June 2008 - Posts

Motormouths Beware
28 June 08 01:48 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

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:)

Free your Mind
27 June 08 01:47 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

 

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.

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Higher Gas Prices Mean More Urban Development
26 June 08 01:45 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

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? 

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Doggie Surfing Competition
26 June 08 12:38 PM | 92101urbanliving | 3 comment(s)

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

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Italian Planner looks to San Diego for Smart Growth ideas
23 June 08 01:44 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

 

I recently read an interesting article in the Union Tribune titled Italian planner marvels at San Diego’s smart-growth tenets.  It was fascinating hearing a European’s point of view on San Diego’s city planning and development.  It is very popular for American architects and planners to travel to Europe to study how the Old World built cities, but Claudia Trillo did the opposite. Trillo is a Fulbright scholar, city planner and assistant professor at the University of Naples and spent the last six months in San Diego to see how this Southern California city battles sprawl with smart-growth principles.  Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that San Diego has embraced, concentrating on growth in the center of a city to avoid urban sprawl; and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walk-able, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, streets that work for everyone; mixed-use development with a range of housing choices.

Trillo studied under a SDSU professor and Italian transplant that acquainted Trillo with San Diego when he gave lectures in Naples.  In this article she compares San Diego to parts of Italy with some interesting correlations.  Trillo stated that, “In the last few years, sprawl has been plaguing Europe, and San Diego has the reputation in worldwide planning circles for planning smart.”  She was particularly interested with San Diego’s intertwining of local and regional interests and priorities through her research into local and state agencies that affect land-use decision stating that the, “level of democratic discussion is much higher… European land-use controls tend to employ more national, top-down policies and requirements, compared to the United States, where local control is paramount.”   She plans to publish a book on “best practices” she noted in San Diego and to give a series of lectures this summer to colleagues at her university and for her clients so they can learn about Southern California land use.   Check out this article to hear some of her opinions and suggestions for San Diego

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Green Port Program
20 June 08 01:42 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

green.jpg

The Port of San Diego was formed in 1962 to serve as a sort of steward for San Diego Bay.  The Port of SD is in charge of managing the Bay’s valuable social, economic and environmental resources.  If you live in San Diego, or have even briefly visited us here, you understand the importance of the Bay on our economy and quality of life.  So thus enters the Green Port Program.  Look, I get tired of all the slogans, footprint this or that, but it’s a reality we can’t deny, and we need to be proactive about cutting back on certain luxuries and integrating some (yes, I dare to say…) Green ways of living.  Read on and see what The Port is doing to conserve and protect the San Diego Bay.

In 2007, the Board of Port Commissioners adopted the Environmental Sustainability Policy, “which provides guiding principles to achieve long-term environmental, societal and economic benefits through resource conservation, waste reduction and pollution prevention.”  The Green Port Program has been developed in support of the goals of this policy. 

In March 2008, the first set of initiatives under the new Green Port Program was presented to the Board of Port Commissioners. These initiatives are focused primarily on internal Port operations, and it is anticipated that they will be completed by December 2008:

Water

  • Decrease water use in the Administration Building by 10 percent.
  • Expand the use of non-toxic, biodegradable products.

Energy

  • Incorporate alternative energy technology into the Broadway Pier development.
  • Develop an energy efficiency partnership with SDG&E.

Air

  • Begin implementation of the Clean Air Program.
  • Define the carbon footprint of Port operations.

Waste Management

  • Develop and implement four new programs that reduce waste streams.

Sustainable Development

  • Develop and implement a Sustainable Development Program for Port facilities.

Sustainable Business Practices

  • Educate Port staff about the Green Port Program and how they can contribute even more to improving the environment.
  • Create a Green Port Program website to get the word out about how everyone can protect San Diego Bay’s environment.
  • Adopt two Board Policies that expand the purchasing of green products.

Future Initiatives
The Green Port Program will grow every year as new projects are added and existing ones refined. The Port has established an annual review process to measure results and establish new priorities. This process will include input from a variety of departments within the Port and from Port stakeholders.

So, this is great…but what can I do?

There are several ways that the general public can conserve energy on Energy Alert Days. Here are some easy tips to follow:

  • Dress in layers, to accomodate indoor temperature changes.
  • Turn your lights off when you leave your office, even if only for a short meeting.
  • Reduce lighting where possible and take advantage of natural daylight (if you have a window).
  • Power off your computer and monitor if not in use.
  • Power off any other electronics you are not currently using, such as fax machines, computer speakers, etc.
  • Unplug any chargers that are not necessary.
  • Do not run any personal heaters or fans.

