Kevin Cox gets a kick out of spotting vintage Electra bikes. In Holland, while strolling scenic canals, the Electra president saw several classic Townies, the laidback bike with braun that made the Encinitas-based company a global hit in the early aughts. In Idaho, it was an old- school Electra Townie Go!, which is one of the best-selling e-bikes on the market today.
“You could tell this thing had been ridden a gajillion miles,” says Cox. “That’s awesome. People are using them all the time. They really don’t wear out.”
Electra turns 30 next year, and it’s been quite a ride. For the first decade, the brand turned out a stylish modern riff on the mid-century American beach cruiser—think a souped-up Schwinn in fresh colorways.
“The ocean and beach are part of our DNA,” says Cox, wearing a Hawaiian shirt in his Electra HQ office filled with surfboards and bikes, just a 30-second walk from Moonlight Beach.“You can’t take that away from us. It’s ingrained in who we are as a company.”
Electra bikes, socks
Then came the Electra Townie in 2003. The attractive bike landed somewhere between a beach cruiser and a Euro-style commuter model. It had sturdy gears and brakes. It came in fun and edgy hues and graphics packages, including collaborations with artists and other brands. And, most importantly, it was painstakingly designed to be easy and comfortable.
“It’s our flat-foot tech,” says Cox. “And I say that tongue-in-cheek because it’s not so technical. You can put your feet flat on the ground when you stop without having to jump off the seat.”
In a market once dominated by road, mountain, and BMX bikes, the cool- looking comfort bike became a sensation.
“The Townie got a lot of people on bikes who thought they’d never ride again,” he says.
Electra bikes – 30th
Today’s much-improved Townie has stood the test of time, and it’s also gone electric. “In 2012, we took our best-selling Townie and made it an e-bike,” says Cox, describing the Townie Go! “That’s our biggest evolution. We’re still a lifestyle bike brand, but we’ve transitioned into being a leading global e-bike company.”
Cox adds that just like the comfort bike, e-bikes are for everyone. Even though he’s a longtime avid road cyclist— the high speeds and Spandex kind—he and his family spend weekends cruising around their Encinitas neighborhood on Townie Go! bikes.
“We’re the 90 percent brand,” says Cox. “There are hundreds of millions who ride bikes, but only 10 percent of those are high-end enthusiasts. The rest are leisure lifestyle riders.”
Up a mile in the bluebird sky of the Peninsular Ranges, I pedal away on my mountain bike from Penny Pines Trailhead, which sits off of Sunrise Highway, and go in the direction of the southern terminus of the Noble Canyon Trail, some ten miles away in Pine Valley.
It is a dandy of a trail, traveling through pine forest and mixed oaks before reaching the farthest edges of the Colorado Desert, a sub-desert of the greater Sonoran. Along the way, the traveler, whether on foot, horseback, or bike, descends through six eco-zones. During the winter, when rain and snow fall on the Lagunas, Noble Creek steadily—and sometimes heartily—flows through the canyon, a mountain-to-desert seasonal stream that fills the air with a refreshing and life-giving song.
Photo Credit: Ana Ramirez
The Peninsular Ranges are characterized by what some consider to be “sky islands,” meaning that their uppermost peaks reach more than 6,000 feet. The Noble Canyon Trail begins in a pine and oak “island,” then drops in elevation from its northernmost point to its southern end. However, trail traversers also ascend some uphill sections here and there, the first one less than a mile into the trek.
In the far viewshed to the north, snow-capped San Gorgonio glistens in its winter cloak. In the foreground and its environs, the nearby Cuyamaca Mountains sit quietly, peaks like sentinels watching over the land. Cresting out, I go down and around, the trail undulating like a flamenco dancer.
Further on, the trail plummets. The pines seem taller as they reach skyward from the darker forest floor, and the sound of water starts trickling in my ear. Not long after that, there it is: Noble Creek, a narrow ribbon running through the forest on its way to the desert. I cross over it a few times, trying not to get my shoes wet.
Photo Credit: Ana Ramirez
About midway down the trail, I arrive at the Tolkien Oak Forest (an affectionate nickname I’ve coined) waiting on the other side of one of the stream crossings. The ambient light is darker. The canopy of magnificent California Black Oaks is so thick that dappled light is all that hits the ground. I stay and quietly sit. This is my rehydration and snack spot, and it’s also where I refill my soul tank. To be here, in this moment, with these trees, is reason alone to make this 10-mile trek.
