National City
WHO will love living in National City?
Money-savvy foodies who will come for the inexpensive housing and stay for the some of the best Mexican and Filipino eats around. Primarily home to military families because of the nearby Naval Base San Diego (the largest on the West Coast) and a blue-collar community, National City is one of the more affordable suburbs of San Diego.
WHAT will you see?
Beyond the strip malls and eateries, National City is peppered with beautiful Victorian homes and gardens abloom with jacaranda trees. It is San Diego County’s second-oldest neighborhood and today offers up some fresh scenery with a new waterfront marina and park along San Diego Bay. Wondering what they’re building in the water? Those are shipbuilding yards, where they’re constructing massive vessels for the U.S. Navy.
WHERE will you eat?
Time to get your Filipino food on. Because it’s home to thousands of military families, many who are Filipino, you’ll be feasting on some of the most authentic and aromatic Filipino food and desserts around. See why everyone lusts after lumpia and pancit and head to Erlinda’s Filipino Café, Manila Sunset, and Tita’s Kitchenette. Savor some old-fashioned sweetness at Niederfrank’s Ice Cream, who has been scooping homemade ice cream since the 1940s. As with other South County cities, the Mexican eats like menudo and pozole are to dine for. Dig in at La Sirrea Café and Don Vincente’s Meneduria.
HOW will you spend your time?
Hanging out with your family, or with the neighbors and their families. Because of the large, close-knit Mexican and Filipino community, count on being invited to countless family gatherings, whether they’re celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, a baptism. Though the neighborhood lacks independent boutiques, the massive and modern Westfield Plaza Bonita, one of the county’s few indoor malls, makes up for it.
WHY you’ll love living here?
Two words: Affordability and accessibility. This often-overlooked neighborhood sits in a convenient spot between Interstate 5 and Interstate 805. In fact, you’ll have just a 10-minute drive to downtown San Diego. Plus, the neighborhood is rife with so many fantastic ethnic eats you’ll soon become the expert on where to find the best chicken adobo and mole.
