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Hillcrest

William Routtupdated Oct 2026

The short version

A dense, walkable neighborhood north of Balboa Park, recognized for its dining, civic life, and longstanding role as the cultural heart of LGBTQ+ San Diego.

Hillcrest is a dense, central neighborhood north of Balboa Park, recognized as the cultural heart of LGBTQ+ San Diego. The neighborhood centers on the intersection of Fifth Avenue and University Avenue — marked by the restored Hillcrest neon sign — with the Sunday Hillcrest Farmers Market, the 65-foot Pride flag at Pride Plaza, and a dense restaurant and shopping corridor along University.

Hillcrest is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in San Diego, with a Walk Score of 87, and is the location of UC San Diego Health Hillcrest and Scripps Mercy Hospital. Housing is a mix of older condominium buildings, historic single-family homes, and apartments, and the neighborhood serves as a hub for medical professionals, urban renters, and central-city homeowners.

LGBTQ+ core
Very walkable
Balboa Park adjacent
Uptown

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4 min read

Hash House a Go Go: Twisted Farm Food and Tractor-Sized Portions in Hillcrest

The Hillcrest location is the original Hash House a Go Go, and the one everything else was built from. Two things to know before you go: the portions are not a joke, and the kitchen closes at 2 p.m.

4 min read

Bronx Pizza: New York Thin Crust, Cash Only, Since 1997

Slices from $3.50, 18-inch pies, and three separate ways to show up and get turned away. Bronx Pizza has been doing New York thin crust in Hillcrest since 1997 and has no intention of changing.

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