Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative

EXCELSIOR

The Excelsior is a growing neighborhood situated between Balboa Park and McLaren Park. Residents and business owners alike are fond of the small town feel in this residential enclave of a bustling city.

Home to over 25,000 diverse residents, the neighborhood beams with multi-cultural pride. It is marked by streets named after international cities, reflecting the neighborhood's long history settled by immigrants from around the world. The Excelsior is also famed as the birthplace of Jerry Garcia, leader of the Grateful Dead. The McLaren park amphitheater bears his name and is the venue for the annual Jerry Day music festival.

With a concentration of families with children, it provides abundant educational and recreational opportunities for all ages.

The nine-block corridor of Mission Street, immediately south of Interstate 280, is the commercial heart of the neighborhood. The Excelsior is best known to area residents for its vibrant produce stores and authentic restaurants including long-time establishments Granada Cafe, Italian-American Social Club, and Joe's Cable Car Burger. Restaurants servce a range of international cuisine including Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Filipino, taquerias and Central American pupuserias. The area is also becoming known regionally for its sylish and affordable home furnishing stores.