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Nextdoor wars: Homeowners vs. homeless in Kensington
Outrage in the enclave
San Diego has always been a city of hidden stories — murmured in the spaces between sun-bleached bungalows, whispered over backyard fences, and now, increasingly, shouted into the digital void of neighborhood apps. And nowhere are these narratives more brutally and hilariously exposed than on Nextdoor, the social media platform that has become the city's most unfiltered confessional.
To me, Kensington feels like a neighborhood plucked out of a fairytale and dropped gingerly between the canyons. It's known for its lovely tree-lined streets, Spanish Revival architecture, and an aging population that prides itself on preserving the neighborhood’s historic charm. Residents there share a love of vintage aesthetics and labradoodles sporting tasteful sweaters.
Kensington was one of San Diego’s earliest planned suburbs, designed to encapsulate the romanticized vision of a Spanish village. Its development in the 1920s coincided with the rise of car culture, meaning every house had a driveway — an early luxury that wasn’t commonplace at the time. But like any seemingly idyllic neighborhood, Kensington has its share of real-world problems. Recently, the homelessness crisis that has plagued San Diego for so long has made its presence felt, which can't be good for either property values or historic charm. Residents turned to Nextdoor to vent, theorize, and, naturally, propose solutions ranging from the pragmatic to the borderline dystopian.
The Original Post
“I reached out to Community Outreach Officer Cummings about the homeless activity at Ward Canyon Park and the encampment and fires by the 15 walking bridge on Monroe and Central. He got back to me within a couple of hours and left a voicemail. I intend to call him back later as well, but this outlines why it has gotten so bad at Ward Canyon Park recently. Sounds like it will change in February at the earliest.
Edit: After talking to the officer on the phone, he said the encampment by the walking bridge on Monroe that has been causing the fires is state property and must be enforced by CalTrans. It will be a slow process to have that camp removed. He is working to put pressure on CalTrans to abate the encampment.”
Comments/Observations
1. The voice of tough love: “I say TURN IT ALL TO CONCRETE!!! No trees, no benches. JUST SLAB. They can’t gather if there’s NOTHING.”
Someone needs to take a yoga class and learn how to become one with nature.
2. The voice of Squid Game: “How about shipping them all to Catalina Island? Real-life Survivor episodes can be shot.”
This poster’s favorite book is most definitely Lord of the Flies. Or maybe just The Hunger Games.
3. The voice of the conspiracy theorist: “My buddy is a cop in Salt Lake City. They take care of it quickly. If you wanted to do it, you could. If you want to give your buddies contracts to ‘help the homeless’ and make them wealthier but not really help anything, you can do that too.”
This commenter might be the same person who posts daily on my Facebook feed about chemtrails. I should edit my Facebook feed.
4. The voice of the defeated: “One morning, police showed up with Urban Corps and a trash truck. The campers were given time to collect their belongings and move away from the picnic area. Within the hour, after the police left, the campers returned to where they started. Without enforcement, it’s all feckless.”
This is the Nextdoor equivalent of screaming into the void. Bonus points for using "feckless."
5. The voice of reason: “At the time of this study last year, there were 6800 unsheltered people in San Diego and only 2500 beds available. Meanwhile, 800 people become newly homeless each month. The blame game isn’t effective. We need proactive solutions.”
A rare and refreshing moment of data-driven clarity — though it’s probably being scrolled past, since it lacks the blunt-force beauty of “JUST SLAB.”
Final thoughts
San Diego is home to a startling number of unhoused individuals. So many that they're even showing up in Kensington.
