It is bordered by National City to the south, Interstate 5 and Barrio Logan to the west, 43rd Avenue (a continuation of Highland Avenue) to the east, and Gamma Court and the neighborhood of Southcrest to the north.

[2] Naval Base San Diego, an industrial park, and some commercial buildings are located just outside the western border of Shelltown along Main Street.

With the great influx of Filipino immigrants joining the United States Navy,[5] especially from the Vietnam War era on to the 1990s, many Filipinos inhabited the Southeast San Diego neighborhoods of Alta Vista, Bay Terraces, Paradise Hills, Shelltown, Skyline Hills, and Valencia Park, both for the relatively affordable housing prices and its close proximity to Naval Base San Diego.

Local activist and muralist Mario Torero was the lead artist for the Alpha Street piece.

[10] The area is served by the San Diego Trolley Blue Line at the Pacific Fleet station and the Route 929 bus via Main Street.