Shelter Island, San Diego

A 1960s era postcard shows Shelter Island (marked by a row of palm trees) jutting out into San Diego Bay

Shelter Island is a neighborhood of Point Loma in San Diego, California, United States. It is actually not an island but is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. It was originally a sandbank in San Diego Bay, visible only at low tide. It was built up into dry land using material dredged from the bay in 1934.[1] It was developed in the 1950s[2] and contains hotels, restaurants, marinas, and public parkland.

Shelter Island is owned and controlled by the Port of San Diego, which also provides all police and other public services. Shelter Island businesses lease their location from the Port of San Diego.[3] Under California law, property on Shelter Island cannot be sold and permanent residences cannot be built there, because the area falls under the law governing public tidelands.[4]

The "island" is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long and only a few hundred feet wide. A single street, Shelter Island Drive, runs the length of Shelter Island and also connects it to the mainland via a causeway lined with marine-related businesses.

  1. ^ "YACHTING: Its History In San Diego", Journal of San Diego History, Fall 1974, Volume 20, Number 4.
  2. ^ Pourade, Richard F. (1977). "4 "The City - The End of One Civic Dream"". City of the Dream 1940-1970. Copley Press.
  3. ^ San Diego Port Tenants Association
  4. ^ Limitations on State Disposal of Lands