Biotech, defense and tech, by the sea.
La Jolla sits at the heart of one of the biggest research economies in the country. San Diego covered, from Torrey Pines to the border.
Work trips and sunsets.
My San Diego time has mostly been work trips, plus the surf, the beaches and the sunsets.
Skills travel. Find the warm water, and bet on yourself.
The San Diego career landscape.
About 20% of San Diego's gross regional product traces back to defense spending, and the region is one of the top biotech clusters in the country. Wireless and research round it out.
Illumina and the Torrey Pines mesa
About 61,900 direct life science jobs in San Diego County in 2025.
Qualcomm
Chips and wireless technology, with a large San Diego engineering base.
The Navy and its industry
The largest military concentration in the world, plus legacy primes and newer defense tech startups.
UC San Diego
The university in La Jolla that feeds much of the region's science and startups.
Skills move between biotech, defense and wireless more than people expect. Widening the search across all three often opens the right door.
Networking in La Jolla, done the long way.
Show up more than once. The second visit is where the real conversations start.
A binational week of startup events, with programming in San Diego and Tijuana.Visit → MonthlyStartup San Diego 1st Mondays
Regular networking and startup nights.Visit → Life sciencesBiocom California
Mixers, career expos and life science events all year.Visit → Event calendarSD Tech Scene
San Diego tech meetups, socials and conferences in one calendar.Visit →
Cost of living and housing.
San Diego is expensive, and La Jolla more so. Many people work in La Jolla and live elsewhere in the county.
Coastal, inland or North County: the I-5 and I-805 commute decides more than the zip code.
Numbers change fast, so we link the live sources instead of printing figures that go stale.
Where to clear your head.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
California's largest state park and a Dark Sky Park.
Plan it →Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Cuyamaca Peak is 6,512 feet.
Plan it →Torrey Pines State Beach
The reserve is closed until about March 2027. The beach stays open.
Plan it →Basecamp La Jolla on the map.
Coaching runs by video. When Coach Leighty is in town, in-person conversations happen over coffee or on a trail. Book a call first.
Protect it. Live it. Visit it.
Live it
Listed as local resources, not partners or sponsors. Something closed or missing? Email mike@longgamelife.live.
Your long game has its own map.
Every Basecamp starts with the same trail markers. Yours might need a fabric store, a card shop, a maker space, a climbing gym or a quiet place to write. Tell us what belongs on this page and Coach Leighty adds the ones that fit.
What's open right now.
Go see it for real.
Wildlife, landmarks, trees and flowers, night sky and tide pools. Find one, tap it, and it gets a stamp.
Brown pelican
Pelecanus occidentalisWhere to lookRoosting on the cliffs at La Jolla Cove.
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Brandt's cormorant
Urile penicillatusWhere to lookNesting on the cove cliffs.
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Snowy egret
Egretta thulaWhere to lookBright yellow feet, wading in tide pools and lagoons.
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Harbor seal
Phoca vitulinaWhere to lookChildren's Pool beach, closed to people Dec. 15 to May 15 for pupping season. You can still watch from the seawall.
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Garibaldi
Hypsypops rubicundusWhere to lookBright orange fish, California's state marine fish, in the underwater park.
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Leopard shark
Triakis semifasciataWhere to lookHarmless, gathering off La Jolla Shores in late summer.
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La Jolla Cove
The VillageGetting thereSea lions on the rocks and bright orange garibaldi in the water. Stay well back from sea lions, and follow closure signs at Point La Jolla.
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Torrey Pines Reserve
About 15 min northGetting thereCliff trails through the rarest pine in the U.S. The reserve is closed for work until about 2027, so check first. The beach below stays open.
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Birch Aquarium
Scripps, La Jolla ShoresGetting thereBig kelp tank and touch pools. Tickets needed.
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Sunny Jim Cave
Behind a shop on Coast BlvdGetting thereWalk down a tunnel of stairs into a sea cave. Small fee.
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Scripps Pier
La Jolla ShoresGetting thereA research pier you can see from the beach. Tide pools nearby at low tide.
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La Jolla Shores
Kellogg ParkGetting thereWide, gentle beach. Leopard sharks gather offshore in summer.
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Torrey pine
Pinus torreyanaWhere to lookThe rarest pine in the U.S., growing wild only here and on Santa Rosa Island.
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Lemonade berry
Rhus integrifoliaWhere to lookSticky red berries with a lemony coating that people once used for a drink. Look, but never eat wild berries.
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California bush sunflower
Encelia californicaWhere to lookBright yellow daisies on the bluffs.
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Coast prickly pear
Opuntia littoralisWhere to lookSpiny paddles and yellow flowers. Keep hands off.
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Jacaranda
Jacaranda mimosifoliaWhere to lookPurple street trees in late spring. Not native, but loved here.
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California poppy
Eschscholzia californicaWhere to lookCalifornia's state flower in spring.
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Big Dipper and North Star
Ursa Major and PolarisWhere to lookFind the dipper, then follow the two stars at the end of its cup up to the North Star.
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Orion the Hunter
Winter constellationWhere to lookLook south after dark for three bright stars in a row: Orion's belt.
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Perseid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-August peakWhere to lookLie back after midnight around Aug 11 to 13. No telescope needed.
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Geminid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-December peakWhere to lookOften the year's best shower. Bundle up around Dec 13 to 14.
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Milky Way
Our home galaxyWhere to lookNeeds a moonless night away from town lights. Summer shows the brightest part. Head inland toward the mountains for darker skies than the coast.
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Space Station flyover
International Space StationWhere to lookA bright, steady dot crossing the sky in a few minutes. NASA's Spot the Station app lists times.
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Aggregating anemone
Anthopleura elegantissimaWhere to lookGreen anemones packed on the rocks near Scripps Pier and False Point.
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Ochre sea star
Pisaster ochraceusWhere to lookOrange and purple stars low on the rocks.
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California sea hare
Aplysia californicaWhere to lookA big soft sea slug that can squirt purple ink. Don't pick it up.
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Owl limpet
Lottia giganteaWhere to lookBig flat shells that guard a patch of rock.
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Purple sea urchin
Strongylocentrotus purpuratusWhere to lookSpiny purple balls in rock holes.
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Hermit crab
Pagurus samuelisWhere to lookTiny crabs in borrowed shells.
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Never feed wildlife, stay on trail, and follow posted closures. Hours, permits and seasons change, so check before you go. Months are a guide. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under the free licenses shown. Stamps stay on this device only.
Everybody has a long game. Some are written in a lab.
Scientist, engineer, sailor or founder: start with a free 20-minute call.
Or email mike@longgamelife.live