Last Updated on July 3, 2024 by Kim Labriola
About Wilshire Heights
Wilshire Heights neighborhood was developed by Chesin Construction Company just southeast of Broadway and Craycroft.
The neighborhood, built in the 1950s-1960s, is known for it’s broad ranch style homes situated on large lots with curved streets that wrap around a grassy neighborhood park. Most houses are 1800 sf – 3000 sf in size on typically 1/4 – 1/2 acre lots.
The neighborhood is convenient to Williams Centre, Park Place Mall, Tucson Medical Center, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (DMAFB), with plenty of restaurants and shops close by.
The neighborhood is within the Tucson Unified School District and is served by Kellond Elementary, Vail Middle, and Rincon High schools.
Homes for sale in Wilshire Heights neighborhood:
Interested in buying or selling a home in Tucson? Contact us to go over your needs. 520-975-8956 or Hello@RealTucson.com
Video featuring Wilshire Heights
A little history of Wilshire Heights
Edward Chesin started Chesin Construction Company in Tucson. Chesin was born in Phildelphia, lived in Detroit and Chicago, before moving his family to Tucson in 1947. He began building in 1949. He built tract homes, custom homes, and commercial projects in the Tucson area.
Chesin was familiar with Tucson through his flight training at DMAFB years before. He never forgot his flying days in WWII and he opened up the Flying Tiger Bar in 1969 on Golf Links Road, which was filled with Flying Tiger memorabilia.
His companies built over 5,000 homes in the Tucson area. Chesin built his family’s own home in Wilshire Heights. Tucson’s Chesin Drive was named for his family and Marc Drive was named for his son. Edward Chesin died in 1995.
Wilshire Heights was a custom home community where some homes were advertised as having refrigeration and maid’s quarters. Noted Tucson architects William Wilde, Arthur Brown, and Earl Kai Chann, and Bernard Friedman have all designed homes in the neighborhood. Well-known Tucson builders Tom Gist and Paul Paul Buehrer designed homes here as well.
What I love about Wilshire Heights:
- Large, wide lots.
- Durable masonry construction including burnt adobe and red brick.
- Mid-century ranch style homes are a Tucson classic.
- Homes here tend to have large rooms and plenty of square footage.
- Wide variety of homes because most homes were custom built. No boring cookie-cutter houses here.
- Centralized location near Park Place Mall, Williams Center, and plenty of restaurants.
- The grassy park at the north end of the neighborhood is a great place to walk the dog or to stop by for a picnic and a game of frisbee.
Interested in learning more about mid-century homes in the Tucson area? Check out our Tucson mid-century home guide!
Thinking about buying or selling a mid-century Tucson home? Contact us today: Hello@RealTucson.com or 520-975-8956
Interested in buying or selling a home in Wilshire Heights? We can help you! Contact us at Hello@RealTucson.com or 520-975-8956
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