Sherman Heights homes are selling, some for Airbnbs

As South Park/North Park and Mission Hills historic homes have become unaffordable, other areas are looking like a possible neighborhood. One such district is Sherman Heights, founded by rich businessman and former Mayor Matthew Sherman.

Sherman’s first house, built in 1868, still stands at 422 19th St. Since it blends in with other old homes, a passerby doesn’t notice it. While researching this article, I walked by not knowing it was historic. There’s no sign indicating the original owner.

According to the San Diego History Center, "Even though the house has been remodeled several times, its basic identity still shows. Sherman’s obituary column in the San Diego Union mentions that this house was the first new dwelling in Horton’s New Town."

A friend who has personally bought/sold condos in San Diego thinks that Sherman Heights may be “the next North Park,” especially for those who want a short commute. I asked Louise Torio, chair of Friends Of Villa Montezuma, about that.

Torio: “Sherman Heights will never need to be the next North Park, nor do those who live here want it to be. Real estate prices are insane everywhere in San Diego but our hope is that longtime renters here don’t get driven away.

“It’s awful to have investors buy up properties for Airbnbs instead of having owner-occupants purchase who want to live here.” Looking through offerings at Airbnb.com, I was able to see several places to stay in Sherman Heights.

As for the Villa Montezuma, many San Diegans know about its history. It was constructed for Benjamin Henry Jesse Francis Shepard (1848–1927), an eccentric composer, pianist, and prolific writer who used the nom de plume Francis Grierson.

According to Wikipedia, “he spent the majority of his adult life living with Lawrence Waldemar Tonner. The two shared the home from July 1887 to the third quarter of 1888.”

The Sherman Heights Historic District is the largest historic district within San Diego. It has some 400 historic buildings. These are a few recent sales: 404 22nd St. ($1,206,500), 470 22nd St. ($1,000,000), 639 19th St. ($610,000), and 542-44 21st St. ($1,572,500).

I asked Greenlight Properties realtor Scott Bruning, who has sold homes in San Diego since 1998, about the area’s home sales. Bruning has represented many LGBTQ+ home buyers.

Bruning told me: “I'm not aware of too many gay people moving into the area. It still has the stigma of a rough area.” He added: “I feel that as the metro neighborhoods becoming unaffordable, the areas to the east and south will potentially be the next areas for interest."

Bruce Coons, executive director of Save Our Heritage Organisation, said that “we do not have any current endangered sites there.”

Sherman Heights homes have diverse architecture – Greek Revival, Colonial Revival, Prairie, Queen Anne, Craftsman, Neo-Classical. SOHO did a tour of such historic homes in 1992, and published a free booklet that’s available online.