Coronado Island. Coronado is one of the most expensive places to live in California. What's inside

Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is located approximately 5 miles from the center of San Diego. World Report ranks Coronado as one of the most expensive places to live in all of California. In 2000, a small two-bedroom house could easily cost over $1,000,000. That's where we're heading today...

Coronado can be reached via a beautiful bridge that connects Downtown to the island.

Downtown San Diego. I want to make a photo from this photo and hang it at home, I love San Diego :)

Coronado became a major resort center in 1888 after the opening of the Hotel del Coronado, where, by the way, the film “Some Like It Hot” with Marilyn Monroe was filmed.

As I wrote in a previous post, the weather in June in California is very changeable, but pleasant...my first visit to Coronado was in cloudy weather, but on another day I found this beautiful place in clear weather, so you have the opportunity to appreciate it place in two different bedspreads;)

Walking along the streets of Coronado, you can periodically smell the old times, but near the beach you come across such nice modern villas.

And here is the famous Hotel Coronado

Today there are dense low clouds over the beach, not many people, as if it was still winter in Cali.

The beach is very wide, probably a football field could easily fit here :)

We walked along the beach and decided to head to the famous Hotel del Coronado

Chandelier in the hotel lobby

Retro office)

Champagne, which is produced in the hotel, as far as I understand from the name :)

Tourism is a significant source of revenue for Coronado, with The Travel Channel ranking Coronado Beach as the 5th best beach in the United States in 2008.

Day 2

Imagine that I turned on the lights and winter Coronado blossomed :)

By the way, you can see gray clouds hanging over the ocean nearby... this often happens, Coronado is sunny, you drive a little north to Mission beach, for example, and there are already clouds.

There were great waves today...

Rescue booth

Coronado is also home to Naval Air Station Amphibious, which is one of the major military command centers on the West Coast. I recently learned a joke about this base.

There is one building on the base that has attracted attention:) The four L-shaped buildings, built in the late 60s, are part of the Coronado Airborne Base and serve as barracks for the “Sea Bees” (Naval Construction Battalions )

The shape of the swastika is not noticeable from the ground or from neighboring buildings. Not a single air corridor passes over the base and no one had noticed this unusual feature before until Google Earth gained sufficient popularity :) After that, the topic of swastikas on a US military base began to be often discussed in the blogosphere.

It wasn't until the groundbreaking in 1967 that the buildings, designed by local architect John Mock, would feature a swastika layout, was noticed, Navy officials said. Since the swastika is not visible from the ground, they decided not to make any changes to the plan. Later, the Navy met the public halfway and promised to plant trees in order to somehow close the swastika into a square.

I hope you enjoyed today's photo tour, tomorrow we will visit an equally interesting place in La Jolla and after that we will set off on a journey that ultimately took us 4,000 miles. All the most interesting things are yet to come.

If this is your first time reading my post, you might be interested in seeing the story of this journey:

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On our final day in San Diego, we headed to the wonderful Coronado Island. This is a kind of resort for rich Americans and tourists. Very cozy and pleasant. And by the way! Some call it a peninsula. And all because if you look at the map, the island will be connected to the mainland by a spit along which the Silver Strand Bvd highway now runs. But before, Coronado was truly a full-fledged island! And then various currents formed this spit, attaching it to the mainland. Now he looks like a ball on a string;)

Our island-peninsula is famous primarily for the Hotel Del Coronado, where the acclaimed comedy “Some Like It Hot” with the brilliant Marilyn Monroe was filmed more than half a century ago. This hotel has even been designated a US National Historic Landmark! But more on that a little later, but let’s start... Let’s start, perhaps, from the beginning!

How to get to Coronado Island

There are three ways to get to Coronado from San Diego:

1. Across the Coronado Bridge in your own car (free travel) or bus No. 901,

2. Along Silver Strand Blvd from the south of San Diego and from Mexico by car/bus No. 934+901,

3. By ferry from San Diego Pier ($5*)

Choose what you like best! Would you like to take a breeze across an amazing bridge on supports more than 60 m high and almost 3.5 km long? Or drive along the natural spit from the Mexican border or south of San Diego? Well, for the most romantic types, we recommend a boat trip on an authentic ferry along the picturesque bay!

