Parks are a vital part to downtown and urban living…a concrete jungle does not suffice.  Open spaces where city-dwellers can bike, run, bring their dogs and families, read, nap, or just enjoy some greenery really enriches a city environment.  We have Balboa Park here in San Diego that is world renowned for its size, beauty and diversity, but there are so many buildings going up in downtown!  Not to fear. 

The recently developed Downtown Community Plan takes sensitivity to this.  This plan calls for downtown to add more than 50 acres of open space to the existing 75 acres.  The plan has prioritized seven new public open spaces that will reside centrally in each of downtown’s various neighborhoods that will put every downtown resident within a ten minute walk from public open space. 

The Downtown Community Plan outlines four types of open space that will enrich the downtown area as well as the quality of life for its residents and visitors:

1. Parks
‘Parks consist of large expanses of open space which are designed for active recreational and leisurely activities, as well as gatherings and events. Building height restrictions on southern and western blocks will allow infiltration of sunlight, and prevent heavy shading of the parks year round. Additionally, many new parks will contain underground parking, as a creative solution to increase downtown’s parking capacity.’

2. Plazas & Pocket Parks
‘Flexible spaces and plazas, in conjunction with development projects, can serve as privately owned and maintained public space. Smaller “pocket parks,” with seating and landscaping, connect larger parks and create a linkage of green space. Linear “finger parks” can also be built along fault lines, to take advantage of otherwise unbuildable land. Many new buildings will also take advantage of the density bonuses granted to developers who design “green roofs” into their buildings, or landscaped tops that help reduce building runoff and improve water quality.’
 

3. Green Streets
‘Designated green streets will serve as paths connecting downtown parks, the waterfront, neighborhood centers and other activity centers. Wider sidewalks and richer landscaping on these streets will extend the open space presence through the neighborhoods.’
 

4. Freeway Lids
‘’Lids’ are envisaged to reconnect downtown to Balboa Park and Sherman Heights, spanning the I-5 in select locations and providing new open spaces to serve downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.’
 

5. Future Parks
‘CCDC has made the creation of open space and parks a priority. Several new parks are in the pipeline to compliment the existing space, and provide even more opportunity for rest, relaxation and recreation.’

Click here to view a map of existing downtown San Diego Parks and future open space project locations. 

All information from CCDC.com

The Fourth of July is not only San Diego’s busiest beach day of the year with hundreds of thousands flocking to the shoreline to enjoy a day of sand, sun, and fun. Unfortunately, anyone who’s seen the aftermath also knows that the holiday produces the most trash and litter of any other beach day. Last year, more than 1,000 volunteers collected over 8,000 pounds of trash…yea, 8,000 pounds.  Come on litterbugs!

So,  San Diego County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, in cooperation with Sun Diego Board shops, have stepped up once again to keep our beautiful beaches clean and safe.  They are inviting the public to join them in this year’s “Morning After Mess” beach clean up event, Saturday, July 5 from 8am to 11am. The Morning After Mess cleanup will organize volunteers to assist workers picking up the massive amounts of trash left at six San Diego County beaches from Oceanside to Ocean Beach over the Fourth of July holiday.

The six sites are Ocean Beach Pier, Belmont Park in Mission Beach, PB Drive in Pacific Beach, 15th St/Powerhouse Park in Del Mar, Ponto Beach in South Carlsbad, and the Oceanside Pier.

Pre-registration is requested, especially if you have a group of people, but not required. There is no minimum age, children are welcome.  Check out their website for more information.

San Diego is full of good-old-fashion-summer-fun.  The 27th ANNUAL U.S. OPEN SANDCASTLE COMPETITION in Imperial Beach, California will be held on Sunday July 13, 2008 with professional and amateur sand carving teams competing in the largest sand castle building contest for more than $22,000 in cash prizes. The competition gets underway on the sand from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm — a street festival, live music and entertainment is available all day along Seacoast Drive.  The public can view the sand castles until 4:00 p.m. when the awards are presented.

