Shelltown, San Diego
Shelltown is a neighborhood in San Diego, California, located within Southeast San Diego. It is bordered by National City to the south, Interstate 5 and Barrio Logan to the west, 43rd Avenue to the east, and Gamma Court and the neighborhood of Southcrest to the north. Prior to the 1980s the northern border of Shelltown was National Ave and many residents still consider that the northern border. Naval Base San Diego, an industrial park, and some commercial buildings are located just outside the western border of Shelltown along Main Street.
History
Due to the predominance of shells in the sandy soil, the neighborhood became known as "Shelltown." Located on a plateau just north and east of Naval Base San Diego, Shelltown was a favorite location of housing for many of the early naval officers. Their ships were visible from their homes and were only moments away in the event they were called to duty The majority of Shelltown consists of residential homes built between 1920 and 1969.Mexican Americans have a long history in the area and began living in the area as early as the 1910s. With the great influx of Filipino immigrants joining the United States Navy, especially from the Vietnam War era on to the 1990s, many Filipinos inhabited the Southeast San Diego neighborhoods of Alta Vista, Bay Terraces, Paradise Hills, Shelltown, Skyline Hills, and Valencia Park, both for the relatively affordable housing prices and its close proximity to Naval Base San Diego.