Los Angeles has taken a step closer toward partially reopening San Pedro’s mysterious Sunken City.
The striking coastal area in San Pedro is famous for its graffiti-covered urban ruins, but has been closed off to the public for nearly 4 decades due to erosion, forcing curious visitors to sneak in at the risk of trespassing citations and cliffside rescues.
But now, locals could gain access to part of the urban ruins as soon as next year.
City work and potential reopening
In February 2026, the L.A. City Council quietly approved funding for environmental monitoring and safety upgrades on the upper portion of the Sunken City/Point Fermin Park site.
According to LAist, plans now include designing a new, safer fence and securing coastal development permits, with officials telling neighbors the process could take roughly another year before any daytime opening is approved.
If the project moves forward as envisioned, the upper Sunken City could evolve from an illicit hangout to a legal, sanctioned viewpoint.
How the Sunken City fell into the ocean
Sunken City began as an upscale 1920s bluff-top enclave, developed by George Peck for upscale Angelenos chasing ocean views at the southern edge of the city. In late 1928 and early 1929, residents noticed ominous warning signs: bursting pipes, widening ground cracks, and sinking yards that prompted geologists to declare the area unsafe for heavy structures.
A slow-moving landslide then tore the neighborhood apart, ultimately sending about five acres of streets, utilities, and bungalow foundations collapsing right into the Pacific.
Most homes were evacuated or relocated inland, but the fractured pavement and curbs were left behind, later transformed by generations of graffiti artists into a vivid, dystopian landscape that still draws urban explorers—even though entering the site remains illegal today, and could result in a $450 fine.
For now, you can see portions of the Sunken City from legal viewpoints such as Point Fermin Park, Pacific Overlook Park, and nearby cliffs and shoreline.
