Let’s start 2014 off with some vision, shall we? We went poking around Kickstarter, Twitter, local blogs, and into the brains of our most entrenched neighborhood spies to find out what’s brewing for San Diego in the coming year. From our natural wonders to our most promising new technologies, we found brilliance, simplicity and, of course, good food.
We refuse to allow Bob Filner’s toxic reign to ruin everything. Especially perfectly good ideas like bringing the Olympics to San Diego. There are still some smart people in this town willing to work on the effort, and now that Tijuana’s out of the picture as a partner (dang, that would have been cool!), the idea is even more doable. And doable big ideas are the best big ideas. There are fewer than a dozen U.S. cities competing for the bid, and we really only need to come up with a plan to build a handful of new venues. Okay, so that may seem daunting, considering the anguish over a single football stadium in this town. But the Olympics are not the NFL. They’re beach volleyball and tennis, basketball and sailing, gymnastics and archery, BMX riding and… something for pretty much everyone. So let’s make like the Olympic rings and link arms, San Diego, to bring some international attention of the athletic variety to our sunny shores.
Farmer with a drone
Sally French
2. Let’s get every farmer a drone!
Self-taught robotics engineer Jordi Muñoz from Ensenada links up with former WIRED Magazine tech whisperer Chris Anderson to launch a fast-moving, San Diego-based company that manufactures and sells drones for around $500 to regular Joes? Yeah, 3D Robotics is not a hard startup story to love. Especially considering its just raised $30 million in venture capital thanks largely to its foray into the biggest business in the U.S.: agriculture. Before civilian drones, farmers had to inspect land manually, which was costly and labor-intensive. Using drones, farmers can quickly and easily gather visual data to assess the health of their crops. They can use near-infrared mapping to get more detailed information and target treatment to the crops that specifically require it, rather than apply a one-size-fits-all all approach. “This is precision agriculture,” says Anderson. And it’s driven by San Diego-based engineering. “We have been consistently impressed with the availability of top local talent,” says Anderson about San Diego. “We also love the proximity to Mexico. This has enabled us to provide high-quality, low-cost manufacturing.” Considering the fact that San Diego is home to more small, organic farms than anywhere else in the state (6,500), this is one big, homegrown idea that’s poised to take flight.
North Park Theatre
Photo by Robert Benson
4. Let’s support the RADLAB model for creating big urban parks.
Old shipping containers repurposed into mini-movie theaters, concert venues, farmers market stalls, parklets, bars, food trucks, and more—all united by frequent festivals and community events? Why not? The group of students at the NewSchool for Architecture + Design that created this vision for a dynamic, temporary urban park in downtown San Diego says it’s completely doable in the next few years—and then completely undoable, too. Or at least moveable to a new location in need of revitali-zation, once the vacant area downtown is developed. The students put their ideas on the crowdfunding site Kick-starter, and were able to raise more than $60,000 in just 30 days. Now it’s on to conditional use permits, compliance, and some quality time with city planning. But co-founder David Loewenstein is energized. “San Diego is primed right now for a public intervention. We’ve seen a trend lately where architects, designers, urbanists, and community activists are pushing the city to adapt new policies that allow for experimentation.”
RADLAB
Rendering by Jason Grauten
5. Let’s teach our kids to manage their money.
It wasn’t so long ago that we were teaching girls how to sew, cook eggs, and iron sheets in public schools. Today, we see a need for a different kind of home economics: personal finance. Why not require every single high school student to be proficient in the basics of personal finance before graduation? Interest rates; credit cards; mortgages; cost of living calculations; and the fundamentals of saving, and simple investing products like 401K and 529 plans. The cost of college, kids, housing, and retirement? Teach them, then test them on it. Basic philanthropy and tax deductions. In a city that has struggled with underfunded investments and deferred maintenance, we are the perfect place to teach the next generation what not to do. We owe it to them, considering the financial mess waiting for them. By doing it in a fundamental way at the public school level, we can start to even the playing field. And hey, the more people that understand how convoluted the tax code is and how expensive college is, the more brains that will start percolating on solutions.
