Billboards clutter our roadways. Street signs tell us what we can and cannot do. Our psychic friends read signs to foretell the future and explain the past.

Some signs can create a vibe, an impression, a sense of place and the neon neighborhood signs of San Diego illuminate this very point. Since most of us are talking about lighting up the sky this July 4th, we had a bright idea.

San Diego has a tradition of neon neighborhood signs. These signs which typically span the width of the street, add to the community character and enhance community pride. Each has its own style and unique design qualities. Some of San Diego's signs have a long history. But, at this time, only one original sign still stands. With the help of preservationists, community members and merchants, the others have been restored or replicated to keep them from demolition and preserve these neighborhood icons for light years to come.

Each sign sheds light on, and represents, the special character and personality of the community.

Encinitas - 500 S. Coast Hwy 101 - Original 1928-1937 Re-installation in 2000.

Little Italy - 1740 India St. (Date and Fir) - Original erected in 1999 to identify the cultural flavor of San Diego's Italian- American community.

Little Italy San Diego

Hillcrest - 500 University Ave. - Original 1940 Restored in 1977, rebuilt in 1987 and being re-lighted at 8pm on August 9, 2009. Sometimes, the sign has only read "REST" which we thought was a 'sign' in and of itself.

Park - 2900 University Ave.- Original 1935 With the removal of streetcar wires in 1949, the sign was re-shaped and lowered. It was taken down for repair in 1967 and not put back. Since 1993, the current sign has stood in the median of University Ave./30th St.

El Cajon Boulevard - 1900 El Cajon Blvd. - Original 1940s-1960s. The newer Boulevard sign was installed in 1989 in effort to bring back neon.

University Heights - 4615 Park Blvd. - Erected in 1997 at University near Madison. Park Blvd. once had electric street cars running along its path. The neon sign pays homage to those days with a red and green neon lit cable car and huge gold leaf ostriches reminiscent of the old ostrich farm that was once at the north end of Park Blvd.

Mission Hills - Washington Ave. and Goldfinch St.- The 60-year old neon sign is incorporated into a development project.

Gaslamp Quarter - 5th Avenue and L St. The original idea came in 1986. In 1988, the Gaslamp sign was installed. Finally, in 1989, the Gaslamp sign was officially dedicated. The sign uses incandescent and fluorescent light fixtures.

Kensington - 4100 Adams Ave. - Original 1954 In 2008, the sign was listed as Historical Resources Board Site #865. Kensington's historic designation came at a critical point in the sign's history because it was slated for demolition and replacement by the group that has owned and maintained the sign since 1964, the Kensington-Talmadge Community Association. Before the sign was updated, certain lighting outages would spell out only "SIN."Hmmm...What does that say about Kensington? You can't take the SIN out of KENSINGTON!

Normal Heights - 3350 Adams Ave. The Normal Heights sign is the only original neon neighborhood sign left in San Diego. Dates back to the 1950's though specific year has yet to determined. It was re-lighted in 1983.

It is a sign of the times when people begin to see the light and realize that what was old can be new again. These signs serve as a beacon, lighting the road to our past and welcoming us to San Diego's older communities.