I continue, soul moderately quelled, knowing there’s more to discover still. Descending through more oaks with scattered pines that give way to desert chaparral and various cacti, I pedal methodically through the rock gardens, taking care not to crash and fall while still keeping pace. Soon, I arrive at the second place along Noble Canyon Trail that stops me in my tracks.
Photo Credit: Ana Ramirez
It feels as if I am biking through a keyhole, and, when I finally enter it, I unlock a door that opens to a stunning desert view with soaring ridgelines. Way down below, the stream is a silver snake winding its way through the hardscrabble landscape. Yuccas and beavertail cactus defy the odds, eons of evolution granting them the ability to thrive in an unforgiving landscape.
There’s no escape from the punishing sun. I pause, slathering some sunblock on my face and the back of my neck. The trail bends and meanders, ranging down and up and then down some more, with more rock gardens along the way. Decomposed granite dots the trail surface. When I reach the junction that requires me to turn left to stay on Noble Canyon Trail, I’m feeling a bit haggard, so I refuel with water and an apple, knowing a large sand trap is just around the way.
Photo Credit: Ana Ramirez
I pedal quickly past another creek up the slope to the other side, which leads me to another ethereal oak grove where the sun passes through the leaves, illuminating the canopy like a natural cathedral. I sit to take it in.
The next stretch is gradually uphill, a long couple of miles of slight incline that I call “the slog” on account of the endless sand. It’s a put-your-head-down-and-go section of trail.
Photo Credit: James Murren
Cresting out at the end of that slog, I carve my way along the trail as it passes downward through camel-colored boulders to my right and long views on my left. I continue to climb, eventually finding a manzanita forest, a gnarled, fragrant mess that always lures me in. I can never pass through without touching the trees’ silk-smooth bark.
Then, it’s all down-down-down to the parking lot, an exhilarating run. There are more oaks to admire and big rocks to navigate through, culminating in one final push, when the trail finally rolls like a soft magic carpet ride to its end point. I’m greeted by towering pines that whisper in the breeze, singing their own song.
James Murren is an award-winning adventure/travel writer, with nearly three decades of independent journalism experience. He's often having a good time in our local mountains, deserts and waters, when he's not teaching classes at SDSU.
The bike shop sits on a popular commute route and is staffed by affable mechanics who have worked the Tour de France. Hardcore bicycle people don’t have the friendliest rep, but MJ’s is different. They’ve got the skill set to equip racers, but they don’t treat commuters or parents buying bikes like tourists in their world.
Way to Become the Pickleball
PB Tennis Club
One minute you’re casually playing a game of pickleball, the next thing you know, you’ve helped design Gearbox’s newest paddle. The brand is based in San Diego and PBTC is their local court, where they play with locals to gain insights on how to improve their rackets. This sounds like free lessons to us.
Boujee Boat Picnic
Picnic Voyage
When a relative was giving away their boat, local architect Vilchis saw an opportunity to design a 10/10 Instagrammable experience. Now you can class up your day date by recreating The Notebook—a pristinely refurbished tiny boat with padded seats, plant garlands, snacks and drinks, and even parasols. Ryan Gosling not included.
Beach Volleyball Where Everyone Knows Your Name
South Mission
Each weekend on the courts of South Mission Beach, the sand is taken over by 2v2 players—many of which are ESL speakers from various countries. They’ve made this plot of sand their sacred community, where the universal language is bump, set, and spike.
Running Shop That Doubles as Bumble BFF
Milestone Run Club
On any given Wednesday on Hamilton Ave., 100 to 200 runners gather to run the streets of North Park. It’s put on by Milestone Running, a shop created by locals Greg Lemon and Chad Crawford. Go a few times and you’re pretty much guaranteed at least ten new friends—might even get “Smirnoff Iced” during the post-run raffle. You win some, you lose some.
Reward-Based Running
Waterfront Social Run Club
Even avid runners can lose motivation. This year, Waterfront introduced a new tradition: beer stops. The three- mile loop starts at Eppig Brewing in Point Loma, then heads to Fathom Bistro for a beer before completing the next 1.5 miles. Finish up with a post-run brew at Eppig, obviously.
Mission Bay Basketball Court
Madeline Yang
Sailing Lessons by Jack Sparrow Himself
Harbor Sailboats
San Diego’s maritime history runs deep. America’s Cups have a permanent home here. Harbor Sailboats—seven-time winner of the “ASA School of the Year”—offers sailing courses taught by longtime sea dogs. You know, the type of no- nonsense skippers who know how the wind will change by the way the breeze hits their beard hair.