6. Let’s make Convoy the next great SD neighborhood.
“Honey, let’s take the kids up to Convoy Street for dessert and a stroll after dinner,” is probably not something you hear very often in San Diego households. But we’re betting that will change in the next few years. Tim Nguyen and his colleagues are in the early stages of establishing a Business Improvement District, where businesses will collectively fund infrastructure improvements and promote the area as a food, cultural, and startup hub in San Diego (Little Italy, North Park, and Hillcrest already have similar BIDs in place). Of course, the food angle is the most obvious, with the city’s best Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and other Asian restaurants literally stacked on top of one another. More than 15,000 people attended the district’s first foodie “Night Market” last year (they expected 2,000). But Nguyen says there’s also plans for a kitchen incubator in the area, focused on helping culinary entrepreneurs find test kitchens, investors, and retail space, and they plan to increase walkability on roads and sidewalks, improve safety after dark, and add more parks and green spaces. A banner campaign for the neighborhood will start next year, but that’s just the beginning. Visit convoydistrict.com to learn more and watch for monthly Night Markets to start this spring.
Convoy street sign
7. Let’s promote our brains (not just our beauty and beer).
Brains can be sexy! Think of Boston, which has a reputation for being super smart but also a bastion for sports fans and beer drinkers. We need to step up promotion for our city’s brains, along with our beauty and good beer, of course. Did you know the world’s most famous amnesia patient’s brain was sectioned at UC San Diego’s Brain Observatory, and is now searchable on a slick digital map? San Diego also hosts the Brain Health Fair, where the best neurologists in the world teach free classes on the latest advances in brain health. Qualcomm has an internal “Brain Corp” focused on getting computers to mimic the human brain. And we’re the only city with TWO reps on President Obama’s BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative. San Diego could definitely rival Boston on braininess.
NOCO News
Apple
8. Let’s start a North County news service.
U-T San Diego created a major void when it gobbled up the North County Times and Main Street Media (which includes seven NoCo neighborhood papers). We’re sad for the residents of Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Valley, and Poway, and their neighbors. But we also smell opportunity. Since the U-T’s penchant for shrinking coverage of these North County towns is starting to show (and Patch.com is wearing thin), there’s an untapped market for local news. Roughly a million people live in North County. We say start online and go the nonprofit route. Kickstarter? Community donations? Pay-per-story? Nonprofit news organizations like Voice of San Diego and have amassed award-winning news coverage, investigations, and even local community events all without traditional advertising or big publishers. But it focuses mostly on the city of San Diego. iNewsource is another nonprofit newsource recently launched within KPBS. “Many issues we hear about that need investigating originate in North County,” says iNewsource founder Lorie Hearn. Next-gen journalists and nonprofit execs—Get thee to Vista!
Mark Kersey
Photo by Robert Benson
10. Let’s canoe down the San Diego River from the Cuyamacas to Mission Bay.
Imagine one long path meandering down the banks of the San Diego River from the mountains down to the ocean. According to the San Diego River Park Foundation, the $200 million project is on the verge of becoming a reality. From the top of the Cuyamacas northwest of Julian, the river courses down through 52 miles of public and privately held land parcels before it empties into the sea near Mission Bay. The Foundation has been quietly buying up disjointed sections of that land, with a long-range goal of placing the waterway under a single jurisdiction. In the next five years, the Foundation expects to expand the 1,000 acres of river land they now own into a recreational area that would include parks, pathways, and interactive nature guides. And who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to drift a few miles in a lazy canoe or catch a water taxi from one inlet to the next. It’s not without challenges (for one thing, nearly 20 percent of San Diego’s homeless currently camp out along the banks of the river). Plus, there’s an image problem. “The San Diego River either was seen as a bad thing whenever it flooded Mission Valley, or people didn’t even know it existed,” says Rob Hutsel, director of the SDRPF. “[But] all the pieces are now in place. It’s a question of community leadership. And money.”
Best Place to Buy Original Art Without Needing a Tiny Paddle
Goblin Shark Emporium
Almost everything in this Oceanside shop is made by local artists and independent weirdos, and almost none of it requires a gallerist’s budget. Goblin Shark Emporium rotates a new featured artist every month between the vinyl crates, blacklight posters, and hilariously specific stickers, so you can walk out with original work and a tarot reading to contemplate as you sip your Banana Dang Coffee from a couple storefronts down.
Best Hidden Gem
Through the Fold
Tucked within the potting tables and ferns of Mission Hills Nursery, the oldest nursery in Southern California and a Kate Sessions original, sits Through the Fold, the sweet indie bookstore that mother-daughter team Gail Levine and Jennifer Medeiros hand-built and opened in late April. Two retired educators and lifelong bibliophiles run it like a neighborhood living room: three book clubs, toddler story time, and a summer camp for the 7-to-12 set. It’s the rare retail run that smells like soil and new paperbacks, which is to say, like a very specific kind of heaven.