 On Friday, July 11, the Mayor’s Community Breakfast will be held at 10:00 a.m. and the Sandcastle Ball will take place at 8:00 p.m.  On Saturday July 12, the Imperial Beach Optimist Club will host the Kids’ n Kastles competition from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – family themed activities will take place along Seacoast Drive daytime only.  All events are free to the public, with the exception of the Sandcastle Ball.  Event proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Imperial Beach.  Handicap parking is available.  For more information visit www.usopensandcastle.com.

San Diego county builders bring home the gold!  The Pacific Coast Builders Conference is the largest show for builders on the West Coast and is held in the Moscone Center in San Francisco yearly.  This year’s theme was “Power. Forward. Sustain.” which focused on helping homebuilders succeed in a challenging marketplace and being prepared to capitalize when the market makes an upswing.  This years June conference held the annual Best in the West competition where this years judges favored and handed out the Gold Nugget Awards to the affordable and environmentally sensitive developments.  San Diego County brought home 6 Golden Nugget Awards as well as 18 Merit Awards.   Among these Gold Nugget Winners was downtown San Diego’s Smart Corner that won for best infill project.  The Smart Corner building exemplifies the principles of Smart Growth.  Smart Growth is a approach to urban planning that seeks the benefits of a close connect between where people live and work.  It combines residential living, an office building and ground floor retail space, and mass transit all on one city block.  Downtown San Diego’s Current in Little Italy was also recognized for Apartment projects of four or more stories.  Click here to view other San Diego county winners.  Congradulations to all the San Diego developers and projects recognized this year!  It’s great to see San Diego be recognized for the progressiveness in urbanization and smart growth.   San Diego planners and developers have been on the leading edge of future living creating enviormentally friendly projects and utilizing ideas of New Urbanism.  Proud to be a resident of this city!

In San Diego there is never a lack of events on the 4th of July.  Fireworks line the Harbor and bay and numerous other San Diego spots.  What are you doing?  Not sure yet?  Here’s a list of San Diego 4th of July events close to downtown.

North County
Carlsbad
Legoland’s Red, White and Boom
Where: Legoland
1 Lego Drive
When: July 4 Fireworks begin at 9 p.m.
Regular park admission applies, though non-park guests are welcome to view fireworks from the parking lot for $2 after 7 p.m.

Del Mar
County Fair Fourth of July
Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds
2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard
When: Gates to the fair open at 10 a.m. with July 4 fireworks at 9 p.m. Enjoy the food and game booths, a petting zoo, and carnival rides!

Encinitas
Community Celebration
Where: Cottonwood Creek Park
Vulcan Avenue and Encinitas Boulevard
When: July 4, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Come for games, the national anthem, and a pancake breakfast!
Quail Botanical Gardens’ Red, White, and Blue Parade
Where: Quail Botanical Gardens
230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas
When: Parade through the children’s’ garden begins at 10 a.m.

CENTRAL

Coronado
Celebrate the Fourth in Coronado
Where: See the parade along Orange Avenue
When: The annual July 4 Parade begins at 10 a.m. Don’t miss the fireworks from Coronado’s picturesque ferry landing or Glorietta Bay Park at 9 p.m.

La Jolla
La Jolla’s ‘Lights Over the Cove’
Where: Scripps Park, La Jolla Cove
1100 block of Coast Boulevard
When: The July 4 free concert at the sea begins at 7 p.m. Stay for the fireworks at 9 p.m.!

Mission Bay
Independence Day at Sea World
Where: Sea World
500 Sea World Dive
When: July 4 fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m.
Come for all the fun of Sea World and stay for the fireworks show!

Old Town
Old Town State Historic Park’s 1800s Fourth of July Celebration
Where: San Diego Avenue & Twiggs Street
When: July 4 fun goes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Festivities include a pie eating contest, races, egg tosses, and a parade with historical costumes.

