living in Hillcrest, big question? (San Diego, Mission Hills: transplants, neighborhoods, university)

[Dallasbound99]

Hi all, I am moving to San Diego in June and cannot wait as I have wanted to come there for years. My job is right in Hillcrest and I was just wondering about the area. I am single straight male in my 20's and I know it is a popular gay area, which is fine, but I also want to be able to hang out where attractive single straight women in the young to mid 20's are. Does Hillcrest have this to offer as well or is it more exclusively a gay hangout?

[hotornot]

Some people call Hillcrest "downtown." I don't, but then I could be wrong. Still, you could ride a bicycle from Hillcrest to the Gaslamp and it would take you only 10 or 15 minutes to get there. The Gaslamp is mostly all straight.

[EclecticChick]

Originally Posted by Dallasbound99

Hi all, I am moving to San Diego in June and cannot wait as I have wanted to come there for years. My job is right in Hillcrest and I was just wondering about the area. I am single straight male in my 20's and I know it is a popular gay area, which is fine, but I also want to be able to hang out where attractive single straight women in the young to mid 20's are. Does Hillcrest have this to offer as well or is it more exclusively a gay hangout?

I'm a single girl in her 20s (whether or not you'd find me attractive is probably a matter of taste) and I do almost all my shopping in Hillcrest (I live just to the south). The bars there are mostly gay (but not all), but you'll still meet plenty of straight people.

Downtown is a quick bikeride/cap ride away, and there are plenty of other (mostly straight) neighborhoods within driving distance (besides downtown, there's always Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and Mission Beach if you're looking for nightlife).

One other note about finding straight girls in Hillcrest: many straight girls will go with their (male) gay friends to the male gay bars at night (or even just in a group of girls). I have a friend that used to go to gay bars to pick up straight women because they don't "have their defenses up." So, there are definitely straight women to be found.

[Dallasbound99]

Thanks guys for the advice and EclecticChick, your friend sounds like a smart guy. I think Hillcrest seems fun and it is quite close to downtown. Well, I can't wait to come out to paradise with ya'll.

[sdurbanite]

Don't sweat it, man, you'll be fine. I lived in the Hillcrest area for over 7 years back when it was REALLY gay. While it's still very gay today, there seems to be way more heteros that have moved into the area. Plenty of younger/hipper people live there now. What's good for you is that it's close to other areas of nightlife (straight), as EclecticChick said.

Welcome to San Diego!

[dlou2004]

Hello,

I've lived in and around Hillcrest since 2000. I'm a heterosexual woman who is married and both my husband and I appreciate the colorful, diverse, and bohemian vibe of Hillcrest. There are a couple popular and fun dive bars with mostly straight clientele (Alibi, Nunu's, San Diego Sports Club) and definitely many young attractive women! And I know that these women will appreciate meeting a straight man who is not weird about living or hanging out in a gay neighborhood. They will be impressed with your open mindedness and acceptance. Also Hillcrest is filled with terrific restaurants of many types of cuisines-- Thai, Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Middle Eastern, etc. There's also a weekly farmer's market every sunday. It's just a fun place and convenient to so many great places including Balboa Park where the zoo is. Also it's super accessible to all the major freeways. But if you live and work in Hillcrest, like I do, you may rarely need to drive your car anywhere...Good luck and enjoy!

[Sassberto]

Hillcrest is the real "downtown" for us inner-city dwellers. Most of the time thats where we go for dinner or a drink, leaving Downtown SD for the tourists and recent transplants.

Being straight in Hillcrest is not a big deal, but you might consider living a little bit outside of the "party village" that is 'downtown' Hillcrest just because of the noise / party factor. University Heights (just across Washington Street), Banker's Hill, North Park, or Mission Hills are nearby and give you easy access to Hillcrest.

[nuncio]

My wife and I are in our late 20s and both live in Banker's Hill. Hillcrest is easy walking distance and we go there often. Downtown is a bit of a hike, but we do it sometimes (usually end up taking a cab on the way back). We like this area and go to Nunus fairly often and definitely recommend it. There are plenty of attractive girls there IMHO.

[ubringliten]

My girlfriend and I frequent there alot. I think Hillcrest is the most fun place in SD and I definitely see alot of attractive girls.

If I have to do it all over again, I would live there.

[kcda]

We lived in Hillcrest before having kids and moving out to the suburbs. We really loved the area, with all the restaurants and it was walking distance to the hospital where I worked. My dh was whistled at while riding his bike through the "fruit loop" in Balboa Park a few times but I told him he should feel flattered! Yes, I think there are heterosexual women and couples living in Hillcrest.