Junction of Cave Street, Prospect Place, Exchange Place, and Prospect Street, 1911

MAIN STREET LA JOLLA
Prospect and Girard

If La Jolla is the jewel by the sea, then Prospect Street and Girard Avenue are its facets. Highly polished and impeccably cut, these two main streets shine through their beautiful setting with a style and sophistication recognized around the globe.

In fact, TripAdvisor.com calls Prospect and Girard "fashionable streets," and even online encyclopedia Wikipedia singles out the pair for their wealth of boutiques and restaurants. "These streets offer upscale shopping and fine dining that rival northern neighbors Rodeo Drive and South Coast Plaza," says Tiffany Sherer, executive director of Promote La Jolla, a local nonprofit business association. "They've helped La Jolla become a world-class destination."

Indeed, it seemed obvious from the beginning that Prospect and Girard were destined to stand out. When La Jolla was first laid out in 1887, the standard street width was 80 feet, except for Girard, which was blessed with a whopping 100 feet. (Originally called Grand Street, its name was changed in 1900 after the city fathers decided to rename the streets alphabetically in honor of famous scientists. Girard was named after naturalist/zoologist Charles Frederic Girard.) With the cachet of this extra space, it's no wonder that by 1908, Girard Avenue - home to a dry goods store, some popular restaurants, and a variety of other shops and services - was considered the business district of La Jolla. Running perpendicular to Girard, Prospect Street didn't need any enhancements. With breathtaking views of the Pacific, it was already coveted land. As historian Howard S.F. Randolph quotes in his book, La Jolla Year by Year, "The street plan has a pleasing irregularity that follows the natural curves of ocean and bay, and Prospect Street certainly has a real claim to its name."

According to the La Jolla Historical Society, the area has always been commercial, attracting retailers who knew customers would flock to the highly-desirable location. As business grew, so did the tourist trade. To accommodate the ever-increasing number of visitors to La Jolla, The Cabrillo Hotel opened its doors in 1909, followed soon after by The Grande Colonial Hotel and, two decades later, La Valencia Hotel. All took root on Prospect Street, boasting spectacular ocean views and evolving along with La Jolla itself.

Affectionately known as "The Hotel of Pleasant Memories," the Cabrillo was incorporated into La Valencia Hotel in 1956 and is referred to today as "La Valencia West." Back in the 1930s, La Valencia, dubbed "The Pink Lady of La Jolla" (yes, La Jollans do seem to have an affinity for nicknaming their favorites), hosted such legends as Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, and Groucho Marx. It still attracts big name guests and has since become a member of the prestigious Preferred Hotels Worldwide.

La Jolla's oldest original hotel, The Grande Colonial, has also expanded since opening with 28 apartments and 25 hotel rooms almost 90 years ago. It underwent a $3 million restoration in 1976 and received the People in Preservation award from the Save Our Heritage Organization for bringing "the very best from La Jolla's past tastefully into the present."

Not content to live on its rich past, though, The Grande Colonial is nearing completion of another $3.5 million restoration project of the adjacent Little Hotel by the Sea and the Garden Terraces, adding 18 new, extended-stay suites to the hotel's existing 75-room inventory. To recognize their significance in the development of La Jolla, both properties have been designated as historic sites. "We are thrilled to restore them to their original glory for our community and visitors to our community to enjoy for many years to come," says Terrence Underwood, general manager of The Grande Colonial Hotel.

Luckily, tourists aren't the only ones who get to take advantage of these La Jolla landmarks. Both hotels house top restaurants that are popular with local residents, as well. The Grande Colonial's Nine-Ten, with its spectacular ocean-view terrace, has garnered numerous awards and accolades, and La Valencia's three restaurants - the romantic Sky Room, the nautically-themed Whaling Bar and Grill, and the Mediterranean Room and Tropical Patio - offer a host of dining options.

World-renowned chefs ensure you'll never go hungry on Prospect Street. Between Trattoria Acqua at 1298 Prospect and Roppongi at 875 Prospect, you'll find dozens of top-of-the-line restaurants featuring everything from seafood, steak, and pasta to fondue, California cuisine, and Asian fusion. Whatever you choose, the salty air seems to add just the right amount of seasoning to the experience.

