The issue of higher gas prices will continue to be a trigger point for homeowners and renters making the decision to live closer to hubs of mass transit.  See our Blog last month Entitled “Higher Gas Prices Mean More Urban Development.”  Today, my clients Mike Bierne (Executive Vice President of Kamson Corporation) and his wife Shari sent me this article “Renters go Downtown to Save on Gas, Commuting“  as a contribution to the website.  Mike is quoted in the article several times as a representative from a company that manages apartment complexes in the New Jersey area.  The trend toward an Urban Lifestyle is occurring in cities all across the United States.  Currently, Downtown San Diego has less than a 5% vacancy rate for rental units. This is always great news for investors who are taking advantage of the current “Buyers Market“.  As indicated in the article, two bedroom two bath units in Downtown San Diego start at $2400 to $2600 a month.  A comparable unit a half hour to an hour commute away would go for at least half that amount monthly.  Renters would rather pay the higher amount in rent to live close to work/mass transit, than spend the extra money on gas and potentially sit in the car several hours a day.  Not only is this the environmentally friendly thing to do (Live Green…Live in Cities), it may also be the most affordable option as well. 

The crime rate in San Diego has dropped again. Crime is going down and the number of officers on the street are going up. San Diego is a great place to live due to the weather, outdoor activities and proximity to everything from water to desert to snow sports. Now we can also say that San Diego is one of the safest big cities in the country.

I was walking up to my office the other day when a group of guys carrying cases of beer came in with me. They were going to a friend of theirs’ office to party it up before a baseball game. I overheard them talking about how this was a party neighborhood and only single people lived here. I interjected to let them know that it was actually emerging as a family neighborhood. They laughed at me, said “yeah, right” and made a few comments. So I went on to tell them how I had sold and helped create half the neighborhood from 2003 until the present. That the people I had sold to were in fact single or newly married but a lot of them were now having kids. I showed them the pictures of my 6 year old daughter and 5 month old daughter. They stopped in their tracks. The smirks went off of their face. One of them simply said “wow”. They had no idea. It’s okay, I’m not mad at ‘em.

 Most people don’t realize that the East Village is steadily transforming every day, week and month. It has become a place where you can raise your children. It has the world’s coolest backyard- Petco Park’s “the park at the park”. Just this afternoon I took my daughters for a walk. We went to the park and my older daughter played on the playground just beyond the outfield. We spoke to a few neighbors who were out on a walk and continued on ourselves. We saw a number of other kids playing at the little league field. My older daughter joined in on the fun and showed the boys how to hit the ball.

 After a while my baby daughter was getting fussy so we went walking on our way again. We walked past right field and back into the neighborhood. On the way back we saw a number of our other neighbors pushing strollers or walking with their newborns in their Baby Bjorn harnesses. As it was fairly warm out we ducked in to Mondo Gelato. We got some gelato from Nat and went on our way. As we left the store we ran into a neighbor asking if I would be playing music this week. I let her know I would be at both Mondo Gelato and at Java Jones the next two nights. Both are all ages family events by the way.

 As I walked back into my Fahrenheit loft I thought about all the fun we had and all the families we ran into along the way. Then I turned my thoughts back to the group of guys who were laughing when I said the East Village was a family neighborhood. All it takes is a little bit of time in the neighborhood to see it for what it has become.

We keep saying that the numbers do not lie.  In an exclusive Real Estate market like Downtown San Diego, it is always hard to balance everything you hear in the news to the ACTUAL numbers from day to day sales.  The following is a link that I recommend bookmarking and/or adding to favorites.  June 2008 Statistics  The website DQ News is a great resource for information and statistics on California Home Sales and Median Prices.  Every month this year Downtown San Diego performs in the top 5 real estate markets for all of San Diego.  According to this graph presented, 78 total homes have sold in Downtown YTD.  The Median price is $500k, up 6.6% from this month in 2007.  Overall, Downtown Real Estate has held it’s value relatively well.  This is due in large part to quality and luxury construction, and “Location Location Location”.  This is still a buyers market in Downtown San Diego, and there are still tons of great deals for Downtown San Diego Condos and Downtown San Diego Lofts.  Let us know when 92101 Urban Living can schedule viewings and a Market Tour for you to see all of the opportunities out there! 

