Shelltown, San Diego

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Shelltown is a neighborhood in southeast San Diego, California. It sits on a small plateau just north and east of Naval Base San Diego. The area is bordered by National City to the south, Barrio Logan and I-5 to the west, 43rd Avenue (continuing Highland Avenue) to the east, and Gamma Court and Southcrest to the north. Some residents still consider National Avenue as the northern border.

The name Shelltown comes from the shells found in the sandy soil. In the past, many naval officers chose to live here because ships could be seen from their homes and were nearby if they were called to duty.

Most homes were built between 1920 and 1969. Mexican Americans have lived in the area since the 1910s. From the Vietnam War era to the 1990s, many Filipino families moved to Shelltown and other Southeast San Diego neighborhoods because housing was affordable and the area was close to Naval Base San Diego.

Balboa Elementary School was recognized in 2007 as one of six national winners of the Intel Schools of Distinction for excellence in math education.

Shelltown features murals at three main neighborhood entrances, with local artist Mario Torero leading the Alpha Street mural.

For transportation, the neighborhood is served by the San Diego Trolley Blue Line at the Pacific Fleet station and the Route 929 bus on Main Street. It also has quick access to Interstates 5, 15, and 805.