Hillcrest sits on the mesa directly above Mission Valley, bordered by Balboa Park to the east, SR-163 to the west, and Washington Street to the north. It is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in San Diego, a walkable, urban grid of restaurants, shops, medical offices, and apartment buildings concentrated along University Avenue and 5th Avenue between 1st Street and Upas Street.
For drivers, Hillcrest presents a specific set of challenges that other San Diego neighborhoods do not. The streets are narrow. Parallel parking is the dominant form of parking, and the spaces are tight, especially along 5th Avenue, Robinson Avenue, and the residential blocks between University and Washington. Older apartment buildings and condos were built before the era of two-car households, so garages are small, driveways are rare, and overnight street parking is the norm. That combination means lockouts, door dings, mirror clips, and dead batteries from vehicles sitting for days without starting are everyday occurrences here.
UCSD Medical Center Hillcrest (the main UCSD Health campus at 200 West Arbor Drive) is within the neighborhood, drawing thousands of patients, visitors, and staff daily. Hospital visitors returning to a dead battery after a long day of waiting, or employees finishing a 12-hour overnight shift and finding a flat tire, make up a consistent portion of our Hillcrest calls.
RJ Towing is based at 2881 G St in San Diego, just a few minutes south of Hillcrest in Sherman Heights. We reach the heart of Hillcrest via 5th Avenue northbound or via SR-163 to University Avenue. After 15+ years of serving this neighborhood, our drivers know which blocks have the tightest parking, which alleys connect through, and which one-way streets save time when the main corridors are backed up.
