University Avenue in San Diego 1992: a history lesson

[@sleep4200]

If I can go back to 1992 ,it was such a fun yesr for me

[@jessicawagers2321]

Me too!! I went to Rock Concerts back to back in 1992!! It was a GREAT year for me too!

[@jonniesantos]

Fun throwback - thanks! We used to shop at J.C. Penney's near 30th and University. It was a drive for us as we lived "out in the country" in Kearny Mesa. There wasn't an 805 freeway back then and we had to go south on 163 (called 395 in those days) to the valley (Mission Valley), past Westgate Park (now Fashion Valley). I don't remember if we drove through Hillcrest (back when the Chicken Pie shop used to occupy the corner of 5th Ave) or we headed east and then caught Texas street up-the-hill (south) to University Ave. I'd love to see old footage of Kearny Mesa if any exists. We lived in brand new home in a tract called Mesa Vista built in 1952 (for around $11k); redwood window trim, copper pipes, oak floors, etc., and were only about 1,000 sq.ft and 1 bath - seemed huge back in the day. 🤣

[@cbs8sandiego]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoPdfmRmht2Kjrs kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3PcZJSgjqp6nMk

[@jonniesantos]

@@cbs8sandiego THANK YOU!!

[@johnculea397]

Hi Barb, Thanks so much for restoring this. I remembered the series but forgot all the interesting people I interviewed. Those were the years when I still had my "fast ball." Great fun. You are the best.

[@cbs8sandiego]

Hi John--I love the long form stories...an opportunity to do a deep dive into a topic. This one is so informative and chock full of neat old images. So many great Culea throwbacks!

[@johnjaco5544]

Grew up in the 50's-60's here,it's now ruined,so sad,it was heaven.

[@gregoryagogo]

That year is the year the artsy additions to the poles that hold the Hillcrest sign were added.

[@L.Spencer]

At 5:48 it's talking about Park and University, and it looks like there was a bank with a blue tile roof on the southwest corner, and they mention the Egyptian theater nearby. But now Egyptian apartments are there, and it looks like they kept part of a historical building. They must have moved it over to the corner. That dance hall on Euclid and University was restored, or at least the outside looks nice. And, of course, the Tower was painted sometime after this video.

[@anthonythomas1504]

True. The pharmacy moved a few times on the same block to where it is now. Egyptian was where Flame lesbian bar was later. There had been a couple of fires.

[@L.Spencer]

@@anthonythomas1504 Interesting! I had been wondering about the Egyptian theater for another reason, I remember seeing a movie there in the early 90's, a friend's family took me as a teen, but I didn't remember that it was on the corner.

[@Nefariousaa]

Born and raised here in 1995. Grandparents built their house here in 1959. In the last 15 years I have seen the majority of the locals here priced out further east, or out of state in general. It's heartbreaking really.

[@helpyourcattodrive]

I love San Diego …

[@BrianKay-i9m]

Those were the days. Good hard working people. Hard to compare it with today.

[@i_know_you_are_sad]

Cry about it boomer. It's the corporations fault, not people.

[@BrianKay-i9m]

@@i_know_you_are_sad no crying here. P.S. and I never had to live in my parents basement either 😆

[@helpyourcattodrive]

This is my favorite news channel.

[@vivachilegringito]

I love these -- I've only been in the area for about 8 years but it has changed much in that short time. It's fascinating to see how it used to be.

[@jimkeskey]

Its depressing if you've lived here for a long time...

[@betteh3424]

Channel 8 always does a nice job on these look back in time videos :)

[@gregoryagogo]

I ate at Johnnies all the time, and loved the two jukeboxes in the rear.

[@helpyourcattodrive]

I still like it.

[@helpyourcattodrive]

Love the flying car!

[@L.Spencer]

I know there's a silver line downtown, but it'd be neat to have some more street car routes with vintage cars, like New Orleans. There was one going to OB and then on to PB and I think up to La Jolla. I love the "old" cafes, I wonder how many are still around.

[@bert-cq3ij]

A '49 Mercy Hospital baby. Point Loma High grad. Berean Bible College alum. THAT San Diego still resides in me. But, little by little, L.A. moved south and brought its traffic jams, hostile driving, dirty air, damaging liberal mindsets, and green hills/valleys/canyons disappeared under concrete and look-alike houses. San Diego is now South Los Angeles. I longed for civility, clean air, non-stress driving, friendly people...found it in S.W. CO - 7,100' Pagosa Springs to be exact. In my old age I have 5-acres of prime horse-country land nestled by the San Juan Forest. I long for the good ole days of yore but they are long gone. So, Colorado it is for life. But, go PADS and Aztecs!!! ✌

[@jimkeskey]

And now you feel like a tourist who is retiring in another state that isn't yours.

