Point Loma

Point Loma’s essence is found in a blur of military installations, dilapidated restaurants that have been around so long they are considered classy, million-dollar ocean-view homes, and lampposts placed directly in the middle of streets that virtually all dead-end in canyons or gullies.

The main arteries of Point Loma — Rosecrans, Nimitz, Chatsworth, Catalina — are well-traveled by Lexuses, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benzes. The neighborhood is home to judges, attorneys, and doctors, among other high rollers who have found their piece of heaven in the coastal suburb. Until the last decade, many elderly people inhabited the neighborhood. As they passed away, their houses were either left to family or purchased by other Point Loma residents. Portuguese immigrants used to call Point Loma home. After the collapse of the tuna industry in the ’80s, many left, although some succeeding generations remain in the area beyond Nimitz dubbed “Tunaville.”

From the mansions dotting Rosecrans to the secluded residences near Point Loma Nazarene University to the homes above Chatsworth in what realtors call the “affordable zone,” most residents are standoffish, to say the least. There are no block parties or street fairs, nor many community events. Most community spirit lies within the activities of select groups, such as the Point Loma Optimists, who erect flags along Rosecrans each Sunday, and the Portuguese community, which hosts the annual Portuguese Festa Parade. The Point Loma philosophy is “you do your thing, and I’ll do mine,” an impersonal attitude among neighbors. The people of Point Loma will unite for certain causes, for they do not adjust well to change. Presently, the concern plaguing the community is the expected overcrowding and traffic congestion resulting from the development of the Naval Training Center for civilian use. If not for apprehensions over the NTC construction, the concern would be over airplane noise from Lindbergh Field. Without their various causes, it’s doubtful that most Point Loma residents would have anything to say to each other.