University Avenue — Stories

Join Us For The "Piece X Piece" Mural Dedication!

Community art belongs to the you, the community, and we can’t wait to see these young artists showcase their collaborative mural project made especially with our beloved neighbors and City Heights community in mind.

EventsMatthew WillinghamJuly 7, 2023Piece X Piece Mural, Tierra Central, Community Art, University Avenue

Bike Racks, Bus Routes, & Free Car Parking—Here's How To Get To Street Food Fest!

Situated at the corner of University Ave and the 15 freeway, the Tierra Central event space is a one minute walk from the City Heights Transit Plaza. When coming from downtown San Diego, take the North-bound Rapid 235 Bus route.

Events, Transportation & PlanningMatthew WillinghamJune 8, 2023Rapid 235 Bus Route, Street Food Fest, City Heights Street Food Fest, Stay True Cycleworks, Downtown San Diego, University Avenue, Landis Bikeway

We're Honored To Be The New Business Improvement District Advisory Board for the University Ave Corridor!

City Heights Community Development makes this announcement with such excitement and hope for our business community. Personally, I make this announcement with jubilance but also so much emotion for how much it means to come back to the community and corridor that I knew so well going up in City Heights.

Economic Development, AdvocacyMatthew WillinghamMay 10, 2023University Avenue, Business Improvement District Advisory Board, City Heights Business Association, San Diego City Council

Join the Party, Celebrate Cambodian New Year!

Please join our Cambodian neighbors in ringing in the New Year, and be sure to invite anyone else who loves good food and community fun!

EventsMatthew WillinghamMarch 14, 2023Khmer New Year, Cambodian New Year, Cambodian food, Tierra Central, University Avenue

TEAH Task Force—Mapping Community Assets, Preventing Displacement!

50+ City Heights residents showed up to mark maps, share feedback, and offer insights and experiences to help our team and policy makers better prevent displacement.

Transportation & PlanningMatthew WillinghamMarch 10, 2023TEAH Task Force, Metro Villas, Sean Elo-Rivera, SDSU, Built Environment Team, PANA, United Women of East Africa, California Air Resources Board, University Avenue

Seeking Volunteers To Help Host The Winter Extravaganza

To make it all happen, our Economic Development team kindly requests the help of volunteers who can assist with setting up, crowd control, activity supervision, and clean-up.

Events, Economic DevelopmentMatthew WillinghamDecember 7, 2022Winter Extravaganza, Tierra Central, University Avenue

FREE Community Event—We’re Bringing Snow to City Heights!

In celebration of the holiday season, our Economic Development team is collaborating with local businesses to host Tierra Central's first Winter Extravaganza.

Economic Development, EventsMatthew WillinghamNovember 22, 2022Tierra Central, Winter Extravaganza, University Avenue, Food Vendors

Fern Street Circus—Social Change Through Circus! (Story 25/40)

Fern Street Circus is about performance and fun, but it’s also circus for social change, working alongside young people in the community to instill confidence, promote cultural understanding, and help youth realize their potential.

Economic DevelopmentMatthew WillinghamSeptember 29, 202240for40, 40th Stories, Fern Street Circus, Tierra Central, social change, University Avenue

Here's How To Take Transit To Street Food Fest

Situated at the corner of University Ave and the 15 freeway, the Tierra Central event space is a one minute walk from the City Heights Transit Plaza. When coming from downtown San Diego, take the North-bound Rapid 235 Bus route. The transit plaza can also be reached via bus routes seven and ten.

Transportation & Planning, EventsMatthew WillinghamJune 2, 2022Street Food Fest, Transit, Tierra Central, University Avenue, City Heights Transit Plaza, Rapid 235 Bus Route

Sally Wong—A Brief History of The Building, the Advocate, & Her Legacy

Her personal motto was “Give and don’t count the cost,” and she clearly lived it.

Affordable HousingMatthew WillinghamFebruary 11, 2020Sally Wong-Avery, Sally Wong Building, Chinese Historical Society, City Heights, University Avenue

Celebrate! Haadi Mohamed Reflects On The Mural One Year Later.

We're celebrating an anniversary around here: Haadi's mural over on 50th and University is a year old!

Placemaking, Personal Stories, Leadership DevelopmentMatthew WillinghamOctober 22, 2019Mural, University Avenue, Haadi Mohamed

50th St & University Ave: Complete Streets & Complete Communities

The 50th St & University Ave Complete Streets and Gathering Space Project is a model for participatory community planning process that is equally committed to implementation of a bold, community-shaped vision.

Transportation & Planning, PlacemakingMatthew WillinghamAugust 13, 2019Community Buy-In, Little East Africa, City of San Diego, University Avenue, 50th Street, Somali-Americans