Overheard

“The right to marry means little if it does not include the right to marry the person of one’s choice.”

“I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman.”

“Hillcrest has tremendous potential because of the location and the stability of the residents. But it needs some hard work in planning and designing, such as better circulation and sign control. Its a fine place: bike shop, Italian grocery, Jewish delicatessen. I like Hillcrest so much I live there.”

“Each meter brings in an average of $730 for a $3 million total.”

“Hillcrest in unfairly metered. Customers pay here to park, but can park free in La Jolla and North Park.”

“If I had the meter enforcement franchise in Hillcrest, I’d be rich by now.”

“We’re not against enforcement, but we need fairness more than anything else.”

“I enjoy how easy it is to get to everything (in Hillcrest). Shops, restaurants and theaters are all nearby.”

“The first night at the hotel a donkey came under my window and saluted me with an unearthly bray.the fleas were plentiful and hungry. Mosquitoes also were in attendance.”

“One of the charming things about Hillcrest is its diversity. Certainly, there is no intention to make everybody’s shop look the same. We like the friendly, small town atmosphere, but it can be a little bit cosmopolitan, too…a little bit of San Francisco in San Diego.”

“Hillcrest boosters like to speak of upper Fifith Avenue, from Laurel to Washington, as San Diego’s Wilshire Boulevard of the future.”

“Things were kind of tough in 1923. There was a hay barn there [at the corner of Fifth and University] and a chimney sweep and a little old hardware store.”

“City traffic engineers are taking a close look at several busy intersections throughout Hillcrest to see what can be done to relieve congestion and improve safety.”

“If we get district elections we’ll really be a political force in this city.”

“Elegant restaurants and sidewalk cafes are on every street (in Hillcrest). Find ethnic specialties, coffeeshops and late-night snacks.”

“Hillcrest boasts 107 eateries including American, Asian, Cajun, Greek, French, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Pan Asian, Szechuan and Thai.”

“I may try to open it full time. I can’t loaf anymore. I feel great and it might be fun now because Hillcrest is alive again.”

“I’m thinking about opening the place back up. All the other pizzas taste like cardboard.”

“I’m thankful that I can wear sensible shoes and can walk with comfort all day long.”

“Our neighborhood has been ‘the place to go’ for home furnishings for many, many years.”

“At a public hearing on June 12th the city council unanimously approved the establishment of a Hillcrest Business Improvement District. The effective date of the District will be July 25, 1984.”

“This is the most happening place in the city, and it happens to be gay. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

“Hillcrest’s renaissance would have happened without homosexuals, but most credit them as its driving force.”

“In 1907 William Whitson, who founded Hillcrest through his Hillcrest Company, bought over 40 acres of land between First and Sixth avenues south of Mission Valley and began to subdivide. Within a few years hundreds of houses and Florence Elementary School were established, and by the 1920s and 1930s Hillcrest was thriving.”

“Hillcrest is a friendly, small town neighborhood with the cosmopolitan advantages of a large city. We hope to improve and expand the pleasant pedestrian environment and make it easier to get to and park in Hillcrest.”

“Hillcrest is a blend. The population is diverse and the different kinds of people who choose to live or visit here coexist very well.”

“Hillcrest will continue to be an open-minded community. It will include yuppies, it will include gays and senior citizens.”

“During my heyday, I was screening up to 150 films a year, which averages out to about 12 movies a month or four per week.”

“For me, I’ve got to have some fun, instead of being totally stressed out each day. If anyone thinks their job is tough, try fighting cancer.”

Referring to Hillcrest as a fledgling Greenwich Village and an artistic sanctuary…“you cannot plan an artistic community such as Hillcrest because of the very nature of art and the people who express it, it must happen of its own accord.”

“We are so fortunate to have Balboa Park as our big backyard and miles of interesting walks throughout the ’hood.”

“I grew up in Hillcrest, Dad. Whadya expect?”

“I happen to be gay, but that’s not necessary to enjoy Hillcrest. We’re lucky to be living in such a liberal oasis, which is very tolerant of all with lots of things to do.“

“I’m going to kill you. You’re not turning the light on.” to (then) Mayor Roger Hedgecock at the re-lighting of the Hillcrest sign

“The diversity of the people forms an important keystone of our village. Hillcrest proudly shows its colors in the rainbow of the Queer community. The San Diego Gay and Lesbian communities first came out of the closet here.”

“We want this to be a fair hearing (a discussion of Hillcrest housing for former substance abusers), so please avoid name calling or who said what to whom. Just present the facts, and we’ll try to sort them out.”

“All it takes for us to be great is enough caring people who are willing to take time and do something positive.“

“Happily, our community grows more prosperous as the California economy rebounds, which means, of course, that we continue to thrive and expand. Long dark storefronts now gleam in the night.“

“We must get behind a campaign that does not tolerate panhandling like other business communities across the United States.”

“Hillcrest has its own pissoir – the Thrifty (now Rite Aid) wall.”