Open since 1993 under the unbeatable tagline “Books of Martians, Murder, Magic, and Mayhem,” this Rosecrans Street institution is the city’s portal for anyone who would rather be on a different planet. Load up on sci-fi, horror, and fantasy, then stick around for the weekly Dungeons & Dragons campaign, because the only thing better than reading about another universe is rolling a d20 inside one.
Best Stop into Trinket Town
Library Shop
On the ground floor of the downtown Central Library, tucked into the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Common, sits the Library Shop, a tightly curated gift store stocked with presents and trinkets you didn’t know you needed: wind-up kitchen timers, specialty pencils, felt coasters in colors cheerful enough to overcome the first half of the Padres’ season—you get it. Every dollar funds the San Diego Public Library system, which makes the shop’s official “Guilt-Free Shopping” motto the rare slogan that holds up. Come for a paperback, leave having formed a genuine emotional attachment to a $4 pencil.
The window at this North Park shop is alive: a front-of-house catio where adoptable rescue cats audition for your heart while you pretend to be just browsing. From there, a literal catwalk runs along the ceiling to a back resting room (because existing around inferior beings is exhausting for cats). Owner Vera Blatchley of Purrgatory stocks the full cat-lover arsenal, plus a wall of gifts for the feline who already has nine of everything. Fan favorite: a retro-style, bubblegum-pink Kit-Cat Clock.
Best San Diego Mood Board
Club Paradise
Surf art’s everywhere, but it’s somehow always a little kooky. Painter Andy Davis’ style captured that elemental soul, making him one of the most successful surf artists of the last few decades (check his giant mural at Town and Country Resort). His tiny Encinitas storefront, Club Paradise, is a gallery-slash-gift shop that stocks his paintings and prints—and he’s using the space as a culture club for local and touring creatives.
Best Limited-Edition Tan Line
Tulux Resortwear
Tulux is the Pacific Beach swimwear label out of Cass Street, where designer Yamhed Torres turns the whole Tulum fantasy into bold, limited-run bikinis. This year, Vogue México y Latinoamérica named her one of just 10 emerging designers to watch, so each suit comes with the kind of credentials that practically books its own sunset getaway. Everything is one and done: When a piece sells, it’s gone for good, which is either smart scarcity or the universe telling you to commit.
Free lotto tickets at crystal shops? Yes, please. Pacific Beads owner Shlomo Gruer greets you at the door of this Clairemont Mesa warehouse of crystals, geodes, and beads by the bin. He presses a lotto ticket into your hand, sometimes with the stipulation that if you hit it big, you can throw his staff a party. You come for cheap amethyst and sterling findings; you leave holding a fistful of healing stones and a statistically remote shot at early retirement.
Best Nostalgia Purchase
123 Sweetsss
El Cajon’s Parkway Plaza could look radically different in the near future, as city officials are hatching plans to reinvent the one-time community and commercial center. Inflection points of iconic structures are always compelling times to visit and tabulate your own urban-planning daydreams. As you do, hit the first NAMA-certified automatic cotton candy vending machine in the country. Push a button, and 123 Sweetsss spins you a fresh cloud of childhood in under a minute. No carnival, no county fair admission, no sweaty teenager in a paper hat required.
For thousands of years, the Kumeyaay who lived in this area called a mountain south of Julian Cush-pii, meaning “sharp peak.” Then, after the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers saw that same mountain and decided to rename it Stonewall Peak—after General Stonewall Jackson. The name stuck for nearly a century and a half, until Cuyamaca Rancho State Park announced earlier this year that the name will return to its original, Cush-pii. Hike to the summit for expansive views of the Coronado Islands to the west and Mexico to the south.
Courtesy of Culture Shock San Diego
Best Pop and Lock Spot
Culture Shock
In 1993, Angie Bunch gathered a group of hip-hop dancers—called Culture Shock Dance Troupe—and gave them a space to practice and perform. As hip hop grew through the ’90s, so did Culture Shock. It has since become a nonprofit, a space for young and old, beginner and expert dancers. Culture Shock has also expanded to Los Angeles, Oakland, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, New York City, and Washington, D.C., as well as Ottawa and Toronto, Canada.
In 2019, Amanda Leach created the Yoga Box method, which takes high-energy flows and adds strength-building poses in heated, vibey, lava-lamp-lit studios. What started on Grand Avenue in Pacific Beach has spread to 15 locations across the county, with even more trickling into Denver, Chicago, and Brooklyn. The best part? Mindfulness newbies who can’t touch their toes and six-packed contortionists can hang in the same class. You can customize each session based on your ability and fitness level.
