Lemon Grove

Community is the biggest part of this small neighborhood seven miles east of downtown San Diego. Broadway Heights’ youth council was responsible for renaming Weston Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the first street in San Diego to be named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Broadway Heights Community Council has played a vital role in keeping the neighborhood’s crime rate among the lowest in the county. The council also runs a program in which youth members are mentored, tutored and assisted in developing leadership skills. “That area is a lot more family-oriented than most,” says Simon Tran, a DT America Realty licensed realtor with two years of experience selling homes in the area. “You’re not going to see a lot of young couples or individuals renting there. You’ll see a lot of families with younger kids.” Traveling is also easy for walkers since the streets of Broadway Heights are lined with sidewalks, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System reaches Broadway Heights, serving the neighborhood with bus stops along nearby Massachusetts Avenue. Along the neighborhood’s westside, Martin Luther King Junior Freeway puts downtown San Diego just seven miles away. The freeway also connects to Interstates 8 and 805, giving drivers access to other parts of California and the country at large. Less than two miles away, College Grove Mall offers big box stores like Target and Walmart for everyday essentials. The shopping center also holds a Starbucks and a McDonald’s, but Rubio’s Coastal Grill adds local flavor to the mix with their fish tacos. Just off Broadway, Lemon Grove Plaza and its surrounding streets offer a selection of chain and local restaurants alongside specialized national brands like GameStop, Petco and CVS. Residents who prefer to support locally-owned restaurants can try the pho at Pho Royal or grab an iced coffee at Royal Pearl Tea. “You can kind of get to anything you need within a fifteen-minute drive,” Tran says. “So even if there isn’t a lot to do within a five-mile radius, you can still do all the fun stuff that San Diego has to offer.” At Chollas Lake Park, residents can fish the 16-acre lake or hit the trails that weave around the lake and throughout the park. The park also holds archery and fishing lessons and features a basketball court, picnic tables and a children’s playground. Though smaller than Chollas Park, nearby Berry Street Park offers a playground, a dog park and picnic shelters. Small community events can also be held at Berry Street Park, and outdoor movie nights are popular with residents in the summer. With just under 200 houses, home inventory is limited in Broadway Heights. Most of the neighborhood’s homes were built around 1960, and the architecture favors the popular ranch-style homes of that time. Homes are typically well-maintained, and interior stylings are up to date with modern trends, which adds to their appeal. Lots can come with tropical trees, gravel or grass, but lot sizes are all relatively similar with the median size around a quarter acre. Prices can range from $737,000 for a stucco-sided, ranch-style home to just over $1 million for a ranch-style home with stone and stucco siding. Rising 42% from the previous year, the median home price in Broadway Heights is $922,500. As part of the Lemon Grove School District, Broadway Heights students can start their education and enroll in the before and after school program at San Miguel Elementary School, which offers kindergarten through 6th grade and earns a B-minus on Niche. Middle school students can attend nearby Lemon Grove Academy Middle School, which earns a B. For grades 9 through 12, students can attend Mount Miguel High School, which earns a B-plus. With downtown San Diego just seven miles away, Broadway Heights residents are close to events like Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival and Comic-Con International. Smaller local events are popular throughout the city, with Summer Movies in the Park held at various parks around the county.