Redwood Village-Rolando Park, San Diego, CA

Two postwar neighborhoods share one page in Redwood Village-Rolando Park, the stretch of eastern San Diego that lines the south side of University Avenue from 54th Street out to the La Mesa city line. Redwood Village covers the western half up to College Avenue, and Rolando Park continues east of College toward State Route 94. Redwood Village went by Darnall until 2007, when residents voted for the new name. Rolando Park grew fast after 1949, when tract homes went up to meet postwar demand, and in 1954 its residents chose to join San Diego instead of La Mesa. Most homes on both sides are postwar tract houses, set on quiet residential streets that run south from University toward the canyon land near Chollas Lake. University Avenue is where the neighborhood eats. Pha Khao Lao, at 5801, serves Lao cooking, and nam khao is the dish it calls its signature. Island Spice, at 6109, does Jamaican plates like jerk chicken, curry and brown stew chicken. At the far east end, Mission Brew Coffee pours cold brew and smoothies at 6845, beside the Kroc Center recreation campus. Along the blocks in between are taco shops, fruterias, East African cafes and a pizza place or two. University Square, the shopping center on the south side of University, has a Food 4 Less at 5975 that covers most weekly groceries without leaving the neighborhood. Darnall E-Campus Charter Elementary sits on the Redwood Village side. For time outdoors, Chollas Lake sits just south in Oak Park, with a loop trail around the water and nature trails on the slopes. Clay Park and the Rolando catwalks, footpaths that link streets between houses, are just north across University. Buses run the length of University Avenue, and SR 94 and Interstate 8 are each a few minutes away. The blocks nearest University Avenue take the brunt of its traffic. A few streets back, most of Redwood Village-Rolando Park settles into quiet evenings, with the shops still close enough to reach on foot.