The post The Local’s Guide to Barrio Logan appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Barrio Logan’s population is 80 percent Hispanic. Up until the 1950s, the area was mostly a residential neighborhood housing almost half of the city’s Spanish speakers. But rezoning laws brought in junkyards, and, in 1963, the I-5 was built, bisecting the community. It was in the late ’60s, after the Coronado Bridge opened, that the barrio assumed its character, with residents fighting for the construction of Chicano Park and the maintenance of public green spaces in the area.
Since then, Barrio Logan has remained an activism stronghold, with community groups coming to the mat time and again against threats like gentrification and bad air quality. Today, the area is a hotbed of culture and a growing destination for food and shopping amid lowrider shows and street festivals.
Things to Do in Barrio Logan, San Diego
Eighty-three-year-old Barrio Station Executive Director Rachel Ortiz grew up within a few blocks of Chicano Park, with her parents and sister working in the fish canneries before the I-5 highway arrived. “I remember after work [the employees] had that fish smell on them, and everybody embraced it—people could buy homes or buy a new car. [They could] support their families,” Ortiz says.
At the nonprofit youth center Barrio Station, she provides a physical space where neighborhood kids can gather after school to exercise, box, use computers, and find support and mentorship. “That way, they are not on the street,” Ortiz adds. When she’s not at the center, here’s where she likes to hang out in the neighborhood.
Breakfast with a Side of History at Las Cuatro Milpas
Founded in 1933, Barrio institution Las Cuatro Milpas has “been there since I was a girl,” Ortiz recalls. “My parents would go in there and buy fresh-made corn and harina tortillas.” Nowadays, she orders chorizo with eggs, rice, and beans off the taco shop’s letterboard menu. Counter-serve and cash only, the restaurant has remained immune to the tug of trends and tech in its near-century of operation—but Ortiz isn’t complaining. “I would not want them to change a thing there,” she says.
Fresh Tamales at Northgate Market
Northgate Market is a community hub in Barrio Logan. The supermarket’s hot food stand slings beef, corn, and cheese tamales with beans. “They are always fresh, soft, steamy, and juicy,” Ortiz says. “The flavors are all delicious, but I favor the beef.”
Chow Down Near Chicano Park
Because of the restaurant’s proximity to Chicano Park, Ortiz feels right at home at casual Chinese eatery Imperial Express, located on the corner of Logan Avenue and Cesar E. Chavez Park Way. Her order of choice is the fried fish with vegetables, but “their vegetables with beef and white rice are also excellent,” she says.
Facts About Barrio Logan
- Barrio Logan’s Chicano heritage began with an influx of refugees during the 1910 Mexican Revolution.
- Chicano Park, with its massive murals painted on the Coronado Bridge support pillars, was designated as a historic landmark in 2016.
- The average price of a single-family home in Barrio Logan is $653,488.
- Barrio Logan residents had direct beach access to the bay until World War II, when the San Diego naval base expanded.
- Famous Mexican-American muralist Salvador Torres, who many consider the conceptual father of Chicano Park’s murals, grew up in Barrio Logan.
What’s Next for Barrio Logan
Taco institution ¡Salud! and adjoining Mexican-Japanese restaurant La Bamba Room closed after owner Ernie Becerra’s negotiations to renew the lease failed. The nationally acclaimed ¡Salud! opened in 2015 and anchored a vital corner of Logan Avenue, helping draw visitors to the area. Becerra will continue to offer catering services, but it’s unknown whether he will reopen in another location.
While the shuttering of ¡Salud! will certainly bring changes to Barrio Logan, the community looks to the future with a hopeful new blueprint. Barrio Logan residents had direct beach access to the bay until World War II, when the San Diego naval base expanded.
Concerns over bad air quality and its effects on public health have long plagued Barrio Logan and its residents, who experience one of the highest rates of asthma in California. The area’s new community plan finally passed late last year following approval by local authorities and the California Coastal Commission. Chief among its wins is the sought-after buffer zone between the commercial and residential zones to prevent air pollution.
The document will also help secure increased green spaces, better public transportation, and affordable housing, with the intention of ensuring that longtime residents are able to remain in the neighborhood despite the quickly gentrifying housing market.
But that’s not the only victory of the grassroots Chicano community’s efforts. The Port of San Diego has agreed to double their annual funding for combatting industrial effects within their area of influence, chiefly Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, and National City. A total of $1.5 million per year will be dedicated to environmental justice programs.
Where to Eat in Barrio Logan
Where to Shop in Barrio Logan
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]]>The post The Local’s Guide to La Mesa appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Just over 61,000 people reside in La Mesa, which stretches between San Diego’s Rolando neighborhood to the west and El Cajon to the east. Known as “the Jewel of the Hills,” La Mesa officially became a city in 1912, but the area was Kumeyaay land before natural springs and citrus farming brought the San Diego and Cuyamaca Eastern Railroad smack through the center of town. In fact, the MTS Orange trolley line follows part of the original railroad tracks through La Mesa Village, the downtown area that hosts community events: the La Mesa Classic Car Show every Thursday in the summer, trick-or-treating each Halloween, and the county’s largest Oktoberfest every fall.
It may no longer be a movie mecca or hipster haven, but La Mesa’s understated vibes tend to surprise visitors. Yes, it’s technically East County. Yes, it’s only 9.1 square miles. But with some good schools and a lingering quaintness alongside ever-expanding amenities, it may not be long before the Jewel of the Hills’ glitter catches people’s eyes.
