The post New $85M Chula Vista Film Studio to Bring Hollywood Jobs to San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Roberts is known for producing TV series such as Chartered and The Cast Members, along with movies including The Last Deal and Three Weddings. He grew up in San Diego and started working on films for his dad’s production company when he was 10 years old. As a child, he was familiar with Stu Segall Productions, a movie studio in town, but it pivoted to producing military and police training exercise videos.
Ever since, Roberts has wanted to build his own studio space.
“I had an idea of, ‘Hey, if San Diego can build something again, if we can build the infrastructure, we can attract film and TV production, because we’ve done it before,’” he says.
Last month, the Chula Vista City Council unanimously approved a letter of intent with Chula Vista Entertainment Complex, or CVEC, to start the process of designing and constructing a 89,000-square-foot structure that will host virtual production studios, post-production facilities, and coworking spaces.
“The Chula Vista Entertainment [Complex] will be the only of its kind in San Diego County,” said Chula Vista Mayor John McCann in a statement. “This project will set a new standard for our region and will bring critical new economic development to South County.”
Roberts says he picked Chula Vista because the city has been eager to partner on other studios, putting in bids to build a Netflix studio and Amazon headquarters.
“So I knew that this city has a bigger-thinking mentality of trying to attract industry and attract spaces,” he adds. “Both from a mindset perspective and from a practical perspective of infrastructure, we thought Chula Vista was a real perfect place.”
The plan is to complete the project in two phases. The first will be part of the Millenia Library on Millenia Avenue, which the city is already constructing. Roberts will take over the top two stories of the library building to create co-working spaces, along with podcast studios, edit bays, photography rooms, executive offices, and “a Hollywood-style facility of post-production, edit suites, an audio mixing spot, audio recording, and all the facilities that you need for post-production,” Roberts explains.
The next phase is building the 89,000-square-foot virtual entertainment complex. Roberts says it will include “the next generation of production technology,” including a virtual production studio that will attract TV and movie studios. He expects the whole project will take three years to finish and will cost $85 million. Funding comes from venture capital, and, eventually, studios will pay to use the space, bringing in profit.
“We will be developing and filming and producing our own content, creating and optioning our own projects, and then funding our own projects,” he explains. “But the bulk of our revenue is going to come from being a single-source production studio hub, basically from pre-production through post-production.”
He says through his connections in the film industry, he already has interest from studios and is now gathering letters of intent from those who will use the space.
“We’re very confident that we’re going to have plenty of business coming into the space, mainly because there aren’t a lot of facilities that are like this—that are virtual production, that are independently owned and operated, and that are going to be the size of studios that we’re actually building,” he adds.
He believes the space will have a positive economic impact on Chula Vista—his estimate is about $544 million over 10 years—and create jobs that otherwise would only be found in Los Angeles.
“I think the biggest piece for me really is about building up the local creative community,” he says. “There are so many talented folks in San Diego, and I [want to create] more opportunities for them and more opportunities for the next generation of creative artists. Everybody wants to do social media creation or be an influencer, be on YouTube, but a lot of people don’t know where to start, especially if you’re talking about how to actually monetize that and make a living off that or how to enter the film industry and be a writer or be a director. It could be daunting to figure that out nowadays, especially when you feel like there’s endless competition. So what we really want to do is nurture that and grow that here locally and really become a hub where the industry starts looking at us and how we’re doing it.”
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]]>The post Unhinged, A Dating Series: How to Experiment with Dating Women appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Of course, we all start somewhere. In a society where heterosexuality is presumed and expected, it can be hard for us to admit to ourselves, much less others, that we have the hots for someone of the same gender. And with so few scripts for healthy queer relationships, some of the difficulty of gay dating is figuring out what an ideal partnership looks like for you. Exploring your sexuality is part of that process, but it can be difficult to know how to dip your toe in.
There are few guides to starting the process of exploring. Google terms related to the topic—“dating women for the first time” or “how to figure out if I’m a lesbian”—bring up Reddit threads and decade-old articles (thank God we’ve mostly left the term “bicurious” in 2014).
For Rachel, it comes down to communication. “Be upfront,” she adds. “Say, ‘I’m not sure what this is going to mean to me or how I’m going to feel about it. Is that okay with you?’ I wouldn’t be as hurt afterwards, because I would be given the chance to ask myself, ‘Is this okay for me?’ Don’t make all the decisions for both of us.”
Many dating apps allow you to list your sexual orientation on your profile, and often there are options like “Questioning” on popular apps like Bumble, Tinder, and Hinge and dedicated LGBTQ apps like Her. The app Feeld—once a non-monogamy-focused site that, according to The New York Times, has expanded without losing its polestar of communication and exploration—has more than 20 choices for orientation and a space to declare exactly what you’re seeking (which could be as simple as “texting”). Utilizing those labels can create a more natural opening for conversations about your experience and level of comfort.
