30th Street (San Diego) facts for kids
30th Street is a big road that runs north and south in San Diego, California. It's located on the east side of a large park called Balboa Park. This street connects many busy neighborhoods in Central San Diego and is a popular place for people to walk around. Lately, 30th Street has become famous across the country for its special craft beer culture.
A Look Back: History of 30th Street
San Diego started to grow with its first neighborhoods, or suburbs, in the late 1800s. Places like South Park (started in 1870) and North Park (started in 1893) began to appear. These areas were along what we now call the 30th Street area.
In 1905, a company helped extend streetcar service through South Park. This made the area grow very quickly. Then, in 1912, North Park got its first tall building at 30th Street and University Avenue. Today, it's known as the Western Dental Building.
To help people travel between these growing neighborhoods, a special bridge was built in 1908. It was called the 30th Street trolley bridge and crossed Switzer Canyon. This bridge was made of wood and steel. In 1956, the old bridge was taken down. A new bridge, called the 30th Street causeway, was built in 1957 and is still there today.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, the corner of 30th Street and University Avenue in North Park was a very important part of San Diego. However, like in many cities, some people started moving out of the city to new homes in the suburbs during the second half of the 1900s. This change made some communities along 30th Street less busy. But in the early 2000s, these old neighborhoods started to become popular again. Many new shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars have opened, making 30th Street a lively place with lots of people walking around.
Neighborhoods Along 30th Street
30th Street runs north and south, right next to Balboa Park. It connects many busy and historic neighborhoods in San Diego. These include University Heights, Normal Heights, North Park, South Park, Burlingame, and Golden Hill.
Because there are so many cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops, 30th Street has a lot more people walking around than most other parts of San Diego. South of the 94 freeway, 30th Street also links up with Grant Hill and Logan Heights. In the North Park area, 30th Street runs next to the Ray Street Arts District.
The original 30th Street trolley bridge also had a train line running underneath it. This train line went from downtown San Diego to El Cajon. It followed the path where the first four holes of the Balboa Park Golf Course are now. This train line was stopped in the late 1920s. There was also another train bridge between Herman Street and 32nd Street. Both of these old bridges were filled in with dirt in the same year.
San Diego's Craft Beer Scene
Over the last ten years, 30th Street has become very well-known across the country for its special craft beer culture. In 2009, Men's Journal magazine even called San Diego the best beer city in the United States. They said that "30th Street in North and South Parks is easily the nation's best beer boulevard." The magazine noted that San Diego now has more small breweries, called microbreweries, than Portland, Oregon. They even called San Diego "the new beer capital of the U.S." and said it has the most unique variety of beers in the country.
As more microbreweries have opened around San Diego, 30th Street has become a main spot for this craft beer scene. The area is home to several breweries, including Belching Beaver Brewery, Thorn Street Brewery, Modern Times Beer, and Mike Hess Brewing. Many places along the street specialize in local brews, like Hamilton's Tavern, Toronado, Waypoint Public, Tiger!Tiger!, and Ritual Tavern.
30th Street also takes part in many yearly events that highlight craft beer. These include San Diego Beer Week and the North Park Festival of the Arts. The street even has a beer named after it: Green Flash Brewing Company's 30th Street Pale Ale.
In 2010, Food & Wine Magazine also featured 30th Street in North Park and South Park as a top place for craft beer. They said San Diego has "one of the most dynamic beer scenes in America and arguably the world."
