National City, CA

zip code:  91950

Click the "Listings" tab above and you will see all the NATIONAL CITY homes that are currently in the market for sale.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.

History

Originally, the area was El Rancho del Rey, (the Ranch of the King) used by Spanish soldiers to graze horses. After independence from Spain, the Mexican government re-named it Rancho de la Nacion (Ranch of the Nation). Governor Pio Pico granted Rancho de la Nación to his brother-in-law John (Don Juan) Forster in 1845. President Andrew Johnson, in issuing the land patent, listed the name as simply "The National Ranch."

In 1868, Frank Kimball and his brothers Warren and Levi purchased the entire rancho. They built roads, and brought the railroad to what is now National City.

Places of interest

• The National City “Mile of Cars” is recognized as one of the first large scale "auto malls" in the world.

• National City's three-mile port area along the San Diego Bay is part of Naval Base San Diego, the largest U.S. Naval base on the west coast.

• National City Depot - The National City California Southern Railroad Depot, built in 1882, served as the first Pacific Coast terminal station of the Santa Fe Railway system’s transcontinental railroad. The station was the West Coast general office and figured prominently in Santa Fe’s effort to break the economic and transportation monopoly of California held by the Central/Southern Pacific Railroads.

• The first transcontinental trains arrived in November 1885, resulting in one of the largest land booms in the history of California. Of the original five transcontinental railroad terminus stations, this unique Italianate designed station is the lone survivor. Location: 900 West 23rd St, National City. Listed as California Historical Landmark no. 1023.

• Westfield Plaza Bonita is a shopping mall in National City that attracts customers from all around the South Bay region of San Diego County. It is one-of-the-only completely enclosed (all indoor) shopping malls in the county. It has recently been enlarged and now features a new playground, cafe terrace, Target and an AMC 14 screen cinema.

• Brick Row on Heritage Square, 909 A Avenue Designed by San Diego architect R. C. Ball, it was constructed by Frank Kimball in 1887 for $30,000. These 10 individual row houses were to be used by the executives of the Santa Fe Railroad. This architectural style is unique to this region and was molded after the row houses of Philadelphia and similar eastern cities. It was hoped that the railroad VIPs would not only feel at home surrounded by familiar architecture, but also be impressed by the cosmopolitan appearance of the young city. All the apartments have a formal dining room with fireplace, a kitchen, a parlor with fireplace, a butler's pantry, and four bedrooms upstairs

• Twelve-inch-thick interlocking brick walls divide the units. The brickwork on the row houses was laid with an artistic eye to break the severe lines of the long walls. The bricks above the second story are set upright at an angle. A one-story wooden porch runs the length of the building.

• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it now is an integral part of National City's Heritage Square. Each of the 10 units is privately owned and maintained; however, there is a protective covenant on the facade, so the exterior will always be in keeping with the Victorian surroundings.

Oscar Castillo

BROKER - REALTOR®

(858) 775-1057

DRE# 01140298