By Michael Hernandez Though San Diego’s Clairemont neighborhood has been around for over 76 years now, the story of Clairemont’s development goes back even further to the late 1940s, when local developers Carlos Tavares and Lou Burgener bought 1,000 acres of land formerly used for cattle grazing. Located on a wind-swept mesa overlooking Mission Bay, Tavares, an engineer, and Burgener, a kingpin among builders, transformed the land into one of the country’s largest post-war housing tracts, originally dubbed “The Village Within A City”. According to a pamphlet by the San Diego non-profit “Save Our Heritage Organisation” Tavares’ wife, Claire, made a suggestion that the new development’s layout should match the terrain with winding roads and cul-de-sacs for the children to play in. The development was named “Clairemont” in her honor. Since its development, Clairemont has grown to encompass over six thousand acres of land and is home to more than 81,000 residents, becoming so large that it can be subdivided into five distinct neighborhoods: North Clairemont, Bay Ho, Clairemont Mesa West, Clairemont Mesa East, and Bay Park. Here’s an overview on what each of these five Clairemont neighborhoods have to offer. Disclaimer: While the distinction of the five neighborhoods are outlined in the Clairemont Community Plan, passed by the San Diego City Council in December of 2025, the neighborhood boundaries are not officially defined, but illustrated based on multiple factors including historical documents, property deeds, and resident’s perceptions. North Clairemont The North Clairemont neighborhood is located in the upper region of Clairemont, closer to University City, and is bordered by the San Clemente Canyon and both California State Route 52 and Interstate 805.