happy 136th birthday, university heights! 🎂
from failed colleges to thriving community: 136 years of charm on the mesa
tl;dr: sorry for the double post, but my neighborhood's birthday trumps veep picks any day! university heights turns 136 today! from ostrich farms to trolley barns, this san diego gem has seen it all. let's dive into its colorful history and why it's still an amazing place to call home.
hey mi gente!
okay, i know i'm flooding your inbox today. first, we had the whole kamala harris picking gov. tim walz as her running mate tea. but hear me out – this second post is personal, it's local, and it involves cake. so really, can you blame me?
today, august 6th, marks the 136th birthday of my beloved university heights, the san diego neighborhood i'm lucky enough to call home. and let me tell you, this place deserves a celebration bigger than any vice presidential announcement!
so grab your party hats and get ready to sing "feliz cumpleaños" because our quirky little corner of san diego is having a moment!
now, i know what you're thinking: "edgard, why should i care about some crusty old neighborhood's birthday when we've got election drama?" well, let me tell you, university heights isn't just any neighborhood – it's like a wacky great-aunt, full of stories that'll make you say "¿qué carajo?" faster than you can down a california burrito.
so, let's take a trip down memory lane and see why university heights is the gift that keeps on giving:
the college that never was 🎓: imagine telling your crush you're taking them to university heights for a romantic date, only to find out there's no university. talk about catfishing! back in 1887, some smooth-talking real estate developers promised buyers a fancy branch of the university of southern california. spoiler alert: it never happened. the real estate bubble burst faster than you can say "student loan debt," leaving us with a name and a dream. but hey, at least we got a cool name out of it!
from teachers to ostriches 🐦: when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. when life gives you a failed university plan, you... open a teacher training school and an ostrich farm? yep, you read that right. in 1898, the state decided to build a "normal school" (fancy talk for teacher college) on the site of the non-existent university. and just a few years later, some genius thought, "you know what this place needs? giant angry birds!" enter harvey bentley's ostrich farm, bringing a touch of exotic madness to our little neighborhood.
trolley days and garden ways 🚋: in 1907, university heights got an upgrade – trolleys! suddenly, we weren't just some backwater mesa, we were connected to the buzzing metropolis of san diego. the adams avenue line opened up our world, and boy, did we take advantage of it. by 1913, we had a massive trolley barn to house all those shiny new streetcars. meanwhile, john d. spreckels (yes, of the sugar dynasty) was busy turning mission cliff gardens into a botanical wonderland. imagine central park, but with more cacti and a better view.
from boom to zoom 🏘️: the 1915 panama-california exposition in balboa park was like our neighborhood's quinceañera – suddenly, we were all grown up and ready to party. homes, hotels, and apartments popped up faster than you can say "gentrification." university heights was the place to be, darling!
fast forward to today, and university heights is still that perfect mix of quirky and cool. as we blow out 136 candles on university heights' birthday cake, let's raise a glass to this wonderfully weird little corner of san diego.
from failed universities to feathered attractions, from trolley tracks to craft beer taps, university heights has always marched to the beat of its own drum. and that's why we love it.
so happy birthday, university heights! here's to another 136 years of keeping san diego delightfully strange. may your bungalows stay colorful, your shops and streets stay lively, and may we never, ever lose that big-ass sign on park boulevard.
¡salud, mi gente! now, who's up for some birthday tacos? 🌮🎉
p.s. if you see any ostriches roaming around adams avenue tonight, just blame it on the birthday tequila. or maybe, just maybe, the ghosts of university heights past are joining in on the fiesta. either way, snap a pic for the 'gram – it'll be totally on brand.
p.p.s. i want to hear your university heights stories! what's your favorite memory from our quirky little neighborhood? maybe it's a first date at lestat's, a wild night at park & rec, or just a perfect sunset view from the trolley barn park. drop your story in the comments below or hit reply to this email.
When does the rumbon start coño ? We r so far 🤬🤬🤬🤬