The neighborhood is centered along historic El Cajon Blvd, once the major east-west route connecting San Diego to East County. “The Boulevard” was also the western terminus of U.S. Highway 80 and the gateway to the intercontinental highway system which brought motor tourists from every part of the country into San Diego.
A Commercial Strip in every sense, El Cajon Blvd. is a surviving example of the classic Southern California commercial corridor. Its character has developed over time and shifted to reflect the uses and values of the different periods of its development. Lined with fast food restaurants, gas stations, motels, car dealerships and an over-abundance of small commercial strips the boulevard has been heavily derided by some as…
“a thoroughfare of visual blight… a hodgepodge of store fronts, signs and shopping centers that create confusion for motorists... signs were abominable; second-hand stereo and automobile dealerships were vying for attention next to new L-shaped shopping centers that were becoming more prolific.”
Despite its scruffy first impression, the boulevard still contains some excellent examples of architecture from different periods of its development. From single story retail to boomerang modern showrooms and small local shops, a respectable visual history can be observed while walking the strip. Historic Motels and old hot rod shops tuck in between the fast food peddlers and seem shy when compared to the neon bedazzled merchants screaming for your attention, and like many other interesting things are easily missed when travelling through by car.
The context is genuine and has proven itself over time to be a successful model for many types of commercial services. Its formal characteristics and historical infrastructure create problems in the area related to traffic, noise, pedestrian and bicycle use, and the vast set of problems generally classified as “livability” issues, which slows the evolution of this neighborhood as it attempts to transition from a highway dotted with motels and gas stations to a vital, livable, twenty-first century neighborhood. This investigation is an attempt to understand the workings, constraints, and potentials of this neighborhood and propose tentative starting points for solutions to the problems it faces.
