Hillcrest Living

Considered San Diego's first suburb, Hillcrest is two miles north of downtown San Diego, home to approx. 36,000 residents and brimming with trendy shops and cafes. Restaurants of almost every ethnic specialty are located here.

2007 marked the neighborhood's centennial, 100 years after William Wesley Whitson purchased the 40 acres north of University Ave to Lewis Street (between First and Sixth Ave) in 1906 for $115,000 that were to become today's Hillcrest.

Known for its "tolerance and acceptance, Hillcrest has a high population density compared to many other neighborhoods in San Diego, and it has a large and active lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Hillcrest is part of the Uptown community planning area, which consists of the neighborhoods of Mission Hills, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, Park West, and University Heights.

The older neighborhood has undergone gentrification, which in recent years, has made it appealing to people seeking a more central urban setting without being in the center of the downtown. Many Hillcrest streets are lined with trees and homes of different architectural types. There are Craftsman homes and Mid-century modern apartment buildings. Zoning is mixed, so you'll find single-family residences, apartment communities, and other multi-family dwelling types all on one street.

The neighborhood is bound by Mission Hills to the northwest, Bankers Hill and Balboa Park to the south, University Heights to the north, and North Park to the east. A large ridge overlooking San Diego Bay borders the neighborhood to the west.

Hillcrest loves to celebrate, each weekend, the local cafes, restaurants and bars fill up for fun and entertainment. Hillcrest "CityFest" is an annual street festival which features food, live entertainment, a beer garden and street vendors. Other regular events in Hillcrest include a weekly farmers market on the grounds of the local Department of Motor Vehicles, a Book Fair and Mardi Gras.

San Diego Pride is an annual celebration each July for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. It features the Pride Parade on a Saturday morning, preceded by the Hillcrest Block Party on Friday night and followed by a two-day festival in Balboa Park. It is sponsored by San Diego LGBT Pride and is considered to be the largest civic event in the city of San Diego. The large rainbow flag approved in May 2012 was erected in time for the 2012 Pride Festival.

The Hillcrest Farmers Market currently consists of 175 vendors offering a wide variety of locally grown in-season fruit, produce, gifts, arts and crafts, and flowers. On any given Sunday we have about 175 of our vendors. Many of the local farmers participating in the market grow their produce organically or with no pesticides. The market also hosts a large variety of prepared food and hot food items with an emphasis on international cuisine. Additionally, each week, there are a large number of arts and crafts vendors participating, as well as weekly entertainment performed by Shawn Rohlf and the 7th Day Buskers, a local folk band (additional bands play weekly, check out the heart of the market to see who’s playing).

Hillcrest offers residential neighborhoods with great walkability to shopping, entertainment, as well as public transportation. Its centrality to freeways and downtown make for practical easy-access living.
For more information on Hillcrest and other Uptown neighborhoods, call me at 858-603-7879. www.sandiego-ca-homes.com
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