Perhaps the most “Kensington” response of all is to remember that this neighborhood was built on the idea of community. While debates rage on Nextdoor, a quieter contingent of volunteers is out there providing food, clothing, and compassion. Because at the end of the day, what makes Kensington special isn’t its vintage charm or tree-lined streets—it’s the people who care enough to try, even when the problems feel insurmountable.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Nextdoor wars: Homeowners vs. homeless in Kensington
Outrage in the enclave
Nextdoor wars: Homeowners vs. homeless in Kensington
Outrage in the enclave
San Diego has always been a city of hidden stories — murmured in the spaces between sun-bleached bungalows, whispered over backyard fences, and now, increasingly, shouted into the digital void of neighborhood apps. And nowhere are these narratives more brutally and hilariously exposed than on Nextdoor, the social media platform that has become the city's most unfiltered confessional.
To me, Kensington feels like a neighborhood plucked out of a fairytale and dropped gingerly between the canyons. It's known for its lovely tree-lined streets, Spanish Revival architecture, and an aging population that prides itself on preserving the neighborhood’s historic charm. Residents there share a love of vintage aesthetics and labradoodles sporting tasteful sweaters.
Kensington was one of San Diego’s earliest planned suburbs, designed to encapsulate the romanticized vision of a Spanish village. Its development in the 1920s coincided with the rise of car culture, meaning every house had a driveway — an early luxury that wasn’t commonplace at the time. But like any seemingly idyllic neighborhood, Kensington has its share of real-world problems. Recently, the homelessness crisis that has plagued San Diego for so long has made its presence felt, which can't be good for either property values or historic charm. Residents turned to Nextdoor to vent, theorize, and, naturally, propose solutions ranging from the pragmatic to the borderline dystopian.
The Original Post
“I reached out to Community Outreach Officer Cummings about the homeless activity at Ward Canyon Park and the encampment and fires by the 15 walking bridge on Monroe and Central. He got back to me within a couple of hours and left a voicemail. I intend to call him back later as well, but this outlines why it has gotten so bad at Ward Canyon Park recently. Sounds like it will change in February at the earliest.
Edit: After talking to the officer on the phone, he said the encampment by the walking bridge on Monroe that has been causing the fires is state property and must be enforced by CalTrans. It will be a slow process to have that camp removed. He is working to put pressure on CalTrans to abate the encampment.”
Comments/Observations
1. The voice of tough love: “I say TURN IT ALL TO CONCRETE!!! No trees, no benches. JUST SLAB. They can’t gather if there’s NOTHING.”
Someone needs to take a yoga class and learn how to become one with nature.
2. The voice of Squid Game: “How about shipping them all to Catalina Island? Real-life Survivor episodes can be shot.”
This poster’s favorite book is most definitely Lord of the Flies. Or maybe just The Hunger Games.
3. The voice of the conspiracy theorist: “My buddy is a cop in Salt Lake City. They take care of it quickly. If you wanted to do it, you could. If you want to give your buddies contracts to ‘help the homeless’ and make them wealthier but not really help anything, you can do that too.”
This commenter might be the same person who posts daily on my Facebook feed about chemtrails. I should edit my Facebook feed.
4. The voice of the defeated: “One morning, police showed up with Urban Corps and a trash truck. The campers were given time to collect their belongings and move away from the picnic area. Within the hour, after the police left, the campers returned to where they started. Without enforcement, it’s all feckless.”
This is the Nextdoor equivalent of screaming into the void. Bonus points for using "feckless."
5. The voice of reason: “At the time of this study last year, there were 6800 unsheltered people in San Diego and only 2500 beds available. Meanwhile, 800 people become newly homeless each month. The blame game isn’t effective. We need proactive solutions.”
A rare and refreshing moment of data-driven clarity — though it’s probably being scrolled past, since it lacks the blunt-force beauty of “JUST SLAB.”
Final thoughts
San Diego is home to a startling number of unhoused individuals. So many that they're even showing up in Kensington.
Perhaps the most “Kensington” response of all is to remember that this neighborhood was built on the idea of community. While debates rage on Nextdoor, a quieter contingent of volunteers is out there providing food, clothing, and compassion. Because at the end of the day, what makes Kensington special isn’t its vintage charm or tree-lined streets—it’s the people who care enough to try, even when the problems feel insurmountable.
Comments