An aerial view of San Diego will highlight that 92115 is on the east end of Mission Valley and like most of the local area has been developed around the natural topography. Though most of these communities and neighborhoods were brought into existence over half a century ago and interact with adjacent San Diego communities they have maintained their unique personalities to a large part because they are defined by hills, canyons and ravines.
On a map 92115 is bounded on the north by interstate 8, on the east by the City of La Mesa, on the south by Hwy 94, and on the west by a meandering boundary that includes one of the first local regional shopping centers (College Grove) built in the late 50s (refurbished and renamed as the Marketplace at the Grove) and the Chollas Reservoir and Park in the ZIP code’s southwest corner, then following 54th Street north up to El Cajon Blvd, then west bound on El Cajon Blvd to Fairmont Avenue that follows the ravine down into the canyon continuing north to interstate 8.
This 92115 area has included a stable and thriving business district since the 50s along the east-west arteries of University Avenue and El Cajon Blvd with additional access via the north-south artery of College Avenue. Though there are some notable large employers (SDSU is one of the largest local employers) this ZIP code is characterized by small businesses. This area offers a wide range of shopping (box stores, car dealerships, appliance and furniture outlets), medical facilities and entertainment and is regularly impacted by congested traffic. Therefore, public transportation via the metro bus transit and trolley system grows in importance. Below SDSU is San Diego’s only underground trolley station with a major bus plaza just above it. There is an additional trolley station at the Alvarado Medical complex that is another major employment hub.
This plateau that overlooks interstate 8 is home to SDSU: what started as a training facility for elementary school teachers (San Diego Normal School) back in 1897 and relocated to its present location in 1935 as a state college has grown into the largest university in San Diego (SDSU has its own ZIP code 92182) and enjoys a state, national and international reputation for its size (35,700 student body with over 200,000 alumni) and growing excellence.
92115 is characterized primarily by the San Diego communities and neighborhoods known as College Area, Rolando, Talmadge, Alvarado Estates, College View Estates, College Grove, El Cerrito, Mesa Colony, Rolando Park, Redwood Village, Mid-City, Chollas and Oak Park. Neighborhoods within these communities represent diverse demographics and multiple housing alternatives necessary to support a ZIP code population of over 60,000.
Rental options within 92115 include large apartment communities, numerous mid-size and small apartment buildings, individual condos within established condominium communities as well as a wide selection of single homes, townhouses, duplexes, tri-plexes, four-plexes and rooms for rent sprinkled throughout these neighborhoods.
