Celeste Dunn

City Heights is a large community in the eastern part of San Diego, California known for its ethnic diversity. Along the main streets (which include University Avenue, El Cajon Boulevard and Fairmount Avenue) one can find Hispanic, East African, African American, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian businesses.

Geographically, City Heights is large and diffuse, with many subneighborhoods. The city officially recognizes two neighborhoods which are collectively known as "City Heights;" City Heights East and City Heights West. The street layout is mainly grid pattern, which has some interesting consequences near some of the fault lines and canyons in the neighborhood. City Heights West is bounded roughly by 805 freeway to the west and 43rd Street to the east. City Heights East is bounded by 40th Street to the west and 54th Street to the east. Both are bounded by El Cajon Boulevard to the north, and roughly by Home Avenue to the south.

"Downtown" City Heights is generally regarded around Fairmount Avenue and 43rd Street.

The following are the subneighborhoods collectively known as City Heights: Corridor, Teralta West, Teralta East, Colina Park, Cherokee Point, Castle, Fairmount Village, Fox Canyon, Chollas Creek, Islenair, Swan Canyon, Azalea Park, Hollywood Park, Ridgeview, Fairmont Park and Baybridge.

Socially and economically, City Heights has a high concentration of lower income businesses and households, resulting from the newly arrived immigrant communities. Businesses tend to be smaller and wider spread than to the north and east. Like other urban mesa neighborhoods north of Balboa Park, City Heights has a high rate of pedestrian activity, relative to the rest of San Diego. Crime rates were quite high until the recent renaissance, which ushered in one of the highest concentrations of police presence in the city.