San Diego Bay
BBQ on the Berkeley
Where: Maritime Museum of San Diego
1492 N. Harbor Drive
When: July 4 BBQ buffet starts at 7 p.m. and the fireworks on the bay begin at 9 p.m.
Come and enjoy a barbeque buffet on the historic ship! Adult admission is $40, children 10 and under pay $20, and kids four and under are free!

San Diego’s ‘Big Bay’ Fireworks
Where: North San Diego Bay
When: July 4’s 20-minute-long fireworks show begins at 9 p.m. Tune in to radio station Magic 92.5 to hear music and accompaniment to the fireworks!

Seaport Village
Where: 849 W. Harbor Drive
When: See the free Latin World Beat concert from Noon to 4 p.m. but stay for the fireworks off the bay at 9 p.m.!
Midway Museum
Where: 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego
When: On July 4, the flight deck opens at 6 p.m. for games, booths, and contests and the fireworks off the bay begin at 9 p.m.

Alright, many of us have our ear glued to our cell phones throughout the day, some of our jobs even revolve around it.  Seems we can do everything while talking on them.  Changing, eating, bathing…but after July 1st, driving is out, well kind of.  Many residents across San Diego County are rushing to buy hands-free headsets or speakerphones as the state prepares to take on motormouthed motorists.  Starting July 1, drivers must use a hands-free device while talking on a cell phone or risk getting a minimum $97 fine.  Motorists younger than 18 will be prohibited from using cell phones entirely, hands-free or otherwise, along with pagers, laptops and text-messaging devices.  This should be interesting considering much of that generation seemed to own a cell phone before learning how to ride a bike.  The San Diego Police Department plans to give drivers a 30-day grace period starting July 1,but several other agencies, including the CHP, are preparing to issue tickets from Day One.  Adult drivers can still dial a phone number by hand, but all talking must be via headset or speaker. Under both new laws, handheld emergency calls can still be made to police, fire or medical authorities.  Patrol officers will be allowed to stop motorists just on a phone violation.

Just a friendly reminder:)

Living in the city is a blast.  There is never a dull moment between Padre Games, nightlife and the constant movement that an urban life provides.  Between work and city play many of us city-dwellers may find it necessary for some R-and-R.  Yoga is a great way to slow down, stretch our work-day stagnant muscles and clear the mind.  But man, Yoga can become costly, $25 per class for many studios, and that adds up when you want a daily fix.  Meditation is also a great way to become focused and clear, often a challenge in busy city life, but where and how? Tucked right on the edge of the Gaslamp Quarter and Marina District is a secret place that won’t be secret for long.
The Red Lotus Society is a non-profit organization founded to ‘promote the practice and awareness of meditation for the improvement of mental health and environmental wellbeing.’  They are dedicated to ‘facilitating instruction in the variety of ancient and modern meditation techniques to combat the stress and pressure of modern living, and to encourage more mindful approaches to the social and environmental problems facing the world today.’  

They just opened in a new location at 540 3rd Avenue in downtown San Diego.  Every morning they offer free…yes, free Yoga classes and meditation, as well as many other mindful and mind-clearing activities.  Check out their schedule below.

The Red Lotus Society has numerous outreach programs and even family meditation classes.

They promote the practice and awareness of meditation through Outreach Programs, offering Free Meditation/Yoga Classes at San Diego Public and Private Schools (K-12), San Diego State University, Group Homes for victims of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking, Local Businesses, and Prisons. 

This is a great organization, really involved in the growth of our community, I recommend checking them out.  Visit their website and read about what their mission is, more about their free classes and how you can help.  They are also in the process of completing a tea room and library, a sanctuary in the city, so -to- say.

