Historic San Diego County city with Victorian heritage and a rare surviving transcontinental railroad terminus.
National City is the second oldest incorporated city in San Diego County, founded in 1887 on land that was once part of the 26,000-acre El Rancho de la Nación. Frank Kimball and his brothers Warren and Levi purchased the ranch in 1868, cleared lands, built roads, constructed the city's first wharf, and brought the railroad to town.
The city's Victorian-era heritage is its most interesting asset for visitors. The Santa Fe Rail Depot, built in 1882, is the only original transcontinental railroad terminus still standing in the United States — the first train left here for Barstow in 1885. Heritage Square preserves Brick Row, a set of ten row houses designed by R.C. Ball and built in 1887 for Santa Fe Railroad executives, modelled after the row houses of Philadelphia to make the railroad brass feel at home. The Granger Music Hall, designed by Irving Gill for a silver-mining magnate who collected violins, and St Matthew's Episcopal Church, patterned after an English countryside church, round out a compact walking tour of 19th-century architecture. The Mile of Cars on National City Boulevard — the original 1956 auto mall — is the other curiosity worth a look.
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Eating Out
National City has the densest concentration of Filipino restaurants in San Diego County — the city has had a large Filipino-American community since the post-war Navy years, and the strip of Highland Avenue and Plaza Boulevard is the place to go for sinigang, lechon, and pancit. Mexican food is the other strong category, with several mariscos (seafood) spots near the bayfront.
The best places to eat are not on the tourist map: Manila Sunset Grill, Manna Korean BBQ, Tita's Kitchenette, and the unpretentious Lechon Republic. Highland Avenue between 12th and 30th Streets is the strip to walk.
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Getting There
National City is about 10 minutes south of downtown San Diego on Interstate 5. Public transport from central San Diego is easy on the MTS Blue Line trolley — the 24th Street and 8th Street stations are both in National City, about half an hour from the Old Town and Santa Fe Depot in San Diego.
The closest major airport is San Diego International (SAN), about 15 minutes by car. The border crossing into Tijuana is another 15 minutes south on I-5 or I-805.
