University Heights & Normal Heights

The Adams Avenue Roots Festival is an annual free outdoor music festival held along Adams Avenue, typically in the fall.

It features dozens of acoustic, folk, blues, and roots music performances across multiple stages, celebrating the musical and creative culture of the neighborhoods. It is one of San Diego’s best community events and a beloved annual gathering for residents and visitors alike.

University Heights sits west of 35th Street and is bounded by North Park and Hillcrest. It tends to be slightly more densely developed and closer to the commercial offerings of Hillcrest.

Normal Heights begins around 35th Street and extends east toward the I-805 corridor. It has a slightly more residential feel in places but shares the Adams Avenue corridor and Craftsman bungalow character with University Heights.

Both are excellent neighborhoods—the distinctions are subtle.

University Heights and Normal Heights have become increasingly competitive as buyers have recognized their walkability and character, but they can still offer relatively more accessible price points than some trendier adjacent neighborhoods.

The range of property types—from smaller bungalows to larger homes on bigger lots—provides options at varying price points, though the market is active and well-priced homes move quickly.

Very walkable by San Diego standards, Adams Avenue provides a genuine commercial district where residents can satisfy most daily needs on foot. The canyon trails and green spaces to the south add a natural walking dimension.

Both neighborhoods earn high Walk Score ratings, and many residents choose to live with fewer car trips as a result.

California Craftsman bungalows are the dominant and most beloved housing type in both neighborhoods, built primarily between the 1910s and 1930s. Spanish Colonial Revival homes and some mid-century examples are also well-represented.

The bungalow court—clusters of small Craftsman cottages around a shared garden courtyard—is a particularly distinctive and sought-after typology found throughout both communities.