And, as with any potential partner, it’s worth having the “What are you looking for?” conversation early on—even before the first meet-up. Maybe you’re seeking an experimental hookup, or perhaps you want a relationship but are trying to learn if you could build one with someone who shares your gender identity. Maybe you’re certain you like girls, but you haven’t dated one before and you’re nervous. Being honest about that right away will help you and your date decide if your needs and desires align.
Once you schedule a meet-up, “treat it like any other date,” my friend Alison*, who identifies as bisexual, advises. “Don’t overthink it.” If you’ve dated men in the past, you probably went into each date wondering, “Do I like this particular guy?” Approach your dates with women the same way, and spend some time ahead of the meet-up thinking about what you want in a partner of any gender, from shared values to a shared love of birdwatching. (After all, even the most seasoned lesbian isn’t attracted to every single girl.)
But remember—it’s still a date. “Women come into dates like, ‘Hey, girl!’” Rachel points out. “They’re probably nervous, but I do want to feel like we’re more than friends hanging out.” Once you’ve communicated where you’re at, take the space to flirt, have fun, and figure out how that makes you feel.
And as things wrap up, “don’t be weird about the bill,” Alison says. Suggest going Dutch, or arrive prepared to pay—but don’t be afraid to accept if your date offers to pick up the check.
If things progress to the next level physically, frontloading all that communication will create space for you to set boundaries and ask for guidance. “It’s exciting to be the person who gets to show someone what that’s like,” Rachel says.
Throughout it all, it’s important to check in with yourself and continue being straightforward (no pun intended) with anyone you’re seeing. “You might have sex with a woman and not like it,” Rachel points out, or simply be lacking chemistry with that particular person (just like with heterosexual dating).
That wasn’t quite the case with my friend Romi*. A threesome with a heterosexual couple—one that was focused on the woman in the pair—“confirmed that I am definitely attracted to women,” she says. “But there is an aspect to the physical experience that, while fun and comfortable, was not satisfying or something I craved.”
A while later, a hangout with a friend of a friend led to a hookup. “It was beautiful, and she did ask me to hang out again,” Romi recalls. “I remember telling her I’d like to be just friends. I’m not 100 percent sure why—it just felt how all my other one-night stands with men felt: fun and of the moment. I remember meeting my now-husband around the same time and just feeling like we fit.”
But for North County local Natalie*, who identifies as a lesbian, kissing a woman for the first time “was like, ‘Yes—this is what it’s supposed to feel like.’”
Natalie dated men throughout high school and college but “had that nagging ‘oh, ****’ feeling since probably seventh grade,” she says. “I definitely had crushes.” After moving to a new city just over a decade ago, she set her orientation to “bisexual” on dating apps and started going out with girls.
“I definitely had a couple awkward, uncomfortable experiences at first,” she remembers. “I wanted a more romantic experience”—which she found on her first date with her now-wife.
“It was very clear that she was interested in me,” she says. “I felt instantly at ease and very seen, but also terrified. There was that romantic charge of, ‘Oh my God, I want to know everything about this person.’ In my experience dating men, it always felt like this friendship I was very happy about, but the physical intimacy never felt very satisfying. [With my now-wife,] there was the anticipation of the satisfaction I was hoping to get. That desire was so huge in my psyche.”
Regardless of the outcome of your first dates with women, consider each one an opportunity to learn about yourself and what you’re seeking. “Go into it open-minded,” Alison adds. “And be excited for yourself.” After all, love could be waiting for you—or simply a deeper understanding of who you are. Both are worth taking the leap for.
*Not their real names.
If you’re new to Unhinged, catch up on all the dating chats you’ve missed here and follow along at @monicles and @sandiegomag on Instagram to know when a new article drops each week.
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]]>The post The San Diego Architect Who Helped Tiger Woods Design the Wild, Techy Future of Golf appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>ESPN will broadcast the debut of TGL Golf across 80 countries to millions of golf fans, including Agustin “Augie” Pizá, the San Diego architect who designed several of the holes for this future-of-golf moment.
When I reach Pizá, his excitement is palpable. He quickly apologizes for his strained voice before jumping into a slew of topics including architecture, the Chargers, Picasso, philosophy, and, most of all, the future. An award-winning golf course architect, Pizá’s San Diego-based design firm was tapped to help design several holes for “Tomorrow’s Golf League” (TGL), created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in partnership with the PGA TOUR.
“One of the things that I wanted [to do] was to challenge the top players, but also to have fun,” says Pizá between sips of tea. “It’s made-for-TV entertainment.”
This hybrid model unshackles the sport from traditional rules. It will be staged at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida—a stadium custom-designed for TGL. Teams will compete in 15-hole matches, split between “triples”—3-on-3 playing alternate shots—and “singles,” or head-to-head play. Matches will take no more than two hours, and, borrowing from other sports, there are timeouts and referees and similar to fantasy sports, there’s the “Hammer,” an option for teams to go for (or lose) double the points on a hole.
