Talmadge - San Diego, CA Area Guide

The neighborhood of Talmadge was named after the famous early 20th century silent film stars, the Talmadge sisters Norma, Natalie and Constance. This area has always been a primarily residential area. In 1927, the ladies opened the Talmadge Park real estate development, creating rows of family homes along streets named after each of the sisters.

While there are no museums in the direct vicinity of Talmadge, Balboa Park is only 6 miles away and features 17 museums including, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and the San Diego Museum of Man. Home to the San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park also has a tremendous art scene and a multitude of annual events including the Ethnic Food Fair, where the public can taste food from virtually any country around the world.

For all of your dining needs, head to El Cajon Boulevard for a vast selection of Asian restaurants in the neighborhood. Additionally, you can easily find an array of authentic Italian, American, and Mexican cuisine all throughout the city.

For an excellent lunch menu, try Minh Ky Chinese Restaurant. With a mixture of Chinese and Vietnamese, the extensive menu, affordable prices and friendly staff provide an excellent atmosphere to enjoy their appetizing dishes such as the Chow Fun, with shrimp, beef, chicken and a side of rice.

If seeking a quick bite of southern home cookin', consider the tremendously popular, Crispy Fried Chicken, specializing in fried chicken, hush puppies and coleslaw. The crunchy fried shrimp and fluffy cornbread also deserve to be mentioned, along with the flavorful jumbo wings that come in an array of flavors ranging from BBQ to spicy wet and spicy dry, the latter being rather uncommon in San Diego.

The nightlife in Talmadge generally caters to the 20s and young 30s crowd; being close to a state college has its benefits. In terms of nightlife, there are a multitude of pubs and bars with live acts all throughout the city but mostly along El Cajon Boulevard. Directly in Talmadge you will find Last Call, a unique bar decorated with artwork and Polaroids that features karaoke and live music. Just east of the neighborhood is the very popular Soda Bar, featuring live music from a wide variety of local artists.

Being in the midst of a college town, the most common ways to get around the neighborhood are by car, bus, walking and bike riding and through Uber. The only public transportation option is the bus system, which runs along the south and east sides of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, hailing a cab would be a rare occurrence in this area, as you typically must call ahead. Talmadge has always been a safe neighborhood to take a walk or go for a bike ride on a sunny afternoon, and bike lanes run throughout the city.

Public parking remains free and widely available in the neighborhood; only when you get closer to the college is when parking becomes expensive and difficult to find. Luckily, the neighborhood rests directly south of Interstate 8 and east of Interstate 15 and Interstate 805; these freeways give residents quick and direct access to most other highways in San Diego.

Residents of Talmadge can find the exercise-centric Colina Del Sol Park and Recreation Center to the south of the area. This establishment features a playground, a tot lot, picnic tables, outdoor sports courts, a multipurpose athletic field, tennis courts, a full-size gymnasium, a meeting room, a game room, a craft and ceramic room, and a full-size kitchen and swimming pool across the street. A free Teen Center is also open during the week with a Homework Club, movie night, computer lab, seasonal sports, Youth Talk, Internships, snack bar and video games.

When you want to give your canine friends some exercise, head on over to Balboa Park where you will have your choice of three different off-leash areas: Grape Street Dog Park, Morley Field Dog Park and Nate's Point Dog Park. Occasional seasonal events occur in these parks.

The cost of living is 4 percent less than the San Diego average, which is surprising considering the number of nearby amenities. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Talmadge will run you approximately $1029 per month, and a lot of places offer fantastic move-in specials.

Another benefit to living near a college is the vast amount of happy hours that are going on at any given time. For a pint of beer in the area, you can expect to pay around $5.50; however gas prices stand at approximately 14 percent above the national average.

There are three major shopping areas within driving distance; Westfield Mission Valley is only 10 minutes away with Nordstrom Rack, a number of high-value chain stores and a movie theater. Fashion Valley Mall, only five minutes from Westfield, features high-end chain and department stores, a movie theater and casual dining options. Horton Plaza and its assortment of luxury and discount mall stores sits southwest from Talmadge. The boutiques are sprinkled all over the city surrounding Talmadge; head to the Gaslamp or Seaport Village if you're looking for more.

For groceries, residents generally depend on World Foods Supermarket just south of El Cajon Boulevard, in addition to Smart & Final and Von's, located east of the neighborhood. Visit the farmers market every Wednesday on College Avenue less than a mile away.