Thursday, 1 December 2011

San Diego's Glorious Old Town

By John Tubein


The major towns and cities around the globe change everyday, but all of them keep an area which isn't modified, a place where the city's history and culture is preserved. Even a city as modern and cutting-edge as San Diego, with its numerous and diverse commercial and cultural centers, as well as beaches and parks, has one preserved region. In this case, it is San Diego's Old Town, considered one of the best destinations for tourists who wish to have a historical and cultural experience.

Old Town is commonly known as the birthplace of the state of California, for it is in the area where the first Spanish settlement was founded. In addition to this, in 1769, 21 missions, led by Father Junipero Serra, were founded in the area. His missions were also actually built on the hillside overlooking the area recognized as Old Town San Diego today, effectively turning it into the center of the rest of the colonization of California on Downtown San Diego real estate.

The area of Old Town was also selected as the county seat of San Diego County in 1850, when the state of California joined the rest of the United States, until 1860 when Alonzo Horton began promoting what we now call Downtown San Diego. Soon, locals, businesses, and important government functions moved from Old Town to Downtown, dwindling the population, and the importance of Old Town. But in 1868, the Department of Parks and Recreation of California declared the area of Old town a state historic park, preserving its importance and sealing its place in California history.

These days, Old Town is the perfect choice to go to for people looking to experience San Diego's rich culture and history, for in the area lies many attractions and old buildings to visit and enjoy. Heritage Park is one such place, which is the home of authentically restored and relocated houses, which includes the officially "designated haunted house" open to visitors, the Whaley House. And then there's the Little Adobe Chapel, the first church in Old Town, and Mason Street School, the first one room schoolhouse in San Diego.

Tourists and locals alike can choose to visit and pass by, or stay for a while in the many inns and hotels found in the city, which range from the small and simple, to the large and chic. If you love history and culture, Old Town is the place to be. Visit it the next time you make your way to San Diego!




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