Neighborhoods MARCH 28, 2022

Let’s Talk San Diego Housing Prices

A closer look at the numbers, stats, and facts driving our city's soaring housing market

Let’s Talk San Diego Housing Prices
Shutterstock.com
San Diego Home Prices

The median home price in San Diego reached a high of $873,250 in June of 2021

Shutterstock.com

Nobody was calling the San Diego real estate market affordable back in 2019, when the median price for single-family homes peaked at $673,000. But we were practically wistful after summer 2020 pushed that number to $741,180. And even that looks adorable in retrospect, as a frenzy of activity in 2021 vaulted the median home price to $873,250 by June. This data, compiled by online brokerage and listing aggregator Redfin, reveals just how bleak the landscape is for aspiring home buyers.

It’s difficult to uncouple the alarming rise in home values from the pandemic. Conventional wisdom says that millions of white-collar Americans shifted to remote work all at once, prompting a wholesale change in housing needs that placed a premium on extra square footage.

According to Taylor Marr, a deputy chief economist at Redfin, urban and suburban prices per square foot typically rise at similar rates, but that changed in 2020. In many suburban areas, the median price per square foot pushed over $400—and even $500—meaning buyers were forced to redefine what they consider to be a million-dollar home. But the desire for home offices is only part of the story.

Over the past two years, historically low interest rates, and millennials coming of age as home buyers, increased demand while supply remained on par with previous years. And unlike previous years, new listings in 2019 would remain on the market for more than three weeks. In 2021, the median selling time dropped to nine days.

Any given weekend, home buyers targeting certain neighborhoods—Mount Helix, Poway, Carmel Valley, and San Carlos—would find only a handful of options available. As Chris Anderson, president of the San Diego Association of Realtors, explains, this made the notion of a dream home unattainable, as frustrated buyers grew increasingly aggressive with their offers. “If there’s 30 offers and yours doesn’t get taken,” she says, “the other 29 are going to be against you on the next one, too.”

By now we’ve all heard the shocking tales. Bidding wars pushing values eight percent above asking price. High-paid tech workers from San Francisco stepping in with an all-cash offer to snare a listing they’ve never seen in person.

Anderson confirms the rumor that people have been buying homes “sight unseen,” noting that some out-of-town buyers have been ready to board a plane to get the jump on a listing, but others  have been satisfied with video walk-throughs. She’s been a Realtor since 1989, but says “the game has changed.” She’s even gone to a home with a prospective buyer on a FaceTime call so she can walk them through the property.

Out-of-Town Buyers

So how much did Bay Area buyers actually fuel this price spike? To figure it out, Marr points to Redfin home buyer searches, which have proven a reliable predictor of census movements. Recent data shows that 14 percent of searches for San Diego properties came from the Bay Area. This figure may include a set of buyers Anderson has encountered: survivors of recent Northern California wildfires, who received insurance checks after their properties were destroyed. However, the data also shows that, by volume, more than 50 percent of searches came from Los Angeles.

Regardless of their origin, Marr’s research reveals that an out-of-town buyer showed up with a budget 7.6 percent higher than what locals could spend. While metropolitan real estate markets across the country have boomed during the pandemic, he suspects that migrating home buyers fueled a phenomenon relatively unique to San Diego in 2021: Urban homes and condo prices catching up to the gains seen in the suburbs.

The outlook may not be encouraging to San Diegans seeking to own their homes. If there’s any good news to be found, it’s that prices have eased slightly, and with interest rates rising, experts expect the market to slow down.

For first-time buyers, the last glimmer of hope may be condos. “You can pretty much always find a condo,” says Marr. “Just do it when you’re not going to compete with other buyers as much.”

