Neighborhood Guide: El Cajon

If you ask Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars, his company’s success was a beautiful mistake.

“Our sound is clean; it’s clear. It cuts through,” Taylor says. But when asked how long it took to engineer that classic Taylor sound, he laughs. “Oh, I did not [engineer it]. It was just like, ‘Oh, you really like it? Oh, okay, yeah, I meant to do that.’ We made a guitar that was very innocent, half an accident, but it helped change the music industry.”

Taylor, who started making guitars at 16, only knew one thing when he began: He’d turn his passion into a career. Three years later, he partnered with Kurt Listug, who was 21 at the time. The pair purchased a small guitar shop in Lemon Grove and began building.

On October 15, 1974, they founded Westland Music Company, which became Taylor Guitars in 1976. This year, the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. Having grown sales worldwide to $125M, Taylor counts among its fans some of the music industry’s biggest artists: John Fogerty, Jewel, Zac Brown, Jason Mraz, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift, to name a few.

But it took more than three decades before Taylor Guitars was a household name. In the ’80s, music was all about heavy metal, synth, and glam—acoustic guitars weren’t exactly flying off the shelves.

“We started selling in Los Angeles during the Laurel Canyon days. And, you know, music was changing a lot then,” Taylor says. “Acoustic guitars were always hard to play. The necks were too big, the strings were too high; it took a death grip to play them.”

But Taylor and Listug had faith in their product. They packed up their axes and headed to the 1985 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show, an annual trade event that is the largest of its kind today.

There, they showcased a new line of guitars called the Artist Series, limited-edition models finished in colored stain. One of Taylor Guitars’ distributors challenged them to make a 12-string purple guitar for Prince, who had just released “Purple Rain,” garnering him global stardom.

Prince played his new 655 Artist Series guitar in a Live Aid video that year, though he requested no branding be shown at the time. Luckily, the industry found out who was behind the artist’s new instrument. The calls from musicians trickled in. The shift had begun.

Acoustic guitars began reclaiming their popularity. In 1989, MTV Unplugged started showcasing musicians playing acoustic versions of their songs. Riding this wave of renewed interest, Taylor Guitars ramped up production in the ’90s and early aughts. Taylor refined his guitar-making process and, in 1992, found the business a new home in El Cajon, where they remain today, occupying eight buildings.

Around that time, a young Taylor Swift purchased a Baby Taylor, which she used to write songs in the backseat of her car. Swift’s dad dropped off a cassette tape to Taylor’s office while the now-billionaire Swift was still flying under the radar, Taylor recalls.

“I know that every dad thinks his daughter’s special, but mine really is. Would you listen to that cassette?” Swift’s father said to Taylor. In 2008, Swift held her Fearless album release party at the factory.

Two years later, the company hired Andy Powers—an Oceanside native who began crafting guitars at the age of 7 and previously ran an instrument-building business of his own—as Taylor’s design successor. Powers re-engineered the brand’s entire lineup of guitars, created new body styles, offered a more diverse range of musical sounds, and developed new guitar voicing architectures. Taylor Guitars sealed its name as one of the best in the industry.

But today, as we tour the facilities, Taylor’s stories are less about the many musicians he’s worked with and more about the families his company—which became fully employee-owned in 2021—has been able to help along the way.

“[Wuhan] came to us from Cambodia,” says Taylor, who gave her a job shortly after she arrived in the states. “She worked for six months and got a raise. She was like, ‘I never thought that life could be like this.’”

Walking along the factory floor, we’re surrounded by half-finished guitar bodies, tiny lasers, larger-than life robots buffing wood, and workers installing fretboards, applying back bracing, and cutting sound holes. Wherever we go, Taylor takes the time to say hello to his countless employees by name.

I ask him what he’s most proud of after half a century of crafting instruments. Even with his focus on his team, I still half-expect him to gesture toward a wall of various celebs playing his guitars. But his reply is swift: “That we were able to make this career out of guitar-making for all these people. That’s what I’m most pleased with.”