How to do this, Chief?

Let's talk. There are two piers on the southwest coast of San Diego from which you can sail to Coronado on a ferryboat .

Click on the map to enlarge

Broadway Pier, named after the street that leads you to it from the historic center if you go west. The ferry runs every hour from 9am to 9pm, Fri-Sat until 10pm*.

Berth address: 990 N. Harbor Drive San Diego CA 92101.

From here you can see the huge American aircraft carrier USS Midway, which served in the Vietnam War and has now been converted into museum. If you have 2-3 hours free (at least), we highly recommend visiting it. From Broadway Pier to the museum it is about 500 meters.

By the way! The aircraft carrier offers an excellent view of the famous eight-meter monument to the sailor kissing the nurse "Unconditional Surrender" (or "The Kiss").

The pier is next to the Conference Center. You will arrive at it if you take a walk down from the Gaslamp quarter. The ferry runs every half hour, starting from 9-25 in the morning until 9-55 (10-55 Fri-Sat) in the evening*.

Berth address: 600 Convention Way, San Diego CA 92101.

At the same time, you will see an interesting structure that matches the color of the waters of San Diego Bay.

Photo from visitsandiego.com

Fare(at the end of 2018) - 5$* per person one way. Travel time is 15 minutes. Children under 3 years old and bicycles are carried free;)

Life hack: Are you an early bird? What a score! You can save $10 by taking a free early morning ferry ticket from 5:40 am to 8:50 am and getting a return ticket to return the same day!

The ferry arrives at the Coronado Landing (address: 1201 First Street, Coronado CA 92118).

You can sail back to San Diego from 9-10 am to 9-40 pm (Fri-Sat until 10-40)*. Study the schedule carefully! From Coronado, ferries leave for one of San Diego's two piers!

* Check the current schedule and prices forhttps://www.flagshipsd.com/cruises/coronado-ferry

Well, here you are on the island! From the ferry and the Coronado Bridge to the beach with the Del Coronado Hotel on Orange Avenue is about 2.5 km, but, nevertheless, we highly recommend walking around the city or renting bicycles. You are in a town of amazing beauty and harmony! Enjoy!

Coronado Resort City

A fairy tale city, a dream city! Here I have complete confidence that anyone can become happy. All you have to do is put him in a town like this :)))

We arrived here early in the morning, but life here was already in full swing. But it bubbled so comfortably and measuredly, like a warm mineral spring...

Alexander wanted to go to the Barbie shop, but they almost cut his hair there. I agreed to take a photo only on the bench at the entrance. By the way, do you see this bowl next to the joyful Alexander? Such containers with water for pets are located in almost all public institutions. I’ll write a whole article about how Americans love animals someday!

But this... This is a real find! While walking, we came across a really American coffee shop, just like in the old movies! And look: it's breakfast time, and it's packed to capacity! Clayton's Coffee Shop! They say there is usually a queue here, but a little later;)

The cafe has a bar counter in the shape of a horseshoe, around which there are comfortable red chairs. Mostly locals sit on the chairs. I heard this is their favorite breakfast spot. The girl inside the counter serves customers aromatic coffee and a delicious breakfast. On the side there are also regular tables with sofas. Home cooking, huge portions, authentic atmosphere and live communication! True American spirit! Prices are quite high by US standards. By the way, Clayton's is ranked #2 in Coronado in the Restaurants category by TripAdvisor and has a $ sign (meaning low prices). For example, sandwiches and omelettes start at $9. Open from 6-00 to 21-00.

Clayton's cafe address: 979 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA

And also in orderly rows of artiodactyl Mustangs grazing right on the road:

So, looking around, we didn’t even notice how we reached the legendary Hotel Del Coronado...

This hotel, which became the reason for the formation of the city on the island, is truly unique. Now I'll tell you why.