Real Estate

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Living & Design FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Good Time Design

At home with restaurateur and entertainment venue mastermind Ty Hauter

Good Time Design
Good Time Design

Ty Hauter, his wife Suzannah, and daughter Presley Royce

Neighborhood
Coronado

Stats
4 bedrooms,
5 bathrooms
plus a detached guesthouse

FIREPLACES
fireplaces 10 (one in every room)

THEIR STORY: Meet Ty Hauter, the former bouncer turned businessman who has been instrumental in revamping San Diego’s East Village. His company, Good Time Design, owns and operates 11 local restaurants and bars, including the original Whiskey Girl, Bub’s at the Ballpark, and Southpaw Social Club. The most recent, Moonshine Flats, a 10,000-square-foot country rock bar and entertainment venue, just opened in February. He also bought the Palm Restaurant on J Street and has plans for a new concept, set to open this summer. So how does he bring the hustle and bustle of his work life home? He doesn’t, really. Ty and his wife, Suzannah, share a surprisingly quiet existence at their new house in Coronado. As with all of his projects, quality mattered. To help with the details, Suzannah recruited Darcy Kempton of Simply Stunning Spaces, who crafted a cozy yet streamlined look. Paint colors and fabric swatches aside, the house has one star attraction: the couple’s 18-month-old daughter, Presley Royce. She’s a one-of-a-kind design.

Home Tours FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Good Time Design

At home with restaurateur and entertainment venue mastermind Ty Hauter

Good Time Design

Ty Hauter, his wife Suzannah, and daughter Presley Royce

Neighborhood
Coronado

Stats
4 bedrooms,
5 bathrooms
plus a detached guesthouse

FIREPLACES
fireplaces 10 (one in every room)

THEIR STORY: Meet Ty Hauter, the former bouncer turned businessman who has been instrumental in revamping San Diego’s East Village. His company, Good Time Design, owns and operates 11 local restaurants and bars, including the original Whiskey Girl, Bub’s at the Ballpark, and Southpaw Social Club. The most recent, Moonshine Flats, a 10,000-square-foot country rock bar and entertainment venue, just opened in February. He also bought the Palm Restaurant on J Street and has plans for a new concept, set to open this summer. So how does he bring the hustle and bustle of his work life home? He doesn’t, really. Ty and his wife, Suzannah, share a surprisingly quiet existence at their new house in Coronado. As with all of his projects, quality mattered. To help with the details, Suzannah recruited Darcy Kempton of Simply Stunning Spaces, who crafted a cozy yet streamlined look. Paint colors and fabric swatches aside, the house has one star attraction: the couple’s 18-month-old daughter, Presley Royce. She’s a one-of-a-kind design.

Everything SD JUNE 5, 2026

The Best Restaurants in San Diego 2026

We asked, you voted, and food critic Troy Johnson chose his favorites—these are the top food and drink people and places in the city

The Best Restaurants in San Diego 2026
Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger

Some keep lists of favorite books, of quotes, of enemies whose time shall come. At SDM we keep vast, nuanced, hotly debated lists of the best food and drink in the city. Menus are our smut novels. From Michelin stars to mom and pops, our list constantly evolves over hundreds of new bites tried every year. Here’s the 2026 list from food critic Troy Johnson and 129,000-plus votes from our readers, who really, really know their food.

Scroll down for the full list of Best Restaurant winners

Troy Johnson

About Troy Johnson

Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.

Studio S JUNE 8, 2026

Seven Restaurants, One Rising Star

Yes, Chef! winner Emily Brubaker leads the robust culinary program at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa

Seven Restaurants, One Rising Star
Courtesy of Omni La Costa

For Executive Chef Emily Brubaker, Omni La Costa Resort & Spa feels like home. She grew up just a mile-and-a-half away from the 400-acre property and fondly recalls walking the golf course perimeter as a kid. Though her ambitions led her away from San Diego for nearly two decades in which she honed her craft in some of the highest of high-profile Las Vegas restaurants—including triple Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand—they ultimately brought her back to North County.

Courtesy of Omni La Costa

Today, the classically French-trained chef, who’s fresh off a victory on NBC’s Yes, Chef!, judged by Martha Stewart and José Andrés, oversees Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s seven distinct dining concepts. Her goal is to elevate the resort’s culinary program with her creative, hyperlocal ingredient-driven approach while maintaining the Spanish- inspired flavors and fresh California coastal cuisine that are the bedrock of its culinary identity.

“The San Diego food scene is really growing, and in North County alone, it’s really exploded in the last five years,” Brubaker says. “There are Michelin stars, beautiful tasting menus, craft bakers, and all this food—when I was growing up in La Costa, it was fish tacos. Now there are really cool things popping up, and I’m so happy to be here to see where it’s going to go.”

