Shelltown, San Diego, CA

Shells in the sandy soil gave Shelltown its name, and the neighborhood sits on a plateau just above Naval Base San Diego, at the southern edge of the city of San Diego. National City lies across its southern line, Interstate 5 and Barrio Logan to the west, and 43rd Street, which becomes Highland Avenue, on the east. Early naval officers liked living here because they could see their ships from home and reach them fast. The housing still reflects that long run of building, with homes from the 1920s through the late 1960s on mostly residential blocks. Murals mark three of the main entrances, including one on Alpha Street led by artist Mario Torero. Food is close but small scale. Mex Mart, at 1740 South 43rd Street, is the corner grocery, and small family kitchens fill out the nearby corners. A few blocks north in Southcrest, Northgate Market at 1410 43rd Street is the full supermarket, and Highland Avenue just over the line in National City adds taco shops, a bakery and an ice cream counter. Outdoor space starts at Southcrest Trails Park, just north on the Chollas Creek floodplain near Beta Street. The 2.6-acre park reopened in 2018 with trails and exercise stations, a skate area, a basketball court, picnic grills and a small amphitheater. Balboa Elementary School is in the neighborhood. The Blue Line trolley stops at the Pacific Fleet station, and the 929 bus runs along Main Street. Drivers can reach I-5, I-15 or I-805 within a few minutes. Shelltown is tiny, and nearly everything beyond a corner market sits outside it. The navy base, an industrial park and commercial buildings along Main Street mark the western edge. Inside those lines, though, the blocks stay residential, with murals at the gateways and the bay just past the base.