Hikes in Real Nature
Palomar Mountain
If you want sky-high firs, oak forests that shade your path, and mountain peaks that overlook actual foliage (read: no palm tree in sight), head to Palomar Mountain State Park. And, since the inaugural California State Parks Week took place this year, there’s no better time to dust off your hiking boots on one of the six hiking trails (five for running).
An Apparently Easy Climb That’s a Lie
Mission Gorge
A mellow 5.7 climb on paper, The Tower at Mission Gorge will have you clipping the first few bolts like you’ve been dirtbagging in Yosemite all your life. You’ll have to dig deep into your courage reserves to tackle the crux, but you’ll be walking down that mountain with your head held high when the sun starts to set.
Floor Exercise
Mission Bay Basketball Court
Hoops here have always had a magical effect—a full regulation court, smack dab on the beach. The ball smells like sunscreen. No fence; out of bounds is in the sand. And it just got an artful resurfacing in honor of local basketball legend, Bill Walton—who’s been a member of the South Mission Beach Sports Park & Rec for 25 years.
Best Surf Shop Nowhere Near Water
Happy Battle Surf Co.
Yep, in City Heights. Specializing in boards from local shapers, owner Mark Polintan (who grew up on a pineapple farm in the Philippines) has created an infectious gathering place for surfers to support their peers. Like chasing tubes in exotic locations, you never know what or who you’ll find here, but you’re guaranteed to leave stoked.
Best Way to Justify Surfing All Day to Your Family
100 Wave Challenge
Surfers are selfish. No matter how many waves we catch, we always want more. And while there’s no shot we’ll ever change, we can at least direct that impulse toward a good cause. At the annual 100 Wave Challenge, participants commit to riding 100 waves in one day to raise funds for the local nonprofit Boys to Men Mentoring.
Nicolle Monico is an award-winning writer and the director of creative projects, digital editor for San Diego Magazine with more than 19 years of experience in media including Outside Run, JustLuxe and The San Francisco Chronicle.
The Best Hiking, Biking, Swimming, Trails and More in San Diego
Our go-to guide for where to hike, bike, run, swim, and get outside in San Diego. Plus: gear, clubs, classes, and more.
By Amanda Lawson, Claire Trageser, and Hilary Achauer
Bike
Top 10 San Diego Bike Paths
Biking to Cabrillo National Monument
Biking to Cabrillo National Monument | Photo by John Trice
1. Bayshore Bikeway
6.6 miles
Easy to Moderate
This route offers breathtaking views of downtown, the Silver Strand, and everything in between. Much of it is a dedicated path, but it’s primarily city streets through downtown and National City. Overall, you’ll experience a fun, flat ride, with plenty of opportunity to work on speed.
START HERE: Embarcadero
2. Fiesta Island
5 miles
easy
Ride about five miles of paved path along the water with a breeze that can help you build wind tolerance. Be careful of walkers, strollers, and pet traffic, especially on weekends.
START HERE:Dirt parking lot just off East Mission Bay Drive
3. La Jolla to Oceanside via PCH
21 miles
Moderate to Intermediate
Oh, the views from the Pacific Coast Highway! The out-and-back route includes some challenging hills and plenty of flat, fast surfaces. Watch out for the heavy car and cyclist traffic that shares this route.
START HERE: North Torrey Pines Road
4. Cabrillo National Monument
16 miles
Intermediate to Difficult
We suggest the route to Cabrillo National Monument Park beginning at Collier Park north of Voltaire Street in Ocean Beach. Cruise toward Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, turn inland at Ladera Street, and weave your way to Catalina Boulevard. Continue to Cabrillo National Monument Park, where we highly recommend you sacrifice a couple of bucks for the entrance fee.
5. Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
40 miles
Difficult
Elfin Forest is definitely not for beginners, as it includes some super-challenging climbs (but great scenery). Starting in Del Mar, go north to Leucadia and take La Costa Avenue east. Follow it to Rancho Santa Fe Road, turn right on San Elijo Road, and right on Elfin Forest Road. For an added challenge, stay on Elfin Forest Road until it changes to Harmony Grove Road. From there, follow West Valley Parkway south to Solana Beach. Watch for areas with thin (or no) bike lanes.