Things to Do in La Mesa, San Diego
Billy Beltz, who co-owns Lost Cause Meadery and Oddish Wine with his wife Suzanna, has dwelt in La Mesa for the past three years. “We live in the Highlands neighborhood and absolutely love it,” Beltz says. “All the winding streets filled with old homes, mature trees, and friendly neighbors give it a wonderful small-town feel. La Mesa has soul and character, which is not always easy to find in SoCal neighborhoods, and we’re still just a short drive to Balboa Park or the beach.” He has more than a few favorite places around town, but here are a couple of his regular haunts.
Muffins and Coffee in the Village
It’s always a good idea to arrive at Sheldon’s Service Station as early as possible or risk a lack of seating or baked goods. But Beltz says they plan ahead to make sure his son’s favorite blueberry muffin is available. “The outdoor space serves as a great weekend hub to catch up with neighbors,” Beltz says. Afterward, stroll down the block to Public Square Coffee House for what Beltz thinks is the top coffee in the Village.
Date Nights at Antica Trattoria
“Don’t let the shopping center location fool you,” Beltz warns. “Italian dinners aren’t meant to be stuffy, and this place captures everything we loved about Italy—delicious Italian food in a lovely little space with friendly service and a warm vibe, without being overpriced. Whatʼs not to love?”
Burgers at The Hills Pub
Controversial opinion alert: Beltz claims The Hills Pub’s namesake Hills burger with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and chipotle on a brioche bun might be the best burger in San Diego. “[It] holds its own against any other neighborhood burger spot in San Diego,” he promises.
Facts About La Mesa
- In 2024, the Climate Action Campaign ranked La Mesa the number-one city in the county addressing climate change through efforts like infill housing, investment in public transportation, and using clean energy.
- Originally launched in 1973, La Mesa Oktoberfest is the largest Oktoberfest in the county, attracting 100,000 visitors over three days.
- Lots of things in La Mesa are named Helix—a mountain, a high school, streets. That’s because of a local species of snail: the helix aspersa. There’s even a statue of the famed critter, Felix the Helix, on the east end of La Mesa Boulevard.
- Notable former La Mesa residents include at least three astronauts, Metallica and Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, pro basketball player Bill Walton, and Academy Award nominee and actor Dennis Hopper.
- La Mesa has plenty of wild parrots, but did you know there are also wild peacocks on and around Mount Helix? Legend has it that, around 1980, a local resident purchased two peacocks from the Wild Animal Park in Escondido. One thing led to another, and now their feathery descendents roam the lands.
What’s Next for La Mesa
Unlike some other cities across the county falling behind on their affordable housing goals, La Mesa
is actively developing multiple infill projects near transit stations to meet demand and lower carbon emissions. One such project is Cantera, which features 32 homes priced from the high $600,000s to around $850,000. Considering La Mesa’s median home price hovers around $914,000 while the county’s is nearly $1 million, that’s a screamin’ deal for regular folks. Another development is at 8181 Allison Avenue, with 100 percent affordable housing across 147 units.
Once folks set down roots, they’re going to want to eat and shop, as well. Luckily, plenty of stores and restaurants have already started to take advantage of the area’s potential. Mastiff Kitchen opened its first brick-and-mortar there in 2023, followed by Shawarma Guys earlier this year. There are even rumors of a new communal Oddish Wine tasting room (à la The Garten in Bay Park) floating around. The old-timey Village is getting a facelift later this year or early next, with a new Downtown District sign scheduled for installation. Plus, Grossmont Center is poised for a complete overhaul starting as soon as 2025, with over 25 million square feet prime for mixed use.
Where to Eat in La Mesa
Where to Shop in La Mesa
More Things to Do in La Mesa
Lamplighters Community Theatre
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]]>The post The Local’s Guide to Del Mar appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Even though its list of famous residents can sometimes read like an Illuminati roster, Del Mar has always been a classic coastal community at heart. No matter how many celebrities call it their summer home, the town’s tapestry—a mix of early-bird surfers, college professors, rooted families, retired inventors, rare Torrey pines, and lots of dogs—remains tightly woven. This town has been booming, thanks in part to Monarch Ocean Pub helping transform Del Mar Plaza from a sleepy shopping mall to a full-on scene. It’s where residents have gathered together again since the pandemic.
Del Mar Historical Society president Larry Brooks says that because half of the town’s residents are part-time, many of the million-dollar homes sit empty. But with new billion-dollar development, affordable housing requirements, and more short-term rentals on the way, a vibe shift is on the horizon, troubling local groups determined to hold onto Del Mar’s provincial spirit.
Things to Do in Del Mar
Meatballs at Beeside Balcony
While Vafiadis can’t resist breakfast at the beloved Harry’s Coffee Shop, she likes to venture off the beaten path for lunch. The meatballs at the Mediterranean-inspired Beeside Balcony are her current go-to. “It’s a shareable plate,” she says. “But I don’t share.”
Beach Walks to Torrey Pines
Surfboards are as common as cars in Del Mar, but Vafiadis prefers to explore on land via a nice, long beach walk. She starts on 17th Street and makes her way down to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, a pleasant route for people-watching and seashell-hunting.
Sunset Drinks at Monarch Ocean Pub
While there are no bad views in Del Mar, Monarch Ocean Pub’s third-story vantage is hard to beat. “I credit Monarch with really reviving this town more than anything,” Vafiadis says. “The energy up there is so wonderful.” She likes their grapefruit slushies—and that she can see Stratford Square from where she’s sitting.