10 Surprising Facts About Hotel Del Coronado

1. In 1886, three entrepreneurs with a dream of building the world's most luxurious hotel bought the entire island. And in February 1888, the Del Coronado Hotel opened here in all its glory! How did they do it? They developed a project for an entire city, with parks, infrastructure and a pearl - the most luxurious hotel in the world, which will attract a huge number of rich people and celebrities to the city! And they started selling plots on their island to investors. Their idea was so attractive and infectious that more than 10 thousand people competed for their land at auctions! And by mid-1987, entrepreneurs had $1.5 million to build a hotel.

2. The entire lighting and electrification system of the hotel was developed by Thomas Edison himself. The hotel was equipped with elevators, telephone communications and a fire extinguishing system.

3. The cost of building and equipping the hotel at the time of opening was $1 million, while the cost of a standard room with three meals a day was $2.5.

4. In 1891, the hotel was visited by the current US President B. Harrison, and since then the country's leaders from Roosevelt to Obama regularly vacationed here.

5. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the hotel has gained popularity in the film industry: Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Rudolph Valentino and Mae West loved to relax here.

6. The cult film Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe was filmed here, although the film says that the action takes place in Miami.

7. Since 1977, the Hotel Del Coronado has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

8. At the moment, the hotel has a room capacity of approximately 700 units.

9. The hotel is open to inspection both inside and outside for tourists and excursions.

10. The cost of hotel rooms currently varies from $500 to $2000.

Would you like to live inside a legend? Can you do it! ;) Booking a room here is very easy using the form below.

For lovers of exclusives who are not strapped for cash, I recommend looking at the rooms in. This is a complex of cottages on the territory of Hotel Del Coronado, located right on the beach.

But if your financial capabilities do not allow you to become like Obama or Charlie Chaplin in this luxurious hotel, you can stay in other hotels on the island (you can view the list and map by indicating Coronado in the form above) or even in San Diego. And come to Del Coronado on an excursion, as we did. And now we will tell...

What's inside?

And inside there is a hall, a reception, a restaurant and everything that a hotel is supposed to have! Interestingly, the hotel was built in wood, and many wooden elements were used in the interior. Tourists are allowed to roam freely around the hotel and its external grounds. As you stroll through the hallways, you'll inevitably come across photos of celebrities who have vacationed at the hotel, as well as historical filming photos and stills from films that were filmed here. The most popular was the famous masterpiece Some Like It Hot from 1959 with Marilyn Monroe in the title role:

And of course, all kinds of shops that profit from the fame of the famous blonde :)) For example, here you can buy a suitcase with Marilyn Monroe:

Coming out of the hotel on the other side, we found ourselves in a beautiful surrounding area that adjoins Coronado Beach.

We went there because we were already starting to miss the Pacific Ocean...

Coronado Beach

Our bad luck with the weather continued, and the ocean, despite all our love for it, remained just as gloomy and cold. Let me remind you, it was June! A cold wind blew from the water, but this did not frighten the surfers at all, who were warmed either by adrenaline or special suits (or maybe both):

Here, of course, there was a photo shoot (you can click on all the photos to get a better look):

Write in the comments that we are handsome if you think so: D

CORONADO - that's what is laid out in huge sand and plant letters on the beach! There used to be a word BEACH, but it was blown away by the wind...

On the left is what we see when walking along the beach, and on the right is what birds and satellites see:

(click to enlarge)

And in conclusion - some facts about the beach.

Coronado Beach is one of the best beaches in San Diego and is included in the list of the best beaches in the world, not just the United States. It is very wide, about 150 m wide and strewn with fine white sand interspersed with golden mica (which is why it is sometimes called the beach of golden sands). Partially protected from the ocean by the Point Loma Peninsula, the waves here are less steep and the water is a couple of degrees warmer than in other places on this US coast. We were not able to verify this, as you can see from the photographs, but we will take the word of other travelers;)

And finally, here is HE in his full glory! Admire!

(Click to enlarge)

We are going to Coronado Island - one of the most prosperous and beautiful areas of the city, the best resort in Southern California. To the island (if you look at the topographic map, it is not an island at all, but a peninsula) There are three ways to get there: the Coronado Bridge, the ferry, and Highway 75 (Silver Strand Blvd) from the south . Since we were on the embankment before Embarcadero ( Embarcadero), then for our bus the best option is the first one - through the Coronado Bridge, which was built in 1969 and is one of the city's landmarks due to its unique technical characteristics: the length of the bridge is 3400 meters, the height above the water surface is 61... 75 meters (military requirement - so that large ships, such as aircraft carriers, can freely enter the naval base), 5 traffic lanes (2 towards the island, 2 towards the mainland, 1 - reserve).