Brubaker gives chefs de cuisine at each individual restaurant autonomy, however, her influence is evident across the resort.

For example, lobby restaurant Bar Traza serves as Omni La Costa’s culinary centerpiece and features bold Spanish flavors in a lively, social atmosphere. Brubaker overhauled the menu to be more consistent and centered on casual bites with that signature vibe. Think smoky paprika, vibrant citrus, and Spanish meats and cheeses.

At VUE, the focus is on seasonal offerings, California coastal cuisine, and Baja-inspired dishes. She and Chef de Cuisine Cameron Dixon change the menu biannually, which heading into summer, will highlight farm-fresh produce and hyperlocal ingredients—the resort even has its own herb garden and honeybee hives.

Courtesy of Omni La Costa

Poolside dining options are leaning into the country’s 250th this summer with a selection of classic American dishes with an Omni La Costa twist. And Bob’s Steak & Chop House (Brubaker is a trained butcher) offers a classic steakhouse experience with elevated service.

The chef and company also plan menus for special events at the resort where her creativity can really shine. For an upcoming National Ski Association dinner, the banquet hall will be transformed into an Alpine-themed winter wonderland complete with a snow machine, savory sausages, and melty, decadent raclette. A recent dinner was built around the Carlsbad Flower Fields and each course was matched to a color of ranunculus (Did you know pink dragonfruit are grown in North County? You do now.).

“It’s my zen to be in the kitchen playing with food,” Brubaker says.

Omni La Costa’s culinary program is a key part of the resort experience. And with Brubaker’s leadership, it’s becoming a draw for visitors and locals alike.

“These aren’t just hotel restaurants, these are restaurants that you should go to. They’re destinations, and I’m really hoping for the future that’s where we’re going,” Brubaker says.

Courtesy of Omni La Costa

Brubaker is also channeling her experience on Yes, Chef! into the culture at Omni La Costa—more emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, empowering her staff to share constructive critiques, and embracing different perspectives. Alongside her leadership role, Brubaker has become an advocate for mental health in the hospitality industry, serving as chief ambassador for the Burnt Chef Project and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Apex Culinary Program, where she mentors and develops future talent.

For more on Omni La Costa Resort & Spa and its dining program, please visit omnihotels.com/hotels/san-diego-la-costa.

Partner Content
Features MARCH 16, 2026

The Locals’ Guide to Visiting Alpine, CA

This historical East County community offers numerous hikes, family-owned shops, and a slower pace of life.

The Locals’ Guide to Visiting Alpine, CA
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

You don’t have to go far to get your forest fix in San Diego County—just take the 8 East past El Cajon and gain altitude in the Cuyamaca Mountains and you’ll hit Alpine, a quasi-rural community of 15,000 with sweeping views. Surrounded by national forest land and two reservations and perched at 2,000-feet elevation, Alpine is only about 30 miles east of downtown San Diego, perfect for a day trip when you’re in the mood for a small-town outing (or a stop along the way to the desert or Viejas).

The Kumeyaay hunted, gathered, and farmed in what is now Alpine more than 12,000 years ago before Spanish missionaries forced them to convert their villages to rancherias. By the late 1840s, after California and Mexico declared independence from Spain, the rancherias were consolidated into one massive “rancho,” and, in the 1850s, the area became a stopover on the “Jackass Mail,” SoCal’s first regular postal route. Then came the Gold Rush and a road to Julian, followed by another kind of gold: Alpine was California’s leading producer of honey in the late 1800s.

Former historical society president and honorary mayor Bob Ring says that during WWI, Alpine became known for having the “best climate” in the United States—healthy for soldiers’ convalescence or those with respiratory issues. Good weather, agriculture, and deer hunting brought folks to Alpine as it grew from hunting shacks to cottages to family homes.

