Sunny, sizable South San Diego city from harbor to hills
Graced with a name that means “beautiful view,” scenic and diverse Chula Vista is San Diego County’s second-largest city, with a growing population of nearly 280,000. Across its more than 50 square miles, residents bask in their choice of coastal, canyon and mountain vistas. Whether home is in a waterside condo, set back from a lawn-trimmed sidewalk in an established community, or built as a rural retreat, Chula Vista neighbors appreciate their city’s blend of natural wonders and world-class attractions.
Thanks to Southern California’s mild year-round climate and amenities from marinas to wildlife refuges to an Olympic training center, the Chula Vista lifestyle attracts athletes, boaters, cyclists and more to its over 30 neighborhoods and districts. Residents may refer to their part of the city as East, West, South, North or Downtown Chula Vista, each with distinct characteristics. It’s less than 10 miles from the Mexico border, which influences the overall cultural fabric. Chula Vista was the first community in California to be certified by the non-profit Welcoming America organization as a Welcoming City — a designation awarded based on a city’s programs and policies demonstrating commitment to immigrant inclusion. Major employers include the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, the highly regarded Sweetwater Union School District and massive Amazon distribution centers nearby.
Beyond its bevy of lifestyle benefits, Chula Vista continues developing its vision for residents with expansive resort-style amenities and habitat-honoring green spaces that are all part of its massive Bayfront Redevelopment Plan, launched in 2023 and continuing to take shape in 2024. “The Gaylord Hotel is now complete,” says Paula Gonzalez, Realtor with Coldwell Banker West, who’s been selling homes in the area since 2005. “There’s also a convention center and plans for townhouses and parks. It’s a great benefit to West Chula Vista and will bring a lot of tourist income to the city. They're even thinking about adding water taxis to connect it to downtown San Diego.”
Civic leaders also unveiled their plan in 2023 for the newly acquired nearly 400-acre University Park and Innovation District site in East Chula Vista, intended to offer a hotspot for education and business in Chula Vista. Phase one, approved in April 2024, is a feasibility study for developing the first 20 acres. The project plans to attract a full-service university to mixed-use academic, student housing and commercial spaces. “In Chula Vista, you have older and newer areas to suit a range of tastes, and you get more for your money than in areas to the north," adds Gonzalez. "It's a very big city, but it still feels very cozy and homey.”
Chula Vista is a vibrant community just south of San Diego.
Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center offers room and board to Olympic hopefuls.
Downtown Chula Vista bustles with businesses, parks, bars, restaurants and shops.
Memorial Park is a centrally located green space in the heart of downtown Chula Vista.
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Bayview condos to inland planned developments
"East Chula Vista has newer, tract-style homes, and West Chula Vista has older homes with more lot space," Gonzalez explains. In West Chula Vista near the coast, most mobile homes ask under $200,000, 1970s condos are priced in the mid-$450s and modest ranch styles ask between $750,000 and $950,000. Homes surrounding the central San Diego Country Club can ask up to $1 million. Heading further east, larger homes in Eastlake Woods and Bella Lago fetch between $1.5 million and $3.5 million. While real estate in Southern California is more expensive than many other regions nationwide, median home price in Chula Vista is around $799,000, considerably less than San Diego's median of around $920,000.
A limited number of new-construction condominiums within the mixed-use Bayview Point Project are on Chula Vista's horizon. This project will be the city's vanguard walkable live-work-play environment. Because homes in Chula Vista may be affected by Mello-Roos taxes or HOA fees, it's important to add these costs to a home's overall sale price.
Many older homes, some built in the 1940's, in Chula Vista have been meticulously maintained.
Spanish influence on architecture is ubiquitous in Chula Vista.
Homes near the San Diego Country Club enjoy golf course views in Chula Vista.
New residential developments along San Diego Bay will offer water views.
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Parks, bikeways and Chula Vista Golf Course
Hugged by the Otay Valley on the south and waterfront retreats on the north, Chula Vista contains a variety of well-equipped parks, golf courses, wilderness trails and lakes. Recreation options include cycling the 24-mile Bayshore Bikeway along the coast, boating on Otay Lakes or playing league sports on more than 85 fields and 65 courts. Boaters can also launch from nearly 600 slips at the Safe Harbor Marina.
The new 21-acre Sweetwater Park, underway in 2024, is part of the overall Bayfront Redevelopment project. The park will feature nature playgrounds, specialty gardens, paved and unpaved multiuse trails, native Kumeyaay signage and public art.
Golfers sharpen their game at the public Chula Vista Golf Course, Enagic Golf Club and the private San Diego Golf Club. Several dozen other courses are within a 20-mile radius. Resident athletes can train for more than a dozen Olympic and Paralympic sports at the 155-acre Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center complex. Just 10 miles north of West Chula Vista, baseball fans catch Padres games at Petco Park in downtown San Diego.
Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course offers world class play to locals and visitors.
The Bayshore Bikeway is an internationally renowned, 20 mile cycle loop with bay views.
Chula Vista Marina is a haven for water-sports, fishing and boating.
Chula Vista parks offer space for basketball, volleyball, skateboarding, baseball and more.
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Shop and dine from downtown to Town Center
Whether strolling the historic downtown district or exploring more than 16 retail plazas and malls, Chula Vista residents are always close to essentials, grocery stores, casual eateries or date night destinations. Third Avenue's four-block stretch in the heart of downtown features new craft breweries like Groundswell Brewing and longstanding restaurants such as La Bella Pizza Garden. New restaurants, bars and coffee roasters continue popping up on Third Avenue, maintaining a lively energy. In the 2023 Editors' Pick Food Hit List, San Diego Magazine declared The Balboa downtown as the standout burger spot, and some of the neighborhood's finest cuisine is found at its many authentic Mexican restaurants along Third Avenue and Broadway.
