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Plan your visit

Everything you need before you arrive

Hillcrest is walkable end to end in about 25 minutes. Print this page or keep it open on your phone.

Itineraries

  • Half a day

    1. · Coffee on University Ave
    2. · Walk to the Pride Flag plaza
    3. · Lunch on Fifth Ave
    4. · Balboa Park gardens

  • A full day

    1. · Sunday Farmers Market at 9 AM
    2. · Bookshop on Normal St
    3. · Canyon rim walk
    4. · Dinner and a patio on Fifth

  • A weekend

    1. · Day one: market, park, museums
    2. · Evening: University Ave marquees
    3. · Day two: canyon trails and brunch
    4. · Afternoon: shops and a late taco run

Where to stay

  • Hillcrest proper

    Walk to everything; quietest on the side streets.

  • Bankers Hill

    Canyon views and a short walk to Balboa Park.

  • Old Town

    Cheaper rooms, one trolley stop away.

Getting around & parking

  • · Metered street parking on University and Fifth; free on Sundays.
  • · Free lots behind the Normal Street promenade outside market hours.
  • · MTS buses run along University Ave and Washington St all day.
  • · Downtown and the trolley are a 10-minute rideshare away.

Full local info: weather, transit, and city services