Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, left, and Mayor Todd Gloria, right, join the owners of The Rail to commemorate the bar’s 90th anniversary. (By Benny Cartwright)
Bar, Community, Hillcrest

Hillcrest News

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

What stands today as The Rail on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Robinson Street in Hillcrest was recently recognized as San Diego’s oldest operating LGBTQ bar. At 90 years old, a dedication ceremony was recently held naming the bar a historical site. In attendance were Mayor Todd Gloria, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn and various community activists.

Previously known as The Brass Rail, the establishment opened as a bar and restaurant in 1934 in Downtown San Diego. It then came under different ownership in 1957 and began attracting a gay patronage, which remained firmly in place after the bar moved to Hillcrest in 1964. Today, the business operates under its fourth set of owners and is wildly popular for fundraisers, drag shows and disco happy hours.

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Less than a mile east, at Normal Street and University Avenue, the $27 million Normal Street Promenade will begin faintly materializing as the San Diego Association of Governments and Griffith Company break initial ground on the project this November. The promenade will stretch from University to Lincoln Street, turning the area into a linear park featuring a playground, shaded gathering spaces, a rainbow bike lane and possibly a cafe. It is currently the site for the Sunday Hillcrest Farmers Market, which will remain in place.

Once completed in late 2027, the promenade will compensate for the fact that Hillcrest lacks a neighborhood park.