San Clemente began in the 1920s as a low-buck developer's dream. The moneyman was HH Cotton and the front man, who got all the credit, was former Seattle mayor Ole Hanson. It was located on a coastal bluff in the middle of nowhere, almost exactly half way between LA and San Diego on the coast.

History

The town was mapped out and subdivided into small lots which were sold cheaply. All buildings had to have white walls and red tile roofs. The commercial area was laid out along Pacific Coast Highway, also known as El Camino Real, right down the middle of town, and generally away from the beach. The town was designed so that the streets would follow the natural contour of the land. The stated plan was to try to build an old-style Mediterranean village, a 'Spanish Village by the Sea'.

The result of this town planning was that there were virtually no direct routes from one part of the town to another, and so it was difficult to get around and took residents years to learn how to get from A to B. In the 1960s the authorities made a major mistake by actively and successfully lobbying to have the freeway (I-5) cut through the city, parallel to and a few blocks inland from the Pacific Coast Highway. Most people now just take the freeway to get around.

To the south of San Clemente is Camp Pendleton, a Marine base that makes up about the only undeveloped coastline between San Diego and Ventura, and San Onofre nuclear power plant, one of the oldest in the state. To the north are Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Historically, the three cities have seemed isolated from the rest of Orange County/Los Angeles, lower key and with more small-town friendliness, but less so lately with the completion of Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel.

San Clemente is perhaps best known as the location of the Western White House during the Nixon administration and tourists often want to know where it is. Well, it isn't there anymore, at least not in the configuration it had in the late 1960s/early '70s. The Western White House was located on the HH Cotton estate at the very southwest corner of town. The property has since been subdivided and developed. The one thing that remains the same is that it is behind a gate and outsiders can never get much of a look.

The Local Population

One would like to divide the populace by length of residence, but it does not split quite that easily. Many families that live in the new developments in the 'back country' east of the freeway are relatively recent arrivals. Most of them commute north to the employment centres of Orange County, and are consequently less involved in the community. A significant portion of the residents are people who bought second houses in the city when they were working in hotter, smoggier parts of the Los Angeles basin, and decided to retire in San Clemente.

Another significant portion are people who have lived in San Clemente a long time, perhaps owning a business or working in the school system or local government. The long-timer group is by far the most visible and often most reactionary, ensuring that all but the most bland development projects are either rejected or emasculated. For example, in the mid-1980s, it became clear that the city would need a new sewage treatment facility. The current sewer plant was located on a bluff with a panoramic view of the Pacific. The backcountry developers proposed to build a new facility in the backcountry. The wise citizens of San Clemente voted to keep the sewer plant right where it was, with the developers paying for an upgrade.

Tourist Information

A tourist coming to town would find about five miles of mainly one-storey commercial buildings along El Camino Real, some of them in a Spanish motif and some of them not. Those businesses cater mainly to locals.

The Del Mar T's into El Camino Real constitutes the 'downtown' area. Most of the stores are in one-storey buildings but a greater proportion are white with red tile roofs as many of them were built when the city was founded. With the possible exception of several antique stores, the gift stores, T-shirt emporia, and the like, the shops offer little that cannot be found elsewhere. On the other hand, it is pleasant to have a cup of coffee in the courtyard in front of the San Clemente Hotel (which should probably be avoided as lodging) and watch the football, mums (with or without their kids), retirees, (with or without their dogs) and the tourists (usually without their cameras).

There are no major resorts or hotels and the selection of eating establishments is limited. Pizza seems to be the food of choice. Sonny's, on El Camino Real, is quite popular and rather ordinary, though not expensive. Carbonara, on Del Mar, is a better choice for those looking for more interesting Italian cuisine. The New Mandarin Garden in Old Town Plaza has excellent Chinese food. The Tropicana is across the street from the beach and has a nice view, but is noisy. The California, Mexican, or otherwise tropical food is bland and overpriced. Just about the only nice restaurant is the Fisherman's, a very popular venue located right on the pier. Its prices are justified by its location, and the seafood is generally edible.

San Clemente boasts miles of uncrowded beach, a wonderful municipal golf course and a population lacking the pretence of Newport Beach. The magnificence of the location easily overcomes provincial politics and past mistakes. It's a nice place to live, but you might not want to visit there.