Del Mar Wine + Food Festival
Debuting in 2023, the annual Del Mar Wine + Food festival taking place in October brings together some of the best chefs and food and drink makers in southern California for a six-day event featuring immersive culinary experiences and sold-out dinners across San Diego. From celebrity chefs to TV personalities and exclusive VIP events during the week, it’s one of the best culinary events of the year.
Facts About Del Mar
- Start saving for that seaside abode—luxury real estate agent Mike Cady says that the average cost of a 1,200-square-foot home near the beach in Del Mar is between $3 and $5 million.
- In their infamous 1963 bop “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” Del Mar is the first stop on the Beach Boys’ rundown of all the top surfing locales in Californ-I-A.
- Sunday mass at St. James Catholic Church was like a red carpet event in the 1960s. Jimmy Durante, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball often attended, while Bing Crosby and Pat O’Brien served as ushers.
- Tony Robbins once lived in Del Mar’s only castle. Designed by local architect Richard Requa, the five-bedroom home was built in 1927 for $150,000 (almost $3 million today) and features six fireplaces and a lookout tower.
- To make ocean swimming safer, wealthy cattleman Colonel Jacob Taylor built a 198-foot pool at the bluffs’ base in the 1880s that filled with seawater at high tide. Some original pylons are still visible at low tide near 11th Street.
Local Tips for Del Mar
For as physically small as it is, Del Mar offers a surprisingly full itinerary—especially if you’re betting on the next Seabiscuit or taking a fried food tour through the fairgrounds. But you don’t need to wait for a major event to visit. The residents’ dedication to maintaining their town’s idyllic topography and coastal charm makes even the most mundane pastimes feel like something out of a movie montage.
One of those residents is KC Vafiadis, chairman of the Del Mar Village Association and daughter of longtime developer Jim Watkins. She grew up watching her dad bring the local economy back to life with projects like the L’Auberge Del Mar. While she’s understandably biased toward the spots steeped in her own family history (particularly the historic Stratford Square that she now runs), she has more than enough love for the rest of Del Mar to go around.
What’s Next for Del Mar
Several projects that will reshape the town’s landscape are in the works, with some replacing timeless favorites. Hillstone Restaurant Group (HRG) is constructing a 3,300-square-foot spot on Camino del Mar in the former site of the beloved Bully’s North. A rep from HRG confirmed it’s slated to open as a new Honor Bar location in early 2025. Valley Farm Market and The Cottage should also soon arrive on the town’s local business scene.
Jen Grove, executive director of the Del Mar Village Association, hopes that by continuing to attract San Diego–grown businesses, Del Mar can stay true to its small-town roots. “We’ve had a lot of change,” she says. “I think what people would like to see is just continuing to support what we have. Because what we have is really good.”
But the most controversial modification to the community’s landscape isn’t happening at the street level. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is working to relocate the rail line from Del Mar’s coast (which is threatened by eroding cliffs) onto a more stable inland route via a tunnel with a $4 billion– plus price tag that would potentially run underneath the town’s main thoroughfare. Residents are concerned about construction disruption and potential impacts on property values. But Brooks, who’s also a retired engineer, believes that as long as SANDAG doesn’t dig up the main drag of Camino del Mar, locals’ fears are mostly (though not totally) unfounded.
“It’s going to impact a couple of people on the north end, probably,” he says. “But the south end is a piece of cake. They’ve got all kinds of places [the train] can come out and not bother anybody.”
Though longtime residents can be resistant to change, 93-year-old Watkins views these new developments as the culmination of the vision he originally outlined in his 1969 economic report titled Why Del Mar.
“Del Mar is where it should be,” he says. “My focus was on business revitalization, and essentially that’s done. Now the idea is just keeping the character of the community.”
Where to Eat in Del Mar
Where to Shop in Del Mar
More Things to Do in Del Mar
Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary
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]]>The post Soaring Rents in San Diego Pricing Out Working Class appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>But now, the market has shattered Teresa’s financial calculus. Even after she and her husband sold their house and split the profits, affording to buy again seems impossible. She is currently renting, but with the San Diego rental market being one of the hottest in the country, she found slim pickings. Teresa is paying $2,000 a month to live in a small, one-bedroom accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in North County, without an oven in the kitchen, behind a friend’s house—and she counts herself lucky. On the open market, she says, that unit could rent for as much as $3,300.
And that cost is no outlier. Teresa pulls out her phone, bringing up Zillow listings from around San Diego County: $1,650 a month for a 250-square-foot studio, $2,200 for a 600-square-foot one-bedroom, $2,350 for a 350-square-foot studio.
San Diego is at the forefront of California’s affordable housing crisis, and California is at the forefront of a national housing shortage—US Census Bureau data shows that, countrywide, the home vacancy rate is at 0.8 percent, less than half of what it was a few years ago. A recent report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that over 12 million households were spending more than half of their income on rent. And, when new apartment buildings are constructed, developers increasingly build for higher-income renters, leaving working- and even middle-class tenants unable to get a foot in the door.
In part because of the housing crunch, more than 800,000 Californians left the state between 2021 and 2022, according to the Census Bureau. Despite hundreds of thousands of new arrivals, California ended up with a net loss of 342,000 people, not far shy of one percent of its entire population.
In the face of calamitously high rents, those who remain in San Diego are taking to Facebook, Craigslist, and other online venues, desperately trying to sell themselves—their personality traits, looks, and financial stability—as would-be roommates.
