Ole Hanson Beach House (built in 1928)





The second story of the Ole Hanson Beach House

Historic City Hall (aka the Easley Building), built in 1929 for Oscar Easley and never actually used as the City Hall

The Moulton House (1929), designed by Virgil Westbrook for H.G. Moulton

The Swigart House, designed by Virgil Westbrook in 1929 for electrician Ralph Swigart

The Warner House, built in 1929 for Judge Warner -- founder of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce

St. Clement's By the Sea (1929)

END OF THE SECOND SPANISH ERA

SPANISH MID-MOD ERA

The L.S. Frasier House, built in 1938 for Thomas Loncono

CASINO SAN CLEMENTE



Early on, casino entertainment was provided by orchestras including, andThe casino was a popular hangout for Hollywood stars such as, and others. One frequent guest,, took to the small stage and treated guests to a rendition offromin 1939 (the event is one of many documented on wall displays in the venue). During the casino was commandeered by the military who used it was a lookout station. In 1961 it became a. From 1973 until 1980 it was home to. In 1980,took over. for a spell. In 1991 it became something calledwhich sounds atrocious but still preferable to it being shuttered, which it was in 2004. Thankfully, in 2009 it was acquired by new owners who renovated it and re-opened it as an event space -- and one devoid of any suggestions ofThe 650-seatwas constructed next to the casino in 1937 and opened in 1938. It was designed by celebrated, and also included a bowling alley and used to host live music performances. At some point it was renamed. It was restored in 1986, closed in 1995, and placed on a list of the nation’s most endangered historic theatres in 2001. It currently it remains boarded up.As mentioned previously, Casino San Clemente was occupied by the military when the US enteredin 1941. Not in San Clemente, but no doubt far more impactful on the community, was the establishment of a marine base just on the other side of the county line to the south.was established by president Franklin Roosevelt in 1942. Economically, it helped revive San Clemente, providing a large customer base who spread word of the quaint Spanish hamlet. The war ended in 1945 and many military families stayed in the area. In 1946, the base was declared a permanent installation and suburban development in San Clemente resumed for the first time since its cessation fifteen years earlier at the dawn of the Depression.

The Beachcomber Hotel, established in 1947, and the city's longest continually-running business

POST-WAR SAN CLEMENTE

San Clemente Chamber of Commerce

THE 5 FREEWAY

SONGS

VARRIO

CHICO

SAN

CLEMENTE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

RAINBOW SANDALS

RIVIERA ADULT MOTEL

VIETNAM WAR

SAN CLEMENTE AND PROP 187

*****

GETTING THERE AND AROUND



pier

Unable to get a picture of an OCTA bus, here's a green Studebaker that I liked

DINING IN SAN CLEMENTE

DRINKS AND NIGHTLIFE



In side the Red Fox Lounge

MUSIC OF SAN CLEMENTE

SAN CLEMENTE ON SCREEN

SAN CLEMENTE ART SCENE

Mint Fine Art Gallery

SURFING SAN CLEMENTE

SAN CLEMENTE GREAT OUTDOORS



Max Berg Plaza Park





San Clemente Historic Cottage





Inside the historic cottage





OTHER SITES TO SEE AND THINGS TO DO

Cabrillo Playhouse (1953)

