30th Street (San Diego)

30th Street is a major north-south road in San Diego, California on the east side of Balboa Park. It connects several of the densest urban communities of Central San Diego and has a high rate of pedestrian activity. In recent years, 30th Street has become known nationally for its prominent craft beer culture.

San Diego's first suburbs began appearing in the late 19th century, including South Park in 1870 and North Park in 1893, along with what would eventually become the 30th Street corridor. In 1905, the Bartlett Webster developing company extended streetcar service through South Park, ushering in a period of rapid growth. In 1912, North Park's first high-rise, known today as the Western Dental Building, was built on the corner of 30th Street and University Avenue.

To accommodate transit between these quickly developing neighborhoods, the 30th Street trolley bridge, a wood and steel truss bridge, was built in 1908 across Switzer Canyon. In 1956, the aging original bridge was demolished and replaced in 1957 with the 30th Street causeway which remains to this day.

Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the intersection of 30th Street and University Avenue in North Park was one of San Diego's major city centers. However, as was seen in many urban areas throughout the United States, white flight and suburbanization in the latter half of the 20th century devastated many communities along the 30th Street corridor. The early 2000s have witnessed a resurgence in these historic neighborhoods due to new urbanism. Across its communities, 30th Street has seen many shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants open in the last decade contributing to high rates of pedestrian activity.

Running north and south on the east side of Balboa Park, 30th Street connects several dense and historic neighborhoods, including University Heights, Normal Heights, North Park, South Park, Burlingame, and Golden Hill. Throughout these neighborhoods, 30th Street features high levels of pedestrian activity relative to most of San Diego due to its density of cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops. South of the 94 freeway, 30th Street also connects Grant Hill and Logan Heights. In North Park, 30th Street runs alongside the Ray Street Arts District.

...
Wikipedia