Courtesy of Fit Athletic Club
Best Leg Day Turned Social Hour
Fit Mission Beach
A gym taking over a historic beachfront pool sounds like the setup for a new season of Love Island, but Fit Mission Beach operating the nearly 100-year-old Plunge at Belmont Park is real. The independent fitness brand has spent the past several years building a loyal following through group fitness classes, community events, and a members’ social club overlooking the ocean. Upstairs, members can work remotely, meet friends, or hang out long after their workout ends. Between the Plunge, the coworking-style lounge, and a packed calendar of events, Fit has evolved into something bigger than a gym. It’s a clubhouse for San Diego’s fitness crowd.
Best Place to Learn What a Vagus Is
Breathe Degrees
The wellness world is finally transitioning away from HIIT workouts and cult-like spin classes, where your heart rate hits Zone 5 within minutes and stays there until cooldown. Good. At Breathe Degrees, wellness takes the form of zenned-out communal breathing sessions or vagus nerve–activating cold plunges. Breathwork is said to boost your mood in the short term and improve your heart health in the long term, and maybe that’s why everyone’s coming back for more. You can’t run into someone in Carlsbad who hasn’t dropped into at least one breathwork session, and now the studio has opened a second location in Liberty Station.
Photo Credit: Shot On Us
Best Pilates Studio for People With Tiny Roommates
Soul Pilates and Care
Pilates wasn’t just popular this year; it was practically a requirement for maintaining your San Diego residency. New studios seemed to appear weekly across San Diego, each promising stronger cores and better posture, but Soul Pilates and Care found a way to stand out by addressing a challenge many parents know well: finding time to exercise at all. Fitness doesn’t have to compete with parenting responsibilities. Parents can drop their kids off with trained caregivers while they head into reformer classes, eliminating one of the biggest barriers to working out. The studio has earned strong reviews for both its instruction and family-friendly approach.
The Hotel del Coronado’s sweeping $550 million restoration touched nearly every corner of the historic resort, but one of the most anticipated unveilils was the debut of its redesigned spa. The oceanfront wellness destination now features 21 treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge, a sauna, steam room, and a treatment menu inspired by the coastal environment just steps away. The redesign blends the Del’s Victorian legacy with a cleaner, more contemporary aesthetic, creating a space that feels distinctly SoCal rather than generic luxury hotel. For locals who don’t have time for a vacation, it’s the next best thing.
Best Cheers Without Beers
Good News Bar
As non-alcoholic beverages continue their meteoric rise, Good News Bar has become one of San Diego’s most compelling arguments for a booze-free evening. The University Heights hotspot serves a menu of carefully crafted zero-proof cocktails that borrow techniques and ingredients from traditional cocktail programs (it’s not just fancy juices and soda water), minus the hangover. The space also hosts regular community events and has quickly become a gathering place for everyone from sober San Diegans to the merely sober-curious. In a nightlife industry built around alcohol sales, Good News proved there’s plenty of demand for connection without the buzz.
If you can’t quite swing the cost of a trip to the African outback, the Safari Park’s new Elephant Valley is a pretty convincing Plan B. The 13-acre immersive habitat—the largest project in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s 109-year history—is home to eight African elephants, but it’s the thoughtful details that steal the show. Keep your eyes open for intricate Kenyan-inspired artwork, native landscaping, and stop by the Mkutano House, where you can grab lunch with a front-row view of the herd.
Best Fresh Grounds
Pepper Park
Pepper Park became the emotional anchor of the bayfront overhaul when the National City park reopened this March with a 2.5-acre expansion. Hopefully that’s just the start. The California Coastal Commission also approved the city’s ambitious waterfront plan, clearing the way for a long-envisioned 77-acre bayfront makeover with more green space, better bike paths, and improved waterfront access. Money still has to be raised, but head to Pepper Park, sit on a brand-new bench, and gaze out at the future of the South Bay.
Not every family destination comes with roller coasters—sometimes, they have paint rollers. The Willie Henderson Sports Complex in southeast San Diego recently received a new paint job and major facelift (courtesy of San Diego FC, the Prebys Foundation, and community advocates), giving thousands of kids a safer, smoother, and more colorful place to play basketball or soccer. If your weekends revolve around sports gear, folding chairs, and orange slices, you’ll definitely appreciate the upgrade.
Best Slice in the Galaxy
Killer Pizza From Mars
Parents come for the pizza. Kids come for the games. Sci-fi nerds come for it all. Killer Pizza From Mars is an Oceanside mainstay for families who love arcades, vintage Star Wars memorabilia, and piled-high pizzas with outrageously silly names like the “Mars”gherita pizza. Order a basket of Killer Fries, sink your teeth into a Martian Melt sandwich, and don’t be surprised if your kids clamor for a return mission.