Our bus enters the bridge (since 2002 travel on it has become free),

leaving some US Navy facilities “overboard”

and driving along Orange Avenue ( Orange Ave ) several kilometers

stops

near the stele with the inscription " Hotel del Coronado 1888 " (Hotel Del Coronado 1888).

The guide explains the disposition to us, allocates several hours of free time, we check our watches with the hotel chronometer

and set off on a “free swim”.

In front of us is a sign “Great Hall” - a complex of rooms for receiving guests hotel. Well, we are still guests, after all, so we follow in this direction.

Another update from Del Coronado is that skateboarding is prohibited and cyclists should stick to designated paths. We don’t seem to belong to this category of tourists, but therefore we continue the route

and soon we find ourselves in front of the US National Historic Site -

Hotel Del Coronado ( Del Coronado).

Near the main entrance to the hotel

there is a corresponding memorial plaque confirming the above status of the hotel (the decision on this was made in 1977 by the relevant US Department).

Now is the time to find out why the hotel was awarded such a high honor.

The history of the hotel begins in 1886. It was then that Elisha Babcom Jr. ( Elisha Babcock, Jr ), Hampton L. Story ( Hampton L. Story ) and Alonzo Horton ( Alonzo Horton ) had their eye on Coronado Island, which inspired them with its natural beauty. They chip in to buy it for 110 thousand.$, create the Coronado Beach company and decide to build a hotel here that would amaze all vacationers with its appearance, service and would be the most luxurious not only on the continent, but also in the world.

photo from the site https://hoteldel.com

The implementation of the idea required large financial investments. Entrepreneurs decide to divide the island into land plots (having previously created the initial infrastructure) and put them up for auction (having previously familiarized future shareholders with the development plan for Coronado Island, in which, in addition to the hotel, there was a place for parks, and for shopping areas, and for avenues, and for urban infrastructure buildings). During several land auctions, in which more than 10 thousand people took part, by the summer of 1887, the Coronado Beach company managed to gain over 1.5 million.$(the total proceeds from the sale of land amounted to about 2.3 million.$). The money was immediately invested in the construction of a hotel and related facilities (power plant, ferry crossing, etc.).

Construction of the hotel proceeded at a tremendous pace. By mid-1887, over 250 people were working at the construction site almost around the clock.

photo from the site https://hoteldel.com

In November 1887, the main construction work was completed and the “development” of the hotel’s interior space began (furnishing rooms and office space, installing equipment, etc.).

On February 19, 1888, the grand opening of the hotel took place. Visitors were presented with a technological miracle: everything was electrified, steam-driven hydraulic elevators ran between floors (there were only two of these in the USA), telephone connections were present in the rooms, there was a modern fire extinguishing system, and much more.

The hotel cost its organizers 1 million.$ ($600 thousand - construction and 400 thousand $ - furnishings). At the same time, the first visitors paid for a regular room (and there are about 400 of them in the hotel) on average about 2.5 0 $ (the price included three meals a day).

photo from the site https://hoteldel.com

The luxury of the hotel, its magnificent beaches and service began to attract VIP -clients. In 1891, it was visited by current US President Benjamin Harrison, who “opened” Del Coronado for Taft, Roosevelt, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, the Bushes and Obama. Since the early 1900s, a stream of movie stars and filmmakers poured into the hotel. Coronado became a filming location for many films, including such famous ones as “The Pearl of Paradise”, “Some Like It Hot” (originally “Some Like It Hot” 1958).

For those who could not afford to stay in a hotel from 1900 to 1938. The Del tent city was set up in the area adjacent to the hotel, which attracted additional crowds of vacationers to Coronado. Each tent had electric lighting, furniture (bed, table, chairs, armchair, mirror), kitchen utensils, and bed linen. The tent was cleaned daily by servants. The tent city had its own restaurants, laundry and even a library. By the early 40s of the last century, the tent city had outlived its usefulness and was liquidated,

photo from the site https://hoteldel.com

and in its place modern high-rise buildings appeared.

