PARK AND CEMETERY. 
9 
that to pleasure would come at E street. 
It would not, however, be a sharp line, 
and the form of development north of 
E street would be so simple and so un- 
pretentious that there would be no lack 
of harmony. The value of the building 
block would be threefold : it would ef- 
fectively screen the railroads from the 
water front, it would furnish a firm and 
impressive frontage, and it would pro- 
vide a considerable sum of money, per- 
haps enough to pay the entire cost of 
the Bay Front improvements. Reliable 
estimates obtained some years ago under 
the direction of the Board of State Har- 
bor Commissioners placed the cost of 
the sea wall and thoroughfare complete 
at $65,000 per section of one thousand 
feet. Allowing liberally for the increased 
cost of such work today, it still appears 
that the improvements could be carried 
out at an expense within the means of 
the city, or as in the case of Boston with 
the Back Bay, at a handsome profit. The 
Board of Harbor Commissioners has 
pointed out in its report that “very fa- 
vorable natural conditions exist for the 
substantial and economical construction 
of a sea wall and thoroughfare of the 
kind contemplated. The bottom of the 
bay along the course of the located line 
is hard and comparatively level, the av- 
erage rise and fall of the tide is but five 
feet, and there is no injury from rough 
seas to be guarded against.” 
The plan looks to the development of 
commercial facilities, wharves, docks, 
and piers south of E street extending 
farther and farther as business de- 
mands, and pleasure facilities of a sim- 
ple order north of E street. 
The present park area of the city is 
comprised in one tract, the City park of 
1,400 acres, but Mr. Nolen says : 
"In a city like San Diego, stretching 
for more than twenty miles up and down 
the coast, with an almost infinite variety 
of scenery, no single park is sufficient. 
A system of parks is unquestionably de- 
manded. Such a system can be secured 
more easily than in any other city that 
I know of. It should include charac- 
teristic, inexpensive, almost ready-made 
parks in every part of the city, and 
form a unique series of pleasure- 
grounds. The attractions from which to 
select are so great that choice is em- 
barrassing.” The following have been 
•S(dected as most important: 
1. Of course, the nucleus of the new 
park system would be the City park and 
the people are to be congratulated on 
its possession. It is a magnificent tract 
of typical California country, especially 
satisfying in canyon scenery. From its 
heights superb views can be had of the 
Bay, Coronado, and the Pacific ocean to 
the west, the glorious mountain ranges 
of San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and 
the Cuyamacas to the east, while below 
lies the business section of the city, and 
to the north, on the heights, the pictur- 
esque groupings of bungalows and other 
homelike California residences. This 
park also contains land which is suit- 
able in character and location for golf, 
tennis, and a large general playfield. As 
in the case of streets, already referred 
to in this report, it would seem that the 
park might receive some more distinc- 
KEY 
— 1 The Cflr Peurk 
2 The Bay Froat 
3 Point Loma 
4 B oikcK Hcservation 
5 l_a Jolla 
6 Soledaci Mouatain 
7 Miioicm CUff 
& Fori Slocklon 
9 The Torrey Pines 
I 
PLAN FOR PROPOSED PARK 
SYSTEM FOR SAN DIEGO. 
John Nolen, Cambridge, Mass., 
Landscape Arch. 
tive name than the “City” park. The 
two names suggested — “Cabrillo,” the 
discoverer of the Bay of San Diego, 
and “Canyado,” meaning little canyon — 
are both unusually happy. Perhaps the 
latter would be more significant for the 
City Park, the former being reserved 
or the Bay Front Parkway or boule- 
vard. 
The improved Bay Front would vir- 
tually be a park, and it illustrates what 
is true of many of the proposed parks 
for San Diego, — little more is needed 
than a view-point, a foreground to a 
picture. The Bay Front Boulevard can 
with profit be extended all the way to 
Point Loma, and north and west of 
Date street it will probably be possible 
to fill in a much wider strip. 
A physical feature of value, the beau- 
ty of which it is impossible to over- 
estimate, is Point Loma. This pictur- 
esque promontory, stretching out six or 
seven miles into the sea, with the bay, 
Coronado, and the city always visible 
on one side, and the ocean on the other, 
is a feature of incalculable value for 
recreation purposes. The United States 
government owns and occupies the end 
of the promontory, but the city should 
not rely entirely upon the national gov- 
ernment’s reservation. It should itself 
possess at least enough land on Point 
Loma to command at all times the mar- 
velous view that can be enjoyed from 
there. 
With all its miles of ocean frontages 
San Diego has no beach reservation and 
the report recommends that ' several be 
acquired, with the sand spit south of 
Pacific Beach the first choice. Coronado 
Island and North Island are other good 
sites. 
La Jolla is one of the most romantic 
and alluring spots on the coast. “El 
Nito” (the nest) it has been aptly 
called, because it seems to hang, like 
the sea-gull’s nest, between the sea and 
the sky. The picturesque and famous 
caves, the witches’ cauldron, the biologi- 
cal station, and other attractions have 
made this already a resort within a re- 
sort. Fortunately, the city now con- 
trols a well-located piece of property at 
La Jolla. It needs but to add slightly 
to it, and give the park an unified 
treatment. 
Soledad Mountain is practically a 
liart of La Jolla. It is a natural site 
for a park, so located as to be of little 
value for private use, while the view 
from its top, easily reached, commands 
snow-capped mountains, valleys, plains 
and sea. 
A view of the Mission Valley, broad 
and restful, with the foot hills at one , 
end and the bay at the other — is one of 
the landscape features that the proposed 
park system should unquestionably in- 
clude. This view is easily secured from 
almost any one of the cliffs that jut out 
on the south side, the city side, of the 
valley. One of these points ought to be 
had at little cost. The beautifully situ- 
ated Old Mission itself, the first estab- 
lished in California, is a landmark of 
historic interest that should be pre- 
served at any cost. 
In “Old Town,” near and including 
Fort Stockton, the city owns property 
which simply needs completing to form 
another center in this wonderful park 
.system. Here, again, there is joy and 
inspiration to be had in superb views, 
and added interest from historic and 
romantic associations. 
The final feature, the Torrey Pines, 
would form a unique addition to the 
park system, one that the city could not 
on any account afford to omit. 