Best Return to Monkey Business
Fanuel Street Park
After what must have felt like an eternity for Pacific Beach families, Fanuel Street Park’s playground is finally back. The old play structure got the heave-ho nearly two years ago, but this spring, the community raised enough donations to replace it with modern climbing structures, new swings, and better accessibility. It’s finally back to being a low-key locals spot perfect for picnicking, splashing around, and letting the kids burn off some energy.
Photo Credit: Farah Assi
Best Way to Frustrate Your Child in a Fun Way
Lara’s Labyrinth
If screen time has obliterated your attention span, try giving your brain a workout at an escape room. Lara’s Labyrinth provides a few options ranging from kid-friendly to “try not to pee your pants in fright,” where participants can attempt to escape an enchanted forest or decipher clues left by Leonardo da Vinci. (Some rooms have G, PG-13, and R-rated versions for your family’s comfort level, but maybe save the “Cannibal” room for an adults-only excursion.)
Best Babysitter With a Degree in Marine Biology
Living Seas at Birch Aquarium
Birch Aquarium has always made a splash, but the $18.7 million Living Seas exhibit is a tidal wave of awesome. The immersive exhibit features different marine ecosystems throughout the Pacific Ocean, from the warm aqua waters of tropical zones to the frigid (but nourishing) Pacific Northwest. Bigger is better here: There are areas designated for the gigantic sunflower sea star and giant Pacific octopus, so prepare for oceanic marvels to wow you.
Best Hip New Thing at the Hip Kid Place
Artopia at The New Children’s Museum
Forget “don’t touch the art.” At Artopia, touching, building, climbing, experimenting, and making a colorful mess are all exactly the point. Created by the museum’s in-house Creative Studios team, the interactive space invites kids to become artists through hands-on projects like weekend ceramics workshops and after-school programs. When creativity gets a little chaotic is when it’s at its most fun.
The Fairmont Grand Del Mar used to feel like someplace you admired from afar. Grand Social changed that. Three levels of outdoor space are now home to a bar and grill, bocce courts, and other lawn games, as well as a summertime concert series and other family-friendly events that welcome locals just as much as overnight guests. It’s proof that one of San Diego’s fanciest addresses also knows how to have a little fun.
Best Place to See Sharks and Only Be a Little Scared
SeaWorld’s Shark Encounter
You don’t need a cage to come face-to-face with sharks anymore. SeaWorld’s revamped Shark Encounter lets you get startlingly close to species like reef sharks, massive sand tigers, and endangered Australian leopard sharks, all inside newly redesigned habitats. It’s equal parts adrenaline and education, and a good reminder that these misunderstood predators are closer to Bruce in Finding Nemo than Jaws in… well, Jaws.
Photo Credit: Richie Wireman
Best Mission for Major Tom
LEGOLAND’s LEGO Galaxy
Houston, we have a new reason to visit LEGOLAND California. LEGO Galaxy is the plastic-brick haven’s biggest in-park investment ever, including the first new roller coaster in 20 years. Between the customizable Galacticoaster experience, build-your-own spacecraft stations, and interactive space adventures, aspiring astronauts can easily spend hours exploring this brick-built universe.
Renewable energy companies building hundreds of power plants. Biotech startups using artificial intelligence to create personalized medicine for children with rare diseases. Hospitality companies quietly powering thousands of local events. Consumer brands growing from beach-town startups into national businesses. These are the kinds of companies driving San Diego’s economy today, and the businesses recognized at this year’s San Diego Business Impact Awards offer a snapshot of where the region is headed.
Hosted July 23 by San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and JPMorganChase, the second annual awards event honored four local companies for innovation, growth, and economic impact. More than 100 nominations from San Diego’s middle-market businesses were reviewed by a 10-person judging committee, with winners selected across four categories: startup, early-stage innovator, rising star, and established heavyweight.
Two-time honoree Jimbo Someck, founder of Jimbo’s organic grocery stores, also joined the event for a fireside chat on buying local, supporting emerging brands, and giving back to the community.
“San Diego’s strength comes from its makers and builders—the resilient people who endure great risks and overcome obstacles to build and scale a company,” says Aaron Ryan, San Diego Region Manager and Middle Market Banking at JPMorganChase & Co. “These awards aren’t just recognition; they spotlight the talent, grit, and innovation shaping our region’s future. By celebrating those who create and build, we foster connections and fuel the growth that keeps San Diego thriving.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Building the Infrastructure Behind Clean Energy
Heavyweight honoree SOLV Energy has grown alongside the country’s rapid investment in renewable power. “It’s an exciting time for SOLV Energy as we are experiencing significant growth,” says CEO George Hershman. “The business has doubled over the last year and has almost double-digit growth since its inception.”