Sergio Castro-Gutierrez, 36, has found it impossible to qualify for an apartment in North County, despite working 50-hour weeks.
For Sergio Castro-Gutierrez, a 36-year-old chef originally from Barcelona, Spain, finding housing is more complicated than simply picking a roommate. Recently separated from his wife and desperate to stay in the North County area to remain close to both his young daughter and his place of employment, he finds that, even working 50 hours a week at the Omni La Costa Resort, he still isn’t earning enough to pass muster with landlords when he applies for an apartment.
There are available rooms in houses that he could afford, but, he adds, who would feel safe bringing their 5-year-old daughter to stay in a house with strangers? The one-bedrooms that he has found in North County range in price from $2,600 per month up to $3,300, far beyond what he can afford, given he only makes between $4,000 and $4,500 each month, part of which goes to help support his ex-wife and daughter.
Landlords want proof of income three times the rent, meaning that Castro-Gutierrez would have to earn almost double what he’s making to be in the running for an apartment. While he searches, he is living with his ex-wife’s uncle, but Castro-Gutierrez says when the uncle renovates the home in a few months, he’ll have to find his own place. As much as Castro-Gutierrez likes San Diego, “it’s hard,” he continues. “You’ve got to have two jobs to survive if you’re by yourself. And then, you cannot even enjoy your place, because you’re always working.” Many of his friends have migrated to Texas and Arizona for cheaper digs.
Mishele Stead, 54, will soon be forced from her Golden Hill home so developers can build luxury apartments.
Mishele Stead, a 54-year-old housing navigator for a local nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated people find affordable residences, has lived in the same rental unit in Golden Hill for the past decade. She pays $2,000 monthly for her two-bedroom, one-bath, which is already more than half her $24.92-per-hour income. However, the property recently sold, and the new corporate owners want to knock down the building and construct luxury apartments. Stead is terrified that, once she gets the 60-day notice to vacate, she will not be able to find an affordable unit to rent.
The data provides ballast for her fears. Last year, Zillow reported that San Diego was now the nation’s third-highest-priced rental market, just behind New York and San Jose. Realtor.com recently estimated that San Diego would have the country’s fourth hottest real estate market this year, with demand and prices continuing to increase. High purchase prices have a ripple effect into the rental market as well, driving up the cost of renting even more.
Stead is no stranger to squeezing the juice out of San Diego’s housing stone for her clients—she frequently places them two-to-a-bedroom in tiny apartments with the most basic kitchens, equipped only with hot plates. But as she’s begun looking for herself, she’s stumped: Her wages have been increasing by three to four percent annually in a real estate market where rents have been growing by at least seven to eight percent yearly.
As a result, the $2,000 she currently spends on a two-bedroom will likely get her only a studio once she has to move, a realization that has left her somewhat bitter.
Stead at home with her pets.
It’s not as if the city and state officials don’t realize there’s a problem. Over the past few years, several legislative efforts have been put in place to protect renters and first-time home buyers struggling to enter the overpriced ownership market. California’s $300 million Dream for All program helped lower-income buyers with their upfront costs, fronting some of the down-payment monies needed in exchange for the state having part-ownership in the property. However, so many people applied that the program ran out of funds within days of going online.
Last year, to address the housing crunch, legislators passed AB 68, allowing homeowners to build one ADU and one junior accessory dwelling unit on their lot, thus effectively rendering single lots into potential triplexes and working around at least some of the zoning restrictions preventing the development of high-density housing. And this year, another bill, AB 1033, has been introduced, allowing homeowners to sell those ADUs separately from their main property.
In the long run, those reforms might add some affordable housing stock to the market and could open up more ADU rentals at affordable prices. So, too, might efforts to modify the California Environmental Quality Act, which has been abused in recent years by opponents of denser housing projects who sue under CEQA to stop any developments in their neighborhoods. But in the short term, the crisis shows little sign of easing.
The Tenants’ Protection Ordinance, signed by San Diego’s Mayor Todd Gloria in May 2023, expanded protections against eviction without just cause. Tenants who are evicted through no fault of their own are entitled to two months of rent relocation assistance (seniors and those with disabilities get three months). The ordinance also limits the circumstances in which landlords can use an upcoming renovation as an excuse to kick tenants out. Yet, these measures haven’t addressed the more significant issue: demand exceeding supply and hugely driving up the cost of renting in the region.
Since 2019, California has limited annual rent increases to 10 percent for existing tenants. Still, it doesn’t have a statewide rent control system to restrict increases when there is a turnover in occupancy. And while several cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Berkeley, and Santa Ana, have, with mixed success, attempted to create local rent control ordinances, to date, San Diego hasn’t moved in this direction. And renters are bearing the cost.
Stead, a devoted outrigger canoeist who participates in competitions up and down the coast, fears that this year, she’ll have to forgo her hobby and instead put all her available money into rent. “You’re losing what affordable housing you have currently to demolition and new development,” she says. “I feel scared now that I’m already priced out of the market.”
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]]>The post San Diego Brewing Company Gets New Owners & a Refresh appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Lee Doxtader and Scott Stamp revived the defunct brand in 1993, back when we could count the number of local breweries (or, in the parlance of the times, microbreweries) on one hand, and over the next 30 years, they watched the Chargers leave, housing prices rise, and the number of breweries increase.
But SDBC remained. And remained. And remained. I remember the last time I visited SDBC before this week. It was probably 10 years ago, if not more, and there wasn’t much to say about it other than giving kudos for their SEO-savvy company name. Still, I’m a sucker for nostalgia and a good story, and finally, SDBC has something fresh to talk about.