San Diego native and world number-two golfer Xander Schauffele will be among the first to put the new format and rules to the test when his New York Golf Club faces off against The Bay Golf Club on January 7 at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN.
“To have actual teammates competing with you affecting the result is such a cool thing. I know Rick, I know Cam and Fitzy pretty well, and I think we’re just going to get closer as we compete in this league,” Schauffele says, referring to his teammates Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, and Matt Fitzpatrick, respectively. Among them are 17 PGA Tour victories and three major championships. They’re joined in TGL by league co-founders and all-time greats Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, along with 18 other top golfers. A four-team playoff later this year will determine the inaugural TGL champions.
The virtual environment also lets the course designers run wild, something Pizá had been preparing for his whole career. He learned the foundations of course design during stints at Nicklaus Design and Fazio Design, two of the top course design firms in the world, and he expanded his design sensibilities at the University of Edinburgh’s golf course architecture program.
“I think one of our biggest competitive advantages is that mix of the contemporary United States–-not afraid of building bigger stuff, bolder stuff—but then having the ecological-friendly, minimalist approach from the U.K.,” Pizá says about his eponymous firm Pizá Golf.
One of his first solo projects was at Club Campestre Tampico in Mexico. There, he started improvising on the tenets of course design with “just a touch here and there, just an accent here and there—things that rarely you would see on a course.” Pizá’s is the language and pride of an artist, which caught the attention of TMRW Sports, the entity behind TGL. (In a reference to its parent company, TGL stands for Tomorrow’s Golf League.)
So far, Pizá has designed eight holes for TGL, but his most striking is Temple, “a hole design inspired by ancient civilizations… and found in the mountains of South America,” according to the league’s website.
“I was playing around with two triangles and I pinched them in the middle, and I thought, ‘This could be, I don’t know if the ultimate, but a very exciting risk-and-reward hole,’” Pizá says. An errant tee shot risks losing the ball in the (fictional) valley below, and players who don’t try to reach the second, farther triangle will be left with a long approach shot to an elevated island green. “We’re very lucky to have clients that believe in us and that are as crazy as we are because if we didn’t, we would just be theorists.”
But Pizá is, in fact, a theorist. Everything has a purpose. Designing courses is like making an album. Butterfly Golf, in which four sets of six-hole loops create different courses on one site, is the future of “grass golf.” TGL isn’t a competitor to grass golf, it complements it; and what we see in TGL is 25 years of the evolution of the mind, Pizá’s mind. Talking with him, he seems less a golf designer and more an inventor.
“Art and architecture don’t know boundaries, they don’t know borders if you’re an artist… if you’re great at what you do.” Only someone raised by two teachers from Tijuana who established their studio in San Diego could put this all into practice. If Pizá is an inventor, then he is helping create the future of golf, and if TGL takes off, then he better stock up on tea. He’ll have a lot more talking to do.
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]]>The post 8 San Diego Nonprofit Events to Attend This January appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Help keep San Diego’s watersheds clean with I Love A Clean San Diego and the County of San Diego. This litter cleanup runs from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and helps prevent pollution from reaching the Pacific Ocean.
Same mission, different location. Join the litter cleanup in Fallbrook from 9:00 am to 11:00 am to protect local ecosystems.
Volunteer at Tecolote Shores in Mission Bay Park to support runners and event logistics during this annual fitness tradition.
Celebrate the San Diego Foundation’s 50th anniversary—which SDF will be celebrating with different events throughout 2025—by volunteering at this iconic event in Carlsbad.
Hosted by Alliance San Diego, this inspiring event honors community diversity and social justice with opportunities to get involved.
Learn about water harvesting with the Solana Center at the North Clairemont Recreation Center and take home a rain barrel for sustainable water use.
Volunteer to collect vital data on homelessness across San Diego County, supporting the County’s resource allocation and services.
Celebrate 45 years of the San Diego Diplomacy Council with an evening focused on global connection and peacebuilding, featuring young leaders from Kiribati.
The post 8 San Diego Nonprofit Events to Attend This January appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>The post SD Grassroots Orgs Partner on Providing a Holistic Care Network appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>More recently, the San Diego Bicycle Collective (SDBC) has joined the effort—not just to lend a hand but to explore how their unique mission can weave into this critical service.
Rather than popping up singularly to solve a specific need, grassroots organizations are increasingly banding together to provide a more holistic care network that almost mimics the function of governments. The goal is to provide vital resources by welcoming new service providers while honoring and building upon the work of long-standing community organizations. More hands make lighter work, yes— but also serve a more comprehensive, efficient, and effective approach. This is where the IAMBK and SDBC collaboration comes in.