Nowadays, Alpine is a place where “you have to get in touch with nature—because we have no movie theaters,” jokes real estate broker and former chamber of commerce board member Jeff Campbell, a resident since 1974. Getting outdoors in Alpine might mean joining 4-H or Future Farmers of America; hiking or dog-walking at Wright’s Field or Loveland Reservoir; riding horses, ATVs, and mountain bikes; or hitting the trails to discover seasonal waterfalls like Cedar Creek Falls, which cascades into a swimmable pool. Alpine is also the place to get up close with raptors at Sky Falconry and meet rescued big cats at the animal sanctuary Lions Tigers and Bears.

Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

Facts About Alpine, CA

  • Famous Broadway actor William Dalton, who went by the stage name Julian Eltinge and made a fortune playing women’s roles on stage, lived in Alpine in the 1920s. His ranch home still stands.
  • One of California’s earliest female physicians, Dr. Sophronia Nichols, lived in Alpine. Her 1896 home now houses the Alpine Historical Society Museum.
  • Former major league pitcher and Padres commentator Mark “Mud” Grant resides in Alpine.
  • Zillow reports the median home price in Alpine is almost $930,000.
  • Alpine has hosted its holiday Parade of Lights for 30 years. Thousands attend from all over San Diego County.
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

The Locals’ Guide to Alpine, CA

“Here’s how favorites work in Alpine: We all have our preferred menu items at each of our town’s 11 eateries,” Campbell explains. The restaurants are mostly concentrated along Alpine Boulevard right off the 8.

Ring likes the rolled tacos at family-owned Alpine Taco Shop, with extra guac and cheese, while Campbell is partial to the fried fish tacos at Casino Inn Bar & Grill. According to Campbell, Franca’s Italian Kitchen and Bar has the best baked rigatoni not only in Alpine but in all of San Diego County. Ring goes there for family dinners and says he could be satisfied with “just the homemade bread with balsamic and olive oil.” Or head to Mediterraneo (locals call it “the Med”) for vegetarian lasagna. “I’m a keto dude, but it’s that good,” Campbell says.

For coffee, there’s The Well Cafe, where Cecilia Kennedy runs the shop and her husband Alan roasts beans in micro batches at home. Try the dark roast for drip and Mexican mocha for something a little fancier. Breakfast is a must at Janet’s Montana Cafe, which Campbell says serves the fluffiest pancakes, with no syrup needed. “[Janet’s has] homemade everything,” Ring adds, “but try the pies.” Grab supersized treats at Steph’s Donut Hole, and lunch is on the go at Barons Market, where you can pick up soup and salad.

Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

With two award-winning breweries in town, Alpine has a good beer scene for its size. Campbell gets the Assaulted By Feather Pillows IPA at Mike Hess Brewing and the Apricot Bells Bluff blonde ale at Mcilhenney Brewing Co.

The town also has a healthy populace of gearheads: Locals like to bring out their classic cars, motorcycles, dune buggies, and fifth wheels. Hang out on a Sunday to ogle old Thunderbirds, Mustangs, and Corvettes. For fun, Alpine parents take their kids to Viejas Outlet Center for outdoor ice skating in winter (and roller skating the rest of the year) or games at the center’s big arcade.

Overall, Campbell and Ring agree, you gotta have humor and heart to live in Alpine. “The culture of this community is that people are always willing to help, even in these busy times,” Ring says.

Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

What’s About to Happen?

Change in Alpine is incremental. Campbell anticipates Alpine’s mix of historic and suburban-type housing won’t shift dramatically in the near future, but he has seen some movement by the county to rezone some of its land to encourage more affordable units. “It’s my greatest hope for Alpine,” he says. “Nothing is deeded yet, but it’s on the county’s radar.”

Caltrans is also paying attention to the area, with a recent freeway expansion east of Alpine to Pine Valley, which means more road enhancements could be coming to the two-lane stretch of the 8 that leads from El Cajon west to Alpine.

Best Hikes in Southern California featuring Cactus to Clouds Trail on San Jacinto Peak in Palm Springs

A new state law that took effect in 2026 will certainly bring changes to Alpine’s mountain aesthetic: Homeowners and businesses must remove all combustible materials within five feet of any structure to help prevent fires. Compliance means replacement of existing landscaping with bare soil, rocks, gravel, concrete, or stone. It could be a whole different look for a rugged town with natural smatterings of oaks, bushy sage, and chaparral.

