Sunken City

On our list of the best activities in Los Angeles.

At the tip of Point Fermin, a neighborhood began sliding into the ocean in 1929, after storm water seeped into a layer of clay beneath the cliff, destabilizing the ground under dozens of homes. All but two houses were removed once the land had dropped several feet. Broken foundations, curbs and pipe fittings still poke out of the dirt and ice plant, on a site fenced off and closed to the public. Trespassing can draw a fine, but enforcement is inconsistent enough that visitors still climb through, and city council has funded plans to reopen part of the site.