START HERE: Pacific Coast Highway, Del Mar
Biking in Balboa Park
Biking in Balboa Park | Photo by John Trice
6. Rancho Santa Fe Loop
35 miles
Intermediate to Moderate
We hear this route is a popular one for the San Diego Bicycle Club each Saturday, but you can always try it on your own. Start at UC Cyclery in La Jolla, take I-5 north, then go through Sorrento Valley and back to El Camino Real. Weave your way through Rancho Santa Fe, then back to PCH and head south. Be prepared for a few climbs and narrow roads with lots of car traffic.
START HERE: UC Cyclery, La Jolla
7. Noble Canyon
20 Miles
Difficult
Noble Canyon in Cleveland National Forest is a favorite among advanced mountain bikers. Start the trek at Red Tail Roost (Laguna Mountain Visitor Center) and weave your way through to Noble Canyon Connector before finishing up at Pine Creek Picnic Area. Bring plenty of water and $5 for parking.
START HERE: Laguna Mountain Visitor Center
8. Mt. Soledad
4.6 miles (one way)
Moderate to Difficult
No matter what route you take to the top of Mt. Soledad, you’ll have to work for it. Start at the Cove for a scenic, easy warm-up along the La Jolla coast before turning left on Nautilus Street, which you’ll follow all the way to the top. The views at the top are worth every inch of the climb. Warning: If you go down steep Via Capri, you’ll need good brakes.
START HERE: La Jolla Cove
9.Tierrasanta to Scripps to Lakeside Loop
40 miles
Moderate to Difficult
This route offers a few aggressive hills and fun downhills, starting with a gradual climb to warm up on Kearny Villa Road northbound. Once you turn right onto Pomerado Road, the climbing starts. Follow Pomerado to Scripps Poway Parkway, veering slightly onto Kirkham Way, and then all the way to Highway 67. Next, a long, fast downhill takes you into Lakeside, then toward Santee to Highway 52. Finish up by going back over the hill into Tierrasanta.
START HERE: Santo Road and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Tierrasanta
10. Highway 56
10.3 miles (one way)
Moderate
A favorite of cyclists and walkers, Highway 56 is a great, protected bike path for beginners or experienced riders who want to work on speed. We suggest parking at the intersection of Clews Ranch Road and Carmel Country Road to the west, giving you a primarily uphill ride to start and downhill on the way back. To avoid the inland heat, try this route in the early morning or during cooler months.
START HERE: Clews Ranch Road and Carmel Country Road
Tiny Goals, Big Rewards
Ironman Julie Moss learns to take it slow (for once)
Julie Moss
Julie Moss | Photo by Robert Benson
Where do you go when you’ve climbed your personal Everest? Where does inspiration come from after you have achieved your biggest dreams?
The Best Gym in San Diego Isn’t Really a Gym Anymore
Earlier this year, Fit quietly dropped "athletic" from its brand, from Fit Athletic Clubs to simply Fit, and started calling itself something new: a social wellness club.
There’s a version of San Diego that lives in two extremes. On one side, the 5 a.m. crowd: biohackers, marathoners, people who’ve already logged a cold plunge before your alarm goes off. On the other, the after-dark crowd, the ones chasing sunset happy hours and late dinners with friends. Everyone seems to be either optimizing or unwinding, and most of us feel like we’re failing at both.
Fit, San Diego’s reigning Best Gym for the third year running, has built its entire identity around erasing that divide.
Walk into one of Fit’s three San Diego locations on a Tuesday afternoon and the lines blur fast. Someone’s mid-set on the squat rack. Someone else has a laptop open at a café table a few feet away, half-working, half-people-watching. A group is trading plans for the weekend’s event by the recovery lounge. Nobody’s in a rush to leave.
“We’re not competing for the same people,” says Emily Waybright, Public Relations Manager at Fit, addressing the arrival of a national luxury gym chain in San Diego this year. “We don’t really feel like we’re in the gym category. It’s this unique thing.”
That unique thing has a name now. Earlier this year, Fit quietly dropped “athletic” from its brand, from Fit Athletic Clubs to simply Fit, and started calling itself something new: a social wellness club.
It’s a small wording change with a bigger idea behind it. Fit was never built around escaping the workday. It was built around the people who genuinely like what they do, and who want workouts, work, and friendships to happen in the same place instead of three separate ones. Because sometimes red light therapy with a stranger turns into weekend plans.
