Unincorporated Neighborhoods,
San Diego County
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Codes: 91976, 91977, 91978, 91979
Located
just east of Lemon Grove, these are large unincorporated neighborhoods that
could easily be called towns but they lack a focal point that stands them out
as separate entities. www.mccormacks.com
Some
guides and maps will include Rancho San Diego in this area and some residents
will identify themselves as residents of Rancho San Diego. One of the Spanish
land grants in the region was Rancho Mission San Diego.
Unincorporated
towns do not have legal boundaries. They are often identified or named by
tradition or zip code or census tract or school district or major developments.
Click for regional or detailed map
Also by
government planners who need to define borders to collect data (population,
income, etc.) and impose order on development.
For our
purposes, we are using the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) maps,
which place Rancho San Diego in the Valle de Oro zone. See profile of Valle de
Oro.
Spring
Valley is bordered on the east by Lemon Grove, on the north by Highway 93, on
the west by approximately Via del Parque Park. www.mccormacks.com
La Presa
sits just below (south of) Spring Valley and butts up against the Sweetwater
Reservoir. Jamacha is the main boulevard for La Presa. Mother Miguel Mountain, 1,527 feet
high, and San Miguel, 2,565 feet, stand tall to the south, a striking site
In 2006,
SANDAG counted 60,522 residents in Spring Valley-La Presa. They reside in
12,689 single homes, 5,941 multiples and 1,430 mobiles.
Their
median age is 33. Children under 18 make up 28 percent of their numbers, over
65 years, 10 percent. Family towns, many kids, many parents in their 30s.
Lot of
housing variety in these two neighborhoods. Old and faded, fairly new and very
new. Modest and upscale. Flatlands and hills, often steep with great views of
countryside. Mobile-home parks sit close to new tracts. Home building has been
going on for over 60 years.
The
subdivisions reflect the style of their eras. The 1950s and 1960s favored
three-bedroom, two-bath homes, plain stucco and composite shingles, utility
lines overhead. www.mccormacks.com
The modern
homes run to three- and four-bedroom models, creamy stucco and red-tile roofs,
small lots, utility lines buried. The later tracts are sometimes “master
planned,” an approach that does a better job of buffering homes from traffic.
Many of the modern homes have been located along Jamacha Boulevard, north of
the reservoir.
Sweetwater
has its older suburban streets but as much of its housing was built after 1970,
it presents a more modern look than La Presa.
Although
home construction has been constant, the region still has a strong feeling of
country. The up-and-down terrain, in many places, has spaced out the homes.
Many streets in the older sections lack sidewalks. The mountains and their
foothills, in some sections, make building prohibitively expensive.
La Mesa-Spring Valley elementary
district educates Spring Valley and La Presa. The district has passed bonds to
repair its infrastructure and add facilities.
Scores
range from the 30th to the 90th percentile and suggest the jumbled demographics
of the two neighborhoods. See Schools. www.mccormacks.com
Older
children move up to Grossmont Union High District, which in 2004 passed a $274
million bond to build and renovate schools. Many teens attend Mt. Miguel High,
scores around the 50th percentile — middle America. See What Scores Mean.
Commute to downtown San Diego runs 15 to
20 miles. Drive of 5 to 10 miles will get you to a freeway. Highway 94 connects
to the freeway network of San Diego. Once on it, you can navigate to all
freeways. Trolleys can be picked up in downtown La Mesa.
Patrolled
by sheriff’s deputies. Entire Spring Valley region (including other towns) reported seven homicides in
2005, nine in 2004, zero in 2003, two in 2002, zero in 2001, three in 2000, two
in 1999, one in 1998, and five in 1997. See Crime.
Regional
parks just east of the reservoir. Two county parks in La Presa, at least four
in Spring Valley. Schools are often pressed into community service for their
playing fields and facilities.
Local
groups put together the sports and activities for kids. This region is getting
more neighborhood parks but at present does not have many. Library opened in
2003. www.mccormacks.com
• Swap
meet at Spring Valley. Popular. Draws 20,000 on a weekend.
• Spring
Valley Elementary School may be closed. Too decrepit to repair. Check with
school district.
•
Elementary district, responding to parent complaints, has revised its calendar
but you can't please all. Some still don't like the schedule. It has a two-week
break in October.
Spring
Valley Chamber of Commerce: (619) 670-9902.