The Rancho Bernardo-based company designs, builds, operates, and maintains utility-scale solar and energy storage facilities. Since its founding in 2008, SOLV Energy has built more than 500 power plants.
Growth has translated directly into hiring. About 200 employees work from the company’s local headquarters, including roughly 20 interns. “Our intern program is a big part of the way that we grow our workforce,” Hershman says. “Last year, 43 percent of our interns became full-time employees. We believe San Diego is a great community to build and grow a high-tech infrastructure and technology company because of the incredible workforce—the ability to attract top talent and draw from world-class universities.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Developing Medicine One Patient at a Time
Startup honoree La Jolla Labs is tackling one of medicine’s biggest challenges by developing personalized RNA therapeutics for patients with rare diseases—many of them children with neurological disorders like ALS. Using proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, the biotech company develops treatments tailored to each patient’s specific genetic mutation.
CEO Tamar Grossman says the recognition reflects how far the company has come despite limited resources. “We’re honored to be recognized for our ability to change and save patients’ lives and turn our lean startup into a clinical company with very minimal resources,” she says.
Grossman credits San Diego’s concentration of research institutions—including UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, and Scripps Research—with creating a pipeline of talent and collaboration. “San Diego is one of the world-leading centers for technology, genomics, and RNA therapeutics,” she says. “We have over 30 RNA therapeutics companies here, and we support each other and help with anything related to drug discovery.”
She says that collaborative spirit extends beyond formal partnerships. “You can walk around Torrey Pines, go into a café, and find colleagues from the industry and have an ad hoc conversation,” Grossman says. “That’s something very unique to San Diego.”
While Snake Oil Venue Company may not be a household name, chances are many San Diegans have attended one of its events. The early-stage innovator honoree has expanded from beverage catering and mixology consulting into venue management, operating Julep Venue in Mission Hills, Bramble Bay Venue in Imperial Beach, Vesper Venue, the Chapel at Liberty Station, and five outdoor venues throughout Liberty Station—more than 500,000 square feet of event space altogether.
“We do a lot of launch parties for corporations and new products,” says CEO Mike Esposito. “I really like working on the entrepreneur side of things, where new businesses are entering the San Diego market and looking to make a splash.”
Snake Oil has executed more than 16,000 events, employed more than 1,000 people, and partnered with more than 900 local vendors, including caterers, florists, photographers, entertainers, and other hospitality businesses. The company also works with many of San Diego’s nonprofits, museums, and cultural institutions. “We get to celebrate people’s most important moments,” Esposito says. “Whether that’s a wedding, celebration of life, or quinceañera, we’re fortunate to be involved in the community in so many different ways.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Growing a Beach-Town Brand into a National Business
Rising star honoree ALOHA Collection is proof that a simple idea can grow into a thriving company. Founded by two roommates who wanted a better way to carry wet swimsuits after a day at the beach, the lifestyle brand has grown into a business while maintaining strong year-over-year growth.
Now headquartered in Carlsbad, ALOHA Collection employs more than 100 people and operates its California flagship store in Encinitas, which is slated for a remodel. With roots in Hawaii, the company is known for its lightweight, splash-proof travel bags that have become a familiar sight on beaches in San Diego and beyond.
“‘Aloha’ is part of our name, but it’s also how we move through the world,” says CEO Lynna Barnard. “It’s how we show up for people, the way we travel, the way we give back.” Since day one, the company has maintained a 5 percent giveback to Hawaii conservation efforts, contributing millions of dollars over the years.
“I think what’s so inspiring about ALOHA Collection, and the founders in particular, is when you dream big, those dreams can come true when you work hard and trust in the universe,” Barnard says. “It’s inspiring to be a role model for other people wanting to start businesses from humble beginnings. Start small and watch it grow.”
Together, businesses like these form a cornerstone of San Diego’s economy—not only through the jobs and revenue they generate—but through the local workers they hire, vendors they support, and investments they make in the region. Their growth doesn’t happen in isolation; it ripples outward, strengthening the broader business community and the people who call San Diego home.
Arts District Liberty Station officially became one of the state’s designated cultural districts, joining a list reserved for places with thriving creative communities. Considering the campus is home to more than 100 galleries, artist studios, museums, and arts organizations—not to mention The Joan, the 42,000-square-foot performance center housing Cygnet Theatre—it was only a matter of time until the district got its flowers.
