East of Hillcrest, between Highway 163 and Interstate 805, lies
Normal Heights. Homes are usually less expensive than in Kensington,
to the east, and in Mission Hills and Hillcrest, to the west, and
houses are typically smaller and tract bungalow style, built in
the years between the two World Wars. Many of these have been charmingly
renovated by upscale professionals who appreciate the community's
convenient location and have been priced out of the neighboring
communities. There are some lovely custom homes in the area that
juts above Mission Valley. Many of them were built to replace those
destroyed in a huge Normal Heights fire in 1985.
East of Normal Heights is Kensington, conveniently located—but actually sort of hidden—on one of the southeastern rims overlooking Mission Valley. This is one of San Diego's most sought-after communities. It's also one of the most distinctive, characterized by bright-white stucco and red-tile-roof Spanish-style architecture, lots of large, elegant front lawns, and curvaceous palm-lined lanes, most of which get little traffic. Kensington is a few miles west of San Diego State University (it's a popular residential choice for professors) and just 10 minutes from the stadium and Mission Valley malls and restaurants. Kensington residents who work downtown, like those from Normal Heights, can easily avoid freeways and traverse streets such as Meade Avenue, Adams Avenue, and El Cajon Boulevard to get to work.
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