Hip and historic, North Park fascinates with its commercial energy and Craftsman charm. The community has always embodied an enterprising spirit. In the 1870s, cronies of Alonzo Horton mapped neighborhoods north of Balboa Park in a patchwork of individual subdivisions. Four decades later, John Spreckels's streetcars finally brought investors, residents, and shopkeepers, creating San Diego's slice of Bungalow Heaven. Baseball great Ted Williams played on North Park's fields, and tennis star Maureen Connolly trained on its courts. The local shops served as a regional commercial center after World War II, and the Toyland Parade attracted 300,000 spectators. Although decades of decline followed the exciting 1950s, North Park is flourishing again in a renaissance initiated by the restoration of the elegant North Park Theatre in 2005. This pictorial history tells the classic story of a boom, bust, and boom.
The North Park Historical Society formed in 2008 to preserve the community's cultural and architectural history. Achievements of the all-volunteer, nonprofit organization include the listing of the iconic water tower in the National Register of Historic Places, local designation of the North Park Dryden Historic District, and production of two other books about North Park's history. Visit them on the web at www.NorthParkHistory.org.