Here’s Where to Eat This Weekend in Downtown San Diego

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As the downtown San Diego area begins to bounce back from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, restaurant owners are bringing new tastes to town. Residents and tourists alike can enjoy anything from Italian classics on a rooftop to Mexican seafood in the Gaslamp Quarter. Shopping for real estate for sale in downtown San Diego may work up an appetite. Here are just a few of the options that will have your taste buds begging for more. 

Trattoria Seneca, and Italian experience, will be opening on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Hotel in downtown San Diego. While the establishment will serve as a stand-alone restaurant, they will also feed members of The Reading Club, a members-only social club opening in the fall. Seneca’s menu will include pizza, pasta, fresh mozzarella made table-side, and wood-grilled fish and steak, among other Italian classics. 

Karina’s Cantina, a Mexican seafood eatery, recently opened on Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter offering a late-night tequila bar with live DJ entertainment. Their menu ranges from Puerto Nuevo-style lobster to ceviches and tacos. Karina’s has both indoor and outdoor seating options, and also offers takeout for patrons who would prefer to enjoy their meals at home. 

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After enjoying a dinner in the downtown area, you can also now treat yourself to a delightful and healthy Italian dessert from GelatoLove in the East Village. GelatoLove recently took over the gelato counter at the Italian food market, RoVino, The Foodery. They offer gelato made with a fruit-derived low-calorie sugar called allulose, with a variety of 18 different flavors that can be enjoyed as gelato cakes and drinks. 

Keeping up with all the new developments in downtown San Diego can seem overwhelming, especially because it’s a city that’s constantly reinventing itself. The Scene in San Diego is a podcast that offers the latest news regarding the local food and drink scene. Available wherever you listen to podcasts, the Scene keeps listeners up to date with changes made downtown as the country still faces off with the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Massive Spending Bill Could Benefit Downtown San Diego

File:Downtown San Diego - panoramio.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Investors in San Diego downtown real estate may be pleasantly pleased to find that representatives in Congress are hoping to address some of the major issues being faced in California. Residents from the downtown area understand that traffic is horrendous, and is only made worse by the crumbling infrastructure. Another reason investors may be hesitant to invest in the area is the wildfires experienced during 2020. 

San Diego County could stand to benefit from at least a dozen projects if the House of Representatives pass the INVEST in America Act, a $715 billion spending bill that would fund infrastructure and water improvements, as well as boost funding for childcare, education, and elder services. Multiple versions of the spending package are being considered, including a $1 trillion package being drawn up by a bipartisan group of senators, and a bill that involves $3.5 trillion more to fight climate change, preserve the child tax credit, and expand healthcare. 

Representative Scott Peters of San Diego introduced a bill in March called the POWER ON Act, which would update energy policies, expanding interstate power transmission to allow wind farms in central states to sell energy to states like California. One month later, he submitted the REPAIR Act, which would create a private bank for private investments in public infrastructure. He hopes both of the bills will be included in the infrastructure package. 

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Another area of concern for representatives in California is how hot and dry the state has become over the past decade. Peters expects that the 2020 wildfires were not deviations from the norm, but, instead, the new norm. Representative Juan Vargas, also of San Diego, wants to include fire safety and protection measures in the bill that would modernize utilities, prevent risk of fire, and possibly a new fire station in the backcountry. 

Lastly, representatives from San Diego are fighting to strengthen human infrastructure not only in that state, but across the country. Representative Sara Jacobs hopes that the federal government will invest more in the care economy. This would include $500,000 for an outdoor children’s area and homework center at Linda Vista Branch Library, disabled access improvements at Bolboa Park Starlight Bowl, and a $1 million allocation to help small businesses cover the cost of expanding healthcare. Representatives are clearly interested in investing in downtown San Diego, which may attract more private investors in the future. 

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Downtown San Diego Libraries to Fully Reopen by End of September

File:San Diego Central Library.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

With the pandemic starting to be visible in the rearview mirror, there’s good news for students and readers in the downtown San Diego area. Starting mid-September, the city will be working around the clock to open up the last ten libraries that remain closed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. There are a total of 36 libraries in the area. Currently, 26 of them are open for in-person service, with 14 of them recently opening on July 6. 

Not only do they plan on reopening the libraries that currently remain closed, but they also hope to increase overall branch hours to pre-pandemic levels by next year. Of the 36 libraries, 23 will only be open Monday-Friday for 51 hours a week. The other 13 will operate 56 hours a week, opening for five hours on Sundays. 

