Linda Vista (Spanish for "Pretty View"). Area: 3.644 square miles. Lies above Mission and Fashion Valley. It is east of Mission Bay, north of Mission Valley, and south-east of Tecolote Canyon. The federal government went ahead with its plans to build the largest defense housing project in the United States. The design and construction of that project, known as Linda Vista, was placed under the Public Buildings Administration. A twelve hundred acre site among gently rolling hills was chosen for its accessibility to aircraft industries as well as for its natural advantages.31 Construction on the 3000 dwelling units began on March 5, 1941. Because of the urgent need for the homes, the contractors, the McNeil and Zoss Construction Companies, were placed under a contract period of 300 days. To accomplish the tremendous task of building a complete community for 13,000 people in such a short time, the contractors adopted mass production methods. Linda Vista is also home to the University of San Diego (USD 1954) and was the home of the very first mall-type shopping center in the United States, which was dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt. The mall included a movie theater. Linda Vista Linda Vista may also be known as Little Saigon. You will see a Vietnamese Market, several noodle restaurants and retailers with Vietnamese names and signs present. The "first wave" of Vietnamese immigrants started to arrive in 1981, many settled in the communities adjacent to San Diego State University. As families and individuals became more affluent however, many relocated to other communities in the city: Linda Vista, Clairemont, Serra Mesa, etc. (Central San Diego) and what was then brand-new tract communities such as Mira Mesa, Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, etc.) The San Diego metropolitan area ranks as one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the United States.
Posted January 11, 2012