What is University Heights actually like to buy in?
University Heights, San Diego is quieter and more mellow than North Park, built around the corner where Park Boulevard meets Adams Avenue, with wide, walkable streets. Through September 2026, detached houses in the 92116 zip, which also covers Normal Heights and Kensington, sold at a $1,337,000 median (San Diego MLS via GSDAR). I'm Jared Harman.
Published . Last updated . Figures are from my own records unless a source is linked.
What is University Heights actually like?
It's an incredible neighborhood. The lifeblood is the T where Park Boulevard meets Adams Avenue. There are great streets all around it, but that corridor is the center.
That's where you get places like Bahn Thai on Park and Meraki Cafe on Adams.
You're right in the heart of everything, and a lot of the streets are really quiet.
What do buyers expect University Heights to be, and what do they find?
A lot of buyers expect another North Park or Normal Heights. It's a different neighborhood, and being right next to Hillcrest is part of that. It's unlike all three.
It's a little North Park in a way, but a lot more mellow. A big part of that is the wider streets. Everything feels a little slower, and very walkable.
What changes from one block to the next in University Heights?
The energy. It picks up the closer you get to Adams Avenue or Park Boulevard, on either side.
Move a few blocks off those two and it gets quiet fast. Walk the exact block before you write an offer, so you know which version you are buying.
Which University Heights streets do buyers overlook?
People know University Heights for the state streets, like New Hampshire and Maryland, and there's Golden Gate Drive too. Some awesome streets out there that a lot of buyers don't really look at.
Mission Avenue, the little street that runs out toward Texas Street, has some great small condos.
In my experience it's a low turnover neighborhood. People who live here tend to stay, so when the right one comes up, be ready. (Jared Harman's own observation, not MLS data.)
Which University Heights street would I show you first?
Panorama Drive. My favorite street in University Heights. It is a quiet little loop along the north edge of the neighborhood, with homes overlooking the canyon.
Some of those homes have the best views I've seen anywhere in the metro.
Honorable mention: Mission Cliff Drive, another loop, right by Trolley Barn Park. Tucked away and quiet, and you're still right on Adams.
What do homes cost in University Heights right now?
Through September 2026, the median detached house in 92116 sold for $1,337,000, down 8.4% from the same months of 2025, across 110 sales. Data: San Diego MLS via GSDAR, thru September 2026.
The median condo or townhome in 92116 sold for $607,500, down 1.2%, across 58 sales. Data: San Diego MLS via GSDAR, thru September 2026.
The south side of the neighborhood falls in 92104 with North Park, where the median house sold for $1,120,000 and the median condo for $555,000 over the same months. Data: San Diego MLS via GSDAR, thru September 2026.
One caveat. University Heights is split across 92116, 92104 and 92103, and each zip also covers other neighborhoods. These are zip figures, not University Heights alone. Medians do not account for seller concessions.
What does this mean if you are buying in University Heights?
House prices in both 92116 and 92104 came down this year, which can mean room to negotiate. Through September 2026, the median condo price also fell in 18 of 32 San Diego zip codes (San Diego MLS via GSDAR).
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What does this mean if you are selling in University Heights?
Houses are still moving. Through September 2026, 92116 houses sold in a median of 28 days, at 97.8% of the original list price. Data: San Diego MLS via GSDAR, thru September 2026.
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Who is Jared Harman?
Jared Harman is a real estate agent and REALTOR® in San Diego, California, licensed under DRE 02193879 with MatchPoint at eXp Realty of California, Inc. He is based in North Park and works with buyers and sellers in University Heights, North Park, Normal Heights and the surrounding central San Diego neighborhoods. He personally toured more than 800 homes in 2025.