Campbell has recently seen positive growth and possible expansion in the tribal areas, with new housing subdivisions. In Alpine, he’s noticed a gradual ADU trend, gaining momentum but not catching on as quickly as in other parts of San Diego—“because people come out here for elbow room,” he says.

It’s kind of big news that there’s talk of a small grocery store incoming (the first supermarket to arrive in town since Barons in 2015). New businesses in Alpine used to be heralded with ribbon-cuttings by the chamber of commerce, which disbanded last year—but, Campbell has heard, the organization may get revived soon and bring back this charmingly small-town style of welcome. “Alpine has a need for a center to elevate business to a new level,” he says.

Where to Eat in Alpine

Off the 8 Café

Franca’s Italian Kitchen and Bar

Grove Steakhouse

Where to Shop in Alpine

Seek + Gather

For the Love Gift Boutique

Summit Thrift

More Things to Do in Alpine

Cleveland National Forest

Alpine Acres Sanctuary Farm

Viejas Bowl

Leorah Gavidor won her first essay contest at age 5. She writes features, news, and non-fiction in San Diego.

Everything SD MARCH 2, 2026

The Locals’ Guide to Visiting La Jolla, CA

Explore the ins-and-outs of this coastal beach town, including what to do, see, and eat

The Locals’ Guide to Visiting La Jolla, CA
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

Need help deciding which of La Jolla’s seemingly endless beaches to lay your towel out at today? Each little sandy sliver between the neighborhood’s sea cliffs has its own name and character: the Cove for swimming, Children’s Pool for seal-watching, Wipeout Beach for skim-boarding. Head to La Jolla Shores for that wide, sandy, picnic-with-the-family feel, and if you know what you’re doing, go surfing at Windansea or Bird Rock (if you’re a beginner, opt instead for the Shores, where most of San Diego learned to surf).

Surfers at Blacks Beach San Diego

Of course, beachy isn’t La Jolla’s only vibe. The Village (locals don’t call it downtown anymore, says La Jolla resident and senior editor of lajolla.ca Elisabeth Frausto) is La Jolla’s most walkable area—highlighted by the main drag, Prospect Street—with a wide radius of shop-lined roads sloping down to the coast.

At long standing neighborhood staples like Warwick’s bookstore and Harry’s Coffee Shop, “old-timers still belly up to the counter and talk politics,” Frausto says. Art enthusiasts visit to peruse through its many galleries, including Quint and Joseph Bellows, and check out what’s on at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). Shoppers wander Girard Avenue, picking out activewear at Lululemon and Vuori and fancier digs at Thread + Seed and Sigi’s Boutique. Friends gossip and sip coffee at locally owned outposts like Flower Pot Cafe and Il Giardino Di Lilli.

Il Giardino Di Lilli
Courtesy of Il Giardino Di Lilli

Once isolated from the rest of San Diego, La Jolla became a popular resort destination when the San Diego, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla Railway arrived in the 1890s and made the area more accessible to visitors (who wanted to spend time there so badly they stayed in tents during the summer). Some of those tourists got creative, too.

“Our tradition of supporting the arts goes back to the days of the Green Dragon Artist Colony that was founded in 1894,” says Athenaeum Music & Arts Library Executive Director Christie Mitchell. Anna Held started the Green Dragon Colony to attract visiting artists to La Jolla for a weekend getaway; it quickly became a venue for ad-hoc performances and bohemian artists’ salons.

However, it was Ellen Browning Scripps more than anyone who shaped La Jolla into the neighborhood we know today, commissioning buildings like the structure that now houses MCASD. The arrival of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1907 laid the foundation for the establishment of UC San Diego 53 years later at the longtime site of the military base Camp Matthews. All of these developments helped establish La Jolla’s layered identities: high-dollar beach town, arts magnet, academic research hub.

