Best Semicentennial
San Diego Foundation
The San Diego Foundation (SDF) celebrated its 50th anniversary with proclamations from 15 cities and the County of San Diego, declaring May 28 as San Diego Foundation Day and launching a new campaign. It was also named Nonprofit of the Year by State Senator Akilah Weber Pierson. To date, SDF has granted over $1.8 billion to nonprofits across the region—its new Fifty & Forward campaign aims to raise $1 billion and award $500 million towards initiatives targeting education, climate resilience, and family well-being over the next decade.
Best Chance to Discover Your New Favorite Album
Future is Color Studio & Cafe
Tucked in the heart of Barrio Logan, Future is Color Studio & Cafe is cultivating community through clothing, conversation, coffee, and music. Focused on collective liberation, the space explores cultural tensions through dialogue; creative workshops; and Studio Sessions, weekly events like jazz nights, DJ sets, and album listenings. Swing by Fridays and Saturdays to browse the latest collection, dig into the reference library, or vibe in the Hi-Fi Listening Space. (The best part? It’s free.) Tuesdays offer intimate, ticketed listening sessions, and you can visit on Sundays with a reservation.
Best Botanical Grow-up
Botanical Building
One of Balboa Park’s most photogenic gems got a serious makeover. The iconic Botanical Building, originally built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, had weathered decades of wear and termite damage until a glamorous $28 million, 32-month renovation brought it back to life. Phase one restored its signature redwood lathework and added sleek new irrigation systems, making the once overgrown space shine. Phase two is underway, with new gardens set to bloom and complete the fairytale-worthy transformation.
Best Lounge to Light Up In
Sessions by the Bay
Sessions by the Bay opened this year as San Diego County’s first licensed cannabis lounge. The National City spot features a large dispensary downstairs and a sleek second-floor lounge serving real-deal restaurant food and non-alcoholic drinks that you can dose yourself. Guests are actively consuming cannabis—smoking, vaping, dabbing, sipping—in a space that feels more boutique hotel lobby than head shop. It’s polished, thoughtful, designed for lingering. Finally, San Diego has a legal, regulated, public place to smoke weed.
Best Gamer Gathering
TwitchCon
You’ve heard of Comic-Con, but does the name TwitchCon ring any bells? How about Ninja, Ludwig, or Pokimane? Even if those aren’t your personal lexicon, every day, millions of people tune in to watch these streamers share video gameplay, life updates, and real-time reactions to the internet’s biggest trends on the platform Twitch. Quickly becoming one of the San Diego Convention Center’s largest annual events, TwitchCon brought together nearly 22,800 fans and creators this past year. With its 10-year anniversary on the horizon and a return slated for October, TwitchCon may have finally found its forever home in America’s Finest City.
Best Tune-Up
Jacobs Music Center
After a $125 million, four-year transformation, the historic Jacobs Music Center struck a new chord this last year. Once a 1929 movie palace, the venue is now an ornate, state-of-the-art concert hall with upgraded acoustics (including a design-forward tunable canopy), lush new seating, and a choral terrace that puts some lucky audience members right onstage. It’s an acoustically brilliant home for the musical gifts of the SD Symphony. Goodbye, old HVAC system; hello, musicians who can actually hear themselves play.
Best Opportunity to Live the High Life
1011 Union Street
Noticed something new in downtown’s skyline? A $511 million, 37-story tower at 1011 Union Street is the city’s first true mixed-use skyscraper. Developed by Holland Partner Group, the building combines office spaces, trendy retail, and luxury apartments and tops ’em with a rooftop pool and deck. This vertical neighborhood aims to create a more dynamic and walkable community, elevating San Diego’s lifestyle to new heights.
Best Conservation Wins
The San Diego Zoo, a pioneer in wildlife research and protection for nearly a century, has been up to some seriously exciting things lately, from innovative conservation efforts to welcoming new furry friends.
The Return of the Giant Pandas
Giant pandas are finally back at the San Diego Zoo. Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are the first two pandas to enter the US in 21 years. Go visit these adorable, fuzzy legends at the new Panda Ridge habitat.
The 50th Anniversary of the Frozen Zoo
Half a century never looked cooler. San Diego Zoo’s Frozen Zoo is the world’s first wildlife biobank, containing frozen cells from over 1,300 species to help fight extinction. What started as a wild idea is now supporting conservation efforts across six continents and could be key to bringing back Earth’s rarest animals.
The Birth of a Sumatran Tiger Cub
Here, kitty, kitty. On August 23, 2024, the San Diego Zoo welcomed Barong, a Sumatran tiger cub, into the world. Born to first-time mom Jillian, this adorable lil fella marks a big win for his critically endangered species.
Best Decisions by a Journalism Award Judging Panel
City and Regional Magazine Awards
We may not be able to fix the broken cabinet in our office, but we’re pretty darn good at making stuff worthy of national awards. In June, San Diego Magazine nabbed two wins at the 40th annual City and Regional Magazine Awards (CRMA), which honors the best writing, reporting, design, and digital storytelling from across the country. Our content chief Troy Johnson scored Best Food or Dining Writing, and our 2024 Best Restaurants feature was named Best Food or Dining Feature Package. We were also nominated for the prestigious General Excellence award, but, alas, we didn’t walk away with the gold. Fingers crossed for next year.
