Neighborhoods of La Mesa: Normal Avenue

This is part of a series on the neighborhoods of the area I primarily work, which includes La Mesa, San Carlos, El Cajon and Santee. For this one, we're in the southerly part of La Mesa: Normal Avenue

Normal Avenue is mostly a working class neighborhood, and is bounded by Yale Avenue on the west, University Avenue on the north, La Mesa Boulevard on the east, and Normal Avenue on the south. Normal Avenue itself curves sharply to the north to meet La Mesa Boulevard, so if you were looking down from an airplane, it would not appear to be a rectangle. The area south of University is broadly similar, and some pricier homes are found at the edges of the Normal Avenue neighborhood, as well as uphill from it.

View from Yale and Orien (looking north)

The only real commercial road serving the area is University Avenue. The views vary from basically flat to to excellent, looking mostly looking north and west, with properties near the tops of Orien, Yale, and Normal Avenues having the best views.

Yale and University

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 7000 to 8000 square feet. Some lots are as big as 12000 square feet or so, a few may be as small as 5500. Many have been added onto, and they've pretty much all got individual character. Most were built before tract housing became popular in the 1950s, but a few were built as fill in or replacement later on. Many use the older pier support, but you will find concrete foundations in maybe 20% of the houses. Foundation issues and settling were not rare in former times, but those that existed have mostly long since been dealt with. The vast majority of the neighborhood is single family detached housing, but there are some apartments and condominiums along Lowell, the western end of Normal, and also Parks between the elementary school and middle school. As of this writing, asking prices start at about $260,000 and go up to $550,000 for detached properties, but there are only seven detached properties and six condominiums and townhomes for sale in the neighborhood.

A house in the neighborhood

The neighborhood elementary school is La Mesa Dale. The Middle School is La Mesa Middle School (formerly La Mesa Junior High) a SDSU partnership school, 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

La Mesa Dale School

La Mesa Middle School

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

The Normal Avenue neighborhood is a good place to live, with good transportation access. Yale Avenue goes over the hill and down to 94 West. It's five minutes to Interstate 8. You have your choice of several major supermarkets within a mile or so. You can get to Mission Valley in fifteen minutes, downtown even quicker. Two lines of the San Diego Trolley run close to the neighborhood, although not within it. University Avenue is a major bus route. Major shopping centers are found at Grossmont Center (Target, Wal-Mart, Macy's, Theaters and dining), and College Grove (WalMart, Sam's Club), and there is La Mesa Springs Center at the east end of the neighborhood as well as all sort of other stores in many avenues nearby.

Looking west on Normal Avenue towards Helix Charter

Looking north on Maple Avenue, towards University

If you'd like to talk more about Normal 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 for an advantageous sale.