Best Deterrent of Public Vandalism
Vision Culture Foundation
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. The National City Public Works building has been a target of graffiti artists for years, only to be constantly painted over (and the cycle restarts). Now, it’s working with the local artists from Vision Culture Foundation to create intentional public murals. A win-win in our book.
One of the biggest questions this year is who will show up for San Diego arts and culture—so a Best Of nod goes to a nonprofit that’s been doing it for years. Founded by longtime arts advocate Susanna Peredo Swap, Vanguard Culture has staged events for creatives, told their stories, and just created an SD ARTS Pass—a single ticket that gets you access to 39 creative spots.
Photo credit: Carly Topazio
Best Way to Overcome Your Fear of Ghosts
The Rosin Box Project
Ballet’s already got a sort of otherworldly thing going for it, with people morphing into 90-degree angles and defying gravity with each pirouette. The Rosin Box Project feels like a raw, creative new force in the classic art form, though—especially with its annual Ghost Light Masquerade. It’s a dance of eerie spirits that makes you second-guess what’s real and what’s not.
Best Music Venue That Also Sells Hot Dogs
Gallagher Square
Once upon a time, Gallagher Square was just a grassy knoll behind the outfield wall at Petco Park. Now, it’s a concert venue, playground, play ball field, dog park, and unofficial home for those who prefer the vibe of baseball more than the actual game. Big-time performers are showing up: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Cypress Hill, and Peach Pit.
Best Local Canvas
Casa Casillas
Casa Casillas has filled a long-standing gap in Chula Vista’s art scene. Open since last August, the space gives local artists a dedicated venue to display their work and visitors a chance to explore the neighborhood’s vibrant art. Two rotating resident artists always keep the space moving, so it rarely looks the same twice.
Courtesy of Alley Cat Art Fest
Best Place to Say “I Think It’s About Capitalism”
Alley Cat Art Fest
El Cajon translates to “the box” in Spanish—a nod to the city’s surrounding hills—but Alley Cat Art Fest (previously called Artivál) doesn’t stay inside it. As the first arts festival in East County, it celebrates local galleries, sculpture, live music, and food trucks—the whole nine.
Best On-Two-Feet Art Tour
Barrio Art Crawl
Every second Saturday, Barrio Logan turns into a choose-your-own-adventure with the Barrio Art Crawl, a free self-guided art tour through galleries, museums, and murals, with street food and music filling in the gaps. Barrio is one of the city’s most thriving arts neighborhoods, and it’s worth getting a bit lost in.
Leave it to The Old Globe to give the local theater scene some Hollywood glamour. Katie Holmes led the premiere of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler this past spring, turning the classic Norwegian play into one of the most buzzed-about theater productions of the year.
As soccer mania hit full tilt the last few years, the OG team continued their habit of winning excessively. In April, the San Diego Sockers won their 17th Major Arena Soccer League championship trophy in front of a home crowd at Frontwave Arena—defeating the Milwaukee Wave 10–3 in the Ron Newman Cup series. Twelve-year veteran Leonardo de Oliveira was crowned Finals MVP with two goals and an assist. The Sockers finished the 2026 season with a league-best 11 road wins. More importantly, attendance was up six percent on the year. Long live the legend of Juli Veee.
Best Place to Raise the Next Patti McGee
Exposure Skate
The world’s largest and longest-running women’s skateboarding event? In San Diego, run by Vista’s Exposure Skate. Founded by Olympian skater Amelia Brodka and Lesli Cohen, the nonprofit puts on year-round skateboarding classes, camps, and retreats at parks and pools across the county, even funding college scholarships for women, girls, and nonbinary individuals. It’s wellness and community through grip tape and trucks. This year marks its 15th annual event—world-class athletes, young talent, a skate extravaganza.
San Diego may have only gotten secondhand smoke from the World Cup, but the city will get its fútbol fix soon enough. In March, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games announced San Diego was chosen as one of seven cities to host Olympic soccer matches. Eleven men’s and women’s matches—including the bronze medal games on both sides—will be held at Snapdragon Stadium in July 2028. That might feel far off, but ticket sales have already begun, so remember where you stored the face paint.
Best Place to Own a Wildly Large Racket Bag
Barnes Tennis Center
Not sure if the news is that Barnes Tennis Center has now fully emerged as the city’s racket-sports mothership or that it’s operated by a nonprofit (Youth Tennis San Diego) whose mission is to bring tennis to underserved communities. Regardless, since hosting its first ATP pro tournament five years ago, Barnes has expanded—25 tennis courts, 19 pickleball courts, seven padel courts—and is now home to the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ National Championships (girls junior tennis), the USA Pickleball National Championships, the San Diego Open (pro tennis), and the Stingrays, our resident Professional Padel League squad. They built it, and everyone’s coming.
