Cortez Hill has, over the decades, undergone numerous redevelopment and conversion projects. Until recently, it remained a largely underdeveloped section, known mainly for the iconic hotel and a transient population.
Divided from Balboa Park by the construction of Interstate 5 in the late 1950s, Cortez Hill's relative isolation from the rest of downtown has also been its best selling point: an area close to the action of the city but not at its core. Today it's a redeveloped, upscale neighborhood, with a mix of small businesses, Victorian homes and luxury apartment-style dwellings, primarily condominiums.