Now that we are already a little familiar with the history of “Del Coronado”, we can begin to get acquainted with the territory adjacent to it:

park,

outdoor swimming pool,

numerous bars and shops located at the back of the main building.

Let's take a look into the hotel courtyard...

So that visitors can imagine where they are at every step around the hotel, these identification “placards” are installed.

Now it’s the turn of the next attraction of “Del Coronado” - its beach.

It is quite long and wide here (considered one of the best in California and one of the ten best beaches in the USA).

To enlarge the panorama, move the cursor over the photo and click the left mouse button

We should not forget that before us is the majestic Pacific Ocean,

Therefore, we have a unique opportunity to get to know him better.

We didn’t notice anyone swimming at this time of year, but there were plenty of people wanting to rinse their feet in the waters of this monster.

Another feature of Coronado Beach is its sand.

When the sun begins to appear through the clouds, there is a feeling

that there is a placer of gold under your feet (the sand contains a large amount of shiny minerals).

The weather is changing before our eyes...

We continued to “conquer” the waters of the Pacific Ocean for some time,

and then headed to the side Beach Village -

To enlarge the panorama, move the cursor over the photo and click the left mouse button

cottage village (belonging to the hotel), built next to the hotel in 2007 and

consisting of 78 luxurious houses, equipped (like the hotel) with the latest technology.

Time reminds itself again and we are forced to return to the bus.

On the way back we linger for a while near the ornamental garden laid out under the windows of the hotel.

Rounding "Del Coronado"

we find ourselves back on Orange Avenue.

Our bus has not yet arrived from its parking spot and we have some time

to walk down the street within sight of the group's meeting point.

Directly in front of us is a bay in which boats and yachts of various classes “take refuge”. Silver Strand Blvd (Route 75) also begins from here, along which you can leave the island. By the way, at the beginning of the story we mentioned that Coronado (if you look at the map) is not an island at all, but a peninsula. Then why is it called an island everywhere? It turns out everything is very simple. Initially, i.e. many years ago Coronado was a real island, i.e. washed on all sides by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Then, on its southern side, as a result of sediments associated with the specific underwater currents in this area, a sand spit appeared, which connected the island with the mainland. Today, Route 75 is laid along this spit.

Opposite Del Coronado is the boutique hotel Glorietta Bay Inn, where room prices start at 180$.

Meanwhile our bus is arriving

and we first leave the territory of the Hotel Del Coronado,

and then the island of the same name,

which we will remember for a long time...

But our excursion program around the USA does not end there - no less interesting places await us.

Coronado Island is probably the most beautiful resort, beach and garden city in all of southern California. Located on the border with Mexico, the beach of Coronado Island was recognized as the best in the United States, and the Victorian Hotel Del Coronado, built here in 1887, was considered the best in the whole world. And if you are in California and you have at least one free day (or better yet a whole weekend), be sure to come here to relax. We first came here in April 2013, and since then we have been coming here constantly. These photographs remain as a souvenir of that first April day on Coronado Island.

2. The island is easy to get to by car - there is a beautiful bridge from the city of San Diego, but we recommend leaving the car on the mainland and going to the island on this nice ferry.

3. For just $4.25 you will get a ride along the incredibly beautiful San Diego Bay to this Coronado Marina. The ferry operates all day and leaves every hour. All information about addresses and schedules can be found here: www.flagshipsd.com/coronado-ferry

4. The distance from the pier to the famous Coronado beach is about 2 kilometers, through the beautiful blooming city of Coronado, a 30-minute walk along which is a pleasure. But at the pier you can rent these electric bicycles.

5. The entire path runs along a straight street, past very pleasant old houses surrounded by flowers and well-groomed fruit trees.