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

Facts About La Jolla, CA

  • Ellen Browning Scripps commissioned Irving Gill to design a building for the La Jolla Woman’s Club in 1914; it still meets today in the same building.
  • La Jolla’s scenic beauty is a backdrop for many movies, including Thor, Gattaca, Traffic, Mr. Jones, and Andy Warhol’s 1968 experimental film San Diego Surf.
  • Every summer, thousands of pregnant female leopard sharks gather in La Jolla’s Marine Protected Areas to incubate their pups.
  • Zillow reports the average home price in La Jolla is $2.3 million.
  • Old Hollywood film star and La Jolla native Gregory Peck was one of the founders of La Jolla Playhouse, which opened its doors in 1947.
Christie Mitchell
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

Locals’ Guide to La Jolla, CA

Athenaeum Music & Arts Director Christie Mitchell is a bona fide La Jolla local, having grown up in the LJ neighborhood of Bird Rock. Her dad still surfs, and Mitchell met her own surfer husband at La Jolla High (their toddler has already tried surfing, too). Mitchell’s mom still lives in Bird Rock, and “it’s gotten a lot livelier and more pedestrian-friendly,” she says.

On weekends, she makes sure to hit Wayfarer Bread for “the gooiest, heaviest, stickiest cinnamon loaf—definitely preorder because there’s always a line,” she advises. Friday and Saturday are pizza night at Wayfarer, and the bakery’s industry collabs produce some unique pies. For coffee, head to Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, of course, where you can grab a cup and hang out in the open-air seating or stroll to La Jolla Hermosa Park for ocean views (and a skate park and bike paths for little ones to tire themselves out on).

One of Mitchell’s favorites for lunch with coworkers in the Village is Peruvian-inspired Pepino, owned by one of her high school classmates. “The sweet potato bowl is really good,” she says.

The Marine Room
Courtesy of The Marine Room

She also cherishes La Jolla institutions. The Ascot Shop, a longtime men’s clothing boutique, is a go-to for gifts; founded by a local fisherman, El Pescador Fish Market is the place for the freshest seafood and fish tacos; and The Marine Room is for special occasions, with on-point service against a backdrop of crashing waves. “And nothing says ‘La Jolla’ like George’s at the Cove,” Mitchell adds. “With the John Baldessari mural and the view, it’s a great mix of the arts and the ocean.”

There’s a surprising amount to do on the weekdays in La Jolla, Mitchell says, with free live music every Monday at the Athenaeum (and weekly ticketed events), late-night DJ sessions at Le Coq, acts at The Comedy Store, concerts at the The Conrad (home of La Jolla Music Society), and the monthly First Friday Art Walk.

Lucien La Jolla
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos

What’s About to Happen

The biggest talk of the town for La Jollans? Possible secession from the city of San Diego, Frausto says. Proponents want to separate so La Jolla can maintain its own infrastructure and make decisions about development (critics say La Jolla should contribute taxes to the rest of the city). If the initiative advances, final say would come down to a city-wide vote.

Additionally, locals and visitors alike are witnessing a genuine culinary explosion. Restaurateur Sami Ladeki’s Roppongi, a Japanese fusion and sushi favorite that closed in 2015, reopened in December 2025 under returning chef Alfie Szeprethy. Michelin-starred chef Elijah Arizmendi launched tasting-menu-only restaurant Lucien last year, and chef Accursio Lota of North Park’s Cori Trattoria Pastifico opened his new spot Dora in November. Local designers Paul Basile and Jules Wilson are building Roseacre, 5,000 square feet of culinary concepts on Girard Avenue. And one of La Jolla’s favorite restaurant families is opening a completely new eatery near Torrey Pines Golf Course in summer 2026: From the guys behind Puesto and Marisi comes an Eastern Mediterranean spot called Ikaria.

Back in the Village, a new boutique hotel by Orli is landing in the old nurses’ quarters (now condos) next to the original 1924 Scripps hospital (the institution moved to Genesee Avenue in 1964). La Jolla is also getting in on the thrifting trend—Goodwill opened a shop on Herschel Avenue in early 2026.

Pedestrian-friendly changes are afoot in two of LJ’s walkable areas. At La Jolla Shores, look for enhancements to Avenida de la Playa from El Paseo Grande to Calle de la Plata, where the street has been closed to vehicles since 2020 for outdoor dining. The Village Streetscape Plan is coming to Girard Avenue between Silverado Street and Prospect Street, bringing expanded walking areas, corner parks, improved lighting, new seating, public art, and landscaping to create shade canopies and gathering spaces.

