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El Cajon Boulevard

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El Cajon Boulevard
El Cajon Boulevard near west end
Part of US 80 (1926–1964)
I-8 BL
LocationSan Diego County, California (San Diego, La Mesa, El Cajon)
Coordinates32°45′18.77″N 117°8′45.46″W / 32.7552139°N 117.1459611°W / 32.7552139; -117.1459611 to 32°46′14.57″N 117°1′18.78″W / 32.7707139°N 117.0218833°W / 32.7707139; -117.0218833 and
32°46′57.5″N 116°58′47.45″W / 32.782639°N 116.9798472°W / 32.782639; -116.9798472 to 32°47′41.53″N 116°58′2.95″W / 32.7948694°N 116.9674861°W / 32.7948694; -116.9674861[1]
West endNormal Street in San Diego[2]
Major
junctions		[2]
  • I-805 in San Diego
  • SR 15 in San Diego
  • I-8 in La Mesa
  • Discontinuous between La Mesa and El Cajon due to being overlaid by I-8
  • I-8 in El Cajon
East endMain Street in La Mesa[2]

El Cajon Boulevard is a major east–west thoroughfare through San Diego, La Mesa and El Cajon, California. Before the creation of Interstate 8 it was the principal automobile route from San Diego to El Cajon, the Imperial Valley, and points east as U.S. Route 80; it is now signed as a business loop of Interstate 8.

Route description

The boulevard now consists of two disconnected portions, one in San Diego and La Mesa, and the other in El Cajon. The central section through La Mesa's Grossmont Pass was built over by Interstate 8. It has been cited as a prime example of a commercial strip whose growth and development was shaped by the automobile, as opposed to the parallel University Avenue commercial strip whose growth was shaped by the trolley.[3]

History

It was formerly part of U.S. Route 80, and became a business loop for Interstate 8 when U.S. Route 80 was decommissioned and replaced by the interstate.[4] It is designated as a historic highway by the state of California.[5] Only portions of what would become El Cajon Boulevard in both La Mesa and El Cajon were originally part of US 80. During a re-routing through San Diego onto Park Boulevard in 1929, the western portion of El Cajon Boulevard was added to US 80. The next section of El Cajon Boulevard added to US 80 was between La Mesa and El Cajon around 1940.

The State Theatre opened in 1940. Designed by architect S. Charles Lee. The building possessed a 125 foot spiral tower with a blinking beacon on top that could be seen for miles, interior murals illuminated in blacklight and colorful terrazzo sidewalks out front. The theatre was demolished in 1987.[6][7]

The first Jack in the Box restaurant was opened at 6270 El Cajon Boulevard by Robert O. Peterson in 1951.[8][9] The site had originally been a drive-in diner called "Topsy's", later renamed "Oscar's" after Peterson's middle name, which was a classic drive-in where food was served by carhops to patrons in the parking lot. Jack in the Box was the first drive-through, with the innovation of a two-way intercom that allowed one car to place an order while another car was being served. Other restaurants had previously offered drive-up window service, but Jack in the Box was the first major chain to make drive-through windows the focus of its operation.[10]

Today, most of the route from La Mesa to El Cajon has been overlaid by I-8. The final part of El Cajon Boulevard to receive the US 80 designation was a small piece between Park Boulevard and Normal Street in the late 1940s early 1950s when US 80 was re-routed off Park Boulevard onto the new Cabrillo Freeway.[2] US 80 ceased to exist legislatively within California after July 1, 1964.[11]

The street was the site of the El Cajon Boulevard Riot in August 1960, also known as the Drag Strip Riot,[12] considered one of the first major youth riots of the 1960s. In the latter part of the 20th century, El Cajon Boulevard developed an unsavory reputation as a hotspot for prostitution.[13]

On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy rode in an open "bubble car" in a motorcade headed east on El Cajon Boulevard on his way to give a commencement speech and receive an honorary degree at San Diego State College.[14][15]

In 2015, a state of the art new YMCA facility at the intersection with Fairmount Road opened up on land donated by philanthropist Robert Price. Dedicated to serving community members in City Heights, Talmadge and Kensington, disparate economic, ethnic and cultural differences of people who live on either side of El Cajon Boulevard were exposed.[16][17]

In 2020, a dedicated bus-only lane intended to improve traffic congestion and increase public transportation use was established as part of San Diego's "Climate Action Plan" along three miles of the Boulevard in 2020.[18][19]

Business Districts

The El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association was formed in 1988[20] to improve physical and economic conditions along the 60 blocks of the boulevard between Park Boulevard and 54th Street. The association installed a large "The Boulevard" sign (see photo) to document the street's importance.