On the surface, food distribution and bicycle repair might seem like disparate endeavors. But together, they represent a broader vision of community resilience focused on providing vital services in tandem, like food and transportation.
“We’ve been doing this since the start of the pandemic,” says Abdul Waliullah Muhammad of IAMBK, which he founded in 2005. As one of San Diego’s designated super pantries during the pandemic, IAMBK built its reputation as a reliable source of aid.
“[This food distribution] started in 2020 as a response to the immediate crisis, but the need has stayed. We’re serving 350 drive-ups and about 100 walk-ups weekly,” he adds.
Initially based at the Jacobs Center, this distribution moved to its current site on Market Street two years ago. The food program, powered by a network of dedicated volunteers—including Muhammad’s wife, Waliyyah—remains a vital resource for the community, but Muhammad envisions its future transformation. “We’re planning to develop 65 units of affordable housing on this property,” he says, noting that construction is expected to begin next year and will eclipse much of the space we are standing in. “The site will change, but our mission won’t. We’ll adapt and keep serving.”
The SDBC is joining this care ecosystem, led by its founder, Juca Favela. Raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Favela knows firsthand how life-changing access to transportation can be. Growing up among the city’s poorest, he couldn’t afford a bike of his own.
A neighbor, noticing his talent for BMX racing, lent him shoes and gear, launching a career that saw him win five national titles–including the X Games—and secure a sponsorship that changed his life, bringing him permanently to San Diego. That was decades ago. Today, his main gig is operating SDBC and other community organizing, partnering with SANDAG, Adams Avenue Bicycles, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, and many more.
“I went from not owning a bike to competing globally,” Favela says. “It opened doors I never imagined.” That conclusion fuels his work today—believing that a bicycle could catalyze someone else’s transformation. While not everyone is destined for the X Games, Favela’s mission underscores a profound truth: something as simple as reliable transportation, often taken for granted, can be key to allowing someone to live well and efficiently, possibly changing the trajectory of their life.
The SDBC, which is 100 percent volunteer-run and operates primarily on donations, refurbishes bikes, then donating them to underserved people and communities, or selling them at a steep discount. The collective also teaches repair skills, ideally creating a ripple effect of empowerment, access, and ability. “A bike is more than transportation—it’s independence, it’s opportunity,” Favela says.
For now, the SDBC’s role at the Tuesday Encanto distribution is simple: show up and help. But Favela dreams of integrating its repair and donation programs into the food distribution effort. Ideally, down the line, people can get their bike repaired or learn how to do it themselves, or even walk away with a brand new bike. They’d also be able to donate. “Right now, we’re just supporting what’s already working,” he says, referring to food distribution. “In the future, we’d love to expand our services here. It’s about being good partners and neighbors.”
Muhammad sees SDBC’s potential as a perfect complement to the work already underway. “Partnerships like this make us stronger,” he says. “It’s not just about handing out food—it’s about meeting people where they are and finding creative ways to address their needs.”
The collaboration embodies a spirit of shared purpose that runs deep in Encanto and is the preferred modus operandi of locals engaged in community work. As Muhammad puts it: “This work is about more than food. It’s about showing up for our neighbors. When we come together, we make real change happen.”
Favela echoes that sentiment. “Whether it’s a meal or a bike, what we’re really giving is hope,” he says. “And that’s something everyone deserves.”
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]]>The post Photos: Arc of San Diego’s 2024 Winter Wonderland Fashion Show appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Event chairs Maria Stanley and Laura Applegate, alongside their families, spearheaded the day, with support from Dr. Howard and Barbara Milstein as Honorary Chairs. This festive blend of philanthropy and glamour showcased San Diego’s commitment to community impact, all benefiting The Arc’s life-changing programs. See the pics below.
Photos Courtesy of The Arc of San Diego
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]]>The post 25 of Our Favorite Stories from 2024 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>These reader-submitted vignettes are full of heart and SD flavor: bagels in North Park, love notes at Gossip Grill, karaoke in PB. The city itself feels like a romantic lead, nudging each relationship toward destiny—kindergarten photos found after a fire, dates aligning with parents’ anniversaries, and even a chance airport seatmate who becomes a soulmate. San Diego is an iconic rom com setting waiting to happen.
A spinning story of grace, grit, and gorgeous tradition, escaramuza is pure poetry on horseback, with twirling mares, cobalt skirts, and a side of danger that keeps it thrilling. SDM Associate Editor Amelia Rodriguez’s story of Las Reynas del Sol is an intimate look at identity, community, and chasing something bigger than yourself, all wrapped up in one wild, beautiful ride.
A damn good burger and the nostalgic rebellion of a cash-only, sticky-note system. Hell, yes; sign us up. Rocky’s is more than a burger joint—it’s a time capsule of authenticity in a world obsessed with reinvention. Troy Johnson takes us inside the cloud of meaty aroma and reminds us that great food is sometimes about resisting the noise of modern life and savoring something unchanging, messy, and gloriously real.