On November 1, 2023, Doxtader and Stamp handed the keys to the four new owners: Tyson and Kristina Blake and Bob and Lisa Townsend. Do their names sound familiar? They should. The Blakes have a hand in other beer-centric destinations around town, including O’Brien’s Pub, The Pub at Lake Cuyamaca, and West Coast Smoke & Tap House. The Townsends took over another San Diego institution in 2016: North Park’s San Diego Chicken Pie Shop.
If there was ever a team to breathe new life into a beloved icon, it’s this quartet. But they assure me their intention is to protect the legacy while also building a new, fresh future.
“It’s all about improving what already exists,” Lisa says. They’ve already started working on some changes, getting rid of a (very-dated) wooden bar and replacing it with quartz and adding a sleek patio rail, fresh subway tile, plenty of new TVs, and a new stainless steel tap system with 50 taps.
The small brewhouse remains, but Tyson says they are running it more efficiently. Plus, he adds, guests can expect new recipes that modernize some of SDBC’s old favorites, like a “Pale Ale 2.0,” as well as collaborations like the Pink Boots Society double dry-hopped double IPA that comes out this week. Classic menu items like pizza, wings, and burgers will remain, but Kristina says they plan to improve their wine, cocktail, and beer menus so that there’s something for everyone.
They also plan to roll out a refreshed brand in the next month and hope to mesh beer history with the new look by adding a San Diego Beer History wall with help from Judith Downie, San Diego beer historian and archivist at California State University, San Marcos.
Revamping a beloved, if not somewhat antiquated, brand always risks alienating longtime customers. But Tyson says they’ve had many longtime regulars come in, see the changes, and get excited.
“There are people that came here 10, 15, 20-plus years ago that have revisited and been like, ‘Oh my God, this place is great again!’” he says. “Now we get to be a part of the new stories.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Boogie Your Butt Off at This Silent Disco
Starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, April 5, The Duck Dive in Pacific Beach will host a silent disco party with four DJs; drink specials from Harland Brewing, Mate Maker Hard Kombucha, and Roku Gin; and plenty of Instagram fodder. Tickets are $5 and include a half-hour headphone rental.
Matsu Hosts Benefit Dinner For Local Chef Aarti Sanghavi
On Tuesday, April 16, chefs William Eick (Matsu), Davin Waite (Wrench & Rodent, The Plot), and Keith Lord (Strateje Fourteen, The Shed) will come together at Matsu for a six-course Baja-Indian dinner to raise money for local chef Aarti Sanghavi (Urban Kitchen Group), who is currently in recovery for breast cancer. Tickets are $225 and available here.
Beth’s Bites
After devastating bread lovers all over the city by closing last year, Izola Bakery is reopening at 1429 Island Avenue in East Village in mid-May. Formerly occupied by Amplified Ale Works and ModBom, the space overlooks Fault Line Park, which boasts a dog park and playground. Dogs and croissants? Hell yeah.
Look out, An’s Dry Cleaning—there’s a new laundry-themed eatery in town. The Laundry Pub is now open inside the Hotel Del’s restored laundry building, with an 1880s-era bar and pub fare like a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, gochujang glazed pork nuggets, and chicken and waffles.
The Convoy District suffered a massive blow when dim sum icon China Max was completely destroyed in a fire in 2020. But word on the street is a new iteration is coming this year, as well as another concept called Midnight Skewers at the same address.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
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]]>The post Get an Exclusive Look Inside La Jolla’s Iconic Liebhardt House appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>The one-story La Jolla home is considered one of the finest examples of Liebhardt’s style. Gazing out at the Pacific Ocean, it’s a time capsule with minimal restoration completed over the years, intended only to preserve the original design and materials. It has more or less flown under the radar, mainly known to local architecture and design aficionados. But recently, its new-ish owners breathed refreshed life into the space and quietly inserted it into the local modern home tour circuit. Until now, taking one of those tours was the only way the public could see the home.
Paul Basile and Jules Wilson stand on the lanai of the Frederick Charles Liebhardt House at 7224 Carrizo Drive.
Local designer-and-restaurateur couple Jules Wilson and Paul Basile purchased the home in 2019 (along with Liebhardt’s original office in downtown La Jolla).
They’ve been living and entertaining there ever since, making small but painstaking changes along the way, like adding an expansive outdoor deck and entertaining space that looks as if it could have been original, complete with a state-of-the-art pizza oven.
The interior of 7224 Carrizo Drive, shot by Shulman in 1953.
Classified in the “organic geometric” style of modern architecture, the approximately 3,500-square-foot home features an attached carport that currently protects Wilson’s vintage Bentley. The irregular-shaped lot was once part of a more expansive property—Basile tells me that when Liebhardt built the house, it was on a much larger plot, which he and Wilson also own and have further subdivided for future home development in the couples’ signature modern style.
Basile says he and Wilson removed the “really horrible” melamine cabinets, revealing original concrete in the living room.
The house’s original wood post and beam construction sits on a concrete slab-on-grade and epitomizes many defining features of the organic geometric approach: site-specific design, asymmetrical façades, exposed structure, and extensive use of wood, glass, and stone. The house cuddles into a hill on its east side, where the terrain slopes steeply up, like a cliff, to meet the natural grade where the couple’s other yet-to-be-developed plots sit.
The bedroom overlooks the redesigned patio area, with ocean views.