Fit’s philosophy traces back to its founder, who started the brand nearly two decades ago after failing to find a gym he actually wanted to belong to. He looked instead to the old-school country club, where people came for a shared interest and stayed for the community. His version was made for a younger generation, minus the golf, plus the loud music.
Which makes it a little ironic that the very award putting Fit back in the spotlight this year is Best Gym.
What does the best traditional gym look like when the definition of a gym is becoming less traditional? It’s a fair question, and Fit’s answer is that the fitness industry itself is shifting. The 45-minutes-in, 45-minutes-out model is giving way to something closer to a genuine third space, the kind of role the office and the bar used to play before remote work and changing nightlife habits rearranged how people spend their time
For Fit, community isn’t a marketing add-on to fitness. It’s the through-line. Members aren’t just paying for a treadmill; they’re paying for an entire day of social wellness that’s built on performance, recovery, connection, and a plan for the next event on the calendar. That’s a much harder membership to walk away from.
Ambition and ease aren’t opposites here, they exist side by side, where passion and play share the same morning. On September 12, Fit is hosting Sol, a full day wellness festival at Fit Social. The morning focuses on wellness classes and vendors and then the evening is a full party with multiple DJ sets and an open bar. Think of it as a kick-off to locals’ summer in San Diego.
Ready to see what a social wellness club actually looks like? Visit fitclubs.com, or follow along at @thefitclubs on Instagram.
The Best Hiking, Biking, Swimming, Trails and More in San Diego
Our go-to guide for where to hike, bike, run, swim, and get outside in San Diego. Plus: gear, clubs, classes, and more.
By Amanda Lawson, Claire Trageser, and Hilary Achauer
Bike
Top 10 San Diego Bike Paths
Biking to Cabrillo National Monument
Biking to Cabrillo National Monument | Photo by John Trice
1. Bayshore Bikeway
6.6 miles
Easy to Moderate
This route offers breathtaking views of downtown, the Silver Strand, and everything in between. Much of it is a dedicated path, but it’s primarily city streets through downtown and National City. Overall, you’ll experience a fun, flat ride, with plenty of opportunity to work on speed.
START HERE: Embarcadero
2. Fiesta Island
5 miles
easy
Ride about five miles of paved path along the water with a breeze that can help you build wind tolerance. Be careful of walkers, strollers, and pet traffic, especially on weekends.
START HERE:Dirt parking lot just off East Mission Bay Drive
3. La Jolla to Oceanside via PCH
21 miles
Moderate to Intermediate
Oh, the views from the Pacific Coast Highway! The out-and-back route includes some challenging hills and plenty of flat, fast surfaces. Watch out for the heavy car and cyclist traffic that shares this route.
START HERE: North Torrey Pines Road
4. Cabrillo National Monument
16 miles
Intermediate to Difficult
We suggest the route to Cabrillo National Monument Park beginning at Collier Park north of Voltaire Street in Ocean Beach. Cruise toward Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, turn inland at Ladera Street, and weave your way to Catalina Boulevard. Continue to Cabrillo National Monument Park, where we highly recommend you sacrifice a couple of bucks for the entrance fee.
5. Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
40 miles
Difficult
Elfin Forest is definitely not for beginners, as it includes some super-challenging climbs (but great scenery). Starting in Del Mar, go north to Leucadia and take La Costa Avenue east. Follow it to Rancho Santa Fe Road, turn right on San Elijo Road, and right on Elfin Forest Road. For an added challenge, stay on Elfin Forest Road until it changes to Harmony Grove Road. From there, follow West Valley Parkway south to Solana Beach. Watch for areas with thin (or no) bike lanes.
START HERE: Pacific Coast Highway, Del Mar
Biking in Balboa Park
Biking in Balboa Park | Photo by John Trice
6. Rancho Santa Fe Loop
35 miles
Intermediate to Moderate
We hear this route is a popular one for the San Diego Bicycle Club each Saturday, but you can always try it on your own. Start at UC Cyclery in La Jolla, take I-5 north, then go through Sorrento Valley and back to El Camino Real. Weave your way through Rancho Santa Fe, then back to PCH and head south. Be prepared for a few climbs and narrow roads with lots of car traffic.
START HERE: UC Cyclery, La Jolla
7. Noble Canyon
20 Miles
Difficult
Noble Canyon in Cleveland National Forest is a favorite among advanced mountain bikers. Start the trek at Red Tail Roost (Laguna Mountain Visitor Center) and weave your way through to Noble Canyon Connector before finishing up at Pine Creek Picnic Area. Bring plenty of water and $5 for parking.
