Talmadge is located on the eastern edge of the City of San Diego just south of Mission Valley.   The area takes it's name from the Talmadge sisters--Norma, Constance and Natalie.  All of the sisters were notable silent film stars.  Norma was married to John Shenick, president of United Artists Corporation.  Shenick and his brother-in-laws, working with real estate developers Roy and Guy Lichty, subdivided the Talmadge community in the 1920s.  Three streets of the sub-division were named for the famous sisters, and they attended the openings and other events.

The Talmadge Gates set the neighborhood apart.  Eight decorative forged-iron gates were installed in 1927. In 1998, Talmadge residents raised over $100,000 to restore the gates to their original glory.  Each one was removed in turn, sand-blasted, rewired and returned to its original design erasing years of neglect and vandalism.  They stand again proudly setting the tone for the neighborhood.