With a blend of science, creativity, and hilarity, writer Mara Altman gives us the skinny on SoCal’s most famous bulbous nuclear landmarks, while proving that these domes aren’t just punchlines—they’re engineering marvels, blending form, function, and funny.
Are you a grom, noserider, or Wavestorm warrior? This is the ultimate surf guide to SD. Funny, informative, and totally SoCal, bro.
Well? Is Coronado part of South Bay? Or a bougie island—ahem, peninsula—all its own? Coronado joins South Bay in certain official capacities, but is it really South Bay proud? We talk to experts, including Coronado’s mayor, to answer the question once and for all. Sort of.
Writer and Maui local Danielle Allaire traveled back to her hometown neighborhood of Lahaina one year after fires devastated the area. The result is an intimate, tender, and honest look at the complexity of rebuilding a beloved place after tragedy.
It isn’t easy out there for SD’s artists. Rising rents and a stagnating collector market spell trouble for small San Diego galleries and the art artists they support—but SDM Associate Editor Amelia Rodriguez’s reporting offers glimpses of hope. This story is a window into what goes into keeping SD’s arts scenes alive. Gallerist Melody Jean Moulton flipping pandemic lemons into creative lemonade, leaning on community, and refusing to let skyrocketing rents snuff out her spark? That’s art.
We love a story that punches through stereotypes. SDM’s own Nicolle Monico goes inside the ring with SD local Ann “Mitt Queen” Najjar to better understand how grit, talent, and a dash of sibling rivalry can rewrite the rules. Najjar is carving out space for women in a male-dominated sport and inspiring a new generation.
We loved introducing our readers to Claude Rosinsky, and our readers loved learning about her. Her story did number on our social channels. Mrs. Rosinsky is a true character in SD. The 82-year-old has lived all over the world, but when she found herself needing specialized medical care, she found home in a very unique place. Simply a great, punchy magazine story.
Dating is hard out there. Not just for you—for everyone. In 2024, Managing Digital Editor Nicolle Monico explored SD’s dating scene in-depth through her column Unhinged. Week after week, Monico gave readers an inside look at her own dating journey, as well as context for why it’s so strange trying to find love in a digital, app-based world. Dating can be lonely, but Monico’s column provided solace, humor, vulnerability, and information for thousands of readers. And she found love through her writing—what a journey.
Writer Mara Altman takes us to the top of SoCal’s iconic palms to investigate what’s eating them and introduces readers to the beetle-killers fighting to keep them alive. Her narrative takes a serious subject and makes it fun and interesting, while not forgetting that this is an economics story as much as it’s environmental.
Food critic Troy Johnson introduces us to the SD family who built themselves a must-visit backyard restaurant in a 100-year-old Indonesian hut, helping change state regulations in the process.
For years, Israel “Iz” Castillo has been shooting fun and funky medium-format portraits in the middle of the street in Little Italy. For our November issue, we spoke with some of his subjects to hear what makes them tick while offering our readers a look at Iz’s one-of-a-kind collection.
SD is full of iconic houses, but few rise to the level of the Yen house from legendary local architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg. With stunning photos and voices from those who grew up in the house, this story speaks to what makes this structure sing.
Joan Jacobs transformed SD’s cultural scene through philanthropy. Shortly after her death, we sat down with her husband of 70 years, Irwin Jacobs, at the table where they shared their coffee every morning. It’s an intimate look at an iconic local couple.
Punjabi Tandoor isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a community haven where homesick diners find comfort and the Saini family helps redefine what it means to belong. Writer Madhushree Ghosh’s story is about more than food—it’s a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of community.
Babs Fry is a real-life superhero armed with chicken broth, cameras, and a singular, relentless drive. Writer Sean Burch takes us inside her truck as she works to help San Diegans reconnect with their fluffy lost loved ones. The story shows that Fry’s work is about hope and purpose as much as it is about finding lost pets.
Our readers loved this story because it takes us inside a subtle dance between legacy and individuality. Jakob Nowell isn’t merely carrying the torch for Sublime—he’s bringing his own light. Nowell’s reflections on music, family, and finding his own rhythm in his father’s shadow resonate deeply while showing that San Diego’s vibe is as timeless as Sublime’s music.
Quite simply, we love this story. Juana Ortiz’s Eunime Por Tijuana orphanage is a sanctuary where children with HIV find laughter, hope, and belonging. Lilly Corcoran’s story highlights resilience in the face of stigma and the immense capacity of one woman’s heart to ensure every child knows they’re cherished. Plus, sneaking 20 dogs into an orphanage? Pure, chaotic joy. This story radiates an unshakable belief in brighter tomorrows.