The Liebhardt family, who lived in the home for many years, built a permitted addition in 1969. It included a primary suite and expanded kitchen (which Basile and Wilson have since updated using Getty image comparisons), a wood post and beam structure on a raised foundation with continuous concrete perimeter footing and interior spot footings. Overall, the house is in good condition, with solid integrity of original materials. Still, it needs some maintenance, like roof work, which the couple began recently due to the rainstorms this past winter. They’ve also done interior work, including removing the “really horrible” melamine cabinets in the living room, Basile says, to reveal beautiful original concrete.
The reflections of Frederick Liebhardt and his wife Marianne, shot by famed modernist architecture photographer Julius Shulman in 1953.
The home’s lore has also become much richer over the last year. The San Diego Historical Resources Board named it “historic” on October 29 2023, along with three other La Jolla homes. But the board took an unusual turn when members granted Liebhardt “master architect” status during the same meeting. “Seriously, it’s been one of the highlights of our lives,” Basile tells me of the recognition.
The designation solidifies Liebhardt’s place in San Diego’s deep well of modern home history. Several apprentices who also worked with Wright through the Fellowship of Taliesin West—Vincent Bonini, Loch Crane, Sim Bruce Richards, and William Slatton—shaped the built environment in San Diego during the 1950s and beyond.
Basile and Wilson remodeled the kitchen with modern updates but used Getty image comparisons to ensure they didn’t stray too far from the original design.
Lured by the glut of construction following a war in a military town, these architects bolstered the influence of Wright and his colleague Irving John Gill, which had already loomed large in San Diego—two of Wright’s sons, Lloyd and John, famously came to work in San Diego in 1910, kicking off a Wrightsian building trend that the apprentices carried on. This produced a veritable modern home construction boom throughout San Diego County, a legacy still cherished by residents today.
The hallway off the kitchen is laid out in original wood paneling.
As a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, Liebhardt and his house have become a showcase exemplifying the height of modernism and organic design in the region. Architecture and design experts consider the Frederick Charles Liebhardt House the best local export from the thought experiments at the Fellowship at Taliesin West in the mid-20th century.
“The home is a tangible piece of the unique modernist history of San Diego,” says Todd Pitman, a former member of the Historical Resources Board who was the one to suggest Liebhardt be named a master. “Liebhardt was part of a small group of architects who really embodied San Diego modern design. Nowhere is that more apparent than in his own home.”
This bathroom still has its original red tile and waterfall shower.
It moves me that his house ended up in the hands of Wilson and Basile, two accomplished modern designers who also use his office as HQ for their design business. “It makes us feel connected to Liebhardt,” Basile says. “He lived here and worked and designed just down the street, like we do now.”
As we walk across the home’s lanai, I ask Basile, “How incredible it is that you two, of all people, get to be the stewards of this house?”
The west side of the home, which faces the ocean, is marked by giant concrete and rock columns that flank the living room’s exterior.
“You know, it was on the market for a year,” he says, laughing, while I grunt in disbelief. “I think it needed so much work that people were scared of it.” But when he and Wilson saw an open house sign while driving down Torrey Pines Road one day, all they felt was excitement.
“At the time, I was thinking of how many projects I had worked on here and how many hidden gems there were in this area that you just can’t see from the street. When we arrived to the house and realized what it was, we couldn’t believe it was on the market and started literally squealing,” he tells me. The rest is history.
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]]>The post San Diego Neighborhood Guide: East Village appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Here is everything to check out while exploring this cultural hub:
East Village San Diego Restaurant and Bars
Callie
This highly praised Mediterranean restaurant nabbed the top spot on San Diego Magazine’s best restaurants list in both 2022 and 2023. With a Greek name translating to “the most beautiful,” Callie sources local ingredients to lay down small plates, pasta, fish, and meat, including an oft-praised aleppo chicken.
1195 Island Avenue
The Invigatorium
Sip, devour, or savor next to the most unexpected collab of the century: Ronald Mcdonald and a fire-breathing dragon holding a sign declaring, “No breakfast tacos.” Don’t be frightened by the jarring décor featuring a golden disco ball, beachy vintage touches, and lots of dinosaurs—the menu of coffee, cocktails, and brunch bites will make you grateful you stepped foot into a mini Jurassic World.
631 9th Avenue
Bay City Brewing
Downtown offers a seemingly endless lineup of rooftop bars and restaurants all competing for who is the best. Bay City Brewing throws its hat in the ring with crazy happy hour specials: 50 percent off drinks Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. and 50 percent off your entire tab Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. Why choose between pulled pork sliders, baked wings, or poblano mac n’ cheese when you could order all three without breaking the bank?
627 8th Avenue
Cowboy Star
Ready to question every vegetarian’s life choices? Head to Cowboy Star, where the open kitchen allows patrons to peek in on the chefs as they slice filet mignon, wood-fire elk, sear scallops, and drizzle on classic steakhouse sauces like bernaise and creamy horseradish.
640 10th Avenue
Lola 55
Dine at Lola 55 for a more casual Mexican vibe and cheap eats with loads of flavor. Tacos are the star of the show here, from crispy fried fish and mole chicken to pork belly al pastor and tender carnitas.
1290 F Street
The Mission
The Mission ramps up its simple and hearty bistro dishes with artful plating. Head in for breakfast or lunch plates like lemon curd pancakes, sweet corn tamales, and tortilla soup, plus entire menus dedicated to vegan and gluten-free eaters.