Best Welcome Mats
Neighborhood Signs
Three San Diego neighborhoods are saying hello to residents and visitors alike with new signs that put history and culture front and center. Convoy’s soaring, illuminated vertical sign, designed by Bennett Peji, proudly celebrates its vibrant Pan-Asian roots. Old Town’s elegant iron archway honors its rich Spanish, Mexican, and American heritage. Meanwhile, Ramona’s glowing arched emblem, created by local artist Leslie Souza, brightens Main Street with warm hometown charm. But these aren’t just signs—they’re echoes of San Diego’s past, lighting the way toward a bright new future.
Best Curtain Call
The Joan
The Cygnet Theatre, founded in 2003 and rooted in Old Town for two decades, is preparing for a scene change. This fall, the company moves into the Irwin and Joan Jacobs Performing Arts Center—dubbed “The Joan”—in Liberty Station’s Arts District. Thanks to a $43.5 million investment, the historic Navy Building 178 has been reborn with a 280-seat mainstage and a 150-seat black box to equip the performing arts institution with more modern amenities and room to grow. The curtain rises on Cygnet’s 21st season this September.
Best Proof That LJP Stayed Gold
The Outsiders
Around Best of SD press time last year, we were waiting with bated breath to learn whether The Outsiders would take home a Tony. It didn’t nab one—it got four, including Best Musical. The show made its debut at La Jolla Playhouse during the 2022–23 season, earning immediate acclaim before heading to the Jacobs Theatre on Broadway in 2024. So, pay close attention next time you catch a show at SD’s most trailblazing theater. You might be seeing a smash hit in its nascent stages. Stay gold, Ponyboy.
Best Oar-acles
Oarfish
Should San Diegans prepare for certain doom? That’s up in the air, after two rare oarfish—dubbed “doomsday fish” for their correlation in Japanese folklore to earthquakes—washed up on San Diego beaches last year; one in August in La Jolla and another in Encinitas in November. These ribbon-shaped deep- sea giants can reach up to 30 feet in length, but thankfully, our deceased visitors were only a measly nine and 11 feet, respectively. Scientists aren’t certain why they’ve surfaced in San Diego, but their arrival certainly shook up residents—perhaps literally, considering the 5.2 magnitute quake we saw in May.
Best Statewide Honor For a Local Changemaker
Ivey Ranch Park Association
Ivey Ranch Park Association was named a 2025 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Laurie Davies, honoring more than four decades of work in Oceanside and across San Diego County. Known for its equine-assisted therapy and inclusive care programs for people with and without disabilities, Ivey Ranch supports more than 300 children and adults each week. The team was recognized at the Capitol May 2025 as part of California Nonprofits Day, alongside other standout organizations statewide.
Best New Look At an Old Icon
Hotel del Coronado
After six years and $550 million, the Hotel del Coronado has officially completed its historic restoration, bringing a previously unseen revival of its 1888 Victorian building. The final phase of rooms opened June 15. Hidden frescoes, original woodwork, and long-lost architectural gems were uncovered during the construction, which means guests now get an even richer glimpse into the hotel’s storied past. Nobu has arrived, too, so come hungry.
Best Show of Solidarity
San Diego’s Response to the LA Fires
When ferocious wildfires tore through Los Angeles in January, destroying neighborhoods from the Pacific Palisades to Pasadena and impacting hundreds of thousands of people, San Diegans came together to help our northern neighbors. The San Diego Humane Society took in LA’s shelter dogs, hotels offered discounted or free rooms, and local grocery stores like Vons and Northgate Market matched donations. The Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego opened free workspaces, while residents donated to food banks, held clothing drives, and partnered with Airbnb to open their homes. Amid the devastation, the local response was a powerful example of community solidarity.
Best Name Change
Lucky Lane
Grim Avenue in North Park has a new moniker: Lucky Lane. Entrepreneur Lucky Wong dished out affordable, homestyle breakfast at Lucky’s Golden Phenix on Grim for 50 years. When he passed away at 90 last December, neighboring business owner Matthew Lyons of Tribute Pizza rallied support and raised funds to rename the street and create the Lucky Wong Memorial Scholarship, benefiting under-resourced culinary students in San Diego.
Best Way to Avoid Parking in North Park
Mid-City GO
They say there’s no such thing as a free ride, but we guess they haven’t heard about Mid-City GO. The four-year pilot program offers on-demand rides Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., within North Park and City Heights in vehicles that emit zero emissions and cost zero dollars. Just download the free app, request a ride, and watch smugly as you cruise past all the poor saps circling the block in a futile search for a parking spot.
Best Reason to Invest in an SDSU Alum License Plate Cover
San Diego State University (SDSU) has made some big strides in the past year. From stronger academics and innovative new facilities to a fresh chapter in athletics, there’s been a plethora of exciting news pushing the university forward.
R1 Status
SDSU just achieved R1 status, indicating that it’s now ranked among the top five percent of research universities in the country. This milestone contributes to more opportunities, resources, and recognition for students and faculty—and it makes your SDSU degree shine a little brighter, too.
PARTNER CONTENT
Sound Laboratory
Five years in the making, SDSU’s new Sound Laboratory holds super speakers and unique audio technologies that let sounds echo seemingly forever. This encourages students to explore how space, sound, and reverberation interconnect in ways that weren’t previously possible.
Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 just scored big, with SDSU set to join the athletic conference in 2026. This will bring stronger partnerships and a higher level of competition for student athletes while helping the school attract top talent. It’s only up from here, Aztecs.