More entertainment options: parking lot grill-outs and laundromat arcade games

GETTING INVOLVED

BOOKS

AND FURTHER READING



*****







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By 1950 the population of San Clemente had once again climbed, reaching 2,000. That year and for the next three, the US fought in theand more military personnel were drawn to the nearby base and in many cases settled after war in San Clemente with their families. At the same time the Downtown business district experienced a new wave of commercial development along its core aroundandFreed of the Spanish Colonial Revival restrictions, architects turned to other styles and likeand. Two of the finest examples – both still existent – areand thebuilding. I’m not sure what occupied Pedro’s Tacos before they moved in and introduced Orange County to fish tacos in 1986 but my guess is that it was formerly a burger stand.San Clemente’s population reached 8,500 in 1960 – the same year that thereached town. The freeway’s construction came at a cost – the destruction of many of San Clemente’s older buildings. In that era of destruction and construction, the huge Shorecliffs development was San Clemente’s first big, modern housing tract, begun in 1963.The SONGS, a cute acronmyn for, was the world’s largest nuclear plant and was constructed just south of San Clemente. The first reactor began operation in 1968, four years after construction began. The second and third reactors followed in the. If you’ve driven this section of the five you probably know them as the “Giant Boobs" that serve as a gateway to San Diego County. In 2012, radioactive mist leaked from reactor three and nearby residents were issued iodine tablets. The rising water temperature and increased cloudiness around the reactor devastated the local marine ecosystem and a 150-acre kelp forest/artificial reef known aswas planted in 2008 to help mitigate the damage. The plant was shuttered in 2012 and the kelp on the artificial reef seems to be thriving although the population of marine fauna hasn't yet rebounded.Before the, gangs seem to have been unknown in San Clemente. Back then San Clemente’s(SCVC) gang and San Juan Capistrano’swere car clubs rather than gangs in the way that we think about them now. In the decades since they've evolved into street gangs and there are still unfortunate incidents of gang violence but the idea of anyone being afraid to visit San Clemente is ludicrous.Until 1972 the stunningstood as a symbol of San Clemente. Unfortunately, it was reduced to rubble by its final owners and replaced by an exceptionally hideous condominium. By then, roughly 500 of the old Spanish Colonial structures in the small city had been razed. The silver lining of the destruction was that it served as a catalyst for the organization of thein 1973. In 1999 the society received a grant to establish the(although right now it's closed).In 1974,founded, which, in researching this piece I learned are "world famous." I'd never heard of them but then again, the only sandal brand that I'm familiar with is's Birkenstock. I asked Una if she'd heard of them and she said that she hadn't. Then, after paying attention to the footware of people at her work, she told me that a patient had been wearing them. As we walked around San Clemente, she pointed out a group of people wearing them on the pier.n 1975, a sex motel calledopened in San Clemente. According to the OC Weekly it boasted theme rooms with large bathtubs and offered guests toys, complimentary adult movies and more. It seems as though it was demolished a few years ago. I doubt the Historical Society made saving it one of their causes.As withand the, nearby Camp Pendleton trained thousands of marines that were sent off to fight in Vietnam. 50,418 refugees fromentered the US through the camp. 165 children were born there. Although presumably a significant number ofveterans settled in San Clemente after the war, most of the Vietnamese settled further away in(where they established) and the'sBy 1980, the population of San Clemente passed 27,000, 8% of whom were Latino. By 1990 that percentage had increased by 4% as the Anglo population decreased by the same. Some tensions arose, particularly between young men from both communities. High schoolvsrows go back at least to the. The most famous violent incident between young Latinos and Anglos occurred at Calafia Beach County Park in 1993, which ended in the death of 17-year-old. Like theof 1942, it serves as a lightning rod for ethnic hostility, especially after the victim’s mother (a legal immigrant from the UK) blamed the violence on illegal immigrants. After throwing her weight behind-- which aimed to deny education, healthcare and social services to the undocumented -- it picked up considerable steam. Meanwhile anti-gang organizations formed, high school students staged a walkout, and a banner stating “Take Back our City” was hung from the 5 Freeway. Prop 187 passed with a large margin.There are several train options to San Clemente:’sand’sandLines. Metrolink began service in 1992 and yet I've still yet to ride one of their trains. Until the morning that we headed to San Clemente I had planned on us grabbing $10 weekend passes and taking the train to the pier station but it turned out that service was temporarily halted while crossing improvements were made and the closest that we could get via Metrolink was toFrom Laguna Niguel we could've taken advantage of Orange County's other great public transit service,but that would've added another 80 minutes to the already long commute so we decided to drive this time. Orange County Transit Authority was formed the year before Metrolink when seven separated transit agencies combined forces. In 2005, OCTA was proclaimed "America's Best Public Transportation System" by the. The organization serves Orange County with 77 bus lines, four of which (1, 91, 191, and 193) serve San Clemente. Not long ago, in 2011, San Clemente and OCTA made headlines when someone briefly stole one of their buses and abandoned it after an apparent joyride.I mostly got around San Clemente on foot and found that it's not the most walkable city. Although most of the sites of interest to visitors are located within a small area that is fairly flat, it's iverall much hillier than I expected. Furthermore, sidewalks are quite rare and usually only exist in small, disconnected sections. Therefore, I did most of my walking in the street, something which local drivers seemed tolerant and respectful of -- probably because so many people do so. For the record,gives the city a ranking of 47, on par with notoriously sprawling places likeandOf course no visit to any destination is complete without sampling the local cuisine. San Clemente's main claim to culinary fame might be that it's home to a