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Mission Hills' history began with the first steamship route to San Diego from San Francisco in 1863. The ship's captain vowed to build a home on a hilltop he saw as the ship entered port. By the early 1900s the residential section of Mission Hills incorporated Spanish Colonial, Craftsman Bungalow, and Prairie architecture. Mission Hills' main streets -- Washington, Goldfinch, West Lewis, and Fort Stockton -- still evoke images of small-town America, with engaging merchants, strolling residents, unique boutiques, and charming cafes.
Just east of Mission Hills, Hillcrest, a busy mix or art, entertainment, and fine-dining, belies its bargain beginnings. In the summer of 1906 Willian Wesly Whitson heard that land north of downtown sold for$115,000. After rounding up "good faith" money and securing a 30-day loan, Whitson sold shares in his "Hillcrest Company" and raised the rest from banks. A subdivision was filed in 1907, extending from Sixth avenue west to Second, and from University north to Lewis. Of the 43 houses built by the Hillcrest Company, 17 still exist and 8 have never been altered. The first department store was built in 1906 and was still in operation 92 years later. Today, three Thai restaurants, two Italian, and three Sushi bars can be found within a four-block radius, making Hillcrest a popular weekend destination (and that's just half the restaurants). It's also home to an arthouse multiplex, two wine bars, and several vintage clothing shops. In terms of hospitals, Hillcrest is home to a few: both Mercy and UCSD claim facilities in the vicinity.
Ten miles from downtown and east of Hillcrest is Kensington, an impressive neighborhood whose Spanish-style homes, with courtyards, hardwood floors, and stone chimneys, date from the 1920s and '30s. This tree-lined, well-kept neighborhood maintains its beauty with a backward glance to another time, when neighborhoods were a mainstay of everyday life. Kensington's three-block downtown features a revival theater, The Ken, various restaurants, two coffee houses, and numerous specialty shops.
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