Imperial Beach, California Part 2

The Imperial Beach city seal has a nice white sailboat in the middle but unfortunately, Imperial Beach has no wharves, docks, or boat ramps. The only boat within the city limits is a sunken submarine off the beach. The only way to launch any kind of a boat in Imperial Beach is to push it through the sand and into the crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean. So the only boat that is actually moored anyplace near here is that 1918 submarine quietly gathering a thick skin of sewage-fed mollusks right off Imperial Beach’s surf line.

Truth would require that the Imperial Beach sailboat be replaced with sunken World War One submarine.

Imperial Beach is Palm Avenue. While some might take the freeway exit seeking the glories of another Palm — that of Palm Springs and its Palm Canyon Drive where Rolex and Rolls Royce blend with well tanned idle women lining up in front of surgical centers for a quick nip and a tuck from their favorite plastic surgeon — here things are really different.

While San Diego is one of the richest places in the world, per capita income in nearby Imperial Beach was $16,003 in the year 2000 which is $9,000 below the official San Diego poverty line. In 2000, twice as many families rented (6,490) here than owned (2,782).

Here we see Imperial Beach’s beach looking north from Imperial Beach’s Palm Avenue.