Hillcrest welcomes a new, multicolored community sign

The renovation will be used for community celebrations

Hillcrest sign in rainbow

Hillcrest shows its colors.

Photo via Hillcrest Business Association

Table of Contents

Hillcrest has a new glow to it. The iconic Hillcrest sign that welcomes locals and visitors along University Avenue was taken down for renovations — but now it’s back and shinier than ever.

Hillcrest sign before and after

The different is day and night.

Photos via SDtoday + Hillcrest Business Association

🛠 Why were renovations needed?

It’s hard for Hillcrest to lose its shine, but its sign had seen brighter days. At the end of 2022, the Hillcrest Business Association stopped lighting it up because the LEDs weren’t as strong as they once were.

The display has gone through maintenance over the years, but the dimming lights indicated it was once again time for a refresh. But, this couldn’t happen without community support. Like prior efforts, this $80,000+ glow-up was entirely funded by donations from locals and businesses in the area.

💡 The glow-up

At the end of January, the sign was taken down for renovations, leaving the heart of the community looking quite bare. Last week, Hillcrest came together and celebrated the return of the landmark sign.

What makes this sign different? Now, its lights can change colors because crews installed environmentally-friendly LEDs that have 16+ million different hues. Each letter can be illuminated in its own color, allowing the sign to be used for holiday celebrations and observances.

Mardi Gras Hillcrest sign

Hello Mardi Gras, Hillcrest style.

Photo via @jhcilch

🎉 Reasons to celebrate

The Hillcrest sign has always been a source of pride in the community. It’s been hanging over University Avenue since 1940, and it’s been a guiding light since it was first illuminated in 1984. Hillcrest wouldn’t be the same without it.

Now that the sign is back and better, it will be part of the community’s celebrations. It welcomed Mardi Gras with green, purple, and gold, but it will shine differently for Christmas or San Diego Prideand don’t worry, the classic look will show up between themed displays.

More from SDtoday
These city gifts are way better than a Jelly of the Month Club membership.
December Nights, the OB Christmas tree, holiday lights, and ice skating? We’d watch the heck out of this fictional, AI-generated holiday movie set in America’s Finest City.
The iconic, highly-photographed structure closed in January 2022 for a $26.45 million renovation project, but reopened to the public in December 2024.
The biggest step in completing your New Year’s resolution? Show up.
We hope our SAN guide makes your traveling process plane and simple.
The 54-year tradition returns to downtown San Diego’s waterfront on Sunday, Dec. 8 + Sunday, Dec. 15.
We’ve mapped out 12 jolly, local displays that truly dazzle.
We’ve rounded up fun, festive places to drink and be merry.
Prepare for winter in SD with these seasonal temperature and precipitation outlooks.
San Diego is made up of so many wonderful small businesses, here are a few our readers love in honor of Small Business Saturday.