September 2011 Archives | 92101 Urban Living

Funds to Complete Downtown San Diego Central Library

When you first read the Headline in the San Diego Union Tribune: ”Funds to Finish Central Library Falling Short“, you think that the artile is going to contain elements of bad news regarding the current construction of the new Downtown San Diego Library in the East Village/Ballpark District.

However, when you read the information provided…bad news is not the message. Turns out, the expectations for private donations are positive. These Private donnations are crutial to cover the remaining $32.5 million dollars that the project will need to complete interior improvements. Downtown San Diego Condo & Loft home owners (especially those in complexes like ICON, Park Terrace, and Metrome) will be pleased to hear the the project is approaching the 50% completion status. At $3 million under budget, the construction is still slated for completion in July of 2013.

This is good news, considering that a public space and infrasturcture project of this magnitude will provide positive influences on Downtown San Diego Condo and Loft Values. In addition to general public library services, the project will support a charter high school with 500 students, public meeting spaces, and cultural gatherings. We all know this is a needed improvement to the neighborhood. We love them….but, the East Village neighborhood does not really need any more wine or sports bars.

Street Beat Block Party in the Little Italy District

One of the best perks of being a Downtown San Diego Condo or Loft home owner is its vicinity to all the block parties, festivals, ballgames at Petco Park and holiday celebrations. Happening this Saturday October 1st in the Little Italy District in Downtown San Diego is the first ever Street Beat Block Party. Presented by 102.1 KPRI and the restaurant Anthology.

Doors open for Street Beat at 3pm and there will be great food, San Diego’s best micro-brews and musical entertainment by O.A.R, Gomez, Ximena Sariñana and more. It says the party goes until 10pm, but since this is a +21 event I have a hard time believing that it will only go until then. All I can say is the last performance by OAR is at 8pm and is supposed to go until 9:30pm…I guess we will have to see what happens after that.

Tickets for the Street Beat are on sale for $39 for general admission, $59 for the reserved seating area and V.I.P. packages are available to make your experience even more special. Get your tickets for the first ever one of a kind event at www.Anthology.com while they last.

For more information about the street party click on Street Beat.

Chargers Stadium combined with Convention Space in the East Village/Ballpark District

The Chargers want the public to decide on a plan that would combine the plans for Convention Center Expansion and the New East Village Charger Stadium.

Political posturing and debate continue to develop with the proposal for the development of a new Chargers Stadium in the East Village/Ballpark neighborhood of Downtown San Diego. This week Chargers special council Mark Fabiani announced the Chargers interest in proposing that the stadium development and expansion of the current San Diego Convention Center be combined into one big project. They hope to have a proposal and renderings of the idea to be prepared by year’s end. The debate is really all over the place with regard to where, how, and when the new stadium will be built, however the desire to keep the team in San Diego is quite evident.

Most home owners of Downtown San Diego Condos and Lofts that I speak to are in support of the infrastructure and eventual value these developments will have on the Downtown Neighborhoods and businesses. Why wouldn’t they? Petco Park and the Downtown Convention Center are fixtures of the redevelopment that updated Downtown San Diego infrastructure supporting the Residential Development that occurred as a result. Use of the stadium for other events like convention space and infrastructure is not a completely horrible idea? It has been done successfully in other cities, and provides some flexibility in the use of these public spaces.

A very good article detailing these developments was posted in the Union Tribune this week. This article provides a good summary of the updates and political developments for those interested in the issues surrounding city development of old and outdated public spaces. Click on Chargers stadium week in review: Collision to read more.

For Rent – Best View in Downtown San Diego – Aria

This picture slideshow made with Smilebox

2 bedroom/2 bathroom unfurnished condo in Aria located in the Cortez Hill District. This home is located on the 22nd floor and has Southwest facing panoramic views over Downtown San Diego, the Pacific Ocean, the Coronado Bridge and the mountains all the way down in Mexico. Some of the best features of this home are the open feel in the living room/kitchen, the floor to ceiling windows letting in lots of light and allowing that perfect view as well as the gourmet kitchen. The West facing extra large balcony can be accessed from either the guest bedroom or the living room area. Some other great features are the hardwood floors, the wine chiller and the dual oven in the kitchen and the separate AC for the living room and bedroom areas.

$3400/month! Security deposit $3400! 6 months rent! 1 parking space included in the rent! No pets allowed! Available Now!

Aria is centrally located and is close to restaurants, shops, businesses, recreation and entertainment Downtown San Diego has to offer, without the noise some areas in Downtown San Diego. Aria was developed by The Anka Property Group, an award winning Australian property development group specializing in innovative commercial, retail and residential projects including hi-rise condiminiums and brood based community neighborhoods. Inspired architecture, enormous outdoor terraces, state of the art security, and ample parking and storage are a few of Aria’s appealing features. A great location!

Aria Amenities

Enormous outdoor terraces
24 security
Parking and Storage
Expansive window walls
Fully equipped fitness center w/ lap pool and spa
Clubroom equipped with catering kitchen, wetbar, home theater and pool table

For more information call Sofia at 619-992-5144 or e-mail [email protected].

Happy Hour in a Little Italy Flowershop?

Yes, that’s right. Lula Mae Flowers in the Little Italy District of Downtown San Diego holds a weekly happy happy hour on Friday evenings from 5-6pm. This has to be the first of its kind. At least I’ve never heard of, or thought of, going to a happy hour at a flower
shop…sounds interesting.

