North Park Neighborhood
North Park is one of the hippest, most sought out neighborhoods in America to live in, as mentioned in several magazines throughout the past several years. Once you visit or live in the community, it is easy to see why. North Park homes for sale are typically an eclectic mix of Craftsman Houses, Spanish Style Homes, and California Bungalow homes.
The influx of investors coming into the marketplace, are building modern-day Contemporary Homes. They then sell them for a profit. We call this “Flipped Homes.” People who have lived in the community for a long time are not too fond of flippers. They feel that they take away the charm.
In 1893 North Park was intended to be Lemon Grove. Providing enough water for the lemon trees was always a problem. In the early 20th century, the area then began to be developed as one of San Diego’s first residential and commercial districts. Due to its central location and very robust business community, North Park has always been popular with home buyers. No matter what the style of home you are in, you’ll enjoy a close-knit community that values its status as a burgeoning metropolitan area while maintaining its small neighborhood vibe. The city is home to young families, artists, business professionals, college students, as well as retirees, and the ever-present urban hipsters.
Schools
North Park is home to three public elementary schools: McKinley, Jefferson, and Garfield. There is also St. Patrick’s, a private elementary school, as well as two private high schools: St. Augustine for boys and the Academy of Our Lady of Peace for girls. Nearby are two public high schools: Crawford High School and Hoover High School.
Dining and Shopping
New restaurants, bars, boutiques, nightclubs, cafes, and art galleries are springing up all over North Park. Once just a sleepy and historic neighborhood. North Park is now hitting its stride as a cultural and residential hot-spot. One of the features that make North Park such a hip and the desirable neighborhood is its walkability. Leave your car home and stroll to any of the various coffee shops. For lunch, visit one of the “foodie-approved” food trucks. Then stop at the farmers market to pick up locally grown ingredients for your dinner. Or, have your dinner at any of the many locally-owned restaurants.
Afterward, have a drink at a charming, and also locally owned, bar. The Underbelly is a Restaurant located on 30th Street and Upas that the locals love. The seating is outdoors, which is a good thing that San Diego has fantastic weather year-round. The Bluefoot is a local bar right across the street from the Underbelly, which is another local favorite. If you are into watching international soccer, then you will love this place. The locals come in to have a beer and watch the games, which can be very exciting, depending on what team is winning.
There are also many microbreweries to choose from in the area. North Park is a very self-sufficient neighborhood. There are several banks, drug stores, grocery stores, and specialty boutique type of shops, and clothing stores. Businesses are such an integral part of the neighborhood that, besides all the entertainment options, all your day-to-day needs can be met without leaving the area.
Examples of local places are Pigment, a boutique shop located on 30th Street near University Avenue. It carries a ton of cute gifts and accessory items. This makes it fun to visit and hard to leave. Simply Local is another excellent shop nearby that brings local artists and inventors together to exhibit their work under one roof. About 85% of the products in this store are from San Diego. If you like skateboarding, then don’t forget to go to Overload. This is an art gallery and event space that happens to have amazing skateboards and skateboarding attire.
North Park Entertainment
Many of the North Park restaurants and bars near or on 30th street offer small appetizers for $3.00 once a month. This is an excellent way of tasting your way through all of the Restaurants and get a feeling of the different foods they have to offer. Most of the Restaurants offer this amazing special from 5-6 pm. For more information on Restaurant participation, go here.
Every Thursday, North Parks Farmer’s market takes place on North Park Way (between Granada Ave and 30th Street). Enjoy walking through and seeing the different vendors with arts and crafts, various types of fantastic food, and treats. There are also live local bands that come out and play an assortment of tunes.
North Parks Birdrock is where free summer concerts take place. It is a great place to meet your neighbors and spend time with the community in a family-friendly environment. The concerts typically take place from 5-7 next to the Morley Field Sports Complex. There are tons of people that walk towards the park at Thorn Street and 28th Street with their summer chairs and picnic baskets. For more information, go here.
Parks and Recreation
North Park is adjacent to Balboa Park. Here you’ll find museums, gardens, restaurants, the renowned Old Globe Theater, and a municipal golf course. In Morley Field, there is tennis, swimming, and a place where the dogs can have fun as well as the kids. There are also many smaller community parks sprinkled throughout the area, including the North Park Community Park and Montclair Neighborhood Park.
Commute
North Park has easy access to Interstate 805, Interstate 5, Interstate 8, as well as connectors to the 163 and Interstate 15. You are likely to be 10-15 minutes away from where ever it is that you would like to be on a daily basis.
There is also easy access to the MTS bus service- routes 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 215.
North Park Years Ago
Take a peek at this video of North Park in the 70’s. It has come a long way, but even back then it was a cool place to live.
Are you thinking of buying or selling a home in the North Park area? If so, contact the McT Real Estate Group now. We will be happy to speak with you. We will find out your goals and put a strategic plan in place to help achieve them for you.