kitchen built-ins. After the WWII years of housing shortages, these homes sold quickly.
Within a few years, several thousand houses had been constructed, including single family homes, duplexes and apartments. Since Clairemont was somewhat removed from the city proper, commercial business and retail shopping, schools, libraries and other city amenities were designed into the overall plan. Although the concept of suburban living is commonplace today, this approach was considered novel and Tavares' vision for Clairemont had far-reaching implications for San Diego as it stretched the city limits outward and began the now familiar pattern of migration from city to suburb.
Today, the only land that remains vacant in Clairemont (once a vacant prairie) is San Clemente Canyon & Tecolote Canyon.
Notable residents
- Kendra Wilkinson, model and television personality
- Adam Gnade, novelist
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