 Another Way to Help….

   billboard_cityscape.gifDid you know that California is in a state of official drought? San Diego County water supplies are being impacted by historic dry conditions and court-ordered pumping restrictions. We can all help the region conserve more water!

Try running your dishwasher only when it’s full, and you’ll save up to 4 gallons of water per load. Visit The 20 Gallon Challenge website for more information.

*all info from San Diego Port webpage…follow this link and get more info*

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Urban Living…The New American Dream?
19 June 08 01:38 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

In this blog, we talk about the concept of “New Urbanism”:  Creating sustainable and dense neighborhoods focused around mass transit and walk able distance to work, live, and play.  In Downtown San Diego, the concept of New Urbanism is alive and well.  The development and revitalization of Downtown San Diego starts and finishes with the CCDC (Centre City Development Corporation).  This organization has insured the well balanced development of Downtown with a commitment to the infrastructure growth of distinct core neighborhoods( Marina, East Village, Gaslamp, Columbia, Cortez Hill, and Little Italy).  This provides a San Diego “Urbanite” choice and diversity.  I think this is one of the most interesting results of New Urbanism.  Choice and diversity mean there is a little something for everyone.  Urban Living in Downtown San Diego transcends age.  Aging “baby-boomers” have just as much of a desire to downsize and be close to live, work, and play as a younger working professional. 
CNN.com featured an article with an interesting twist on the results of “New Urbanism” on the suburban culture that has flourished since the end of World War II.  The article entitled: Is America’s suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare?  The author addresses the result of an oversupply of depreciating suburban housing and an increased demand for walk able urban space.  Real Estate in urban centers can be as much as 40% to 200% higher than removed suburban neighborhoods.  Buyers will pay more money for a smaller urban home if it has “LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION”.  Estimates and residential studies indicate that by 2025 there could be a surplus of 22 million large-lot homes that will not be left vacant in a suburban wasteland, but instead become occupied by lower classes that have been driven out of their once affordable inner-city apartments and houses.   Interesting how we see the “American Dream” changing right in front of our eyes.

FHA Financing Just Got a Little Easier for Bank Owned property Buyers
18 June 08 01:37 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

Foreclosure sign

Many of you have called and written info@92101urbanliving.com with questions about the low 3% down FHA financing that is currently available.

In the past, FHA financing criteria have excluded bank owned properties for 90 days as well as certain communities that were not “FHA approved” from eligible for FHA financing.

FHA financing just got a little easier for bank owned property buyers.

For one year, the White House temporarily suspended the rule that imposed a 90-day waiting period before foreclosed homes can be sold to receive government loans.

FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery said “A glut of foreclosed and abandoned homes harms neighborhoods, frustrates homebuyers and delays a community’s recovery.” He went on to say that the new policy “will allow homebuyers to purchase these homes in much greater numbers and ease the excess supply of unsold homes.”

Check out the full article by clicking on the link Property-flipping rule suspended.

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East Village’s Cowboy Star
17 June 08 01:36 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

Ah yes…another genius business now in the East Village…Cowboy Star. This will be the first restaurant in the East Village to be servin’-up a contemporary American-Western cuisine. The atmosphere is urban-sheik-cowboy, with exposed beam ceilings, cowboy accents and a kind of modern, contemporary saloon exterior. The 92101 team went to lunch there the other day. We walked past a couple of empty establishments to find that Cowboy Star was packed for a Tuesday lunch? I guess the word of great food travels fast. All of us were very happy to be sharing Sarsaparilla Sodas. It felt like a drinking lunch. Two of us got Bison burgers, one incredible Cowboy Star Burger with Cheese, and a Crab BLT. If it was that good for lunch, I was excited to try out the dinner. We did not get the 40 ounce steak for $82, although that would be fun to share with a group. We are steak house enthusiasts, and it lived up to every expectation and more! Flemings, Donovan’s, and Lou and Mickey’s have some serious competition. Here is a link to the website to check out everything from the menu to the concept. www.thecowboystar.com

I am so glad that the owners have embraced the fact that they are a local and neighborhood restaurant. Leave the big crowds to the Gaslamp, and give personal attention and fantastic food time consistently. By the way, don’t just take my word for it. Check out the Yelp profile to see what other locals are saying: www.yelp.com/biz/the-cowboy-star-san-diego

Oh, and they also have a butcher…awesome. Their full-service butcher shop offers a wide selection of meats…expanding the horizons of some of us city-dwellers, including Bison, 100 grass and corn fed, U.S.D.A. prime, 35-day aged, oh, and several organic options coming only from those farms that practice the highest integrity farming practices. Signature sauces and rubs will be sold as well. Summer BBQs anyone???