START HERE: Laguna Mountain Visitor Center
8. Mt. Soledad
4.6 miles (one way)
Moderate to Difficult
No matter what route you take to the top of Mt. Soledad, you’ll have to work for it. Start at the Cove for a scenic, easy warm-up along the La Jolla coast before turning left on Nautilus Street, which you’ll follow all the way to the top. The views at the top are worth every inch of the climb. Warning: If you go down steep Via Capri, you’ll need good brakes.
START HERE: La Jolla Cove
9.Tierrasanta to Scripps to Lakeside Loop
40 miles
Moderate to Difficult
This route offers a few aggressive hills and fun downhills, starting with a gradual climb to warm up on Kearny Villa Road northbound. Once you turn right onto Pomerado Road, the climbing starts. Follow Pomerado to Scripps Poway Parkway, veering slightly onto Kirkham Way, and then all the way to Highway 67. Next, a long, fast downhill takes you into Lakeside, then toward Santee to Highway 52. Finish up by going back over the hill into Tierrasanta.
START HERE: Santo Road and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Tierrasanta
10. Highway 56
10.3 miles (one way)
Moderate
A favorite of cyclists and walkers, Highway 56 is a great, protected bike path for beginners or experienced riders who want to work on speed. We suggest parking at the intersection of Clews Ranch Road and Carmel Country Road to the west, giving you a primarily uphill ride to start and downhill on the way back. To avoid the inland heat, try this route in the early morning or during cooler months.
START HERE: Clews Ranch Road and Carmel Country Road
Tiny Goals, Big Rewards
Ironman Julie Moss learns to take it slow (for once)
Julie Moss
Julie Moss | Photo by Robert Benson
Where do you go when you’ve climbed your personal Everest? Where does inspiration come from after you have achieved your biggest dreams?
The logic was fair and sound: Cultural institutions and events help attract visitors. Those visitors pay hotel taxes. So, the people agreed, some of that hotel-tax revenue should go back into maintaining the cultural ecosystem that helps bring those visitors and that money.
Projected as a five-year plan, the measure was supposed to increase funding to $17.9 million by 2017.
It never did. The penny was never guaranteed, so each year the city used part of it for other priorities. By 2023, the money going to arts and culture was up to about a half a penny. Even as TOT revenue has gone up significantly.
In 2019, TOT revenue was $245 million.
In 2025: $325 million.
One fix would be to guarantee the penny. Not simple, given San Diego’s financial woes. But the alternative—eroding the culture that makes San Diego San Diego, give it its identity—also doesn’t feel wise. Plus, even a locked percentage still rises and falls with tourism, which is why culture advocates want a guaranteed floor on top of it.
Another solution would be to give the arts commission actual authority.
“It’s an advisory body,” says arts commissioner Kamaal Martin. “You’d be hard-pressed to find anybody who takes our advice.”
Photo Credit: Katie Gardner & Matt Furman
He described the commissioners debating real, consequential questions this year, like whether and how to divide the cuts between funding pools. But those conversations “don’t connect to whoever’s actually deciding,” Martin says. “We haven’t been entrusted with decision-making about relevant things nearly enough.”
Christine Martinez is building political infrastructure through her organization Arts+Culture:San Diego—which is starting a 501(c)(4) lobbying structure not unlike police and fire unions. Martinez is also keeping her community actively engaged. “We won’t be caught off guard next year like we were this year,” she tells me.
Then there’s the evergreen issue of affordability and accessibility. Kiplinger’s most recent report ranks San Diego as the 11th most expensive city in the US, based on cost of living. The average home value is $980,700 (the US median is $540,000), but San Diego’s median household income is only one-third greater than the national level. Rent is also 66 percent higher than the national average ($2,716 vs. $1,636).
This is why San Diego has long suffered from the creative brain drain—creatives leaving for more affordable cities. “Artists are free to live wherever they want, and they will go where the rent is affordable,” says Jennifer de Poyen of Space 4 Art. “When they leave, they take their gifts with them, and their contributions, and their economic impact.”
One saving grace is the presence of Tijuana, where the cost of living is about 60 percent lower than San Diego, per Numbeo. Tijuana has long functioned as an affordable neighborhood for many in San Diego’s creative culture. It’s part of the reason why the binational identity is such a constant in our galleries, music, theater, murals, and culture. While that cross-border blood flow is one of San Diego’s most compelling attributes, few artists living that life would call it convenient or easy. A city is at a disadvantage when its culture creators have to cross a border to go home at night, and cross again the next morning to work.