Nestled between Lemon Grove, Valencia Park, Skyline, and the 94 freeway is the hilly, residential neighborhood of Encanto. Drive around, and you might feel transported to a small town. The chaparral-covered slopes are full of single-family homes and quiet, dead-end streets where locals raise chickens and goats in their backyards. Despite Encanto’s rural charm, the hilltop views of downtown remind you that you’re only 15 minutes away from the city center.

The housing market in the area is on the rise, with the median price of an Encanto home up 13 percent from last year to around $735,000. Beside the trolley tracks, two modern housing developments tower over Imperial Avenue, where nearly all of the neighborhood’s businesses are located. In 2022, the nine-block stretch of Imperial Avenue from 61st Street to 69th Street was designated the San Diego Black Arts & Culture District, part of a plan to revitalize the area and preserve its history. Vibrant murals decorate buildings and electrical boxes.

However, Encanto has faced recent challenges, as well. It was severely impacted by the extreme rainfall in January, which devastated homes and swept cars away in floodwaters. And the local economy is struggling: Interspersed between the taco shops, beauty parlors, and churches are boarded-up storefronts—evidence of what some call a “business desert.” But the area appears to be on the precipice of change.

Encanto is one of San Diego’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods—it was one of the first parts of San Diego where Black and Mexican families were allowed to buy homes, due to discriminatory housing laws in other areas of the city. Local resident David Peña says his grandfather was one of those buyers. He purchased a house in Encanto in 1960 after moving here from Tijuana, and the property has been passed down through the family. “It’s nice how there’s still a lot of land out here,” Peña says. “But it’s crazy how this area is starting to get gentrified.”

Things to Do in Encanto, San Diego

Roll with the Black Lowriders Association

Black lowriding culture has been a part of Southeast San Diego since the 1950s, and the Encanto-based Black Lowriders Association of San Diego is keeping the tradition alive. Members meet in Marie Widman Memorial Park to showcase their classic cars and impressive hydraulics. But they aren’t just here to cruise Imperial—part of their mission statement is to be a positive influence in the area. They organize bike giveaways and charity drives. “I love those guys,” Baraka says. “They are giving back 100 percent to the community.”

Jamaican Bites at Caribbean Taste

Decorated with images of palm trees and sunsets, Caribbean Taste in Trolley Stop Plaza draws a constant stream of customers through its doors. It’s been there almost 20 years, Baraka says, and he knows the owner, Frank, by name. “The jerk chicken is the best I’ve had in San Diego,” he asserts, but he also recommends the goat stew, and, of course, the oxtail. “Caribbean Taste is bomb.”

Great Brisket at Coop’s West Texas BBQ

Although not within Encanto’s borders, this nearby BBQ joint in Lemon Grove is one of Baraka’s favorites. “The brisket is off the chain,” he says. Before he had a storefront, owner Brad Cooper would deliver directly to barber shops and beauty parlors in the area. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Brad,” Baraka adds. “Everybody does.” Coop’s only accepts cash, so come prepared.

Facts About Encanto

• The area’s land was once owned by Abraham Klauber, whose daughter chose the name Encanto (Spanish for “enchantment”) when he was subdividing his property.
• In 1993, the artist Eddie Edwards was commissioned to paint 24 panels depicting life in Encanto. You can still see them hanging from lamp posts on the median of Imperial Avenue.
• In 1994, the Encanto Neighborhood Park was renamed Marie Widman Memorial Park to honor Marie Widman, who advocated for the creation of parks in Southeast San Diego and served as the secretary of the local branch of the NAACP.
• Dennis Newsome, a capoeira master whose studio is on Imperial, was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame back in 2007 as a “Black Pioneer of African Martial Arts.” He also choreographed fight scenes for the movie Lethal Weapon.
• Encanto was home to the musician and activist Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez, who worked alongside Cesar Chavez and co-founded Chicano Park.

Local Tips for Encanto

The exterior of Imperial Avenue’s World Famous Imperial Barbershop is plastered with murals. The inside is steeped in history. Photos of Black leaders and organizers cover the walls. “That’s Marcus Garvey’s only living son,” says owner Tau Baraka, pointing to one of the frames. “All these people used to come to San Diego, to this area, all the time. I want to see that happen again.”

