Clairemont, San Diego, California

Clairemont is a suburban neighborhood in northern San Diego.

Clairemont is one of the most populous neighborhoods in San Diego.Fact|date=July 2008 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. [ [http://www.sddt.com/Community/cityinfo_visitor.cfm?Com_ID=11&Cat_ID=5 San Diego Source > Locales ] ]

The community is sometimes confused with the incorporated city of Claremont in eastern Los Angeles County.

Etymology

There are three stories about how is was named:
#Developers Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares called their community Clairemont after Tavares' wife, Marjorie Claire. [ [http://www.clairemontcommunitynews.com/aug08.pdf Clairemont Community News, August 2008] ]
#Friends and family of Burgener said his first name was actually Claire and the community was named after him and not after the wife of Mr. Tavares.Fact|date=July 2008 Also the company created Burgener Boulevard which had a custom home for the parents of Claire Burgener.Fact|date=July 2008
#The community of Clairemont was at first called by local residents "claire-mount" the mount meaning the mountains that the area utilized. However, time has simplified the pronunciation of the community to Clairemont.Fact|date=July 2008

History

About 1950, two men developed what became San Diego's largest post-war subdivision.

Its design represented a new concept in community living because development did not have 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.

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. Clairemonts 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 scattered around the area east of Genesee.

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, San Diegans bought these homes.

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. [ [http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/95summer/chapter20.htm Journal of San Diego History ] ]

Crime

The eastern side of the area has immense problems with drugs which have created several crime issues. Exact crimes and numbers can be found at SANDAG.

A reason for the amount of apartments is due to land issues and the unique feature which defines Clairemont as modern, stripmalls.huh Clairemont was the first area that did not rely on downtown shopping for supplies, clothing, and food.

Another reason for some of the apartment development was the HUD act which created Section 8 housing. However, the section 8 housing was closed and the apartments converted into condos. This moved poor residents into other apartments close by on the street called Beadnell Way. Beadnell Way has helped move Clairemont into a focus of the San Diego Police Department for gang violence and drug activity.Fact|date=July 2008

Notable residents

*Kendra Wilkinson, model and television personality

References

External links

* [http://www.clairemont.com/ Clairemont]
* [http://www.clairemontcommunitynews.com/ Clairemont Newspaper]