La Jolla
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler

Also look for beautification projects along the coast. The 1920s stairs leading down to the tide pools at Whale View Point are finally getting a redo; Ellen Browning Scripps Park will receive fresh sod and much-needed widened sidewalks. And ADA trail improvements and a new restroom facility are on their way at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, making the beloved natural area more accessible.

As for housing, Frausto says, affordable units are hard to come by, and that probably won’t change soon. Most new homes and apartments are geared toward the luxury market, like La Jolla’s first new gated community in 40 years, Foxhill, which broke ground in October 2025 on the site of a former golf course—with empty lots selling for more than $8 million.

Where to Eat in La Jolla

Le Coq

Marisi

Catania

Where to Shop in La Jolla

Mitch’s Surf Shop

Mood Indigo

Gracie James Co.

More Things to Do in La Jolla

Birch Aquarium

Torrey Pines Gliderport

La Jolla Kayak

Leorah Gavidor won her first essay contest at age 5. She writes features, news, and non-fiction in San Diego.

Partner Content AUGUST 5, 2022

Bringing a Buzz Back to the Office by JLL San Diego

How companies are re-energizing their employees and workplace culture

Bringing a Buzz Back to the Office by JLL San Diego
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The office now feels different to pre-pandemic days.

With more people splitting their work hours between home, the office and other locations, many workplaces are seeing peaks and troughs in employee numbers throughout the week, with different teams crossing paths less frequently than before.

It’s now up to companies to find new ways to re-energize the office to make the commute feel worthwhile and support employees who may be battling feelings of isolation and disconnection.

JLL’s Regenerative Workplace research found that 36 percent of employees feel they lack energy while working, while a quarter feel too exhausted by work and family life to take care of their health and wellbeing. A third even say their company is no longer a good place to work.

Yet good energy levels are intrinsic to employee engagement and motivation, driving creativity and innovation. 

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Energy to engage

Although remote work has helped many employees achieve a better work-life balance, video meeting fatigue and longer workdays have also taken their toll.

A McKinsey survey of attitudes to post-pandemic work found that many employees now fear their work-life balance will suffer. Mental health is now a top priority and employee expectations that companies will support their well-being are growing.

Companies like JLL are taking note; taking measures to promote employee well-being, including flexible work schedules, and providing more support for mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression, which often are hidden.

Elsewhere, other HR-driven initiatives are helping people to build new connections with colleagues. A renewed focus on mentorship programs and teambuilding activities can develop valuable workplace relationships that many employees felt were negatively impacted by remote work, while specialized onboarding for people who were hired during the pandemic is helping them feel part of the team.

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Designed to energize

The workplace itself has an important role in encouraging community and boosting energy levels. Workplace design that emphasizes collaborative space over individual workstations can nurture communal energy when fewer employees are in.

Meeting spaces that are equipped with high-quality screens and audio technology make it easier and more enjoyable to collaborate with remote colleagues. Open-air work areas such as terraces and rooftops can significantly improve employees’ sense of wellbeing while adding more greenery – such as green walls and desk plants – can boost energy and reduce stress.

Space dedicated to health and wellbeing also benefits energy levels, whether that’s quiet rooms, fitness zones or break areas. In the JLL San Diego office, having a transition space where employees can switch off between different tasks and avoid back-to-back meetings helps people to recharge. It also provides an opportunity for social experiences, which helps develop personal connections.

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It’s this sense of shared purpose and personal connection that today’s companies need to fuel a new type of office buzz in the hybrid work era.

As work takes place in an increasingly digital environment, the physical office is more relevant than ever as the space which brings people together, whether they’re employees or clients. While people may spend less time there, the experience is more sophisticated, carefully designed to support a vibrant community and nurture sustainable, long-term performance.

About JLL

JLL knows San Diego commercial real estate: past, present, and future. With over 1,300 lease transactions totaling 18.1 million square feet and $5 billion in sales under our belt since 2019 – our trusted advisors have the local market knowledge and insight you need to address changing business demands, challenges, and risks. Learn more here.

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