I lived on Dictionary Hill when I was a kid, and remember seeing the effect first hand. It was so eerie, and to a kid, magical. My dad explained it then as an optical illusion. It was a real experience, not just folk lore!
I remember going there with friends as a teenager. I had a VW bug, so we'd all pile in my car and drive to the bottom of the hill at a cul de sac. I'd put it in neutral and we'd roll back up the hill. I don't remember any houses there at the time. It seemed like they hadn't started building houses yet, just the vacant street was there.
I lived on this street for 21 years starting in 1979. When I was in the yard people looking for gravity hill would stop and ask me if I knew where it was. I always said no, because I had no idea where it was. 9-22-2016 I saw Gravity Hill on about San Diego. I could not believe it was the street I lived on for 21 years. Neighbors would ride Big Wheels down the street. I never saw one go up hill. LOL
I use to do the same thing as a kid, but it was the Mira Mesa Blvd exit off the 805 freeway. I wouldn't recommend trying it now though, unless you want to get rear ended 😂
Sorrento Valley/ Miramesa Blvd exit on the 805 South? I did it about 8 years ago. Still works. LOL I thought maybe I wasn't seeing the slope correctly.
I was there in the late sixties and you'd drive down to the BOTTOM of the street and turn the engine off ..then begin to roll backwards UP HILL... true story....
I did that too. Just put my car in neutral and roll backwards up hill. Do you remember any houses there? I don't remember any houses. It seemed like a vacant street. This was in or around 1972.
@AlterEgoJohnnyB oh yeahhh... memories... i'd say it was probably about 1967-68 I was just over there two days ago... not on the street..but trippin around the area..i used to work at La presa then junior high school..very near this street.
At 1:19 have a look, how could that be an 'optical illusion' with the retaining wall showing behind the road. Either the wall is an optical illusion as well as the houses. Or it is indeed an anomaly in the gravitational pull.
There's actually a exit off the 805 that when you get to the bottom and it goes down hill put it in neutral your car will roll backwards back up the hill
