Neighborhoods of La Mesa: Connecticut Avenue

This is a new series I'm starting, on the neighborhoods of the area I primarily work, which includes La Mesa, San Carlos, El Cajon and Santee. For this one, I'm back on the west side of La Mesa: Connecticut Avenue

This neighborhood is bounded by the San Diego City Limits, Lake Murray Boulevard, and Lake Murray itself, and sits on the side of a hill above where Lake Murray would drain if anything ever happened to the dam. The adjacent area of San Diego City may be a little more recent, but sits on lower softer ground. The block or so immediately north of Interstate 8 does get freeway noise, but the rest of the neighborhood is quiet due to the way the hill slopes.

Pennsylvania Avenue, looking south (downhill)

There really isn't a commercial road serving the area. Lake Murray Boulevard has a few businesses right around Parkway Drive which is how most people get in and out, but the neighborhood itself is exclusively residential. The views vary from good to excellent, looking out over the Alvarado Creek area and San Diego State, with the properties at the top of the hill having views over all of eastern San Diego.

Lake Murray Boulevard and Parkway Drive, from the bottom of Connecticut:

Physically, the houses are mostly single story 3 and 4 bedroom, 2 bath houses from around 1200 square feet to around 1600, sitting on lots of about 6500 to 8000 square feet. Many have been added onto, and they've pretty much all got individual character - a few were built as fill in or replacement in the 1970s and 1980s, but most were built in the 1950s and late 1940s, before the tract cookie cutter became a developer staple. Many use the older pier support, but concrete foundations became mandatory before the neighborhood was finished. Foundation issues and settling are rare, and those that existed have mostly long since been dealt with. As of this writing, asking prices start at about $360,000, but there are only four properties for sale in the neighborhood.

Here's an example of the typical home in the neighborhood

Here's one of the infill properties, built circa 1980

The neighborhood schools are Maryland Avenue, (A Smart Steps Preschool site, according to their website). The Middle School is La Mesa Middle School (formerly La Mesa Junior High), and the high school is Helix Charter. Helix, in particular, has a long record of academic achievement. Here's the most recent account Helix Accountability Report Card

Maryland Avenue School

The closest community college is Grossmont, the closest four year college is San Diego State University, which is actually closer.

Here you can see San Diego State University from the neighborhood

Connecticut Avenue is a very nice neighborhood to live in, with good transportation access. It's two minutes to Interstate 8. You have your choice of several major supermarkets within a mile or so. You can get to Mission Valley in less than ten minutes, downtown in about 20. The San Diego Trolley runs adjacent to Interstate 8, and has stops at Alvarado Hospital and just east of 70th Street, and Lake Murray Boulevard is a bus route. Major shopping centers are found at Grossmont Center (Target, Wal-Mart, Macy's, Theaters and dining), and all the Mission Valley shopping is also very close, as is the park and trails of Lake Murray

Lake Murray Dam and trails, from Delaware Street:

If you'd like to talk more about Connecticut Avenue or any other neighborhood of La Mesa, Contact me. I will be happy to discuss which neighborhoods might be right for you, or the marketing of your current property.

A typical internal view, from Connecticut and Colorado. Notice all the mature shade trees? It makes a real difference!