Neighborhood · City of San Diego neighborhood
Talmadge
Gated street entrances, 1920s Spanish homes, and a quiet grid tucked between Kensington and City Heights.
Median home value
Aug high / Jan low
Talmadge is a small, canyon-edged residential neighborhood in San Diego's Mid-City, bounded roughly by Fairmount Avenue, Montezuma Road, Collwood Boulevard or 51st Street, and Monroe Avenue or El Cajon Boulevard. Real estate developers Roy and Guy Lichty opened it in 1925 as Talmadge Park, with backing from United Artists president Joseph Schenck, and named it for his wife, silent film star Norma Talmadge, and her sisters Constance and Natalie. More than 10,000 people turned out for the dedication on Jan. 3, 1926, including Natalie's husband, Buster Keaton, and cowboy star William S. Hart. The neighborhood's identity rests on that era. Its entrances are marked by the Talmadge Gates, designed by engineer Frank R. Carlson and cast in 1927 at Union Machine Works for $1,000 apiece. The streets hold Spanish Revival houses, California bungalows, Cape Cod cottages and Normandy-style homes, including several by Cliff May. On March 25, 2024, the original tract was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Talmadge Park Estates Historic District. Today Talmadge draws buyers who want a historic single-family house near San Diego State University without paying Kensington prices, along with renters in the apartment blocks on its southern edge near El Cajon Boulevard. The Talmadge Community Council meets every other month, and neighbors keep up traditions like an artist tour and a holiday lights bike ride. Redfin's August 2026 median sale price was $969,532, up 14.2% from a year earlier.
Living here
Draws
- Historic 1920s houses in a National Register district
- Quiet canyon-edged streets with little through traffic
- Close to SDSU, Kensington and Mission Valley
- A tight-knit community with active neighborhood groups
Tradeoffs
- Prices rose 14.2% year over year to a $969,532 median in August 2026
- Historic district status can limit exterior changes
- Few businesses within the neighborhood itself
- Student renters and traffic near SDSU and El Cajon Boulevard
Good for: Buyers who want a historic single-family home in central San Diego and value a strong neighborhood identity.
Weather
Talmadge sits on the mesa above Mission Valley, well inland, so it runs warmer than the coast on summer afternoons and cooler on winter nights. The canyons on its north and west edges draw cooler air after sunset, and Redfin's climate data rates heat risk as moderate for every property.
Aug avg high
Jan avg low
Best time to visit: October through May brings the most comfortable weather for walking the historic streets and seeing the gates.
Housing
Typical home value $969,532 (+14.2% year over year)
Mostly 1920s-40s single-family houses in Spanish Revival, bungalow, Cape Cod and Normandy styles on the historic tract, plus apartment and condo buildings toward El Cajon Boulevard; Redfin put the median price per square foot at $885 in August 2026.
Facts
- Talmadge was established in 1925 by real estate developers Roy and Guy Lichty.
- The development was financed by Joseph Schenck, president of United Artists, whose wife was actress Norma Talmadge.
- The neighborhood is named for silent film stars Norma, Constance and Natalie Talmadge.
- The Talmadge sisters attended the neighborhood's dedication ceremony on Jan. 3, 1926.
- The Talmadge Gates were designed by engineer Frank R. Carlson and cast in 1927 at Union Machine Works in San Diego.
- The original Talmadge tract was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 2024, as the Talmadge Park Estates Historic District.
- Talmadge is planned together with Kensington in the Kensington-Talmadge Community Planning Area.
- Redfin's August 2026 data showed a walk score of 74 and a transit score of 49 for Talmadge.
Fun facts
- Buster Keaton attended the 1926 dedication, which drew more than 10,000 people.
- Each Talmadge Gate cost $1,000 to cast in 1927.
- Cowboy movie star William S. Hart was also at the opening ceremony.
- A circa-1947 Talmadge Realty flyer found on Max Drive listed the phone number 853-1212, which neighbors report still reaches a time-and-temperature line.
- Streets in the neighborhood honor Norma Talmadge's sisters, Constance and Natalie.
Getting around
Freeways: I-8, I-15
Transit: MTS Rapid 215 runs along El Cajon Boulevard on Talmadge's southern edge; the SDSU trolley station is a short ride east.
Parking: Most houses have driveways, while the apartment blocks near El Cajon Boulevard rely on street parking.
Walkability: Redfin gives Talmadge a walk score of 74; the residential core is quiet and walkable, with shops along El Cajon Boulevard and Adams Avenue.
Frequently asked
Is Talmadge a good place to live?
Talmadge offers historic homes, quiet canyon-bound streets and active neighborhood groups close to SDSU and Kensington. The median sale price reached $969,532 in August 2026, so buying in has become more expensive.
What is the average home price in Talmadge?
Redfin reported a median sale price of $969,532 in August 2026, up 14.2% from a year earlier, with a median of $885 per square foot.
What is the weather like in Talmadge?
Using nearby Montgomery Field as a reference, averages are about 66°F highs and 48°F lows in January and about 80°F highs in August. Summers are warmer than at the coast.
What is Talmadge known for?
Its 1925 founding with Hollywood money, its name honoring silent film stars Norma, Constance and Natalie Talmadge, the 1927 Talmadge Gates and a historic district listed on the National Register in 2024.
Who were the Talmadge sisters?
Norma, Constance and Natalie Talmadge were silent film actresses. Norma was married to United Artists president Joseph Schenck, who financed the development, and Natalie was married to Buster Keaton.