Hillcrest is an eclectic, hip and accepting urban community of approximately 31,314 people. Its city elegance combines well with its neighborhood small-town charm. This community has been revitalized and blossomed over the past decade into one of the most diverse and lively communities in San Diego.
Location
Hillcrest is an urban neighborhood in San Diego, practically at the geographic center of the city, just north of downtown. It is located to the west and north of Balboa Park, from Park Boulevard westward to Mission Hills.
Laurel Avenue runs from the airport through Hillcrest, and straight into the heart of Balboa Park. If you travel north on 5th Avenue, you will come to the heart of Hillcrest at Washington and University.
Geography
Hillcrest has steeply rising roads, many of them dissected by canyons in this rustic canyon terrain. The surrounding area includes the scenic Pacific Ocean and its beaches, the desert, mountains and the San Diego River.
Jobs
San Diego’s economy is primarily supported by the sectors of manufacturing, military/defense, tourism, agriculture and high technology. Some of the major employers in the area are: UCSD Medical Center, Solar Turbines Inc., Sharp Memorial Hospital, Sempra Energy Solutions, Science Applications Intl Corp., San Diego Community College, North Island NAS, and Tri-City Medical Center.
Educational, health and social services provide 20.5% of the employment, professional, scientific, management, administrative services provide15.0%, manufacturing provides10.6%, arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services provide10.5%, and retail trade provides10.3%.
Housing
Hillcrest offers a wide choice of older homes mixed with newer, upscale apartments, bungalows and condominiums. It is one of San Diego's best real estate values. The old, single-level, single-family, craftsman-style homes have been well maintained with beautiful gardens. Several large condominium complexes and Victorian homes have been converted from family homes to business offices. Prices are fairly stable and there are a lot of housing choices here. The median price for a home in Hillcrest is $847,900.
Recreation
San Diego has several scenic parks to enjoy, including Presidio Park, Heritage Park and Mission Bay Park, the largest man-made aquatic park in the country. There are over 35,000 acres of open space in the county, including regional parks, urban canyons and slopes, offering a wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities.
Recreational activities available in the Hillcrest neighborhood include basketball, biking, bowling, canyons, touring, gardening, walking and running, lawn bowling, playgrounds, and volleyball. There are gyms, 3 recreation centers, and of course, the beautiful Balboa Park.
Numerous, lovely canyons are located throughout the neighborhood, and the city’s 70 miles of beaches is a recreational advantage not to be missed. All types of water activities can be enjoyed, such as swimming, sailing, surfing, fishing, and just laying on the beach.
San Diego offers a multitude of golf venues, to suit every golfer from the new beginner to the pro. The county has over 90 courses and the city offers over 20.
Riverwalk Golf Club is a private course located in the heart of San Diego. It offers three nine-hole courses played in three eighteen hole combinations. The San Diego River flows throughout the course, amidst undulating fairways, strategically placed sand bunkers and several spectacular waterfalls. The Presidio Course is the shortest of the three courses, while the Friars Course has the longest yardage and has challenging greens. The Mission Course is a unique blend of both layouts.
Special Attractions/Events
Hillcrest celebrates with several annual festivities. The Hillcrest Business Association hosts an annual bash in the streets known as CityFest. This celebration was originally held to mark the restoration and relighting of the famous neon Hillcrest sign at University and Fifth Avenues.
Hillcrest is renowned for its wide array of award-winning restaurants, unique specialty stores, great salons and spas, medical offices, and two major hospitals. There are antique stores, specialty jewelry shops, salons, galleries, restaurants, and a cinema. One of the areas landmarks is Mr. A's, known for its panoramic view of the city.
The most popular dining and shopping hotspots in Hillcrest are concentrated in "The Village" area bounded by Washington and University, however there are some very rewarding venues scattered elsewhere throughout the neighborhood.
The most interesting attraction in the Hillcrest area is 1200-acre Balboa Park, with its many museums, indoor and outdoor theaters, public sports complex, parks, playgrounds and the famous San Diego Zoo.
The San Diego Museum of Art boasts an excellent fine arts collection, including Renaissance paintings, Asian artifacts and bronze sculptures.
The Museum of Man combines permanent exhibits on local indigenous populations with diverse visiting themes.
At the Fleet Space Theater you can enjoy IMAX movie screenings, planetarium shows and an interactive science center.
The Old Globe Theater presents the works of Shakespeare and other plays in a 16th-century setting.
Other museums at Balboa Park include the Aerospace Museum, Mingei International Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, Hall of Champions, Model Railroad Museum, Botanical Museum and the Japanese Friendship Garden. The old Ken Cinema movie theater screens an eccentric offering of films, both classic and obscure
The Hillcrest community has a number of eclectic restaurants, cafes, art galleries, bookshops, boutiques and furniture stores that are fun to peruse.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
Hillcrest was originally a chaparral-covered mesa, inhabited by Kumeyaay Indians. The area was colonized by the Spanish who founded the San Diego Mission. Like all of San Diego, Hillcrest later became independent from Spain and a part of Mexico. The territory was transferred to the U.S. after the Mexican-American War. In 1870, Mary Kearney obtained a deed for the Hillcrest land and a year later two real estate developers, C. D. Arnold and D. Choate, obtained the property from her. George Hill, a wealthy railroad tycoon purchased the land.
Real estate development began in 1910 and during the 1920s and 1930s Hillcrest was a suburban shopping area.
In 1940 the lit "Hillcrest" sign was first erected. It was later restored in 1977 and rebuilt in 1987.
Schools here, as part of the San Diego City school district, rank in the top 70th percentile in the state.
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
