Nature Is Reclaiming This One Abandoned Southern California Spot And It’s Actually Amazing
If you think the idea of Southern California falling into the Pacific Ocean is some crazy storyline from a Hollywood flick, you might want to think again. Although it does sound far-fetched, the truth is, it has already happened. Want proof? Let’s take a field trip to the San Pedro cliffs in Los Angeles, approximately nine miles southwest of Long Beach, and explore the remains of a once affluent residential area in SoCal that has since been abandoned and is now known as the Sunken City.
This may not look like much to you right now, but back in the 1920s this stretch of land was developed as an exclusive community with a stunning cliffside view of the ocean. A bungalow on Paseo Del Mar was prime property at the time, and you had to have some big bucks to buy into this neighborhood.
But what residents didn't know was what was happening to the land underneath. It turned out the area was unstable and the ground was shifting at a rate of 11 inches per day. By 1929, those inches added up and a landslide occurred, causing the surrounding area to slip into the ocean. Most of the bungalows were spared and relocated in time, but two houses were less fortunate. They fell into the ocean along with neighborhood sidewalks and streets. In total, 10.5 acres of land disappeared into the ocean.
Nearby Point Fermin Park also fell victim to the landslide; part of the park slipped into the ocean. The park is still accessible to the public and continues to draw a crowd of visitors curious to see this historic area.
Today, the former Paseo Del Mar neighborhood is a sad sight to see. Now it's nothing but abandoned ruins that have been overtaken by nature, graffiti, and litter.
You can still see the remains of crumbled streets and sidewalks. It's a far cry from what it once was when the area was first developed: an affluent cliffside neighborhood with charming beach bungalows.
In 1987, the city built a wrought iron fence around the area to keep trespassers away from the steep and unstable cliffs.
Although it's still closed off to the public due to a high number of deaths that have occurred in the area, it has somehow become a popular hiking destination and tourist attraction. At this time, there is an ongoing debate regarding opening the area to the public now that the land appears to be stabilized. Until that decision is made, it's still technically off limits and one could be fined for trespassing.
Did you have any idea this spot existed in Southern California? Have you ever been to the Sunken City? It’s quite an interesting piece of history about this area of SoCal.