Best Place to Fall Off a Cliff
Vital Climbing
Thought you had grip strength? Vital Climbing Gym in Oceanside and Carlsbad will put that to the test—and activate every micro-muscle in your forearms—with hangboards and 16-foot-tall bouldering walls. For days you’re not willing to go full-send but still want to test gravity’s limits, go P!nk mode and try the aerial silks classes. Caution: There will be youth competition climbers who flash your project on their warm-up.
Photo Credit: Tyler Brown
Best E-Bike Replacement Therapy
San Diego BMX
Remember when construction sites were the unofficial BMX tracks of San Diego youth? Hard-hat workers would show up on Mondays and find Mongoose or Diamondback grooves crisscrossing all over their giant piles of work dirt. But kids in the know have been at the San Diego BMX track in Kearny Mesa since 1980. One of the oldest BMX tracks in the country, it’s got a starter gate launching into a downhill, banks, turns, rollers, rhythm sections, tabletops, jumps—the works. The track operator is Tyler Brown, a three-time US pro champion and two-time world champion. From tykes on glider bikes to Olympic hopefuls, this dirt palace is a self-powered kind of rad.
Best Way to Pretend You Enjoy Running
Pacific Beach Run Club
If you’ve ever watched a flood of runners take over Pacific Beach like the I-5 at rush hour—sometimes carrying a flag bearing their crest—chances are you’ve witnessed the Pacific Beach Run Club. With almost 25,000 followers on Instagram (plus their own app), the self-proclaimed “social club that likes to run” has evolved into a wildly popular way for locals to make friends while shedding the effects of Taco Tuesdays. Meeting every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 a.m., the group makes its way along a 5K route through PB with pump-up music blasting and four organized stops throughout to catch your breath and socialize along the way.
Best Boxing Legend Welcome Party
San Diego TJs
Filipino roots run deep in San Diego (the fifth-largest Filipino American community in the US), and now we’re adding the most legendary boxer in Filipino history to the fold. This year, Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao announced he’s coming in as owner, ambassador, and competitor of the San Diego TJs (a Team Boxing League expansion franchise). The Philippines-born fighter is set to begin his time with the TJs in 2027 as a captain before stepping into the ring in future seasons.
Table tennis is an art form, and we won’t hear otherwise. Tucked inside the Balboa Park Activity Center, the San Diego Table Tennis Association boasts a whopping 25 Butterfly tables and over 400 members who play regularly. Weekly Thursday night Round Robin tournaments keep the competition lively, and as home to the Senior Table Tennis Olympics, SDTTA welcomes players of all ages and levels to compete in a friendly, supportive atmosphere.
Best Return to the Dance
SDSU Women’s Basketball
SDSU women’s basketball got back on the dance floor and was invited to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 13 years. The team also tied the program’s highest win total (27, the same as the last time it made March Madness) and won its seventh Mountain West championship. The now-graduated Nala Williams won Conference Player of the Year, sophomore Kaelyn Hamilton was named Sixth Player of the Year, and Stacie Terry-Hutson took home Coach of the Year (a first for SDSU women’s basketball). The point is, as women’s sports continues its rapid rise—and basketball specifically, especially with Caitlin Clark tearing up the WNBA—SDSU women’s hoops is getting its own wings.
Best Place to Make Annoying Yet Satisfying Sounds
Gaslamp Urban Pickleball
It’s like a pickleball flash mob. Gaslamp Urban Pickleball is taking “the kitchen” to the next level this month by turning Fifth Avenue into an open-air, urban pickleball arena. Every Thursday from July 30 to September 3 (so, right now), it’ll be lined with eight open-air courts for all of your dinking desires. Live DJs will bring the hype. Nearby restaurants and bars will run Paddle Hour specials. A Zero-Proof Garden will do NA/wellness beverages, hydration stations, and a laid-back lounge. If this means potholes will be fixed, we’re all in.
It’s estimated that 44% of women in the U.S. have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, but many don’t know it. The disease often has no symptoms, and when symptoms do present, they can appear similar to many other conditions. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, so it’s critical that it’s detected and treated early. And for women at risk of developing high blood pressure, prevention is key. Click here for the basics of high blood pressure and how Scripps physicians at Scripps use screenings not just as a diagnostic tool, but as part of routine preventive care.
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