Shelltown is a neighborhood in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, California, located within
Southeast San Diego. It is bordered by
National City to the south,
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
and
Barrio Logan to the west, 43rd Avenue (a continuation of Highland Avenue) to the east, and Gamma Court and the neighborhood of
Southcrest to the north. Prior to the 1980s the northern border of Shelltown was National Ave and many residents still consider that the northern border. Naval Base San Diego, an industrial park, and some commercial buildings are located just outside the western border of Shelltown along Main Street.
History
Due to the predominance of shells in the sandy soil, the neighborhood became known as "Shelltown." Located on a plateau just north and east of
Naval Base San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is a United States Navy base in San Diego, California. It is the world's second largest surface ship naval base. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the United States Pacific Fleet, consisting of over 50 ships ...
, Shelltown was a favorite location of housing for many of the early naval officers. Their ships were visible from their homes and were only moments away in the event they were called to duty The majority of Shelltown consists of residential homes built between 1920 and 1969.
Mexican Americans
Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...
have a long history in the area and began living in the area as early as the 1910s. With the great influx of Filipino immigrants joining the United States Navy, especially from the Vietnam War era on to the 1990s, many Filipinos inhabited the Southeast San Diego neighborhoods of
Alta Vista,
Bay Terraces,
Paradise Hills, Shelltown,
Skyline Hills, and
Valencia Park, both for the relatively affordable housing prices and its close proximity to Naval Base San Diego.
Schools
*
Balboa Elementary School
Balboa Elementary School was recognized as one of six nationwide winners of the 2007
Intel Schools of Distinction awards, for excellence in math education in an elementary school program.
Art
Shelltown contains murals on walls at three main neighborhood entrances. Local activist and muralist Mario Torero was the lead artist for the Alpha Street piece.
Transportation
The area is served by the
San Diego Trolley Blue Line at the
Pacific Fleet station and the Route 929 bus via Main Street. The neighborhood also has quick access to
Interstate 5,
Interstate 15, and
Interstate 805.
References
{{Neighborhoods of San Diego
Neighborhoods in San Diego
Urban communities in San Diego