San Diego's North Park

Images of America: California

by North Park Historical Society

Hip and historic, North Park fascinates with its commercial energy and Craftsman charm. The community has always embodied an enterprising spirit. In the 1870s, cronies of Alonzo Horton mapped neighborhoods north of Balboa Park in a patchwork of individual subdivisions. Four decades later, John Spreckels’s streetcars finally brought investors, residents, and shopkeepers, creating San Diego’s slice of Bungalow Heaven. Baseball great Ted Williams played on North Park’s fields, and tennis star Maureen Connolly trained on its courts. The local shops served as a regional commercial center after World War II, and the Toyland Parade attracted 300,000 spectators. Although decades of decline followed the exciting 1950s, North Park is flourishing again in a renaissance initiated by the restoration of the elegant North Park Theatre in 2005. This pictorial history tells the classic story of a boom, bust, and boom.

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2014

Reviews

[andré · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting pictures and tidbits of info about the neighborhood.

There are a few more up to date pictures that give a contrast to the older pictures. I would have liked a few more to see how things have changed, but was able to just do a few internet searches when enough info was provided in the captions.

[Ariadna73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful B&W pictures