College East - San Diego, CA Area Guide

The history of College East sounds very similar to College West; in 1931, State Teachers College, now San Diego State University, relocated from its former location on Normal Street to the El Cajon Boulevard commercial district. With the completion of Interstate 8 in the 1950s, suburban living increased, and the community and University began to grow.

The family-friendly Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in La Mesa features fun train rides for the public, operation of a demonstration railroad, a public research library and railroad history educational facilities.

Just 10 miles southwest sits Balboa Park, featuring 17 museums, including the San Diego Natural History Museum, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, and San Diego Air and Space Museum. Balboa Park also has a huge art scene and a slew of annual events including the Ethnic Food Fair, where the public can taste food from any country around the world.

Find plenty of fast food chains on campus, and on the corner of College Avenue and Montezuma Road. For a more eclectic group of restaurants, head to El Cajon Boulevard. Along this road you find an array of restaurants, grocery stores and cafes with Asian, Mexican, African, Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern and American cuisines.

One of the most popular delis in all of San Diego remains D.Z. Akin's, located off Interstate 8 on Alvarado Road. The New York-style Jewish deli and bakery serves up oversized sandwiches and delectable desserts. Be sure to try their highlight dishes: the matzo ball soup and pastrami Reuben.

When craving affordable and authentic Mexican food at a late hour, head to the popular, Trujillo's Taco Shop, on campus for mouth-watering burritos, beer and a jukebox.

El Cajon Boulevard gives you a ticket to the College East nightlife. Satin Lounge remains one of the only 18-plus nightclubs in the area and the cozy hangout Til-Two Club features a calendar of live bands, stand-up comedy, karaoke, beer, and a unique selection of cocktails.

SDSU's Transit Center provides excellent transportation, which provides trolley and bus lines, although driving and Uber remain the most popular form. Accessing highways remains relatively simple as the neighborhood rests directly south of Interstate 8, giving residents quick access to most other highways in San Diego.

Because College East has a somewhat spread out landscape of hills, residents usually don't walk to the out-of-neighborhood destinations. On the other hand, many love to take afternoon strolls or bike rides on a sunny afternoon as bike lanes run throughout the city.

Being directly next to a college, free public parking remains limited. Residents can be protected from this with permits and visitor passes to prevent students from flooding the neighborhood with vehicles. It gets easier to find free parking the farther away from the college you get.

College East's local park, Scripps Park, awaits locals just west in the heart of SDSU for students and visitors who like to BBQ next to a koi pond. Montezuma Park, just south of the neighborhood, features a small grassy area with beautiful overhanging trees and picnic tables, while Clay Park in Rolando attracts kids with a big playground and a sizable grassy area for pick up sports games.

Just north of Interstate 8, Lake Murray Park consists of a massive nature reserve with a large reservoir in the center. Small boat rentals are available for the popular fishing destination, and visitors enjoy the many picnic areas set up around the park. A waterside walking and biking path provides the perfect jogging trail; many local parents often bring their children to feed the ducks here as well. Seasonal events occur here, such as the Fourth of July Food and Music Festival at the Lake Murray Community Park. All residents and visitors can attend free of charge, and can enjoy a picnic-type setting with music, tasty food, non-alcoholic beverages and a fireworks show over Lake Murray at the end of the night.

The cost of living in College East sits below the city average as a more affordable alternative to College West. The average one-bedroom apartment in the area rents for $991.

Residing in a college town has its benefits as a pint of beer runs you around $5.50 due to the wide variety of happy hours in the area. On the other hand, gas prices stand at 15.84 percent above the national average.

A few major shopping areas exist within a 10-minute drive of College East. You can find the popular Westfield Mission Valley that features a Nordstrom Rack, a number of high-value chain stores and a movie theatre. Fashion Valley Mall has more high-end chain and department stores, in addition to a movie theater and casual dining options. Grossmont Center in La Mesa provides a sizable shopping center with department stores, chain retailers, casual eateries and a movie theater.

Boutiques pop up sporadically surrounding College East; head to Pacific Beach, the Gaslamp, Seaport Village, or the more local La Mesa for a higher volume in one place. For groceries, residents generally depend on Ralphs on Montezuma Road; alternatively, a Von's and Smart & Final exist south of the neighborhood on El Cajon Blvd. You can also visit the farmers market every Wednesday on College Avenue.