Tens of millions of people know Jordan Howlett (@jordan_the_stallion8) from his viral videos, but few knew he’s an Oceanside kid. This profile gives readers an inside look at how Howlett went from a shy kid to one of the internet’s biggest stars.
California’s maternity system is in peril, so, for our September California issue, we partnered with CalMatters to bring readers this story about protecting spaces where lives begin with care and intention. A heartbreaking, important story.
We love this story from writer Randy Dotinga because it captures the joyous and rebellious spirit of San Diego Pride while honoring hard-won progress for a community that has journeyed from hidden “fairy dives” to the mayor’s office. SD’s parade isn’t just a celebration—it’s a vibrant and unapologetic declaration that love and identity deserve to shine, and it’s been going for five decades. Iconic.
For our October STEM issue, writer Claire Trageser explored AI’s potential to revolutionize healthcare while wrestling with the balance between innovation and ethics. AI might predict diseases and fix errors, but it’s the story’s human heartbeat—cautioning against unchecked progress—that stuck with us.
One of the coolest things SDM did in 2024 was dedicate a full issue to South Bay, something that had never been done before in the 75-year history of this magazine. The project turned out to be our best-selling print issue in years, and it highlights that SD is so much more than North County beaches and North Park restaurants. Our South Bay issue featured a photo essay from the 619 Gurlz, a creative collective of women photographers using film to capture the essence of their community. The results are a beautiful and intimate look at one of SD’s most dynamic areas, told by some of the people who know it best.
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]]>The post Unhinged, A Dating Series: 8 of the Best Dating Stories of 2024 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>It’s been a wild ride. For the last 10 months, I’ve dished on my weekly dates; talked with locals about their experiences; and chatted with therapists, relationship coaches, and love gurus to help me answer all my lingering dating questions. All the while, I’ve made some new friends, reconnected with old acquaintances, and, of course, met my partner.
These are some of my favorite articles, topics, and interviews of the series so far. If you missed any, now’s the time to catch up!
It all started here, with one late-night writing sesh, a few back-and-forths with my editors, and a Valentine’s Day launch. Unhinged, A Dating Series officially became a column after a year of discussions and plenty of anxiety. I remember wondering if anyone would care or relate.
Hitting publish was exciting and scary as hell. I knew I wanted this column to be a place for people looking for love to feel less alone. When we posted that first piece on Instagram, it garnered 2,367 likes, 233 comments, and 950 shares, reaching more than 98,700 Instagram users. It hit.
Our Unhinged community soon grew from there. The DMs, emails, and texts came flowing in, and it was clear that we all felt burnt out with the current landscape of dating in San Diego and needed answers.
It wasn’t long after that first piece that I realized before I could truly dig into the state of dating SD, I’d have to turn the mirror back around to myself. This was the moment I knew that the column would require me to be incredibly vulnerable in sharing my own stories—and willing to call myself out in a real and honest way.
This piece helped me realize that, prior to this year, I had been a part of the problem that many singles face when dating: I wasn’t fully ready to commit to someone. While swiping, grabbing drinks with potential matches, and swapping numbers at bars, I hadn’t taken the time to fully heal from my past relationship and likely let a few good men slip through my fingers.
If this resonates with you, this piece may be for you.
At some point, my girlfriends and I noticed something about the men we were going out with: They just weren’t asking us enough questions. It made me wonder whether this was a new phenomenon in the modern age or whether their gender was just wired differently. Hint: It’s a little bit of both.
Of course, there are men out there who are actively engaging in conversations during dates—this post isn’t for them. However, “research shows that this lack-of-men-asking-questions problem is real, and it’s common, and frankly, it’s embarrassing for them!” wrote author Sophia Benoit in her column for Bustle.
Need more proof that the phenomenon is real? This piece was one of the most-read of the year.
In April of this year, I met my now-boyfriend (I call him Caleb in print) through the column. This is the story of us—or, well, how we met. While finding a partner through this series was something I had considered—and even hoped for—I didn’t plan on it happening as quickly as it did. Today, we joke that he ruined the column three months after it launched.
But my initial interaction with Caleb taught me (and maybe my readers) something valuable: a thoughtful first move, a unique date, and some intentional communication is all it takes to score that coveted second date.
SD local Dannika Underhill and I agree: At some point, we all became a little bit more socially awkward. Partially thanks to a global pandemic that had us shut indoors and avoiding group hangouts, today’s digital space is filled with people fatigued by years of uncertainty and isolation. And it’s affecting how we date.
Collectively, we’ve changed in the past four years since Covid-19. In 2023, a poll conducted for Newsweek showed that 42 percent of participants admitted to being less sociable than in 2019. Underhill and I discussed how these new antisocial behaviors were causing plenty of dating woes. However, the conversation was also a good reminder that our collective struggle may be part of what brings us together at the end of the day.