The barbershop has become a cornerstone of the neighborhood, collecting charity donations and hosting potlucks. As the demographics of the area change, Baraka says, he gets customers of all ethnicities in the shop. “And we give them love; we build friendships,” he continues. “We need to have people from all cultures come together.” Here’s where he likes to gather with the community in Encanto.

What’s Next for Encanto

In 2023, Encanto’s San Diego Black Arts & Culture District announced a partnership with the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in downtown to develop plans for the area’s revitalization. The district, overseen by The San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art, wants to prioritize the arts in these urban development plans by preserving historic buildings and creating spaces for youth creativity, while keeping a focus on the elements of the community that make up the Black experience.

The City of San Diego’s community plan for Encanto, which was adopted in 2015, includes improving the streets and sidewalks, restoring canyon trails, and bringing more businesses back to the area. The new apartment buildings by the trolley tracks are part of that plan—they’re intended to create higher density housing developments along the public transit corridor while maintaining the hillsides full of single-family homes that give the neighborhood its semi-rural character. Marie Widman Memorial Park is due for
a facelift, as well. The city aims to enhance the park with ADA improvements and an upgraded “tot lot.” But these plans are still in the preliminary engineering phase, and funding has yet to be secured.

The changes aren’t limited to Imperial Avenue. In March, a 30,493-square-foot lot at 6353 Broadway sold for $1.35 million. The only building at the address is an abandoned church, but the property is permitted for the development of 11 accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Baraka says that the gentrification in the area is a double-edged sword. “People with businesses may look at it as prosperous, but a lot of people who have been here for years are scared of the change,” he explains. But his vision for the future is optimistic. “I love the people, I know what [Encanto] can become,” he says. “It was once a vibrant cultural place—we can do that again.”

Where to Eat in Encanto

Vaqueros Carne Asada

The Mental Bar

Bambino’s Pizza & Deli

Where to Shop in Encanto

The Avenue

Lemon Grove Antique Mall

Spring Valley Swap Meet

More Things to Do in Encanto

Kuumba Fest

Ringer’s Roller Rink

Art by Maxx Moses

“La Palapa is on Reo Drive in the first neighborhood I grew up in, Paradise Hills. I remember going there with my mom. There were no major stores around, no Walmart,” Delgado says. “That block is stuck in time. Getting that lucky shot of all those cars lined up… it’s just the perfect encapsulation of the colors and the richness and everything I love.”

Delgado nabbed this shot of two South Bay women hanging out at a car show. “It’s their homie’s car, and they were just putting on eyelashes and talking,” she recalls. “They were so beautiful and cool.”

This image is an inadvertent double exposure. “The photo that I had taken originally, that’s in Tijuana. It’s a fruit market. It’s not supposed to be art, but the way that they decorate it every day, it has a personality, you know?” Delgado says.

“It happened to go over [a photo from] my project where I was documenting shopping culture [in South Bay]. My friend Angelica Grijalva, who is also an amazing photographer, was my model, and we were going to those mega discount stores in San Ysidro. These kinds of stores thrive here. They are affordable, accessible. They give us enough to feel stylish and have our personality shine through. These are the safe spaces for us to find our identities.

“Angelica was checking herself out in the reflection of the door, just making sure she looked okay. [Girls from South Bay] are always trying to look our best and making the most out of the least.”

Serna-Rosas took this picture of National City’s iconic Price Breakers shopping center during a night drive through the area. “I chose a specific stock of film … that’s supposed to have more of a cinematography type of feel,” she recalls. “So I was thinking, If I made a movie about South Bay, what would I photograph?”

“In the whole coastal area of South Bay, it’s really common to have these trailer homes,” Delgado says. “This house was one of the first in the row. This style of excess, I guess it would be called tacky [by] the mainstream, but I think people that are from this area appreciate it.”

“Quinceañeras are such a huge celebration of the majority of young people’s lives in this area,” says Delgado, who snapped this photo at the Chula Vista Mall. “They were doing a fashion show on this day. There was a huge crowd. I love that these young girls are having fun and embracing their womanhood, their girlhood, and their culture.”

Delgado captured a car show at a popular intersection in National City, photographing this cherry-red lowrider and the group of friends inside. “You could tell they’ve been homies forever,” she says. “People from South Bay, they just love nostalgia. I think that the cool thing is that all generations are there. These guys, maybe in their 40s or 50s. Me and my friends, standing on the corner taking photos. Young kids walking around with their parents. Those moments are so special to me.”

