re: city heights (San Diego, Escondido, El Cajon: apartments, rent, violent crime)

[keke_830]

Can someone tell me what this area is like? I need to decide where to live. The apartment I found is on Meade and 47th.

[Sassberto]

City Heights is the most dangerous area in San Diego, in my opinion.
Just yesterday 4 people got shot on Maple and Highland. It's gotten a lot better in recent years, and if you look carefully you should be able to find a decent block - but make no mistake - it's one of the only full-on ghettos in San Diego.

However 47th and Meade is probably not really that bad - north of El Cajon boulevard is generally a lot better than south of El Cajon blvd.

I would generally stay either west of the 805 or North of El Cajon Blvd, or East of 54th.

[socketz]

City Hieghts is one of the only areas in San Diego that I would not walk through in the day, let alone the night. My wife works there and she is constantly hearing of shootings, burglary, prostitution, etc. If you have kids, run from this area. If you need cheap rent and a reasonable area, go to Escondido, South Bay, La Mesa, San Marcos....those areas aren't stellar, but they are decent places to live. Even parts of El Cajon are ok. City Heights is bad.

[Sassberto]

I want to expand on my earlier post to give you a better idea of the area. City Heights is kind of a catch-all name for everything from the 805 to SDSU, but really, it's not all bad and it's not all City Heights either.

City Heights can be defined by the area east of I-805, South of El Cajon Boulevard and north of the 94 fwy, extending to roughly 54th street.

Within that area are three neighborhoods - Teralta East, Teralta West, and Colina Del Sol. 'Downtown City Heights' is centered around 43rd-Fairmount & El Cajon Boulevard.

North of El Cajon Blvd are the neigborhoods of Kensington and Talmadge. East of 54th is the El Cerrito neighborhood. These neighborhoods range from amongst the most prime in the city (the mayor lives in Kensington) to very middle class (El Cerrito). It's important to realize that you can go a few blocks past one of the major streets and be in a perfectly safe area, but go a few blocks in the other direction, and you have a bad neighborhood.

The thing that makes City Heights so bad is that crime has seeped into the interior of the neighborhoods. In all of metro SD you have crime on the major streets - University and El Cajon Blvd are scuzzy from University Heights all the way to La Mesa - but in City Heights, crime exists on the residential streets.

The worst areas of City Heights are bounded roughly by Marlborough Ave to the west and Euclid Ave to the East, between El Cajon Blvd and about Wightman Street. This is the large, flat grid that makes up the 'Heights'. Before the mid-city urban village was put in, this area was absolutely scary! This is where 90% of the crime occurs, mostly drug related.

City Heights differs from other 'bad neighborhoods' because it is a transitory area. Whereas Logan Heights and Skyline are bad because of gangbangers who live at their mom's house in an established residential area, City Heights has a rotating population of ex-cons, parolees, and wanabee gangsters trying to build a rep. In Logan, you will most likely be left alone if you're not affiliated - in City Heights, everyone's a mark.

To the east of Euclid, there is a large hill down into Colina Del Sol which sits like a bowl before climbing up a steep hill to 54th. This area is dominated by immigrants, many of them Somali refugees, as well as Southeast Asians. Overall this area has less crime than City Heights proper, and has some decent amenities like a brand-new school and a golf course and park. This area has more density than City Heights with fewer established homeowners. Unfortunately many of the young Somali and Asian males are adopting the 'thug' mentality, but they are relatively tame in terms of violent crime. The physical barriers keep this area somewhat insulated from the rest of City Heights.

There is a gay enclave centered around the canyon neighborhoods west of Euclid in the Azalea Park neighborhood. It's a bit of an island, as you will have to go through the bad to get to the good, but overall it's a nice area with fairly well-kept homes. The neighborhood dubbed 'Cherokee Point' is South of university between 805 & 15, and is decent as well. It's got a brand-new elementary school and is actually part of 92104.

To sum up - 47th and Meade is not necessarily a bad area. 2 blocks north and it's a great area. 2 blocks south, a bad area. That's a little close for my taste, but don't get the impression it's a warzone.

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by keke_830

Can someone tell me what this area is like? I need to decide where to live. The apartment I found is on Meade and 47th.

You will go to sleep to the sound of gun shots!! I'm NOT exaggerating.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by shannon94

You will go to sleep to the sound of gun shots!! I'm NOT exaggerating.

There hasn't been a shooting in that area all year, as far as I know, and I am a police blotter junkie.

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

There hasn't been a shooting in that area all year, as far as I know, and I am a police blotter junkie.

Lol...I find that hard to believe.....unless they have cleaned the place up in the last 7 years. I know someone who owned a complex on Van **** street. Saw a drug bust in the middle of the day down there. I wouldn't drive through that area unless I had to. Yuck!!

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by shannon94

Lol...I find that hard to believe.....unless they have cleaned the place up in the last 7 years. I know someone who owned a complex on Van **** street. Saw a drug bust in the middle of the day down there. I wouldn't drive through that area unless I had to. Yuck!!

47th and meade is a bit of an ugly, busy block with a lot of apartments but you are only a couple of blocks from the Talmadge gates in that location. Walk 3-5 blocks north and there are million-dollar+ homes all over the place.

Like I said, go at least one block north or over one street, 2 blocks are even better, it is a nice area. In 2003 We lost a bidding war for our 'dream home', a spanish revival fixer on 51st between monroe and madison. Price was 350k, their were 14 offers in 2 days.

[shannon94]

Sassberto,

How long exactly have you lived in San Diego?

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by shannon94

Sassberto,

How long exactly have you lived in San Diego?

I moved here in 1995.