San Diego’s East Village is downtown’s largest neighborhood, encompassing 130 blocks bounded by Interstate 5 to the north and east, Sixth Avenue to the west and Commercial Street to the south. Once an industrial area, the East Village is now home to several educational institutions, condos, bars, restaurants, shops, and a re-emerging artists’ community. An eclectic mix of modern structures, old warehouses and funky historic buildings that have been converted for various uses give the neighborhood a hip urban vibe.
When San Diego was incorporated in 1850, downtown became the city’s financial and cultural center. The adjacent East Village, then called Centre City East, became an industrial area, with warehouses, factories and a power facility.