Why is it called the Gaslamp Quarter?
It's a 1980s rebrand. The old red-light district was renamed the Gaslamp Quarter during its restoration and given gas-lamp-style streetlights — though historically its streets were mostly lit by electric arc lights.
- Named
- 1980s
- Old name
- The Stingaree
- Historic district
- May 23, 1980
During the 1970s–80s revival
The red-light district
National Register
The short version
- Alonzo Horton bought 800 acres for his "New Town" in 1867 for $265; the Gaslamp sits on part of it.
- In the 1880s the area was the Stingaree red-light district — the Gaslamp Quarter Association counts 120 bordellos and 71 saloons by 1887.
- Wyatt Earp ran gambling halls there in the 1880s; a 1912 police raid ended the red-light era.
- It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 23, 1980 — about 38 acres with more than 90 historic buildings.
- The "Gaslamp Quarter" name came with the 1980s revival; historically, its streets were mostly lit by arc lights, not gas lamps.
The Gaslamp Quarter is downtown San Diego's original commercial district and now its main nightlife neighborhood. The name sounds historic, but it was chosen during the area's revival in the 1970s and 1980s to sell the Victorian look. In its heyday these blocks had a much less romantic name: the Stingaree.
From the Stingaree to the Gaslamp
Gaslamp Quarter Association history; Wikipedia, Gaslamp Quarter.
The Stingaree years
Alonzo Horton bought 800 acres for his "New Town" in 1867, paying $265. By the 1880s the blocks south of Market Street were a working-class district that included San Diego's first Chinatown — and its vice trade. The Gaslamp Quarter Association's history counts 120 bordellos and 71 saloons by 1887. Wyatt Earp ran gambling halls here in the same decade. A 1912 raid broke up the red-light district.
$265
Horton's purchase
71
Saloons by 1887
90+
Historic buildings
Decline, then a new name
From the 1950s to the 1970s the area was a rundown strip of adult theaters and bars aimed at sailors. Preservation efforts started around 1970, the City Council put $100,000 toward rehabilitation in 1974, and the district joined the National Register of Historic Places on May 23, 1980. Business owners formed the Gaslamp Quarter Association in 1982.
- The district covers about 38 acres between Broadway and the waterfront side of downtown.
- Look up at the facades: the 90+ historic buildings are Victorian and Art Deco.
- Petco Park sits at its southeastern edge — game nights change everything about parking and crowds.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryGaslamp Quarter history
Gaslamp Quarter Association · Checked October 3, 2026
Horton's purchase, the Stingaree's bordellos and saloons, the 1912 raid, 1974 funding, the 1982 association
- BackgroundGaslamp Quarter, San Diego
Wikipedia · Checked October 3, 2026
800 acres for $265, the 1980s rebranding, arc lights, National Register listing, 38 acres and 90+ buildings