Lula Mae’s happy hour consists of gourmet cupcakes, refreshments and half price, freshly cut flowers. The goal of this weekly function is to get the Downtown San Diego Loft and Condo owners together, gossip about the latest news and possibly even meet some new friends.

The owners of Lula Mae Flowers must have quite the imagination with this happy hour concept. I like to think that I have a pretty big imagination but this thought has definitely never crossed my mind. It will be interesting to see how the residents of Downtown San Diego react to this. I bet it will inspire other’s imaginations to create the next cool idea.

Dinner and Jazz Night at Anthology

What sounds better than a romantic dinner with your significant other listening to some of the best jazz in the city? Not too much actually. If you’re in agreement, Anthology is the place to be.

This place combines authentic live music with a delicious menu by the exclusive chef Todd Allison…sounds like all of the ingredients for the perfect date. Anthology is in the Little Italy district of Downtown San Diego and is just a short cab ride or walk from anywhere in the city. This is not your average dinner and music show-this is an upscale restaurant with real authentic musicians performing live right in front of you!

The roasted garlic crusted tenderloin of beef with grilled new potatoes, asparagus tips and black pepper bordelaise is my favorite and I’m sure if you had it you might agree with me. It’s the perfect meal to enjoy with your date while listening to the sounds of jazz.

Is It a Buyer’s Market or a Seller’s Market?

That is a tough question to answer. Some Downtown San Diego Condo and Loft owners would say that it’s a good time to sell because the prices are going to continue to go down and if you want to get more out of your home then get rid of it now. Some Loft and Condo owners say its a good time to buy because prices are almost at the bottom and there is a lot of inventory to pick from.

I would have to agree with the buyers right now. Just think of it as a horseshoe standing on end with the open end facing up. As you start on the right hand side you head straight kind of like the market now, then you start to level off, and after that you move to the left side and the market goes straight back up again. You have to ask yourself what side of the curve do you want to be on-right or left?

Most people say the left and that sounds like where you want to be. Prices are starting to go back up so everyone thinks that they have hit their bottom and will only continue to appreciate from here. They are right and also not the only ones to have thought of this, everyone wants to buy when prices are starting to go back up. So what does that do? It allows people that are selling to raise the prices because their is competition again.

If you ask me Id buy on the right side near the bottom. There is a lot of inventory, sellers will be easier to negotiate with, you won’t have a lot (or any) competition, and you can still get that deal of the century before the market moves back to the left side. We have
been seeing both sides of the curve in Downtown San Diego lately with buyers and sellers. It will be interesting to see where we go from here but I think it is almost impossible not to see some changes.

Blue Man Group at the Civic

Calling ALL Downtown San Diego residents! Blue Man Group is here! “Blue Man who?” you ask. Check it out:

Beginning September 20th and ending September 25th, Blue Man Group will be at our very own Civic Theater. I had the opportunity to see this show in Chicago. Not only is it bizarre and often times baffling, it is darn entertaining! As an owner of a Downtown San Diego loft or condo, you live in such close proximity to shows like these. Personally, I think it would be worth your while to have a nice dinner out in the Gaslamp and see Blue Man Group afterwards.

The Civic has a wide range of performances to suit the various tastes of San Diego. Take some time to check out their events calendar and make your way to the theater.

NFL Season is Full Speed Ahead

With the 2011 football season in affect, Downtown San Diego Loft and Condo owners get to enjoy the many sports bars and pubs with their friends and families again. This past weekend, if you didn’t know anything about football or don’t care about football, it would be very hard not to see all of the different NFL team jerseys walking around Downtown San Diego. It makes me realize what a melting pot it is observing Downtown San Diego residents wearing all of their different homestate jerseys.

All I can say is that people everywhere sure care about their football; it’s one of the only times that it is acceptable to sit in a chair with a cold beer and yell at the T.V. (like they can actually hear you). The 2011-12 season looks like it will be a pretty good year for the San Diego Chargers with their season opener ending with a victory over the Minnesota Vikings. And don’t forget about the plan for the new Chargers stadium in Downtown San Diego! It seems to still be a possibility and what an addition it would be down here.

The new stadium would bring both pros and cons to our city and as a Downtown San Diego homeowner, I think that the pros will absolutely outweigh the cons. We can touch back on that topic after the next stadium meeting and in the meantime, Qualcomm Stadium will have to be just fine for the Chargers.

Fleet Week!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV-iBs5m70c

It’s that time of year again where San Diegans formally honor and celebrate our military. Beginning September 16th and ending October 2nd, Downtown San Diego will host Fleet Week. To start things off right, head on down to the Big Bay Family Festival this weekend.

Located at the Broadway Pier Cruise Ship Terminal, this weekend’s event is free and open to the public from 10-4pm. Live music and entertainment, exploring U.S. Navy Ships, observing military demonstrations, and chit chatting with Marines, Sailors and Coast Guards are just a few experiences you’ll encounter while honoring our service men and women.

There’s no denying the military presence in Downtown San Diego. In fact, you just might have a neighbor who is in the service. As an owner of a Downtown San Diego loft or condo, think of it as your duty to thank that neighbor or head on over to a Fleet Week event. I can promise they’ll thank you for it.

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