Looking for Quality Auto Care in Linda Vista?
Plus, Get to Know Montgomery Middle Joint Use Park
In need of a reliable and reasonably priced auto mechanic in the Linda Vista area? As many LV residents already know, T.H. Auto Service—located at the corner of Linda Vista Road and Ulric Street—is the place to go if you want to take care of your car and receive quality service. T.H. Auto Service is a longtime Linda Vista business fixture that has established a great reputation amongst its clientele. We have been taking our cars there for many years, and we remain satisfied customers. TH Auto Services best represents the many hardworking small businesses operating in Linda Vista.
The owner of T.H. Auto Service—Tran Hai—was kind enough to sit down with us and answer our questions.
1. How long has your business been here in Linda Vista?
I’ve been located in Linda Vista 31 years.
2. When did you come to the U.S. from Vietnam?
I came to the US from Vietnam in 1981.
3. How did you become an auto mechanic?
I received a year of training from San Diego Skills Center. I then went to work at Volkswagen where I gained experience, prior to opening up my own garage here. When this location became available, I thought it would be a good place for an auto service shop.
4. How many employees do you have?
I have 3 employees. I do not train mechanics, but rather hire those with experience.
5. What is the most interesting car you’ve worked on?
The luxury cars such as BMWs, Lexus and Mercedes are very interesting but expensive computer equipment must be used to repair them, so I mostly work on Japanese vehicles.
6. What are the most common car problems that you’ve worked on?
I see all sorts of problems, but oil changes, alignments, brakes, tune-ups and smog inspections are the most common. I do engine work but not major engine overhaul.
7. What percentage of your business is male/female?
It’s about 70% male, and 30% female. I haven’t seen that change in the years I’ve been here.
8. Do you only work on imports?
No, my business is 50% import and 50% domestic.
9. Do you have any recommendations for people about taking care of their cars?
I recommend they change their oil every 3000 miles. Some manufacturers say you can wait till 5,000 but that only means the oil will be dirtier and not good for the engine. Better to do 3,000 or 3,500 miles.
10. If you were to advise someone on buying a car, which car would you recommend they get?
I recommend Japanese cars because they last a long time and have the least problems in the long run. They are also less expensive to maintain.
11. How has the pandemic affected your business?
Business is very bad. People are not driving their cars as much and seem to be letting car maintenance not be a top priority. Hopefully the vaccine will help end the pandemic and business will again pick up. Since people are keeping their cars longer, it’s important their cars continue to be maintained.
12. Has Linda Vista changed during the 30 years you’ve been here?
I think it has changed over the years for the better. There used to be a lot of crime, graffiti and bad things happening, but it is much improved.
13. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy working in the garden during my spare time. I find it very relaxing. I also like to watch TV.
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So readers, if you have been putting off that much needed maintenance on your car, we recommend you take advantage of the pandemic lull in business traffic to pay T.H. Auto Service a visit. You’ll be helping out your car and helping out a local business in one fell swoop. And while you’re there, give a hearty Linda Vista hello to Tran Hai!
T.H. Auto Service
6952 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA
858 576-7488
Montgomery Middle Joint Use Park
If you are a jogger or walker and you need a break from the normal uphill routes that run throughout Linda Vista, the joint use park at Montgomery Middle School may provide a suitable option. The park is located at the rear of the middle school campus, at the intersection of Fulton and Comstock streets, deep in the heart of Linda Vista.
This park has a quarter mile dirt track that allows a jogger/walker to aerobically exercise while also enjoying a great view of San Diego. The park also has a large grass field that can be used for activities like soccer, football or frisbee tossing.
The park is one of 76 “joint use” facilities in partnership with the San Diego Unified School District. According to the San Diego City Parks and Recreation web site, joint use means “school property is utilized for public use when school is not in session.”
As further mentioned on the City web site, “the joint use program allows for the shared use of public facilities and resources. The program fills an essential gap in addressing the City’s need for more parkland and additional recreational opportunities in our communities…The Program also advances the San Diego Unified School District’s goal to develop quality schools in every neighborhood that provide resources and support the needs of the communities that they serve.”
There are two other joint use parks in Linda Vista; they are located on the Kit Carson and Linda Vista elementary school campuses.
The merits of the joint-use park concept were made very clear to me several months ago, back in the carefree pre-pandemic days, when I stepped on to the all-weather track at Kearny High School hoping to do some jogging. The school day was over, and no one else was using the track. I was looking for an easy, flat, non-hilly surface and the quarter mile track seemed ideal for this purpose. After completing a couple laps, however, I was pulled aside by a school official who advised me that only students and school staff were allowed to use the track. I politely left the track, but I left feeling cheated—after all, I believed that innocently exercising at a public school facility built with property tax monies was definitely within my right as a taxpayer.
Fortunately, no such problem exists at the Montgomery Middle Joint Use Park. The city actually wants people to utilize this facility—based on the philosophy that “children participate in physical education and recreational activities in school yards during school hours, but there are opportunities for community use when school isn’t in session.” As offered by the city, the value of joint use parks includes providing opportunities for “social and community interactions.”
If you find yourself exercising at the Montgomery Middle Joint Use Park, you’ll enjoy the beautiful view available on the west side of the track. Though the park does not sit high enough for the ocean to be seen, you’ll still be able to see across Tecolote Canyon to the rim of Clairemont, as well as the hills comprising Point Loma, the buildings of USD, and the various rooftops dotting the Linda Vista landscape. It’s quite a panoramic view!
If you exercise there in the late afternoon, you’ll enjoy the cool ocean breeze that almost always make an appearance. It’s fun to see the marine layer creeping in from this vantage point.
The track is a dirt one—not like the fancy all-weather track that can be found at Kearny High—so it doesn’t offer as smooth a surface. But unlike the fancy all-weather track at Kearny High, this track provides access for everyone to use on a daily basis. Once your exercise is over and you’ve made your way around the track several times while taking in the panoramic view, you’ll definitely feel your tax dollars have been put to good use.
It’s good to hear that the City of San Diego plans to build 45 more joint use facilities as part of the Play All Day Program.
Kittens Successfully Adopted
We are happy to report that the two kittens featured in last week’s Linda Vista Update post were both adopted by one of our readers!! The two lucky kittens will be able to live the rest of their lives happily together.
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Why no Kitty Cat photo!