Libraries in downtown San Diego will add Sunday hours incrementally in three waves. Four libraries are scheduled to start Sunday hours this fall: Downtown, Logan Heights, Valencia Park, and City Heights. Next winter, Mission Valley, Mira Mesa, Otay Mesa, and Pacific Beach will start opening on Sundays. The last wave will include La Jolla, Kearny Mesa, Point Loma, Carmel Valley, and Rancho Bernardo, which will all start opening on Sundays in the spring of 2022. 

Head Librarian Misty Jones explained that they are moving as quickly as possible, but could possibly move faster if there weren’t so many roadblocks. One of the obstacles libraries are facing is hiring new employees to staff all 36 locations for all operating hours. The city is looking to hire more than 170 workers. Turnover at public libraries downtown has always been an issue, but was further worsened during the pandemic when there were more than 150 vacant jobs. 

With more libraries opening for longer hours and a reborn interest in downtown San Diego real estate, San Diego may soon be the place to be for college students and recent graduates. Anyone looking for part-time work is urged by the city to apply for an open position, which will now include benefits. 

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Modera San Diego Has Ideal Location for Future Residents of San Diego

There appears to be an increased interest in downtown San Diego real estate following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Newly purchased and constructed office buildings, restaurants, apartment complexes, and other housing options are all being planned and produced as part of a way to shape San Diego’s lifestyle. New food options are replacing old ones that didn’t survive the government lockdowns. Investors are betting heavily in office building space with the expectation that life science students will migrate to the area.

A new, highly anticipated luxurious apartment complex in San Diego’s downtown area began preleasing earlier this week. Located at 1445 K St. at the corner of 14th and K St, the Modera San Diego will house 368 apartments featuring nine-foot ceilings, smart home features like programmable lighting, and soaking tubs with tile surrounds. Apartments are arranged in studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floorplans. 

This will be Mill Creek Residential’s first ever downtown San Diego development, and the location could not be anymore ideal. Residents will be within walking distance to San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter and Quartyard Events Plaza. Residents who want to go enjoy the San Diego Padres play ball can walk to their home stadium at Petco Park. 

File:Petco Park (San Diego, California).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Two blocks from Modera San Diego is the San Diego Trolley station, putting residents in direct connection to Amtrak regional lines. Residents are also not far from the beach, though they may choose one of the two outdoor courtyards as their place for peace and tranquility. Residents attending San Diego City College are only a four minute commute away. 

Downtown San Diego is a growing area, predicted to double in population over the next two decades by the city’s mayor. Residential investors are familiar with the job opportunities in design and technology fields, and are tailoring their designs to fit prospective residential needs. Modera San Diego is not only near the ballpark and city college, it’s surrounded by attractions that make San Diego great such as the New Children’s Museum, Friendship Garden, Balboa Park, the Fleet Science Center, and the Maritime Museum. 

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Outdoor Dining Options Rapidly Approaching Downtown San Diego

Rendering of the bar at Coco Maya

It’s no secret that residents of downtown San Diego enjoy their outdoor space. In fact, the outside world is one of San Diego’s many attractions. Outdoor space became even more precious during the pandemic, when indoor capacities were extremely limited and businesses had to overflow outside if they wanted to serve every customer. Grind & Prosper Hospitality recently invested in downtown San Diego real estate and will be taking over two rooftop areas in Little Italy and Oceanside to provide their communities with a tropical oasis. 

Coco Maya by Miss B’s will be replacing Prepkitchen on India St. Prepkitchen closed last year due to the pandemic. The restaurant will be designed by GTC Design Studio and will include an open-air vibe reflective of the boho chic feeling of Tulum, Mexico. Part of the roof will be removed to create a 900-square-foot deck. Being Caribbean-inspired, the cocktail menu will include drinks inspired by Yucatan Peninsula from Rob McShea. The new restaurant is expected to open by October of this year. 

Rending of CocoMaya rooftop bar in Little Italy

In addition to the outdoorsy Coco Maya, Grind & Proper are looking to erect The Brick, a hotel under construction in an 1880’s building downtown in Oceanside. The ground level will include Q&A Restaurant & Oyster Bar, named after executive chef Quinnton Austin. On the rooftop of the hotel will be a Caribbean-style cocktail bar called CocoCabana. Grind & Prosper hope that The Brick will enhance and further diversify the food culture in downtown San Diego.  