The College Area Business District was formed in 1996 and covered the area east of 54th Street to 73rd Street in La Mesa.[21] They hosted the annual Halloween "Boulevard BOO! parade" on the Boulevard in Rolando from 2004 to 2019.[22]

A six-block section from Euclid to Highland avenues was officially designated the Little Saigon Cultural and Commercial District in 2013. The mission of the Little Saigon San Diego Foundation is to "revitalize the densely populated Vietnamese business district of El Cajon Boulevard."[23]

Major intersections

The entire route is in San Diego County.

Locationmi[24]kmDestinationsNotes
San Diego0.000.00Park Boulevard / Normal StreetWestern terminus
1.21.9 I-805 (Jacob Dekama Freeway)I-805 exit 16
2.13.4 SR 15 (Escondido Freeway) / Boulevard Transit Plaza to I-15 Centerline StationSR 15 exit 5B; future I-15
La Mesa7.211.6

 Baltimore Drive to I-8 west
7.3–
7.5		11.7–
12.1		Center StreetInterchange; no eastbound exit
7.612.2
 I-8 west – San Diego		West end of I-8 overlap; I-8 exit 13A
Overlap with I-8
El Cajon10.016.1
 I-8 east – El Centro		East end of I-8 overlap; no westbound access to I-8 east; I-8 exit 15
11.318.2Main Street / Douglas Avenue – DowntownEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Points of interest

  • Copley Price YMCA, 4300 El Cajon Blvd
  • Historic State Theatre, 4712 El Cajon Blvd[25]


West to East:

  • Park and El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights
    Park and El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights
  • Lafayette Hotel in North Park, 2200 Block
    Lafayette Hotel in North Park, 2200 Block
  • Chicken Pie Shop, 2600 Block[26]
    Chicken Pie Shop, 2600 Block[26]
  • North Park Water Tower
    North Park Water Tower
  • Rudford's Restaurant in 2023, 2900 Block[27]
    Rudford's Restaurant in 2023, 2900 Block[27]
  • El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement District Offices, 3700 Block
    El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement District Offices, 3700 Block
  • Woodrow Wilson Middle School in North Park, 3800 Block
    Woodrow Wilson Middle School in North Park, 3800 Block
  • Boulevard Transit Plaza at the intersection of I-15, 3900 Block
    Boulevard Transit Plaza at the intersection of I-15, 3900 Block
  • Hoover High School, 4400 Block
    Hoover High School, 4400 Block
  • Little Saigon Monument, City Heights, corner of Menlo Ave
    Little Saigon Monument, City Heights, corner of Menlo Ave
  • Historic Terrazzo sidewalks, 4712 El Cajon Boulevard
    Historic Terrazzo sidewalks, 4712 El Cajon Boulevard
  • Wesley United Methodist Church, 5300 Block
    Wesley United Methodist Church, 5300 Block
  • Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church: College Area Business District signs hang from the streetlight in front.
    Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church: College Area Business District signs hang from the streetlight in front.
  • San Diego Center for the Blind, 5900 Block
    San Diego Center for the Blind, 5900 Block
  • Historic Campus Drive-In Theater at intersection with College Avenue, 6000 Block
    Historic Campus Drive-In Theater at intersection with College Avenue, 6000 Block
  • Neon Aztec Sign in 2023, Campus Plaza Shoping Center[28]
    Neon Aztec Sign in 2023, Campus Plaza Shoping Center[28]
  • 215 Rapid Bus Stop - Marked stops on El Cajon Boulevard include College Avenue, 54th Street, Winona Avenue, 43rd Street, Boulevard Transit Plaza, 35th Street, 30th Street, and Texas Street.
    215 Rapid Bus Stop - Marked stops on El Cajon Boulevard include College Avenue, 54th Street, Winona Avenue, 43rd Street, Boulevard Transit Plaza, 35th Street, 30th Street, and Texas Street.
  • The former Andrew Jackson Post Office, 6400 Block[29]
    The former Andrew Jackson Post Office, 6400 Block[29]