"Being right on the ocean is very special," says Ron Zappardino, owner and president of the award-winning Top of the Cove restaurant, which has graced Prospect Street for more than 50 years. "With these beautiful surroundings, people feel a sense of euphoria when they're here, and it makes them eager to try new tastes and shop for unique items. It's a bad street for husbands!"

Most women - and men - would probably agree that one can only eat so much, but shopping? That's a different story altogether. With a wide variety of eclectic stores and designer boutiques, it's no surprise that shopping is one of the top activities on Prospect and Girard.

"One thing I really like about our street is the number of independent businesses that are here," says Nancy Warwick, whose family has owned Warwick's bookstore on Girard for four generations. "Being so inaccessible from the freeway has actually been beneficial to La Jolla because it's kept most of the big chains out. People have to make an effort to come here, and they do because of the innovative shops and merchandise."

Jennifer Fox-Armour agrees. She and her husband, Rick, opened MOS My Own Space, a shop dedicated to unique furnishings and accessories, on Girard two years ago and quickly developed a loyal following. "We couldn't believe how fortunate we were to be on the same street as icons like Warwick's and Burns Drugs," says Fox-Armour. "There's such a sense of community here, and the residents genuinely like to support local business."

That feeling of goodwill definitely works both ways, as Victor Perez, owner of new-kid-on-the-block Rumors, can attest. "We call our customers when we get new merchandise or find something we think is their style," he says. "Because of personal service like that, our local client base is expanding and it's not unusual for women to drive down from Del Mar or Rancho Santa Fe just to pick up that special T-shirt they want."

Customer service are the two words mentioned over and over by retailers on Girard and Prospect, and this impeccable care has resulted in a rare symbiotic relationship between store owners and local residents. "Our regular customers feel such a sense of involvement that, if we change the awning in front of the store, we get a lot of feedback," says Warwick.

Retailers describe their local clientele as affluent, sophisticated, and interested in new ideas and products. Because they're also design-savvy, they've helped turn a few blocks of Girard Avenue into a mini design district featuring stores like Roche Bobois, Seaside Home, and Waterworks.

"The top brands of contemporary furniture are all here and basically nowhere else," says Chad Patton, owner of Material Things. "It was never planned this way, but developed naturally probably because there are so many designers and architects living in La Jolla, and more and more young people moving in, with pretty cosmopolitan style."

To encourage this design-district feel and increase public awareness, Patton organizes an annual walking tour of a dozen contemporary furniture showrooms, entitled What's Up Girard? This year's event, expected to draw about 1,000 people, will be held on September 16 and will feature design seminars, live entertainment, and an exclusive "chairity" event in which each showroom will raffle off a chair, with proceeds benefiting ArtsBus Xpress.

The art galleries on Girard and Prospect (and some adjoining streets) also host an annual La Jolla Gallery and Wine Walk every October. Twenty of the village's top galleries welcome visitors who want to indulge both their palette and their palate. "Events like this really help bring the community together," says Sherer, who predicts continued growth for Girard and Prospect.

"Since we opened seven years ago, our street keeps expanding and maturing," says Tom Penn, vice president of Ladeki Restaurant Group, pointing out that a new restaurant is being built even further down Prospect, past his company's famed Roppongi. "The nightlife on Prospect keeps getting better, too, which benefits all of us."

Stefanie Lyon, owner of Nicole Miller, has also noticed that change. "Prospect's definitely getting that nighttime feel. I love that people can stroll past my storefront while they're enjoying a beautiful evening out, and want to come back during the day to shop."

And what does Zappardino see for the future of these special La Jolla streets? "There are very few places like this in the world with the small town charm of a village and the beauty of the ocean - maybe Carmel or the French Riviera," he says. "The best trend would be for them to stay just the way they are."

- Lois Alter Mark, photography by Vincent Knakal, and courtesy of the La Jolla Historical Society