6. Most buildings do not have fences, which creates a very cozy homely atmosphere.

7. There are flowers everywhere on the island: on the ground, trees and in pots.

8. You come across bright, beautiful cars. There is a store right on the beach that sells such restored artifacts.

9. Most houses can already be called ancient.

10. Overall the atmosphere here is very serene.

11. Of course, the houses located here are very expensive. Although, in appearance, most look rather modest.

12. Bicycle transport is very popular.

13. As with other types of transport. In general, skateboarding, as you know, is one of the symbols of California.

14. After 30 minutes of a leisurely walk, the opposite shore of the island appears.

15. There are many cute cafes here, and of course, the famous Coronado Beach.

16. April palms.

17. Beach style.

18. Entrance to the beach is absolutely free. If you decide to come by car, parking on the street along the beach is also free, but finding a place is not easy.

19. Even in April there are a lot of people here. But due to the incredible size of the beach, it often seems like there is almost no one there. By the way, do you see these sand mounds covered with wild burgundy flowers?

20. These are giant sand letters CORONADO, which are visible from airplanes flying over the island. Once upon a time it was written CORONADO BEACH, but the second word was scattered by the wind of time.

21. The island is considered a resort and the city here arose thanks to the construction here at the end of the 19th century of the world famous five-star hotel with a red roof, “Del Coronado”.

22. This wooden Victorian hotel is listed as a US landmark thanks to its celebrities and technology. The building's electrical wiring and lighting system was developed by Thomas Edison himself. Movie stars from the golden era of Hollywood liked to spend their weekends here: Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, Clark Gable, Mae West. In addition, the cult film Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe was filmed here, although the film allegedly takes place in Miami.

23. The hotel has about 700 rooms; almost all US presidents of the 20th century lived here, and these days, you don’t have to check in - you can easily go on a tour. There is a pretty nice gift shop inside.

24. Well, of course, we’ll go back to the beach located in front of the hotel. It’s really very cool here - clean, spacious, and the famous cold water of the US Pacific coast is a couple of degrees warmer than in Los Angeles, so we swam even in April.

25. Well, we’re not the only ones, of course.

26. There are always a lot of children here, but there is enough space for everyone.

27. Interestingly, the sand in this place contains shiny particles of golden mica. Of course it’s difficult to show in the photo, they are very small.

28. On the beach, it is important not to forget about the ferry back if you still have plans for the evening.

29. You can go back along a parallel street.

30. And again fruit trees.

31. The city is simply drowning in flowers.

32. Roses.

33. San Diego appeared on the other side.

34. By the way, the ferry to San Diego has two stations. Therefore, you can sail from one and return to the other. Check the schedule.

35. And here is the most beautiful bridge connecting the island with San Diego. The bridge is quite high and offers a breathtaking view.

36. The views from the ferry are also worthwhile. Sometimes dolphins even swim nearby, greeting people.

37. Well, our authentic ferry built in 1964 took us to the mainland, to the port of San Diego, where there are many, many beautiful and modern yachts and ships.

Coronado Island is the most interesting and most famous place in San Diego. This is a real resort paradise in a metropolis of millions. Here are the city beaches of San Diego, the best hotels and the best restaurants. The island is located in San Diego Bay and is located practically parallel to the coastline.

The island can be reached via the Coronado Bridge. This bridge was built in 1969, its length is about 3.5 kilometers, and the road surface is at a height of 61 meters. I couldn’t take my own photo, so I found a photo of the bridge on the Internet:

I must say that the place is really picturesque: it’s nice even just to walk around the island. But the main attraction of the island is, of course, the Hotel Del Coronado, built back in 1888. This is what the hotel looks like these days

Most of our compatriots have known this hotel for a long time, but many do not even suspect it. It was in this hotel that the famous comedy “Some Like It Hot” was filmed and views of the hotel, which is “packed with millionaires,” very often appear on the screen

It is noteworthy that the film takes place in Florida, but nevertheless, the director was so enamored with Del Coronado that it was decided to film here.

What can I say, the views here are simply amazing! And the fact that there are “a lot of rich Buratinos” here is visible to the naked eye

Next to the main building there is a street with villas, the so-called Coronado Village. Each house has its own parking spaces behind it. Convenient, nothing to say

But there are slightly simpler buildings in the hotel

I specifically looked into booking to see how much it costs to stay in Del Coronado - it turned out that the prices weren’t exactly crazy. You can stay in a room for $250, which is quite a normal price for such a great place.