ERA Real Estate Sales Associate Profile

Located directly to the east of the City of San Diego, La M La Mesa Farmers' Market logo with the dowtown village and fresh fruits and vegetables! esa has an approximate population of 60,000 and is graced with rolling hills and breathtaking views. Incorporated in 1912, La Mesa has grown from a sleepy farming community into a dynamic metropolitan area while still retaining its unique character and spectacular natural beauty.

Whether you enjoy a blast from the past at the Thursday Night Car Show, or selecting the freshest flowers at the weekly Farmers' Market, visitors to La Mesa have a wealth of recreational options to choose from.

Two historical names keynote the early development of the modern commercial municipality of El Cajon - The Big Box Valley and The Corners. Its growth is directly linked to its initial role as the agrarian heartland and communications center of San Diego County.

In the early part of the nineteenth century the explorations of the mission padres for pasture land led them to El Cajon Valley. The surrounding foothills were a barrier to straying cattle as well as a watershed to gather the sparse rainfall for verdant grasslands along the valley floor. For years the pasture lands supported the cattle herds of the mission and its native Indian converts.

After the Civil War, it discovered that the local soil and climate would support almost any crop. Within a few years the Big Box Valley was a flourishing produce center for citrus, avocados, grapes, and raisins. In fact, the suitability of the clear sunny climate for drying raisins was a major real estate sales "pitch."

The office of City Manager was instituted in 1950 in time to meet the most explosive decade of growth in El Cajon's history, or for that matter, the history of any comparable community in the nation. By 1960 the incorporated area was to increase five-fold to 9.8 square miles and population six-fold to 37,618.

Guided by a prudent and fiscally responsible civic leadership, El Cajon has weathered its rapid growth period with a balanced economy and a governmental structure which offers full municipal services. In 1976, during our nation's bicentennial, a new civic center was opened to serve the citizens of El Cajon, lending added luster to the historic corners of Main and Magnolia. Our most recent additions to this area are the new Headquarters Fire Station and the Neighborhood Center on Lexington and Douglas Avenues, respectively. One might pause to speculate on the thoughts of a sturdy New England emigrant when, a century earlier, he erected El Cajon's first commercial structure diagonally across the street.*

*Acknowledgment:

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the late Mrs. Hazel Sperry, former Secretary and Curator of El Cajon Historical Society, for much of the source material upon which this historical account is based.

Early in its History, the City of San Carlos adopted the motto "City of Good Living". That phrase stuck and is still used daily. With an ideal climate, charming neighborhoods, a thriving business/industrial district and a small airport with an adjoining commercial area, San Carlos continually attracts new residents and businesses.

The "City of Good Living" stikes a fine balance between the picturesque neighborhood of its residential areas and the industrial area East of the railroad tracks.

The quality of life here is top rated with outstanding schools, excellent services for youth and seniors, and wonderful recreation and educational activities for all ages. The City also boasts of an unusually low crime rate. In the last few years citizens overwhelmingly endorsed bond issues to build a beautiful library and to upgrade local parks. A volunteer effort, spearheaded by San Carlos Rotary Club, was responsible for the conceptualization and building of an extensively used Youth Center.

There's plenty of change elsewhere in the city too. Holly Street, the city's main artery from Highway 101, was recently elevated at the CalTrain tracks to end the persistent bottleneck there. The construction was a joint project with the neighboring city of Belmont.

A delightful downtown that includes a mix of excellent restaurants and unique shops. Laurel Avenue has evolved into one of the more popular areas in the County, with merchants clamoring for space among busy boutiques.

Laurel Street is currently undergoing a total reconstruction/beautification which include installing new storm drains, valley gutters, and new pavement.