re: city heights (San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa: house, landscaping, neighborhood)

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by gvch

Are you kidding me? I have lived there for two years and NEVER heard gun fire. I sometimes take walks at night. This neighborhood has a bad reputation mainly because many of the residents are immigrants and/or poor. Yes, there is crime. But it is NOT as bad as people are making it seem.

Well I wasn't imagining it (the gunfire) lol.......where exactly do you live in City Heights? Like I said maybe they have cleaned it up since I was there last......I was just in San Diego a few months ago...but don't go out of my way to see City Heights. Last time I saw it though.....it was scary. Made me nervous to drive through there during the daytime.

[gvch]

Originally Posted by shannon94

Well I wasn't imagining it (the gunfire) lol.......where exactly do you live in City Heights? Like I said maybe they have cleaned it up since I was there last......I was just in San Diego a few months ago...but don't go out of my way to see City Heights. Last time I saw it though.....it was scary. Made me nervous to drive through there during the daytime.

I live near the library. I admit that it is not a perfect place to live. But it isn't all bad. In fact there are some REALLY nice pockets. Check out Azaela Park or the Islenair sections.

[jsamuels7]

Originally Posted by gvch

Are you kidding me? I have lived there for two years and NEVER heard gun fire. I sometimes take walks at night. This neighborhood has a bad reputation mainly because many of the residents are immigrants and/or poor. Yes, there is crime. But it is NOT as bad as people are making it seem.

I agree on this one. I lived in San Diego all of my life up until a year ago. I thought it was ghetto there but was never afraid to walk down the street. I don't know about people being friendly since I am not the type of person to smile and say hi. I think it all depends on your background and how you grew up. I grew up in those areas and never felt how I do living in Philadelphia.

I live in Philly now and if you think City Heights is ghetto, come visit North Philly.....

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by jsamuels7

I live in Philly now and if you think City Heights is ghetto, come visit North Philly.....

I had an aunt in Philly and used to go there all the time.. Philly is a great city but the ghettos there are really bad.

Many ppl in CA are midwestern transplants and have never seen an East-coast ghetto, so they think a place like City Heights is hardcore. It's pretty bad, but it's not like Philly, or god-forbid... Baltimore! Compton and Watts... Oakland, that's Ghetto. San Diego is a cakewalk.

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I had an aunt in Philly and used to go there all the time.. Philly is a great city but the ghettos there are really bad.

Many ppl in CA are midwestern transplants and have never seen an East-coast ghetto, so they think a place like City Heights is hardcore. It's pretty bad, but it's not like Philly, or god-forbid... Baltimore! Compton and Watts... Oakland, that's Ghetto. San Diego is a cakewalk.

Your right!! I've been to every state but Alaska..(Dad was an astronomer) and I've seen worse as well. Bottom line....the original post was asking about the area.......there are much better places to live in San Diego, thats all. Heck even armpit El Cajon is better than City Heights.

P.s. ...you forgot Inglewood!! lol I got lost driving thru there one day (took the wrong exit for sure).....NOT fun!!!

[bLAZEN_mAMI]

Originally Posted by 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.

YOU AINT NEVER LIE...I LIVED OVER THERE BY THAT WATER TANK AND THAT PARK AND LEMME JUST SAY THAT IS IS N A S T Y. PROSTITUTION GALORE NEXT TO THIS CHICKEN POT PIE PLACE (NOT REALLY GOOD FOOD BTW) AND THIS CHECK N GO PLACE. THERE WSNT REALLY ALOT OF MURDER WHEN I LIVED THERE BUT THERE WERE ROBBERIES AND CAR JACKINGS. THERE IS AN ALBERTOS MEXICAN FOOD PLACE THAT HAS THA ABSOLUTE BEST CARNE ASADA BURRITOS AND FRIES THAT I HAVE EVER TASTED IN MY 17 YEARS OF LIFE THO..LOL. BUT YEA THA TRACK ON EL CAJON BLVD IS EVERYTHANG BUT PRETTY. AND ALSO EUCLID IS PURTY BAD ITSELF TOO. FAMBAM A.K.A. FANMART IS THERE AND IT IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE. GANGS ARE POSTED AT THE DOORS AND YOU DEFINITELY BETTER GET YOUR COLORS RIGHT BEFORE HEADIN OVER THAT WAY...I DONT KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT THA OTHER AREAS...IM NOT FAMILIAR WITH NAMES. MORE WITH LANDMARKS...

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by bLAZEN_mAMI

THERE IS AN ALBERTOS MEXICAN FOOD PLACE THAT HAS THA ABSOLUTE BEST CARNE ASADA BURRITOS

Thanks for making me miss San Diego even more. LOL

[bLAZEN_mAMI]

Originally Posted by Imperial1904

Thanks for making me miss San Diego even more. LOL

LOL..IM ALREADY KNOWEN. SAN DIEGO GOT SOME OF THA BEST MEXICAN FOOD I HAVE EVER TASTED...AND THATS BECAUSE ITS AUTHENTIC YOU KNO. MY MOM WONT EVEN STEP FOOT IN A MEXICAN RESTURAUNT IF THERES WHITE, BLACK, ASIAN OR ANY OTHER RACE BESIDES MEXICAN OR LATINO WORKING THERE ...

[sarajasmine8]

Originally Posted by gvch

I live near the library. I admit that it is not a perfect place to live. But it isn't all bad. In fact there are some REALLY nice pockets. Check out Azaela Park or the Islenair sections.

I agree with you. There has been substantial redevelopment including and near the library, and I wouldn't have bought a house in the Lexington Park if I hadn't quizzed the neighbors and obtained strongly positive feedback. Other than an occasional soda can tossed in our front yard, there have been no problems to report. Also, people are much friendlier there than in my former El Cajon environs. Lots traffic noise at night, but gunshots? None whatsoever.

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by sarajasmine8

I agree with you. There has been substantial redevelopment including and near the library, and I wouldn't have bought a house in the Lexington Park if I hadn't quizzed the neighbors and obtained strongly positive feedback.

What part of City Heights is being given the name Lexington Park? Are we getting another area that's going to be renamed?