Cardinal, Finch, Blue Jay, and Bobolink may be birdwatchers’ terms, but they offer clues to the history of Birdland.
Birdland is a neighborhood in southwestern Serra Mesa, a community in central San Diego just north of Mission Valley and near State Route 163, near Sharp Memorial Hospital. The area was developed during San Diego’s postwar housing boom, and its housing developments transformed the open land into subdivisions.
The street names were themed around birds, creating a unique identity for the area.
Hello Suburbs
Modern suburbia arrived in the area with the construction of Navy housing development, Cabrillo Heights, which began in the early 1950s. Private development soon followed, mostly between 1955 and 1965.
The developers split the area into subdivisions named Murray Ridge Estates, Cabrillo Village, Princess Park, Mission Village, and Mesa Hills. Then there was Birdland, which was given bird-themed street names.
What’s in a Name?
Sometimes the names given to Serra Mesa streets were completely random. Developers would name streets after relatives, friends, pets, or favorite things. One developer couldn’t agree with his wife on a street name, so he settled on Haveteur Way, a play on the phrase “have it your way.”
Brochure Madness
The new developments were marketed toward families wanting affordable housing. For example, the Rancho Cabrillo sales brochure from the late 1950s indicates you could buy a three- or four-bedroom home for between $14,675 and $19,375. Down payments began at $295, with up to 30-year financing. There was even an option to include Westinghouse appliances in your mortgage.
The area grew rapidly. According to the city of San Diego’s Serra Mesa Community Plan, population in the historical study area increased dramatically from 3,825 in 1955 to 27,269 by 1970.
Stories Told
Residents shared great stories from the early days, including a 2008 account by a former Birdland resident. A father visited the new development in 1960, and the salesperson wouldn’t give him a map to show him the way out unless he put a deposit on a house. The former resident recalled that it was easy to get lost in the twisty streets.
As the subdivisions grew, locals wanted a single name for the area. So, in June 1961, the Cabrillo Mission Community Council ran a naming competition for the area from Birdland to Mission Village.
Winner, Winner
Six names were entered, and Mrs. John Dowling suggested the winning name, Serra Mesa. (While she’s almost always referenced as Mrs. John Dowling in stories regarding this contest, she did have her own name—Frances. Frances lived in Serra Mesa until her passing in 2011.) Her grand prize for the naming? A $25 savings bond and a $10 gift certificate. The San Diego City Council approved the name, thus uniting the many subdivisions within Serra Mesa.
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Birdland kept its name, but the unique street names remind us of the developers’ bird-themed decisions. While the area began as a collection of postwar subdivisions, there’s still plenty of history in this part of San Diego
Sources:
1. City of San Diego — Serra Mesa Community Plan
2. City of San Diego — Serra Mesa Community Plan page
3. Serra Mesa Community Council — Serra Mesa History
4. Serra Mesa Matters — Serra Mesa Through Time
5. San Diego Reader — “Birdland, San Diego: What Was Once Old Is New Again”
