Area description and history - La Jolla Is home to the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), The Scripps Institute of Oceanography, The Salk Institute, The Steven Birch Aquarium, and is well known as a center for medical and scientific research. This treasure is one of California's most elegant, scenic and exclusive communities- with seven miles of serpentine shoreline, beaches, exquisite views, majestic caves, and fabulous shopping.

La Jolla has been compared to the Italian Riviera, and this area is part of the reason why. La Jolla was one of the earliest colonies in the San Diego area in the early 1800's. In 1886, Frank Terrill Botsford, referred to as the "father" of La Jolla, purchased the chaparral and sage covered land, without realizing it would be very difficult to find a good, reliable source of drinking water. He decided to sell, and a great auction was held. The La Jolla land sold for what amounted to $1.25 an acre- land which would be more than $1.25 million an acre today.

Ellen Browning Scripps, newspaper heiress, was one of the most outstanding citizens, and the woman who began la Jolla's "herstory". Her gifts to La Jolla include: The Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the Women's Club, the Children's Pool, the Recreation Center, and endowments used to create Scripp's Hospital and Clinic. The La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art is located in her home.