Attention citizens!!!

 ComicCon 2008 is upon us!!! We will soon be overrun with X-men, Anime, D.C. and Marvel comic book heroes walking our streets!

  Actually, they will just be big fans of the different comic book genre walking around and all dressed up WITH somewhere to go. The Downtown San Diego Convention Center. Check the website for ticket info and to see who will be on the panels this year. It is quite the spectacle and should not be missed. Come see your favorite comic/movie hero here!

Ever been to a restaurant with “views” of a real machine shop where some of San Diego’s finest restaurants & homes have their custom wood & metal creations fabricated?

Venture over to Barrio Logan and check out THE GUILD at 1805 Newton Ave, San Diego, CA 92113 Tel# 619.564.7584.  It will take you all of about 3 minutes to drive there from the Gaslamp.  If you know how to get to the foot of the Gaslamp (the end of 5th at Harbor Drive by the Convention Ctr), take a left (head east) on Harbor Dr. and continue for about a mile to Beardsley (before you get to your 2nd light at Caesar Chavez).  Go left over the tracks and up two blocks.  You can’t miss it on the right. There’s great parking in a lot next to the restaurant.

When you arrive, you’ll generally see LOTS of people at the bar.  Happy hour is 5-6pm and again from 10-11pm.   There’s a very cool crowd at The Guild…a little secret getaway for many.  You may run into some of San Diego’s artists and architects here.  One of the owners, Paul Basile, is a contractor himself.  Paul has been a peer of the downtown arts community for more than a decade.

Inside you will find the decor a unique blend of urban chic where concrete meets Kirei (a reclaimed agricultural fiber from the Sorghum plant grown around the world for food).  How “green” is that?

Plan on small bites ~ almost tapas in style ~ as a way to sample many unique dishes there.  Rich in flavor but light in preparation… clean & decorative in the way it’s beautifully plated.   Also plan on trying a wine you most likely can’t buy at any supermarket. No ridiculous prices here and a very nice variety.

Live music seems to be extinct in this day and age ~ but not at the Guild.  Come on a Friday evening to hear something that’s really “live.”

Looking for great “chill” lounge where you can hang out & actually see/hear other people without a $20 cover?  Check out the lounge upstairs.  The long table seating was designed for people to meet their neighbors

If you are craving “original,” check out The Guild.

It says that June Gloom has hit the SoCal housing market. June Gloom is a term we have in “these here parts”…referring to the fact that there is a lot of cloud cover during the month of June. We also have a May Gray. So with that being said, plan your vacation around those months. Anyway…

 The median price has dropped 29.3% from a year ago according to this story. Of the 17,000 + homes sold, over 41% were foreclosures. So let me not gloss over the fact that 17,000 + homes were sold. There is a lot of activity out there. Let me also remind the reader that median pricing is based on average sales pricing. Basically meaning lower priced inventory is selling. The writer finally mentions at the end of the story that June was the most productive selling month in the last 10 months.

 Sounds like a good time to buy!

One of the best aspects of an Urban Lifestyle is the community that you instantly become a part of.  These communities become even more specific to the Downtown San Diego neighborhoods, complex, and floor that you live on.  I always tell clients that you are buying a “smaller piece of the pie” to obtain “location, location, location”.  The point of location is that you are not supposed to be hold up in your 1000 square foot Downtown San Diego Condo or Loft all of the time.  You are meant to be out enjoying your community. 
One of the most interesting aspects of watching clients and friends embrace their new lifestyle is seeing how they chose to get involved and put their “personal stamp” on what the neighborhood is developing into.  Are they going to join community groups, participate in social events, or even start a business?  Our resident “Rock Star”, East Village Mayor, and Downtown Specialist Chad Cavanaugh has decided to do something really cool.  In addition to playing acoustic guitar at local East Village spots like Mondo Gelato and Java Jones, he decided that he would put together a book on some of the photography he has taken of Downtown.  Who knew that he even had talent or an eye?  One day when walking with his wife and new baby, he decided to take a few shots and the rest is history.  You can tell from the pictures that his vision is filled with true passion for the lifestyle and streets that we walk every day.  Use the following link to preview and BUY the book entitled “A Journey Through Downtown San Diego”.  Way to go Chad…we are proud of you!!
I think that everyone living In Downtown San Diego should step back and take note of what is possible.  Ask yourselves what you can do to make these neighborhoods a more interesting and better place to live.

