University Heights is a neighborhood in Central San Diego, California centered on Park Boulevard and Adams Avenue. According to the City of San Diego Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk parcel maps, University Heights is bounded on the west and north by the edge of the mesa, the southern boundary is Lincoln Avenue, and the eastern boundary is Boundary Street along the western edge of Interstate 805. The area is filled with a number of restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and artist studios primarily on Park Boulevard and Adams Avenue. Live entertainment can be found most nights. Adjacent to Hillcrest, Normal Heights and North Park, additional restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and night clubs are within easy reach.The neighborhood sits in a central San Diego location with a broad spectrum of housing options, from cottages, apartments and condominiums, to million-dollar homes. Downtown, Balboa Park, San Diego Airport, Mission Valley, San Diego State University (SDSU, or "state"), are only a few minutes away.HistoryThe area was founded in 1888. The name "University" (both for the neighborhood and nearby University Avenue) derives from a plan, originally proposed during the land boom of the 1880s, to build a branch of the University of Southern California in the area. The plan fell through, and the tract of land intended for the university was later used for the State Normal School (predecessor to San Diego State College). The headquarters of San Diego Unified School District currently occupies the site, near the corner of El Cajon and Park boulevards.