Scenes from the border crossing, lowriders, the Coronado Bridge—many of the motifs featured prominently in artist and designer Richie Moon’s work come from his lifelong roots in South San Diego, particularly Imperial Beach. “I’ve been here since I was in kindergarten,” he says.

His love for South Bay is one he wishes more people shared. “It’s somewhere that’s constantly overlooked,” he says. “But South San Diego is the heart of San Diego.” Because the area offers so much, it was hard for Moon to pin down just a few ways to spend the day in the area—but he somehow managed.

To start a morning off right, Moon heads to Home Coffee in National City. The bright, airy space has plenty of room to work alone or chill with friends, making it a hub for the community that’s easily accessible off the 805 and 54 freeways. Plus, a set of outdoor swings are sure to bring out the kid in anyone. “I prefer it to Starbucks,” Moon laughs, recommending the Tahitian vanilla latte.

Moon says he’s had the same barber, Ray Muñoz, since high school. “Initially, he started cutting hair out of his garage then moved into shops,” he recalls. “I got to see his journey, and for him to live his dream is pretty cool.” Moon now visits him at Exclusive Cuts Barber Shop, the spot Muñoz owns in Imperial Beach.

After a fresh trim, Moon hits San Diego Kabob Shack in Chula Vista for a chicken kebab plate or Poke Etc. in National City for spicy mayo ahi tuna. As someone who focuses on eating healthy, Moon says both options hit the spot, especially after a workout.

To unwind, Moon points to Thr3e Punk Ales in Chula Vista. “I don’t drink too much, honestly, but I have a great relationship with the owners,” he says. “If I do ever crave a drink every now and then, I prefer to go there.” Moon says he reaches for lighter beers like Mexican lagers, but pretty much anything coming out of the brewhouse promises to satisfy.

“Is Coronado part of the South Bay?” read an innocent chat sent out the entire SDM staff one day.

Here we go…, I remember thinking. What followed was a flurry of animated debate.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT,” read a reply from a staff member, who lives in Chula Vista.

“Of course!” said another, who lives in Coronado. Folks from the city and North and East Counties weighed in, drawing lines according to the Coronado Bridge, the 94 freeway, and where Southeast meets National City. They evaluated the boundaries of communities like Imperial Beach, Coronado Cays, and Coronado proper. Folks from Chula Vista, in particular, were the most in opposition, likely owing to the stark cultural differences between the wealthy, mostly-white island (peninsula, actually) and the majority non-white cities east of the 5.

We reached no consensus, even among staff who live in South Bay, so I looked outward. “That’s funny to me,” texted Richard Bailey, Coronado’s mayor. “To be honest, I haven’t given it much thought, but, yes, I definitely consider us part of the South Bay.”

Serge Dedina, former mayor of Imperial Beach, agreed, and offered some social proof. “Traditionally, in terms of high school sports and even now with politics … there was the South Bay Metro League, and Coronado was part of it. The mayors held meetings for the South Bay, which includes San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, IB, and ‘Nado,” he said, using an affectionate nickname for the Crown City.

“The city of Coronado is often referred to as located in ‘South Bay for directional or regional purposes,” wrote Andrea McCullough, who handles communications for the city of Coronado.

A dual call to the Chamber of Commerce and Discover Coronado (the tourism board), which share an office, resulted in some discussion. Both entities said they “absolutely” consider Coronado part of South Bay, but neither organization markets the city as such officially. Additionally, Coronado used to be in the same congressional district as the rest of the South Bay cities, but since redistricting in 2022, it is now looped in with the northern coastal cities.

“We still feel the historical geographical designation,” added Rena Clancy, executive director of the Chamber, but someone else in the office piped up in the background: “Honestly, I was sure of the answer when the question was first asked. But now that we talked through it, I’m not so sure. And I was born and raised here.”

So, Coronado is part of South Bay, but it’s also its own thing. The term “South Bay” is colloquial, anyway-it’s not a government designation, but a geographic and cultural one. It’s a vibe, one that Coronado fits into… depending on who you talk to.