This is a great video that the CCDC put out giving an informative tour of San Diego. It spans from San Diego’s beginning’s with Alonzo Horton to the present day. This video is beneficial for anyone considering moving to this great city. Warning…this video is about 8 minutes long…but worth it. Enjoy!

Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around the canyon in my backyard.  Climbing down there with neighborhood friends and constructing, mostly in the imagination, our own private worlds…Palm Tree City, and Cat-Tail Alley.  I remember spotting rabbits, coyotes, and other creepy-crawlies.  I remember seeing eggs, and becoming inquisitive about life cycles.  I often wonder if children living in the city and even in today’s suburban sprawls are missing out? 

I recently read a fascinating article in the Union Tribune titled ‘For the Children’ that addresses this issue and explores ideas of a Zoolpolis.  Experts in Richard Louv’s ‘Last Child in the Woods’  make a case for increased urban access to nature…resulting in the inspiration for this article.  Numerous local San Diegan’s and people nationwide, have for centuries, been working on plans for such a way of living. San Diego does not have to be far from accomplishing such a goal with our already vast array of natural landscape and wildlife.
 
Recently sustainable cities and new urbanism movements have been addressing the needs of children.  As gas prices increase, new urbanism (the creation of living environments that are pedestrian friendly and tight knit, thus creating a walk-to-everything-you-need community) grows in popularity, and young families move to more urban environments the demographic of urban areas continues to diversify.  New Urbanism movements address obstacles such as traffic issues by laying speed bumps and developing pedestrian friendly shopping areas…resulting in a safer environment for children.  But still, where can the child roam?  This isn’t only a matter of psychological well being for children, but for adults as well. It is also an issue of local habitats and wildlife that have so quickly been depleted.
 

Wildlife biologist Ben Breedlove states that, “Future urban design should not only meet the human needs of road capacity and smooth traffic flow, but also meet the needs of nature, with provisions for wild animal mobility and life cycles.” 

A Zoopolis is a living utopia in which our local species and habitats are integrated into our urban settings.  It involves education for children in outside natural areas, teaching them not only about world issues such as global warming and the rainforests, but also about their own local habitat and species.  Pat Flanagan, the director of Informal Education at the San Diego Natural History Museum (NHM) has suggested that the NHM replicate the “forgotten pollinators campaign” that was done through Tucson’s Sonora Desert Museum.  As more and more non-native plants are increasing in San Diego, it is depleting nectar plants and is in turn disrupting the life of hummingbirds and other local species.  She has also suggested San Diego Zoo and Museum sell packets of indigenous seeds of pollinating plants.  Also suggested, instead of Palms plant native willows that attract and house local endangered species of birds.  There are many small things we can implement to protect our local environment and enrich the lives of children growing up in urban settings.
 

Ultimately a Zoopolis sets out to have cities and suburban areas linked by large natural habitat sanctuaries with trails and educational centers, rather than focusing on parcels and small parks.  As the article questions…Is this idealistic?  Well, probably, but it’s not out of the question.  Over a century ago some of the world’s top cities were faced with choices between urban health and pathology.  “The healthy cities movement of that time resulted in the first wave of great urban parks including Central Park. Our generation has a similar opportunity to make history.” 

Check out this link on a local program that already focuses on this issue

The article ended with this quote…and I couldn’t have ended better myself, “Joni Mitchell had it right: They paved paradise / And put up a parking lot. But perhaps, in the near future, we could add a line of hopeful epilogue to that song: Then they tore down the parking lot / And raised up a paradise” 

Just some food for thought..