[@bert-cq3ij]

@@jimkeskey Reality check: Do I detect some sour grapes? CA is destroyed and that is heart-breaking. And Jim, you'd be shocked at how many former San Diegans live here...hiking mountain/forest trails, snow boarding/skiing, rafting whitewater rivers, boating, disc golf, golf courses, theatres (plays/movies) fishing, hot air balloons, hunting, ATV/horse trail riding, camping, star gazing and more right here in/around town. I'll take being a so-called "tourist" while I ride my horses and ATV about while you have the smog, jammed freeways (ours are considered jammed if 2-3 vehicles are ahead of us) , staggering taxes, and revolving door crime. My 5-acres sure beat your postage stamp property. CO is MY state, has been for 18-years now with no absolutely regrets. When attending my 50th high school reunion on Shelter Island, I was disgusted at how San Diego was now verses what it was just 30-years earlier. You, sadly, are like a frog not noticing that your water is getting boiling hot. Enjoy what San Diego no longer is while I remember what San Diego was.

[@starr99]

You'd think that the Kumeyaay people (whose land that was) simply never existed. 😡 Will it be covered in Part 3?

[@anthonythomas1504]

Oh come on.

[@jamesleng6231]

You must be fun at parties. What does the Kumeyaay people have anything to do University avenue?

[@DefensisIndus]

You're part of the problem, living here 😂

[@checkpointcharlie1788]

And who did the Kumeyaay take it from? So vacate your property and give it to them, or have them move in with you and you pay their rent.

[@jimkeskey]

Because the Kumeyaay sprouted up from the ground in Hillcrest and were here 4 million years ago. Grow up Starry.

[@wurldtravlr620]

Hillcrest today and all the up and coming high rise condos. Sad. There goes the Hillcrest I first arrived at 45 years ago.

[@anthonythomas1504]

Depending on what angle the news wants, they do or don't mention the lgbt re Hillcrest.

[@philjohnson922]

This is so interesting

[@VintageSanDiego]

They were never ripped up, just covered! They weren't ripped up until modern times.

[@williamhowell2088]

They need to redo this for 2024. If it got bad in 1992, look at it today 😢

[@galaxyii]

At 4:32, that is a Swatch watch folks!

[@twelfthhausjones6753]

A vitally-important contextual piece on the goods & bads of this corner of San Diego. 10 cent streetcar rides seem laughable now, as the cabinet board tends toward insourced enterprise at the cost of structural development. Looks like our politicians are unable to simultaneously look in the direction of personal interests & public interests.

[@scottprather5645]

Very interesting

[@DefensisIndus]

Again, could've built Like a Walled, fortified Greek or Italian city, like a sandstone Riviera against the dry hills. We have the climate 😂 If you cut San Diego's vegetation, you'll see the ground is a beautiful sandstone clay! Instead we covered our city with Huge, hulking Suburbs, huge lawns, endless Hedges and ice plant. It feels institutional 😑 Like everyday we're stuck in 'after work' Traffic! Should start building like 'Ancient Ibiza' architecture with fortified walls, courtyards like Balboa Park, beautiful shops and alley ways right in our neighborhoods against the hills! I mean we are a Naval Defense city, just like ancient Ibiza! 😼

[@arturogarcia5996]

No social media...the best life sane people everyone was a he or she

[@pebbledroppled3366]

Well they sure did Jack that Up Royale.

[@cbs8sandiego]

JC PENNEY 1954: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5-cl5aiotKmqJY

[@TheSteveBoyd]

That darned Tom Sawyer tricked him!

[@dracosirccpent]

Sail ⛵️ BACK to EUROPE 🇪🇺 ESAU take Trump 😅

[@richardbalistreri7631]

They continue to make it worse with all the unused bike lanes, no parking and island in the center to reduce another lane and make driving more difficult. One of the worst designs that was completely unnecessary.

[@jimkeskey]

That's government for ya. Making changes that YOU didn't ask for and that NO ONE wants.

[@alanbmx321]

How far we have strayed from such a special place. All of San Diego is a facade of what was America’s finest city. Compare the news teams from all the networks that were part of our family now it is mostly fluff and nonsense. Standing by while the homeless continue the decay