Chula Vista Center is one of the country's earliest regional malls. To the east, Otay Ranch Town Center offers an open-air assortment of over 100 specialty stores, an adjacent dog park and a kids' splash fountain.
Chula Vista Center is a historic shopping mall which boasts large outdoor shopping corridors.
Tacos El Gordo is a famous purveyor of authentic Mexican street tacos.
Otay Ranch Town Center hosts weekly farmers markets with local vendors offering unique goods.
Third Avenue serves as the social center of Chula Vista with shops and restaurants.
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California’s largest Chula Vista and Sweetwater School Districts
"Chula Vista is best known for having one of the top two school districts in San Diego," says Gonzalez. "It's what makes it so desirable for families with school-age kids. You get top-notch education in a more affordable area." Both the kindergarten through sixth-grade Chula Vista Elementary School District and the seventh through 12th-grade Sweetwater Union High School District are the largest of their kind in California, with a combined total of nearly 80 campuses. SUHSD offers a nationally recognized Compact for Success program that guarantees admission to San Diego State University for eligible high school students. Four high schools, including Eastlake and Olympian, earn A grades on Niche. In 2023, Sweetwater High's football team won the Southern Regional State Championship. For higher education in Chula Vista, Southwestern College offers associate and four-year degree programs, and San Diego Christian College is only a few miles northeast.
The progressive Chula Vista University Innovation District near the Otay Ranch Town Center plans to include a university that will serve at least 20,000 students, along with research and development companies proposed to employ 8,000 people.
Chula Vista Hills Elementary School offers a Multilingual English Learner program to students.
Bonita Vista Middle School has recently added a technology lab and updated athletic facilities.
Home of the Mustangs, Otay Ranch High School serves the east side of Chula Vista.
Bonita Vista High School's renowned football program attracts hopeful athletes and fans.
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Freeway access, bike lanes and senior shuttle
Chula Vista is intersected by Interstates 5, 805 and 125, allowing car commuters to reach the San Diego International Airport within 10 to 20 miles depending on neighborhood location. An extensive Metropolitan Transit System trolley light rail service offers connection points to the University of California, San Diego, the downtown area and the U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly 100 miles of dedicated bike paths facilitate cycling around the city. For seniors without transportation, Chula Vista offers a free all-electric door-to-door community shuttle via mobile app.
San Diego International Airport is just 10 miles to the north of Chula Vista.
Metropolitan Transit System train routes take Chula Vista residents as far north as Carlsbad.
Metropolitan Transit System bus routes whisk residents around greater Chula Vista.
Interstate five connects Chula Vista to San Diego to the north and Mexico to the south.
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Lower crime than San Diego, same pleasant climate
From 2022 to 2023, Chula Vista's violent crime rate dropped from 61 to 55 per 100,000 people, significantly lower than the U.S. rate, which rose from 99 to 120. Property crime in 2023 also declined in Chula Vista, from 114 to 97, versus the U.S. rate of 179. Crime rates in Chula Vista remain lower than those reported for San Diego, which shows a 76 violent crime rate and 152 for property crime. Thanks to its south San Diego location, residents are drawn to the pleasant, arid climate in Chula Vista that characterizes the area, averaging around 75 degrees in the summer and 50 degrees in the winter.
Lemon Festival and Sesame Place fun
Historically known as the "Lemon Capital of the World" due to its former abundance of lemon tree groves, Chula Vista locals look forward to honoring their city's lemon legacy at the Annual Lemon Festival, going strong since 1997. Downtown streets transform into a citrusy wonderland with lemon cook-offs, lemon-centric crafts, a Lil' Lemons kids' zone, live music and a wine and beer garden.
Residents can also host corporate events, concerts, graduations and more at the world-class North Island Credit Union Amphitheater outdoor music venue, seating more than 20,000. Kids of all ages are thrilled that Sesame Place San Diego opened in 2022 in southern Chula Vista, brimming with rides, water slides and live shows.
L. Lanz Correia, the visionary Founder and Broker behind The Correia Group. With licensure in real estate across both Arizona and California, Lanz exemplifies excellence in his field. His adeptness in negotiation has led to his involvement in several notable multi-million-dollar land deals, showcasing his versatility in handling a diverse range of transactions, from expansive commercial properties and untouched lands to residential and multi-family units. Rooted in Point Loma's heritage, Lanz hails from two pioneering tuna-fishing families, the Correias and the Zolezzis, and continues to call Point Loma home. His active participation in the Portuguese and Italian communities enriches his deep understanding of the Coast Communities of San Diego, offering unparalleled insights to his clients. This unique background, coupled with his expansive network and problem-solving acumen, fuels his ability to navigate the real estate landscape with a distinctive perspective, especially in the residential, infill/land, and multi-family income property sectors within San Diego's Coastal areas. An advocate for professional excellence, Lanz is affiliated with the National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, and the San Diego Association of Realtors, including specialized associations in Peninsula, Mission Bay, Metro, Downtown, and La Jolla. Through these affiliations and his comprehensive experience, Lanz sets a new standard in real estate, marked by his innovative approach and dedication to his clients' success. Call me, it will be fun. 619-564-6355
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