Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego

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Gaslamp Quarter Historic District
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LocationBounded by RR tracks, Broadway, 4th, and 6th Aves., San Diego, California
Coordinates 32°42′42″N117°9′33″W / 32.71167°N 117.15917°W / 32.71167; -117.15917
Area38 acres (15 ha)
ArchitectMultiple
Architectural style Late Victorian, Art Deco
NRHP reference No. 80000841 [1]
SDHL No.127
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 23, 1980
Designated SDHLJune 2, 1978 [2]

The Gaslamp Quarter is a historic neighborhood in downtown San Diego, California. It extends from Broadway to Harbor Drive and from 4th to 6th Avenue. The neighborhood is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places as the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District. It includes over 90 historic buildings, [3] most of which were constructed in the Victorian Era; many are in use as restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, and nightclubs.

Contents

The Gaslamp Quarter is known for its nightlife. It includes the Spreckels Theatre, Balboa Theatre, and Horton Plaza Park. It is the site of various events and festivals, including Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp, Taste of Gaslamp, and ShamROCK, a St. Patrick's Day event. Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, is one block away in the East Village neighborhood.

History

Corner in the Quarter Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego.jpg
Corner in the Quarter

In the 1860s, the area was known as New Town, in contrast to Old Town, the original Spanish colonial settlement of San Diego. [4] Intensive development began in 1867, when Alonzo Horton bought the land in hopes of creating a new city center closer to the bay, and chose 5th Avenue as its main street. [5]

After a period of urban decay, the neighborhood underwent urban renewal in the 1980s and 1990s. [6]

It was rebranded the "Gaslamp Quarter" during the redevelopment and preservation efforts that occurred during the 1980s, though the streets were generally lit by arc lights, not gaslamps.[ citation needed ]

Timeline

See also

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References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Historical Landmarks Designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board" (PDF). City of San Diego. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 18, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  3. "San Diego - Gaslamp Quarter Historical Markers". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  4. "10 Fun Facts About San Diego's Historic Gaslamp Quarter". San Diego Tourism Authority. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  5. "Alonzo Horton – Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation". gaslampfoundation.org. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  6. "Gaslamp Quarter Historic District | TCLF". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  7. "William Heath Davis". Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  8. "San Diego Historical Society". Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  9. Dotinga, Randy (March 15, 2011). "When San Diego Had Its Own Big Labor Clash". Voice of San Diego . Archived from the original on December 3, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  10. MacPhail, Elizabeth (Spring 1970). "Shady Ladies in the "Stingaree District": WHEN THE RED LIGHTS WENT OUT IN SAN DIEGO". The Journal of San Diego History. 20 (2). Archived from the original on October 24, 2005 via sandiegohistory.org.
  11. Sanford, Jay Allen (July 23, 2008). "Before It Was the Gaslamp: Downtown's Grindhouse Row (updated 8-22-09)". San Diego Reader . Archived from the original on July 8, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  12. Lia, Marie Burke (2009). "Gaslamp Quarter Planned District Design Guidelines 2009" (PDF). SanDiego.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 9, 2021.
  13. "Gaslamp Quarter History | Downtown San Diego, California". gaslamp.org. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2021.