In May, San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a $2.75 million arts initiative of its own. It includes an Artist Space Grant Program aimed directly at the affordability crisis, as well as an artist-in-residence program, a dedicated Binational Creative Economy Investment, and a one-time investment in the Black Arts and Culture District in Encanto.
Bob Lehman of San Diego Art Matters has been doing county-level, binational organizing for years; in 2023, he helped get the county’s arts commission reestablished after 30 years of defunctness. That’s important because it gives arts and culture an official seat in county government, advising the County Board of Supervisors on arts and culture policy. He also brought in consultant Laura Zucker, who ran LA County’s arts program for three decades, to build a real regional plan.
“I really believe we’ll have something set up here that other communities come and look at,” he told me. “A national template other cities come to learn from.”
When asked who decides which artists will get the new grant money, county arts commissioner and executive director of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center Monica Delgadillo Hernandez doesn’t hedge.
“That’s part of the infrastructure we’re going to be building,” she says. “What should a panel of reviewers look like? Should it be the commissioners? Should it be other folks? A supervisor?” She was just as candid that the commission itself doesn’t reflect San Diego’s population—Chicano communities are roughly a third of the city, she tells me, “and that’s not represented at the table yet.”
Photo Credit: Katie Gardner & Matt Furman
What Other Cities Prove Is Possible
The great news is that none of these solutions have to be invented from scratch. Numerous cities serve as examples of what’s possible—if we have the will.
Jonathon Glus—Prebys Foundation Senior Fellow for Art & Design, the Executive Director of the Art + Design District, and board president for California for the Arts—worked in Houston before coming to San Diego. The Texas city dedicates 74.5 percent of its hotel tax to arts grants by formula, and that support is guaranteed. Washington, DC locked in dedicated arts funding in 2019. Salt Lake City, my hometown, has run a voter-approved arts tax for almost 30 years, most recently reauthorized through 2034. And just this summer, New York City pushed cultural funding to a record $323.8 million, even incorporating an emergency fund.
Denver’s model is interesting because instead of a city-dependent funding model, theirs is a 0.1 percent regional sales tax. In place since 1988 and renewed by voters three times, their Scientific & Cultural Facilities District has distributed between $54 million and $85 million to arts, culture, and scientific orgs—each of the last 12 years.
This is part of a three-part series. This is Act III. See Act I and Act II here.
None of these cities got there by accident. They decided, on purpose, that arts and culture were worth protecting from politics—and, in some cases, worth building an entire identity around.
“That’s how Miami has flipped the switch,” says Glus. “People go to Miami for culture as much as they do the beach.”
San Diego has spent decades selling itself backward: Beach and weather first, culture as an afterthought you might stumble into. Glus would love to see the strategy flipped: Visitors should come for the art, “and then, by the way, you’re on the beach.”
Photo Credit: Katie Gardner & Matt Furman
So What Happens From Here?
“I do think it was a wake-up call for the community,” de Poyen says of the budget fight. “People understand that our funding is vulnerable. It was a lesson in how much power people have when they coalesce. But wow, is it painful.”
Glus says he’s genuinely optimistic. “The players have all changed seats, but the work is moving forward.”
“I believe optimism is a moral duty,” says Martin, who’s both power-fist and polite.
In eight months, there will be another budget fight. Everyone I talked to expects it will be worse. But something happened this spring that can’t be undone.
“I hope this rupture has brought us together in a moment of self-realization,” says Leticia Gomez Franco of the Balboa Art Conservation Center. “I hope we stop being so transactional; we begin to see ourselves and each other as partners in this work.”
That’s the whole ask, really. And it’s on all of us.
This is part of a three-part series. This is Act III. See Act I and Act II here.
Aaryn Belfer is a writer and editor specializing in nonfiction across art, architecture, and culture. Once upon a time, she wrote a provocative column for San Diego CityBeat (RIP). She was a runner up in the 2025 Matchbook Stories contest at the San Diego Central Library and is irrationally happy about it. Currently in her Soft Girl Era, Aaryn has expensive taste in (mostly flat) shoes and will choose a great art exhibit or live jazz concert over almost anything else. Except, possibly, Javier Bardem.
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
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