San Diego California Events. Area focus - San Ysidro

City: San Diego
Area Population: 28,481
Elevation: 187 feet above sea level
Distance from downtown SD: 16.8 miles southeast

Community Profile: San Ysidro

The San Ysidro Planning Area encompasses approximately 1800 acres. It is bounded by the Otay Mesa-Nestor community and State Highway 905 in the north, by the Tijuana River Valley in the west, by the Otay Mesa community in the east, and by the international border with Mexico in the south.

Until its annexation by the City of San Diego in 1957, San Ysidro (and surrounding communities) were part of the unincorporated areas supervised by the County of San Diego. In the mid 1960s San Diego began a decentralized planning program and in 1967, recognized the San Ysidro Planning and Development Group as the citizen planning committee that would work with the Planning Department. The San Ysidro Community Plan was adopted by the City Council in 1974, and updated in 1990 with subsequent amendments through 2000.

The San Ysidro Planning Area is located in the southern most part of the City of San Diego, adjacent to the international border with Mexico. The San Ysidro border crossing is the busiest international border in the world. More than a century of settlement and development makes San Ysidro a changing, dynamic community with a village atmosphere. The architectural and cultural qualities from different periods of its evolving history have been retained and are captured in this village feel. San Ysidro began as an experiment to preserve rural America and has emerged as a multicultural area attempting to maintain its sense of community. Some neighborhoods are characterized by older homes with well-tended gardens where residents know their neighbors while newer, urban neighborhoods and infill development have recently added to the mix of housing stock. Commercial activity occurs along the historic San Ysidro Boulevard and in the new Las Americas Center on Camino de la Plaza. Cohesion of the community is fragmented by the trolley system, and Interstates 5 and 805. In 1996, 766 acres in the community plan area were designated as a redevelopment project area. San Ysidro is a community that is both a small town and bustling city; a gateway to San Diego and the United States.

More information

San Ysidro is a community within the city of San Diego, California. It is located in the southernmost part of San Diego County, California, immediately north of the international border with Mexico. It was annexed by the city of San Diego in 1957. Although the independent municipalities of National City, Chula Vista, Coronado, and Imperial Beach lie in between San Ysidro and the rest of San Diego, the two areas are connected by a narrow 400ft wide city boundary line that runs over the San Diego Bay. Thus, it is possible to travel across water from central San Diego to San Ysidro without leaving city limits.

San Ysidro is named for San Ysidro Labrador (Saint Isidore), patron saint of farmers. Furthermore, San Ysidro is the site of one the nation's first communes started by William Ellsworth Smythe, in 1908.

Border crossing

San Ysidro is home to the world's busiest land border crossing, where U.S. Interstate 5 crosses into Mexico at Tijuana. In the 2005 U.S. fiscal year, more than 17 million vehicles and 50 million people entered the United States at the San Ysidro port of entry. The great majority of these are workers (both of Mexican and U.S. nationality) commuting from Tijuana to jobs in the greater San Diego area and throughout southern California. There is also a thriving reverse traffic, both of workers traveling to maquiladoras in Mexico and those purchasing services (vehicle repairs, hair and beauty services, childcare, medical or dental) or seeking entertainment in Tijuana. Crossing times are often slow at San Ysidro, particularly for those entering the United States in cars. For this reason many cross on foot, the line for which is frequently much faster than the vehicle line. Some foot travelers own a car in each country, and keep them in one of the large parking lots located near the border post, or use the respective public transportation systems of both cities (both systems have a bus station built solely to serve the border crossing point, and the San Diego Trolley runs from downtown San Diego to the border crossing).

Many people frequently visit the fence that separates the beaches at the international border in nearby Imperial Beach (known as Playas de Tijuana in Mexico, and Border Field State Beach in the United States). On Sundays in particular, people go to speak to their friends and family members through the rusty fence, under the watch of U.S. Border Patrol personnel who watch with binoculars from the hillside nearby.

Port Expansion

A proposed expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry has been approved and is set to begin in the Fall of 2008. It will take place in three parts and will be completed in the Spring of 2014. The 577 million dollar project will expand and veer I5 to the west. Slated to be built are a new northbound inspection facility, including primary vehicle inspection booths, secondary inspection area, administration space, and a pedestrian processing facility. A new southbound inspection facility will also be built.

Cesar Chavez Community Center
455 Sycamore Road
San Ysidro 92173
(619-424-0464) Map

The center was built in1993 and serves the recreational and leisure needs of children and adults living in the San Ysidro area. The park grounds were donated to the City of San Diego in 1975 by the Larsen family. Facilities: Soccer fields, baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, a children's play area, indoor basketball and volleyball courts, and a meeting room available for rent. Call the center for details.

Colonel Irving Salomon San Ysidro Community Activity Center
179 Diza Road
San Diego 92173
(619-424-0472) Map

The Recreation Center reopened in the Spring of 2004 after being closed for over a year due to a fire that destroyed part of the center. Facilities: The recreation center offers a gymnasium complete with six baskets, one volleyball court and two badminton courts, along with meeting rooms and an weight room. All meeting rooms are available for rent. Call the center for details. Staff are looking for donations for teen activities, community events and youth activities.

Library
101 West San Ysidro Boulevard, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-424-0475) Map

Post Office
440 West San Ysidro Boulevard, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(800-275-8777) Map

Police
663 East San Ysidro Boulevard, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-424-0460) Map

Fire
179 West San Ysidro Boulevard, San Ysidro, CA 92173
Map

Fire
1590 La Media Road, San Ysidro, CA 92173
Map

Beyer Elementary School (K-6)
2312 East Beyer Boulevard, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-1154) Map - Website

La Mirada Elementary School (K-6)
222 Avenida De La Madrid, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-4424) Map - Website

Smythe Elementary School (K-6)
1880 Smythe Avenue, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-4447) Map - Website

Sunset Elementary School (K-6)
3825 Sunset Lane, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-1148) Map - Website

Willow Elementary School (K-6)
226 Willow Road, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-2231) Map - Website

Nicoloff Elementary School (K-6)
1777 Howard Avenue, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-7000) Map

San Ysidro Middle School (4-8/7-8)
4345 Otay Mesa Road, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-5551) Map - Website

San Ysidro Adult Center (Adult Education)
4220 Otay Mesa Road, San Ysidro, CA 92173
(619-428-7200) Map - Website

San Diego City Website
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
San Ysidro Demographic Profile - Fact Sheet
San Ysidro Demographic Profile - Map

San Ysidro Weather - NOAA
Air Quality Forecast
Moon Phases & Astronomical Events
Recent Earthquakes

San Ysidro Homes For Sale
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San Ysidro Rentals

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City of San Diego Community Profile - San Ysidro
City of San Diego Community Profile - San Ysidro Map
City of San Diego Neighborhood Maps - Southern Neighborhood
San Diego County Business Directory - San Ysidro
San Ysidro School District
Wikipedia - San Ysidro, San Diego, California

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