All my life, people have told me that I’ll find love when I stop looking for it. To me, that advice has always seemed dismissive and unhelpful. In this piece, I challenged this way of thinking and discussed how dating with purpose (ahem, “putting yourself out there”) isn’t such a bad thing.
Anyone who’s been hit with this advice and felt disheartened, this one may be for you.
I feel grateful to Felicity (not her real name) for sharing her story around this important and under-discussed topic. I received a number of responses to this piece—both men and women thanking me for not seeing them as broken or undateable because they’d never been in a long-term relationship.
Admittedly, I once privately thought that a lack of dating experience at 30 or 40 was a red flag. But my research—including a chat with San Diego matchmaker Sophy Singer of Sophy Love—taught me that I was wrong. Among other benefits, people who have spent their adult lives single have had ample time to figure out who they are without the influence of a partner.
There are some great takeaways in this piece, whether you’re like Felicity or have a slew of exes in your back pocket. Check it out.
Oof. This one was hard to write. I knew that, at one point in this column’s life, I’d have to come clean about a toxic relationship that nearly broke me. I molded myself into a person I could no longer recognize during that relationship. I also knew that discussing this topic publicly would mean that readers would have a front-row seat to some of my most personal and vulnerable struggles.
When this was published, I felt simultaneously confident in what I had written and worried that I’d be looked at as weak. “Why didn’t you leave him?” I’ve been asked plenty of times. If only it was that easy.
It’s hard to choose being single again over being with someone who is sometimes nice to you. It took me years to fully accept that there is a world in which I could date someone who behaves as though they’re the luckiest person to be with me. I hope this article helps others like me who need to hear that a good and healthy relationship is possible—from someone who has gone through it.
If you’re new to Unhinged, catch up on all the dating chats you’ve missed here and follow along at @monicles and @sandiegomag on Instagram to know when a new article drops each week.
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The post Unhinged, A Dating Series: 8 of the Best Dating Stories of 2024 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>The post The 10 Biggest Highlights in San Diego Sports This Year appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>This action contributed to so many memorable moments that July’s rugby match between Fiji and the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand at Snapdragon Stadium must settle for honorable mention. But another “moment” might emerge with time and perspective: When we look back at it, 2024 might be the year that the city finally lays to rest its “small market” reputation.
Everyone watches women’s sports, and that includes indoor volleyball. USA Volleyball reported a 9.6 percent increase in membership in 2022-23 alone, and the 2023 Division I women’s volleyball championship between Texas and Nebraska set both attendance and viewership records. Fittingly, the Mojo, one of San Diego’s newest teams, ushered in 2024 by kicking off the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF).
“Options were limited while I was growing up,” says Kendra Dalhke, a Fallbrook native and outside hitter for the Mojo. After 10 years away playing collegiately in Arizona and professionally overseas, she’s “watched San Diego volleyball grow, and it’s so much better now.” Look for more of the Mojo in 2025. After averaging more than 5,000 fans per match, PVF inked a deal with FS1 and FS2 to nationally broadcast games for the upcoming 2025 season.
The Padres’ Dylan Cease was already the most interesting man in baseball, then he threw a no-hitter on July 25 in Washington against the Nationals. Cease dominated the Nats and sent shockwaves through San Diego 3,000 miles away. Coworkers shattered the office quiet around noon that day with hysterical cheering. That cheering continued through the season, as Cease’s performance this year helped propel the Padres into the postseason, which set up the next best sports moment this year…
The second inning of Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers started innocuous enough. Padres third baseman Manny Machado grounded a single up the middle. Seven batters later, outfielder Fernando Tatís stepped to the plate with a 4-1 lead and a man on first. He then launched the ball into Orange County. It’s arguably the most triumphant moment in Padres history since Steve Garvey hit a walkoff home run in game 4 of the 1984 National League Championship Series.
“When I hit it I just blacked out and started screaming at my teammates,” Tatís said after the game. “The energy was through the roof.” The Padres inexplicably failed to score a run in the ensuing 24 innings and painfully lost the series in five games. But for an inning—for an at-bat—the Padres were on top of the world. It shows what could be in 2025.
This year saw San Diego’s newest soccer team inch closer to reality. Their first kits dropped, their development academy broke ground, and fans lined up for season tickets. But there’s probably no bigger news so far than San Diego FC signing its first star player in Hirving “Chucky” Lozano in June.
The 29-year-old forward has earned 70 caps for the Mexican national team, and he’s been a prolific scorer wherever his club career takes him. In two stints at PSV Eindhoven, a top Dutch team, Lozano has scored 44 goals, in addition to his 23 goals at Napoli and 31 at Mexican side Pachuca. His cross-border appeal was on full display when hundreds of fans attended a rally at the Rady Shell to welcome him to San Diego.
