civic
Neighborhood · City of San Diego neighborhood
Hillcrest
The heart of LGBTQ San Diego, a Sunday farmers market, and a University Avenue corridor arguing about its own redevelopment.
Population
34,836
Median home value
$778,390
Aug high / Jan low
77° / 50°
To downtown
2.5 mi
Latest from Hillcrest
See all newsHillcrest occupies the mesa north of Balboa Park, bounded by Mission Hills to the northwest, University Heights to the north and North Park to the east. It began as chaparral used by the Kumeyaay, passed through private hands after 1870 and was subdivided between 1910 and 1920. By the 1920s and 1930s it functioned as downtown San Diego's suburban shopping district, and the neon Hillcrest sign over University Avenue at Fifth has marked the neighborhood since 1940. In the 1970s gay and lesbian San Diegans began opening homes, businesses and organizations here. The city's first permitted Pride parade followed in 1975, and the LGBT Community Center moved to Hillcrest in 1980. Today San Diego Pride, the city's largest civic event, begins with a Friday block party in Hillcrest and a Saturday parade before moving to Balboa Park. A rainbow crosswalk was added in 2020, and the $30 million Pride Promenade on Normal Street is scheduled to finish in late 2026. Hillcrest is also a medical district, home to UC San Diego Medical Center and Scripps Mercy Hospital, which puts nurses, residents and hospital staff alongside long-time residents in its apartments and condos. The commercial core along University, Fifth and Park carries dense dining, from decades-old Afghan and diner staples to Michelin-recognized ramen. The neighborhood lost its art-house cinema in January 2025, and new apartment construction is steadily replacing low-rise commercial lots.
Living here
Draws
- Dense, walkable dining and nightlife
- Established LGBTQ community and institutions
- Major hospitals within walking distance
- Short trips to Balboa Park, downtown and Mission Valley
Tradeoffs
- Few detached houses; most buyers choose condos
- Parking is scarce at night and on weekends
- Street noise near the University Avenue bar strip
- Home values dipped 4.1% in the year to June 2026, per Zillow
Good for: Renters and condo buyers who want to walk to dinner, work at the hospitals or live in the center of San Diego's LGBTQ community.
Weather
Hillcrest is about two miles from the bay, so it shares Lindbergh Field's marine climate, with slightly warmer summer afternoons on the mesa. May Gray and June Gloom are reliable, and the mesa edge above Mission Valley catches breezes. Santa Ana winds bring occasional hot, dry days in fall.
Aug avg high
77°F
Jan avg low
50°F
Annual rain
9.79"
Best time to visit: July for Pride, or September and October for warm, clear weather without summer crowds.
Housing
Typical home value $778,390 (-4.1% year over year)
Mostly condominiums and apartments, from 1920s courtyard buildings and mid-century dingbats to new mid-rise rentals; detached houses are scarce and concentrated at the neighborhood's edges.
Facts
- Real estate development in Hillcrest began in 1910 and was largely complete by 1920.
- In the 1920s and 1930s, Hillcrest served as a suburban shopping district for downtown San Diego.
- The Hillcrest sign was donated by the Hillcrest Women's Association and first erected in 1940.
- In 1974, about 200 marchers protested the lack of a parade permit; the first city-permitted Pride parade followed in 1975.
- The San Diego LGBT Community Center relocated to Hillcrest in 1980.
- Scripps Mercy Hospital and UC San Diego Medical Center, Hillcrest, both operate in the neighborhood.
- The Vermont Street pedestrian bridge was completed in 1994 at a cost of $1.2 million.
- The neighborhood celebrated its centennial in 2007.
Fun facts
- The Hillcrest sign was taken down on January 31, 2023, for a lighting retrofit and back up on February 21, 2023.
- A giant rainbow flag was raised in Hillcrest for the 2012 Pride Festival.
- The Pride Promenade project includes 115 new trees along Normal Street.
- Hillcrest's Landmark art-house cinema, which had operated since 1991, closed in January 2025.
- Before development, the mesa was chaparral used by the Kumeyaay, and in 1870 Mary Kearney obtained a deed to the land.
Getting around
Freeways: SR-163, I-5, I-8
Transit: MTS bus routes 1, 3, 7, 10, 11, 120 and 215 serve the neighborhood, including the Rapid 215 and 10 along Park Boulevard and University Avenue.
Parking: Metered street parking and a few public garages; weekend evenings and Sunday market hours are crowded.
Walkability: One of San Diego's most walkable neighborhoods, with dense retail on University, Fifth and Park.
Frequently asked
Is Hillcrest a good place to live?
For people who want walkability, it is one of the best choices in San Diego, with hospitals, restaurants and Balboa Park close by. The tradeoffs are parking, nighttime noise near University Avenue and a housing stock dominated by apartments and condos.
What is the average home price in Hillcrest?
Zillow's Home Value Index put the typical Hillcrest home at $778,390 as of June 2026, down 4.1% from a year earlier. That figure reflects a condo-heavy market; ZIP 92103 as a whole has an ACS median owner-occupied value of $1,061,200.
What is the weather like in Hillcrest?
Mild year-round. Lindbergh Field normals show August highs around 77°F and January lows around 50°F, with about 9.8 inches of rain a year. Mornings are often gray in May and June.
What is Hillcrest known for?
The neon Hillcrest sign, its role as the center of San Diego's LGBTQ community since the 1970s, the Pride parade and block party, the Sunday farmers market and a dense restaurant scene.
When is the Hillcrest Farmers Market?
It runs every Sunday on the DMV grounds at Normal Street, organized by the Hillcrest Business Association. It operates year-round.