Golden Hill, San Diego, California
Encyclopedia
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. It is located south of Balboa Park, north of Sherman Heights/Highway 94 (M. L. King, Jr. Freeway), and east of Downtown.
Golden Hill is one of San Diego's most historic and architecturally eclectic zones, with many pre-1900 homes and apartments. In the 1910s, it became one of the many San Diego neighborhoods connected by the Class 1 streetcars
San Diego Class 1 Streetcars
The San Diego Class 1 Streetcars were a fleet of twenty-four unique streetcars that were originally built to provide transportation for the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park. The cars were designed by the San Diego Electric Railway Company under the leadership of John D. Spreckels and...
and an extensive San Diego public transit system that was spurred by the Panama-California Exposition of 1915 and built by John D. Spreckels
John D. Spreckels
John Diedrich Spreckels , the son of German-American industrialist Claus Spreckels, founded a transportation and real estate empire in San Diego, California in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
. These streetcars became a fixture of this neighborhood until their retirement in 1939.
This neighborhood is also in walking distance of Downtown, City College and much of Balboa Park. Auto access is direct from freeways 5 and 94, The major through streets and bus routes are Broadway (East and West), and 25th Street and 30th Street
30th Street (San Diego)
30th Street is a major north-south road in San Diego, California on the east side of Balboa Park. It connects several of the densest urban communities of Central San Diego and has a high rate of pedestrian activity...
(North and South). The Zip code is a portion of 92102. Pedestrianism, like in other urban mesa neighborhoods surrounding Balboa Park, is high relative to the rest of San Diego.
The now wealthier community of South Park
South Park, San Diego, California
Central portion of San Diego and neighborhood boundariesSouth Park is a neighborhood in San Diego, California located east of Balboa Park, and borne out of its southern neighbor Golden Hill. "South Park" is also north of Grant Hill and south of North Park, the boundary being Juniper Street...
is occasionally but incorrectly considered to be part of Golden Hill, but the South Park community name dates back to 1870.
Artists and musicians have long favored the area more so since being priced out of areas like Little Italy, Eastern Downtown and Hillcrest. Golden Hill is home to Black Box Recording Studios, The Habitat Recording Studios, Los Reyes Mexican Food, Influx Cafe, Turf Supper Club, Krakatoa & Pizzeria Luigi (which was featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is an American food television series that premiered in November 2006 on the Food Network. Produced by Page Productions, the program stars and is hosted by Guy Fieri...
).
Golden Hill is also host to two outdoor concerts a year, the Golden Hill Block Party and Kate Sessions Fest. The Golden Hill Block Party happens the last Saturday prior to Halloween. In 2006, the Kate Sessions Fest made its debut in Golden Hill Park. Both outdoor concerts are free, all-ages events, organized by local artists and musicians, featuring local bands.
Golden Hill is also home to the Women's History Museum and Educational Center, which recently celebrated its 25th year as one of the only comprehensive women's history museums in the country. Located at 23rd and Broadway, the museum offers a wide range of current and historical artifacts, and information about the contributions women of all cultures and experiences have made to the world and the San Diego region.