I thought that it would be appropriate to write a blog on gas prices and urban development as the price of oil jumped today to an unbelievable $140 a barrel.  Many experts predict that gas prices will continue to rise throughout the rest of the year.  If the price of a barrel of oil hits $150, a per gallon price could be as much as $7.00.  The continued increase in gas and the strain it is putting on a commuters cash flow will cause many to reconsider how far they live from work, and how often they use public transportation alternatives.  Experts predict that we will see this trend all over the United States for possibly the next 50 years.  It will cause most cities to rethink the effectiveness of its’ public transportation systems and growth of its’ urban areas.  This trend was outline in a comprehensive survey entitled:  Gas Prices: The Tipping Point Toward Better Development? ULI’s Nationwide Survey Explores Consumer Attitudes The Urban Land Institute had this to say on the topic:  “Higher gas prices are causing Americans to alter their driving habits and to either use or consider using transit if the option is available, according to a consumer survey released today by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The survey results reinforce the need to build and rebuild urban regions in ways that offer alternatives to car-dependent development, according to representatives of the Institute.”  Particularly interesting in this survey was the conclusion that urban dwellers were far more likely to change their lifestyles to incorporate more environmentally conscious gas saving solutions.  “Residents in suburban and rural areas were more likely than those in urban areas to purchase a more fuel-efficient car. They were far less likely than urban residents to increase bicycling and walking, or to look for a home closer to work, suggesting that their current living environment is not conducive to transportation alternatives.”
As an urbanite myself, I can’t tell you how thankful I am in walking a couple hundred yards to work.  Everything from the grocery store, theaters, restaurants, and services are just around the corner.  This is infrastructure.  It is infrastructure that gives an urban community its’ price per square foot value.  In Downtown San Diego, the CCDC has done a very good job with the development of specific neighborhood infrastructure.  They did this even before we were on the verge of national gasoline crisis.  For those of you already living Downtown, it means that your property value will continue be in high demand.  For those of you not living in Downtown San Diego yet, what are you waiting for? 

As many of us sometimes do, I found myself surfing on Youtube and came across this interesting video. We do so much blogging on the state of the Downtown San Diego Real Estate market and statistics, so I thought this blog entry would be for pure fun. Everyone who lives in Downtown San Diego loves the fact that the airport is so close. Once you land, it is really only a $5.00 cab ride home. From most of the high-rise complexes, you can sometimes see four or five planes lining up approach. As the planes approach the runway, they come within 300ft. of the 5 Freeway. It is quite a site. For locals, it is well known that a seat on the LEFT side of the plane will give you a “birds eye” view of the skyline. It is always fun to spot your home as you are coming in to land. There is no greater feeling of arriving home to see the bay, palm trees, and the buildings of the city. Also, for those of us who study the skyline you can always tell the timeframe of the video or picture by looking at the construction levels of the buildings. In this video, there are still cranes at ARIA and Electra. Both of those are now complete and selling. Bayside, Saphire, Vantage Pointe, and Breeza are still in the beginning stages construction. While not complete yet, they are now permanent points of reference in the San Diego Skyline shot. Have fun with this one, and enjoy your next fight into Downtown!

This weekend is the 3rd Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition.  Spend this weekend at the beach while helping raise money for a good cause.   Saturday, June 28th See Spot surf during the Loews Dog Surfing Competition – the nation’s original surfing competition for man’s best friend. Last year, 47 surf dogs took to the waves and more than 1,000 spectators gathered to watch the dog surfing event unfold. The competition garnered national and international media attention, and more than $10,000 was raised for a great cause. This year’s event should be even better.

Schedule:
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Optional surfing lessons by the Coronado Surfing Academy for less experienced canines
11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Heat One: Small Surf Dogs (40 pounds and under)
11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Heat Two: Large Surf Dogs (41 pounds and over)
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Heat Three: Tandem Surfing for Surf Dogs & Owners
1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Furry fashion show with doggie couture by Lucky Dog Boutique
1:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. Awards ceremony

For more information check out the official website