When wildfires swept through LA back in January and tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes, San Diego didn’t hesitate. We sent firefighters first, to be sure, but in short time, donation centers were organized and staffed full of volunteers. San Diegans lined up in their cars to drop off bags of clothes, crates of food. They collected and delivered box trucks of bottled water, sent GoFundMe offerings. They opened their homes to strangers and friends of friends of friends, or they fostered pets, no questions asked. There were so many offers of help that donation centers began turning people away.
The fires were tragic and terrifying, but during a time of immense fear and heartbreak, SD’s response was inspiring. I can’t say I was surprised, but still, seeing San Diego come together, put our (mostly playful) LA rivalry aside, and be there for our northern neighbors in a time of great need remains one of the most memorable things in SD over the last year. It was a quiet reflection of who we are as a city.
This issue is a chance for us to celebrate that spirit, along with the endless other things that make San Diego shine. From bigtime, big-money openings to the people patiently fanning SD’s creative sparks in backroom studios, the city keeps expanding and evolving. The last year saw billions of dollars of new hospitality offerings, legendary places coming back after years-long renovations, and even new pandas for the first time in more than two decades. This is where we honor it all, along with your picks for the very best in town. See our Best of San Diego feature.
Plus, in this issue, we’re partying with music fans picnicking outside The Rady Shell during a Ludacris concert, getting the lowdown on the massive plans for the Midway Rising development project, and spending an evening at a potent anger-releasing wellness event for women. We also asked you, our readers, to chime in on two of our stories this month. First, we invited you to suggest a classic SD restaurant to send our food critic to for this month’s review. You wanted him to head to El Indio, the legendary Mexican restaurant and tortilla chip depot in Middletown. See the review. And, we bring you stories of San Diegans meeting their BFFs in town.
Do other cities envy us? Yes. We live in a postcard and put avocado on everything. But, as we saw in January, the best of San Diego is in the people and the energy they cultivate. It’s the way this city humbly insists on showing up—with generosity, with flavor, with style, with soul.
So whether you’re a San Diego lifer or a wide-eyed newcomer just learning where to get the good tortillas, we made this issue for you. We appreciate you being here to celebrate with us