Grind & Prosper invested in restaurant locations during a period of time where restaurant owners were fighting to stay alive. Many investors in the San Diego market are focusing on office buildings in hopes for new tenants once people are back to work. Grind & Prosper observed an opportunity, as restaurants in the area were not renewing their leases, and took a leap of faith. 

While the Coco Maya will likely be opening in October in Little Italy, there is no set date for the completion of The Brick. These two projects are the latest examples of the rapid growth currently being experienced in downtown San Diego. 

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San Diego Padres to Host Holiday Bowl at Petco Park for Next Five Years

Petco Ball Park San Diego - Free photo on Pixabay

The Holiday Bowl is staying in San Diego, after an agreement was reached with Petco Park to host the game for the next five years. The news came Thursday, June 24, as San Diego Padres officials, leaders from the City of San Diego, and Holiday Bowl representatives gathered at the ballpark to announce the new location of college football’s most popular bowl game. 

The 2021 game will be especially special for viewers. Not only is this the first time a kickoff will take place at Petco Park, this will be the first time in 42 years that the game will not be hosted at Mission Valley. This will also be the first time that an ACC team goes head on with a Pac-12 team. 

File:Cal on defense at 2004 Holiday Bowl.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

The news comes as downtown San Diego positions itself for future economic growth. Investors continue purchasing office buildings and other properties with the expectation that the downtown population will nearly double over the next two decades. Housing costs, including condos in downtown San Diego, are increasing at the fastest pace in nearly eight years. 

Over the past four decades of being played in San Diego, the Holiday Bowl has contributed over $977 million to the local economy. The game is expected to bring an additional $31 million. In fact, one of the reasons the game will not resume at the Aztec Stadium in Mission Valley after the stadium is completed is because the venue will be “too small,” according to Holiday Bowl CEO Mark Neville. 

The 2021 Holiday Bowl will be held on December 28, 2021. Ticket sales for the public will begin in September. Securing the Holiday Bowl at another downtown San Diego location was a major success as they continue to push for new ways to generate revenue for economic development. The Holiday Bowl was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, delivering a major blow to the local economy. This year, those involved expect the event to be bigger than ever.

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Regent Properties Makes a $420 Million Investment in San Diego’s Downtown Area

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What would you do with $420 million? Well, if you’re Los Angeles-based investment management firm Regent Properties, you invest that money into four high-rise commercial office buildings in downtown San Diego. The investment and development firm obtained four properties in the sale: 1 Columbia Place, 2 Columbia Place, 701 B Street, and 707 Broadway. These four properties represent a combined total of 1.5 million square feet, which is approximately 16 percent of all Class A and B offices in downtown San Diego. 

At a total cost of $420 million, Regent paid approximately $281 per square foot. The acquisition also includes the 6th and A Parking Garage along with the four skyscrapers. This is just the beginning of Regent’s plan to purchase high-quality office projects “across the Sunbelt,” according to CEO of Regent Properties Eric Fleiss. 

Over the course of the next two years, Regent is seeking to purchase over $2 billion worth of assets. Regent was interested in purchasing the San Diego office buildings as a long-term investment into the downtown area’s expected growth. Even with office vacancies still relatively high as California exits the pandemic, many investors are anticipating a large migration to the west coast in the coming years. 

If you’re interested in condos in downtown San Diego, now may be the opportune time to make some moves. Whether you’re seeking a comfortable place to live, or a property that you can lease out, the demand for housing in the downtown area is going to skyrocket if investors’ projections are correctly calculated. The cost of a San Diego home is expected to increase by eight percent in 2021. 

Regent hopes that the combination of San Diego’s coastal location coupled with storm public transportation and higher quality of life will continue to attract new businesses to the area. Currently, most of the new tenants occupying these office locations work in life sciences, but investors are welcoming tenants from a variety of different sectors. If you’re starting a business, rest assured there is currently office space available in downtown San Diego. 

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The Monsaraz is the Place to Stay at Point Loma

The Monsaraz San Diego, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

In the first time in over a decade, a new hotel has emerged where California began. The Monsaraz San Diego, Tapestry Collection by Hilton will offer an escape from reality at Point Loma. Located in the heart of one of San Diego’s beloved coastal towns, the Monsaraz features 92 guest rooms, including three suites, with beautiful views of the downtown skyline, the rolling hills of Point Loma, and the San Diego Bay. 