References

  1. ^ "geolocator". Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Jensen, Jeff (2013). Drive the Broadway of America!. Tucson, Arizona: Bygone Byways. pp. Pages 216 and 217. ISBN 9780978625900.
  3. ^ O'Connor-Ruth, Anne V. "Mercantile to MacDonald's: Commercial Strips in San Diego". The Journal of San Diego History. 38 (3). Archived from the original on 2001-07-11 – via San Diego Historical Society.
  4. ^ "East on El Cajon Boulevard from 43rd, San Diego". SDSUnbound. Archived from the original on 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  5. ^ "Historic Highway 80 - El Cajon Boulevard". TheBoulevard.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Terrazzo at State Theatre". www.sohosandiego.org. Save Our Heritage Organization. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  7. ^ "State Theatre in San Diego, CA - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  8. ^ "Jack in the Box Corporate - Corporate Profile - History - History". Jack in the Box. Archived from the original on 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  9. ^ "San Diego Historical Society timeline". San Diego History Center. Archived from the original on 2004-02-05. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  10. ^ Langdon, Philip, Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The architecture of American chain restaurants, page 104, Knopf, 1986, ISBN 978-0-394-54401-4
  11. ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (October 17, 2013). "U.S. Route 80: The Dixie Overland Highway". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  12. ^ Williams, Gregory L. (Spring–Summer 1998). "GUIDE TO THE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTIONS OF THE SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY". The Journal of San Diego History. 44 (2). Archived from the original on 2003-08-04 – via San Diego Historical Society.
  13. ^ Kyle, Keegan (2009-10-07). "Voice of San Diego, March 25, 2010". Voice of San Diego. Archived from the original on 2009-12-18. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  14. ^ Carroll, John (2023-06-07). "60th anniversary of President Kennedy's trip to San Diego". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  15. ^ Dotinga, Randy (2010-09-16). "Did JFK Really Think Route 163 Was Awesome?". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  16. ^ Jennewein, Chris (2015-01-27). "New Copley-Price Family YMCA Opened in Mid-City". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  17. ^ Florido, Adrian (2011-07-05). "A Culture Clash Where Three Neighborhoods Meet". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  18. ^ Stone, Ken (2020-01-08). "El Cajon Boulevard Gets New Stretch of Dedicated Bus Lane to Speed Service". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  19. ^ McFadden, Kris; Gomez, Georgette; Ward, Chris (2019-05-08). "Pilot Program for Bus-Only Lane on El Cajon Boulevard" (PDF). SanDiego.gov.
  20. ^ "The BIA". The Boulevard BIA. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  21. ^ "About Us – College Area Business District". Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  22. ^ "Boulevard BOO! Parade & Carnival". Archived from the original on 2009-01-07.
  23. ^ "Our History – Little Saigon". Archived from the original on 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  24. ^ "Overview of El Cajon Boulevard". Google Maps. Google, Inc. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  25. ^ "State_Theater_marquee.jpg". Friends of San Diego Architecture. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  26. ^ Cohen, Ariana (April 25, 2023). "San Diego's Chicken Pie Shop to remodel for its 85th anniversary". cbs8.com. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  27. ^ "The legends: SD's oldest restaurants". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  28. ^ Cooley, Kathleen H. (1985-08-09). "Neon Majorette Returning to the College Limelight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  29. ^ Sullivan Brennan, Deborah (2023-07-07). "Rolando post office renamed for longtime San Diego lawmaker Susan Davis". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
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