1250 J Street
Monzù Fresh Pasta
Dreaming of traveling to Italy to eat fresh pasta for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert? If a European escape isn’t in the cards in the near future, jet to Monzù instead, where husband-wife team Aldo de Dominicis Rotondi and Serena Romano bring Italy to the East Village with time-tested recipes for handmade pasta.
455 10th Avenue
Sovereign Modern Thai Cuisine
Landing a spot on the Michelin Guide three years running, as well as a visit from Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, Sovereign is serving up some of the best Thai food in San Diego. The restaurant incorporates techniques from Laos and Cambodia to create dishes like spicy fermented pork sausage, coconut curry noodles, and crispy duck confit.
1460 J Street
Cafe de L’Opera
Legend says you can smell this French bakery’s baked goods throughout the East Village. Set your alarm and roll up at opening time (7 a.m.) to get your hands on croissants and pastries fresh from the oven. The cafe also serves breakfast and lunch staples like sandwiches and quiche.
910 J Street
Storyhouse Spirits
Storyhouse Spirits and I have one thing in common: the love of gabbing with friends, preferably with a delicious, fruity cocktail in hand. You’ll find small-batch spirits distilled in-house here, which enliven mixes like the Murder on the Dancefloor, made with beet-infused gin and pineapple run. Storyhouse offers food for humans and pets, too.
1220 J Street
Basic Bar & Pizza
Housed in a converted 1912 warehouse, Basic Bar & Pizza holds court as one of the only late-night eateries in downtown. By day, this restaurant serves pizza for visitors of all ages. As soon as the sun sets, it oversees a booming nightlife scene with art shows, private events, and some of San Diego’s hottest DJs.
410 10th Avenue
Things to Do in East Village San Diego
Petco Park
The arrival of Petco Park in 2004 revolutionized the East Village, drawing the Padres, their fans, and many of the businesses that now serve them to the area. The venue (which also hosts concerts and other events) has one of the best stadium food situations in the country, with Puesto, Din Tai Fung, Grand Ole BBQ, and Hodad’s all slinging snacks here.
100 Park Boulevard
Quartyard
The people behind Quartyard decided to counter downtown’s dearth of backyards by building one for all of San Diego. This event venue and urban park constructed from repurposed shipping containers holds cultural events, outdoor concerts, street markets, and community activities.
1301 Market Street
East Village Tavern + Bowl
Since the dawn of time, families, friends, lovers, and enemies have been brought together (or torn apart) by rolling a ball to try and knock over various objects—a sport otherwise known as bowling. This modernized 12-lane alley is a hot spot where San Diegans come to bowl, eat, drink, and watch sports any day of the week.
930 Market Street
Pinch
Get up close and personal with some wet clay to create a unique earthen cup that is sure to get visitors asking “Where did you get this?” the second you serve them a drink in it. Pinch’s intimate ceramics classes, taught by one of four instructors, are designed to allow you to move at your own pace.
937 E Street
Fault Line Park
This fun-sized park in the East Village features a kids’ playground and a few rounded sculptures that look like the love children of the spheres outside Target and The Bean in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Relax in the succulent garden here or walk along the paths that follow the curve of the Rose Canyon Fault system.
1433 Island Avenue
San Diego Central Library
The San Diego Central Library houses a 2.6-million-piece collection of books, films, magazines, baseball cards, and other items over nine stories. The massive, domed building that serves as the main branch of the San Diego public library system is perfect for studying, browsing, and quietly hanging out.
330 Park Boulevard
East Village San Diego Shopping & Boutiques
Altered Decor
This Black women–owned small business helps folks spice up their spaces with decorations and scents. Splurge on a bunch of plants to bring some fresh greenery into your life, or check out the cards and other fun collectibles as the perfect gift for a loved one.
1227 J Street
The Library Shop
Tucked inside the San Diego Central Library, this boutique shopping hub vends trinkets, doohickeys, and gifts galore. The best part of it all? You won’t feel an ounce of guilt for balling out on candles, pins, stickers, soaps, and, of course, books, because every penny goes right back towards the San Diego Library Foundation.
330 Park Boulevard
Wotown Vintage
Skater boys and street-style lovers, this place is for you. Casual, masculine vintage clothes fill the walls at this small shop, making it the perfect place for those looking for edgier and oversized pieces to enhance any wardrobe.
730 Market Street
Wild Dove Boutique
Adjacent to Wotown sits a more modern and feminine clothing store, specializing in day-to-night pieces you can rock at your 9-to-5 or out on the town. Stop here to shop floaty dresses, cozy sweaters, office-ready blazers, and laidback jeans at mid-range prices.
740 Market Street
Normal Records
This hole-in-the-wall record shop has jam-packed thousands of records into a closet-sized space, making each visit a treasure hunt for vinyl in a wide range of genres, including hip-hop, rock, electronic, metal, country, soul, and blues.
550 15th Street
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]]>The post Activist Georgette Gomez’s Perfect Day in South Bay appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
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Gomez’s perfect day always starts at home with her wife, three dogs, and four chickens, but it really kicks off when she heads to Peninsula Bikes in San Ysidro. “It’s a café-slash-bike-shop. If you know anything about me, you’ll know I’m really into cycling, so I just like to go there and check out the bikes, see what they have in stock, and be around the folks repairing and talking shop,” Gomez says. “There’s never too much of a crowd, so I chat it up with the owners, the other bikers, and the workers. They’re also going to be running some bike education programming for the community this year.” She always orders a black drip coffee, but Peninsula also has more on offer.
