Everyone has heard of the expression, “Location, location, location.” In the real estate world it is used often and has a lot of significance. A good location is a very important factor in relation to real estate. The more desirable the location, the more value the property will have and it will always be easier to rent or sell.
This Uptown District condo complex in Hillcrest is an example of a property that has the triple location factor going on. The condo complex is in itself a great location because it is a very beautiful, convenient and desirable complex, adjacent to the Ralphs and Trader Joe’s shopping village. This offers its residents the walkability that most people want today when looking for a place to live. Just outside the Uptown District development is the heart of Hillcrest, which is also a very desirable location because of its many restaurants, coffee shops, farmers market, cafes, clubs and vibrant day and night life. And then finally, Hillcrest is a great location in the heart of the metropolitan area, and adjacent to the world famous Balboa Park and within five to ten minutes of downtown, freeways, Fashion Valley and Mission Valley Malls and even the ocean. So the Uptown District condo and retail complex literally has location, location, location and as a result is one of the most desirable and sought after places to live and shop in all of the metropolitan area.
Today, Hillcrest is known as a vibrant and fun community. People come from all over the county to enjoy its countless restaurants, coffee shops, specialty stores, quaint cafes, dessert houses and a Sunday farmer’s market. It is awesome to walk in Hillcrest to people-watch and to smell the international cuisines that are prepared daily. There is no other place in San Diego that is quite like Hillcrest. But less than three decades ago Hillcrest and the Uptown District were not the desirable places they are today.
Back in the early 1980s, Hillcrest was just another old community of San Diego that had slowly deteriorated over the years. There was not much to attract people to the area to live, work or play. But things started to change in the mid 1980s when a developer bought the old Sear’s shopping center and the adjacent auto dealership located on University Avenue between the 163 freeway and Richmond Street.
This development was way ahead of its time. It had the concept of the traditional European village with retail stores on the first level and residential units above. The development was also to be a more upscale property in an effort to revitalize the whole area. No one was doing this style of development at that time, and it is now one of the most popular types of development throughout the nation.
Construction was completed for the Uptown District by the late 1980s with 330 luxury residential condominiums and a few dozen retail outlets. The two main “anchor” stores today are Ralphs supermarket and Trader Joe’s. But back when the property was completed, it was hard for the developer to sell the condos because Hillcrest was perceived as a less than desirable place to live. There was not much of a market for upscale condos in a rundown neighborhood. But as time went on, the condos slowly started to sell and over the years the Uptown District condos complex became one of the most desirable complexes in the metropolitan area. There is nothing quite like it, in fact it has acted as a model over the past 20 years for many other developments in and outside of San Diego.
There are, of course many areas and communities in San Diego that are considered to have great locations for many different reasons. In San Diego we really have it all and, within the county, there is something for everyone. You can live in one of our beautiful downtown neighborhoods, at the beach, in the country, in a desert setting or in one of the many charming urban communities. No matter where you live in San Diego, it is a desirable location because of the weather and all of the beauty that surrounds us.
Trent St. Louis is a licensed Real Estate Agent
and a member of the National, California and
San Diego Association of Realtors. You can reach Trent at trent@tns.net or at his office in Hillcrest, The Metropolitan Group. DRE#01273643.