When I was 18, I was on my way to failing calculus. When she was 18, Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers was being carried out of the ocean on shoulders, a posse of friends and family celebrating her becoming the youngest-ever world champion surfer. It’s tempting to call Simmers a prodigy, but her victory at the World Surf League Finals this summer at Lower Trestles proves she’s fully arrived and ready to dominate the sport for years to come.
Statistically, Alex Morgan is a legend. She scored over 200 goals for club and country. She’s a two-time World Cup champion. She’s an Olympic gold medalist. She’s one of two U.S. women, along with Mia Hamm, to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year. But how does one quantify the impact of proving women’s soccer is a force in San Diego? Or putting the National Women’s Soccer League on the map? Or rallying a country around women’s sports? Or inspiring young athletes around the world for almost two decades? That’s what made Alex Morgan’s final game, on a hot September night at Snapdragon Stadium, so emotional. She made us believe that greatness was possible and now we must wait for the next hero to take up the mantle. As one fan-made sign put it: I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Led by Jaedon Ledee, who won the 2024 Karl Malone Award as the nation’s best collegiate power forward, SDSU beat University of Alabama-Birmingham in the first round of this year’s March Madness. The Aztecs then dismantled Yale in the round of 32 to earn a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen berth. That banner, unveiled at the opening game of the 2024-25 season, hangs among those recognizing the three conference tournament championships since 2018 and their 2023 Final Four appearance. The Aztecs are currently ranked No. 23 and are primed for another tournament run come March. Put simply, coach Brian Dutcher’s program is one of the best in the country.
It took 40 years, but the Clippers came back to where it all started. Well, maybe not the original Clippers, but in a major splash the G League, the NBA’s developmental affiliate, moved the Ontario Clippers to Oceanside’s new Frontwave Arena. At their first game in November, the team honored favorite son and former Clipper Bill Walton, who died in May. The tribute reminded us where the franchise name belonged all along. The Clippers’ presence is also a significant recognition of the region’s thirst for professional sports. “Getting the stamp of approval from the NBA is a huge feat,” Frontwave Arena Co-founder and CEO Josh Elias told San Diego Magazine in September. Fans at Frontwave Arena get to see “truly the best players, guys who are hungry to compete and make it at the highest level.”
This year’s NCAA tournament will be the first UC San Diego is eligible for. Utah State University has four NCAA tournament appearances since 2019. UCSD competes in the Big West Conference, which includes only one school outside of California. Utah State plays in the competitive Mountain West Conference. UCSD was an 8.5-point underdog in their recent matchup against Utah State. The Tritons won by two.
UC San Diego athletics elevated to Division I this year, and the men’s basketball team’s win over previously-undefeated Utah State this month—on the road, no less—is nothing short of a landmark victory. Long known for its academic excellence, UC San Diego is planting its flag at the highest level of college basketball.
Akili Smith Jr., the Oregon-bound quarterback and one of our young athletes to watch, led Lincoln High to their second state title in three years, but it was never an easy journey. It never is for the school, which serves one of the poorest, most disinvested areas in the county.
This year, the Lincoln Hornets football bussed to every practice and game because their water-damaged home field was unplayable. They won the state title anyway.
In 2022, they were awarded a key to the city after an underdog run at their first state title in school history. A year before that, Lincoln players pulled out of a game in protest of racist social media posts targeted at them. Students at Lincoln High achieve so much despite being given so little. Imagine what they can achieve with the resources and investment that they deserve. There may be no brighter light in San Diego sports than Lincoln High School’s football team.
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]]>The post San Diego FC’s First-Ever Jerseys are Here appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>This is a moment in San Diego sports, and another big step as the club prepares for its debut in Major League Soccer’s 2025 season. Partnering with Adidas, the team’s new kit is minimalist in design, but big in meaning. They’re ocean views with a side of sunshine. The team’s official colors—chrome and azul—dominate the new threads, with rainbow side stripes adding a splash of energy. DIRECTV, the club’s first front-of-kit sponsor, takes center stage.
“This kit embodies the spirit of our Club and the pride of our city,” SDFC CEO Tom Penn said in the team’s press release. “Few moments are as special as the unveiling of a football club’s inaugural kit.”
The team says the jersey’s dark blue base (which the team calls azul) draws inspiration from San Diego’s iconic coastal views of sky meeting the ocean, while the chrome (technically not a color but a type of metallic finish) accents reflect the city’s dynamic communities. The gradient side stripes are said to incorporate the club’s community colors, and symbolize San Diego’s diversity.
As SDFC steps into the MLS spotlight, this jersey marks a significant milestone. The unveiling comes ahead of a weekend of celebrations, culminating in the Chrome Ball Cup at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 15, featuring 5 vs. 5 tournaments with cash prizes for the winners.
Fans eager to get their hands on the new jersey can head to Eighteen Threads, the SDFC retail shop at Mission Valley Mall, or hit MLSStore.com. Special limited-edition jerseys featuring an “Inaugural Season” tag and commemorative box are available in-store only.
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