The building possessed a 125 foot spiral tower with a blinking beacon on top that could be seen for miles, interior murals illuminated in blacklight and colorful terrazzo sidewalks out front.

[13] On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy rode in an open "bubble car" in a motorcade headed east on El Cajon Boulevard on his way to give a commencement speech and receive an honorary degree at San Diego State College.

[14][15] In 2008 and 2009, the Voice of San Diego and KPBS reported that El Cajon Boulevard was part of a circuit of west coast cities where prostitution would move around to avoid warrants and arrests.

[18][19] In 2015, a state of the art new YMCA facility at the intersection with Fairmount Road opened up on land donated by philanthropist Robert Price.

Dedicated to serving community members in City Heights, Talmadge and Kensington, disparate economic, ethnic and cultural differences of people who live on either side of El Cajon Boulevard were exposed.

[20][21] In 2020, a dedicated bus-only lane intended to improve traffic congestion and increase public transportation use was established as part of San Diego's "Climate Action Plan" along three miles of the Boulevard in 2020.

The mission of the Little Saigon San Diego Foundation is to "revitalize the densely populated Vietnamese business district of El Cajon Boulevard.