Java fix procured, Gomez ventures south for lunch in Chula Vista, where Mexican food is plentiful and virtually guaranteed to be delicious. Gomez prefers Aqui es Texcoco, a spot known for its Mexican-style lamb barbecue and named for the area in Mexico credited with popularizing the technique. Belly full, Gomez is on to San Ysidro to check out the latest work at The Front Arte Cultura, a community art space run by Casa Familiar that hosts art exhibitions, artist talks, and temporary installations and performances.
After putting a few miles on her electric vehicle, it’s time for a quick recharge at he Las Americas Premium Outlets, where standard and fast-charging stations are available in multiple locations for convenient plugging-in. Finally, Gomez likes to end her day with a movie at the South Bay Drive-In Theatre. Operating since 1958, it’s the last of its kind in the county, now that the Santee Drive-In has officially closed its doors. Showing films on three screens, seven days a week, the theater is also home to the South Bay Swap Meet every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.
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]]>The post Photo Essay: Scenes From San Diego’s South Bay appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
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Delgado nabbed this shot of two South Bay women hanging out at a car show. “It’s their homie’s car, and they were just putting on eyelashes and talking,” she recalls. “They were so beautiful and cool.”
This image is an inadvertent double exposure. “The photo that I had taken originally, that’s in Tijuana. It’s a fruit market. It’s not supposed to be art, but the way that they decorate it every day, it has a personality, you know?” Delgado says.
“It happened to go over [a photo from] my project where I was documenting shopping culture [in South Bay]. My friend Angelica Grijalva, who is also an amazing photographer, was my model, and we were going to those mega discount stores in San Ysidro. These kinds of stores thrive here. They are affordable, accessible. They give us enough to feel stylish and have our personality shine through. These are the safe spaces for us to find our identities.
“Angelica was checking herself out in the reflection of the door, just making sure she looked okay. [Girls from South Bay] are always trying to look our best and making the most out of the least.”
Serna-Rosas took this picture of National City’s iconic Price Breakers shopping center during a night drive through the area. “I chose a specific stock of film … that’s supposed to have more of a cinematography type of feel,” she recalls. “So I was thinking, If I made a movie about South Bay, what would I photograph?”
“In the whole coastal area of South Bay, it’s really common to have these trailer homes,” Delgado says. “This house was one of the first in the row. This style of excess, I guess it would be called tacky [by] the mainstream, but I think people that are from this area appreciate it.”
“Quinceañeras are such a huge celebration of the majority of young people’s lives in this area,” says Delgado, who snapped this photo at the Chula Vista Mall. “They were doing a fashion show on this day. There was a huge crowd. I love that these young girls are having fun and embracing their womanhood, their girlhood, and their culture.”
Delgado captured a car show at a popular intersection in National City, photographing this cherry-red lowrider and the group of friends inside. “You could tell they’ve been homies forever,” she says. “People from South Bay, they just love nostalgia. I think that the cool thing is that all generations are there. These guys, maybe in their 40s or 50s. Me and my friends, standing on the corner taking photos. Young kids walking around with their parents. Those moments are so special to me.”
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]]>The post What to Know About Chula Vista’s $1.2B Bayfront Project appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>The Port of San Diego and the City of Chula Vista are teaming up on the 535-acre project, expected to be finished in 2025. Here’s what’s happening.
(A) Harbor Park
The new Harbor Park will double the existing Bayside Park already on the water. When it’s done, it could include more beach space, paths, picnic tables, restrooms, a portion of the waterfront promenade, and a boat launch, fountain, playground, café, beach rental building, hand-launch ramp for non-motorized watercraft like kayaks and paddle boards, and new pier at H Street. The existing fishing pier will remain. Harbor Park and Sweetwater Park will take up more than half of the new park space planned for the Chula Vista Bayfront.
(B) Safe Harbor Marinas
The Chula Vista Bayfront masterplan is considering enhanced public access, a larger promenade, and increased restaurant and retail space at the existing marina, but no decisions have been finalized.
(C) Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center
The Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center is intended to be the centerpiece of the Chula Vista Bayfront’s redevelopment. It will include up to 1,600 hotel rooms and a convention center with four ballrooms, three levels of meeting space, and two outdoor meeting and event lawns, plus retail spaces and a pool with a lazy river and spa. When it opens in the summer of 2025, it will also feature public park space and a public promenade.
(D) Living Coast Discovery Center
The Living Coast Discover Center opened in 1987. There are currently no changes planned for the zoo and aquarium.
(E) Sweetwater Park (Sweetwater Bicycle Path and Promenade)
Under construction now, this park will accompany the already-built Sweetwater Bicycle Path and Promenade, which connects Bayside Park (the future Harbor Park) and the marinas to the Living Coast Discovery Center and the new Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay RV resort. The path has a truss pedestrian bridge, benches, overlook areas, native trees, and other landscaping.
(F) Environmental buffers being constructed by the Port of San Diego
(G) Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay
This RV resort includes a combination of RV sites and vacation cottage rentals with resort amenities, including a café and bar, indoor and outdoor gym, arcade, welcome center, and pool.
(F) Future hotel/ cultural redevelopment
Ideas for this parcel are still in the rough-draft phase.
(I) Pacifica Residential
A residential, hotel, and commercial development. The Pacifica Residential could include 1,500 condos, plus up to 420,000 square feet of commercial space and a 250-room hotel. According to the Port of San Diego, it’s designed to be pedestrian-friendly, with wide public plazas and walkways.
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