chain called. In November is theand many other events throughout the year involve food. The food scene of San Clemente, it has to be noted, isn’t the most diverse. The most numerous type of restaurants arefollowed by, andWe first ate, on recommendation, at one of the burger joints --. There we enjoyed some rather messy (silverware recommended) sandwiches and beer. A lot of the dining options were too upscale for my taste and my favorite meal was a good, filling and very cheap dinner at, a Mexican restaurant and mini-market. Out of sheer desperation we ate at a noisy sports bar,, which was fine and afforded a lovely view of the ocean if also -- and expectedly -- sports blaring in every direction and boozy jocks grunting with excitement. Afterward I took off to explore more and Una went to the pier to eat a lobster atand reported that it was very good.Other local food options include:, andAlthough the dining scene overall seems kind of fancy (a place with $35 entrees is listed as “$$” out of “$$$$” on Yelp), the drinking scene occupies a similar range. Bars includeIf you prefer coffee, there's. We checked out the, one of the older bars in the city, having been established in 1955.Walking around San Clemente I couldn’t find any dedicated music venues. Back in the day, in addition to the Casino, City Hall was home to the. On, places likeare all listed as music venues although I’m not sure how accurate that is. The sign on, established in 1929, promised live music, dancing, pool and other sinful activities but we didn’t venture inside to confirm. From May to August, since 1999, San Clemente has hosted the annualThere was music everywhere, however and in the course of my walks I also heard music bouncing around the hills and canyons. There wascoming from somewhere near the pier at one point. A day earlier I could hear a band run through a medley ofand othertunes. As I walked down, a man on the sidewalk plucked at his banjo. Floating from store, car and home windows (and jukeboxes) I heard(which Una asked me to stop singing along to),, and more. I saw ahawkingof histo a tie-dyed family whose patriarch gushed “I love” but passed on buying the disc.Probably the best known musician from San Clemente isof, who if I'm not mistaken, was at one point something of a regular on's mezzanine.Other local performers include, andProbably the best-knownthat really made use of its San Clemente setting was’sfilm(2005).’s(2008) included some shots of San Clemente -- possibly of the Western White House (I didn't see it).’s(1986) featured a scene filmed in San Clemente’s storiedbar (now). At least some scenes of(1971) and(1988) were also filmed in San Clemente. OnSan Clemente was featured in at least some episodes of, and. San Clemente is the setting for an MTV show calledalthough I don't believe that it's filmed there. San Clemente is also the birthplace of actress(aka).After the old San Clemente Theatre was permanently shuttered in 1995,opened in 1997 and is currently the only movie theater in town. San Clemente is also home toa production company that produces-themed films. Their biggest hit to date was(1979), the three (!) directors of which were, and).Though not quite a South County art mecca on the same level as, San Clemente is home to a vibrant and well-established art scene based around galleries, street art, surf boards, public art, tattoo parlors, &c.Thefirst organized back in 1953 with seven members. They had their first show in 1954 and opened an art gallery in 1972. Nowadays they host eight art shows a year, including thein the third week of each August which has taken place since 1960. The city and the Art Association have paired together to turn traffic control boxes into art canvasses.takes place on the first Sunday of every month and Una and I checked it out as we made our way toward the sea. San Clemente is also home to a street artist who goes by. Bandit organized the firstin 2012.Art supply stores and galleries including, and. We stayed nearwhich offers classes. I’m not sure if it’s connected to the store, but in an alley nearby a garage has a mural celebrating the first half century of. A bit further up the road I snapped a picture of theand met the owner as he was leaving.Surfing has been popular in San Clemente at least since theand really took off in the. Popular surfing areas include the(mentioned by thein), the, the, the, the, the, the, andThere are several surf-centric shops and manufactures like, and. There’s also an annual. For more than 20 years, San Clemente has also annually hosted the largestexhibition in California.They used to show surf films at the Miramar and surf films and series like(2005),(2009),(2010), and(2012) were filmed in San Clemente. San Clemente is also home to theand the. The publications, andare (or were) all based in San Clemente.San Clemente is home to a number of beaches, parks and hiking trails. The oldest beach is, established in 1937 and home to theOther parks include, and part of(part is within San Diego County).Most of the hiking trails are in the semi-arid, rather forebodingly tree-less (and therefore shade-less) foothills. They include the the 8km, 6.75 km, 5.5 km, the 5.5 km, and the 4.5 kilometer. Nearer the coast there’s the 5kmThere are, of course, other things to do when in San Clemente.As a fan of live, I was pleased to stumble upon the, established in 1953 and home to the. Every August for the last 60 years thehas taken place and offers attendees bands, beer, games, arts and crafts, car and motorcycle shows, and a salsa challenge. There’s also the. The family-orientedhas taken place annually since 1977. On the 13th of October is theFor golfers, there are a few options. In addition to theand, there’s the. Thewas designed in 1928 by the renowned golf course architect, initially as a nine hole course. It was touted as the only all-grass course betweenand. Nine more holes were added in 1956. Sadly, the elegant clubhouse was destroyed to make way for an apartment complex.In addition to the aforementioned San Clemente Historical Society, San Clemente is home to theand(established in 1948),), and the, among other organizations.There are several bookstores in San Clemente including, and. Additionally, there's theIf you’d like to read more about San Clemente there have been several newspapers including the first,and currently the San Clemente Times , the's, and the onlineThere are also books worth checking out such as’s(1930),’s’s(1996),’s(2000),’s(2009), and J’s(2010). There’s also a children’s book from 1973,’sAnd if you want, check outof(who beat me to San Clemente by a week or so!) by watching the clip below:To vote vote for other Orange County communities , vote. To vote for, vote. To vote for, vote. Please leave any additions, corrections, or shared memories in the comment section. Aloha!