If you’re in town shopping for condos in downtown San Diego, look no further for a place to stay than the Monsaraz. The new hotel offers guests a quiet San Diego experience, free from the day-to-day crowds and traffic. The hotel’s design was inspired by a love story about two young lovers meeting in Portugal for the weekend and departing ways at the end of the journey with nothing more than fond memories and a new outlook on life. 

If the design’s backstory isn’t enough to attract your attention, perhaps the 4,000 square-foot open-air courtyard accompanied by local painted and designed murals. If you could close your eyes and imagine an ideal outdoor space to sit around while enjoying cocktails and the company of others, you may be imagining a destination similar to this courtyard. 

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Still not sold? Well, just wait until you sit down for dinner at Monsaraz’s Westerly Public House. The 60-seat dining experience will showcase cuisine inspired by both Aussie and southern California beach culture. Using locally sourced ingredients, patrons will have a menu of options ranging from fish and chips to peri peri chicken. 

Point Loma has waited over a decade for a new hospitality experience, and those who wait truly do receive. The Monsaraz doesn’t only offer comfortable arrangements for tourists during their stay, they provide the downtown San Diego experience absent the clutter. 

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Twenty by Six Takes Unique Approach to Office Structure

Twenty by Six

Standing at just six stories high, covering 91,000 square-feet, Twenty by Six is San Diego’s newest office building. Straying away from the traditional 20-story, skyscraper design, Twenty by Six is a combination of the Bank of America branch previously at 450 B St. with the property at 451 A St. Included in the $34 million project is a 20-story tower which has also been refurbished during the process. 

The design is intended to capture San Diego’s temperate climate and ideal weather conditions with windows that open, a private patio for the conference facility and all tenant suites, according to Greg Bowman, Vice President of leasing at LeBeau. LeBeau first purchased the property in 2012, but suffered major setbacks when LeBeau’s partners backed out and the project was sold to Sumitomo, a Japan-based financial institute. 

LeBeau later partnered Union Bank of Switzerland and Heitman Group to repurchase the project for $71 million in late 2019 as permits began approaching their expiration date. Demolition of the Bank of America began quickly after. According to the developer, the new building currently has no signed tenants, but the tower is 85 percent leased. 

Twenty by Six

LeBeau hopes to attract a bar and restaurant operator that will be popular amongst San Diego residents to fill the free-standing restaurant space that sits beneath the six-story structure. Twenty by Six is competing for tenants because the supply of office space currently exceeds the demand. However, condos in downtown San Diego are rapidly filling up, leaving developers hopeful for new tenants as the pandemic continues to come to an end. 

Unfortunately, the location of Twenty by Six is not one frequented much by tourists. Many people view the B Street corridor as old downtown or the financial corridor. Bowman recognizes that they’re not located in Little Italy or East Village, but hopes the development will attract new businesses that will bring new life to the area. 

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Komodo Dragons and Hummingbirds Coming to San Diego This Summer

File:San Diego Zoo entrance -10July2007.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

As if you needed another reason to begin your search for condos in downtown San Diego, news from the zoo may be your tipping point. The San Diego Zoo will be introducing a new experience to their guests that will allow them to connect with some of the most powerful and delicate species on earth. Starting Tuesday, June 8, the zoo will unveil two new habitats: The Kenneth C. Griffin Komodo Kingdom and the William E. Cole Family Hummingbird Habitat. 

The Komodo Kingdom will provide their guests with the opportunity to observe Komodo dragons and learn more about the challenges they face as a species. Visitors will also hear about the work the San Diego Wildlife Alliance is doing to say the Komodo dragon species and preserve the ecosystems they know as home. The exhibit will feature pools, hot rocks and heated caves, and misters in order to recreate their natural habitat. The main reason for the decline in the Komodo dragon species is speculated to be loss of habitat, a fun fact guests will learn during their visit.

File:San Diego Zoo Entrance .jpg - Wikimedia Commons

The Hummingbird Habitat will house several species of hummingbirds and other rare birds from native regions in North and South America. Designed with streams, orchids,and cascading water, guests will experience an environment similar to those enjoyed by these beautiful creatures. 

Both exhibits are designed with sustainable materials with walls and roof panels made up of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, a plastic manufactured to be more resistant to corrosion. The systems are 100% recyclable, with air pillows that provide solar insulation when filled with air and reduce the need for artificial lighting. These aspects of the exhibits are important to the organization, who prioritize conservation.  

The opening of the two new exhibits will pave the way for the grand opening of the new Children’s Zoo, which is set to be open to guests later this year. The area will include four different habitat zones with plants and animals native to each ecosystem. 

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