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2008 San Diego County Fair
14 June 08 01:34 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

 

The 2008 San Diego County Fair will run from Saturday, June 14 through Sunday, July 6 and closed two Mondays, June 16 and 23. This years theme is ”Summer of Sports” which will celebrate a wide variety of sports at all levels, from youth to professional.  Events this year will include a Reggae Festival with Steel Pulse, Pato Banton,  & Mystic Roots Band; a Wine, Tequila & Beer Tasting; of course the animal exhibits and rides; and much more.

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Beautifying Our Streets
13 June 08 01:33 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

This week Little Italy becomes the inaugural site in a series of beautification plans for Downtown San Diego.  400 brightly colored planters and hanging baskets began to line India Street.  The project is aimed to provide a softer urban feel by adding more color and life to the streetscape.  “Great urban environments throughout the world feature plants, flowers, and other decorative foliage.  It is a way to engage and beautify a city and to connect spaces while enhancing the pedestrian experience,” said CCDC president Nancy Graham.  San Diego is no doubt a perfect place for these kinds of projects with the year-a-round gorgeous weather and pedestrian friendly atmosphere.
The greenery extends throughout India Street, Ash to Laurel, and sections of Kettner Boulevard, Ash, Beech, Cedar, Date and Fir streets. Flower selections were chosen to compliment the unique characteristics of the buildings and storefronts in the neighborhood. This project in Little Italy is to be the beginning of this Downtown beautification process.

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Keeping San Diego Bay Clean: Volunteers Needed This Weekend
06 June 08 01:32 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

This weekend, you can take part in keeping San Diego clean.  Hundreds of volunteers will gather at San Diego Bay to participate in one of California’s largest environmental clean up events. Operation Clean Sweep, presented by the San Diego Port Tenants Association in partnership with the Port of San Diego, will take place on Saturday, June 7 at various locations around San Diego Bay.

This event is sponsored by the Port, San Diego Gas & Electric, the U.S. Navy, The U.S. Coast Guard, General Dynamics/NASSCO and several other businesses and the clean up usually yields over 400 cubic yards of trash.

Last year, three sunken sailboats were retrieved in addition to several toilets, tools, engines and batteries. In the Chollas Creek portion of the clean up, over 50 car tires, 10 shopping carts, five mattresses, a lawnmower and a disco ball were found.

U.S. Navy and civilian divers scour the bay’s floor to locate the items and volunteers use vessels and heavy equipment to lift it out of the water. Volunteers also will pick up litter and debris that washes ashore.

There are three locations for the clean up. These include Cesar Chavez Park, located at Cesar Chavez Parkway and Crosby Road in San Diego, Chollas Creek in San Diego and Pepper Park in National City. The Chollas Creek registration will be at Pacific Ship Repair and Fabrication, 1625 Rigel Street, beginning at 7 a.m. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old for this location. Volunteer registration opens at 7:30 a.m. for the Cesar Chavez Park and Pepper Park locations.

All volunteers are invited to the Treasure Junk Hunt Party, which begins at 11:30 a.m. at Cesar Chavez Park. Prizes will be awarded for the most unusual trash collected and a barbecue lunch will be served. 

**all information taken from Port of San Diego website**

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Location Location Location?
06 June 08 01:31 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

San Diego County is filled with such diversity.  There are over 90 sub communities that make up the Real Estate Residential Market.  Each individual sub market performs based on its specific price points and location.  I guess it should stop surprising me that performance of high-end product and very average product are continually generalized together.  Investors who made bad choices buying average real estate in average locations broke the most basic of all value rules: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.  Investors who made good choices buying quality product in desirable locations “weathered the storm” quite well. 

Alin Nevin of Marketpointe Real Estate Advisors has written a very “eye opening” article that sheds some light on the inequity of distressed properties in San Diego.  Consider the following facts that he outlines in his article  What Housing Recession?:

  1. 70% of homes in California are in counties closest to the ocean where foreclosures are limited
  2. 2/3 of all foreclosures in the 1st quarter of 2008 occurred in 20 of the 90 sub communities in San Diego county.
  3. 700 of the 1,100 foreclosures were in these 20 communities…all of them inland. 
  4. In another 20 of those 90 communities, absolutely NO foreclosures were recorded. 
  5. The 10 communities with the highest level of forclosures averaged $394k
  6. The 10 communities with the lowest level of forclosures averaged $1.6 million.

We can see the same kind of trends here in Downtown San Diego.  We now know that smaller units in quality buildings gain equity at the same rate as the penthouses in the same complex.  Conversely, Penthouses in average buildings lose value at the same rate as tiny studios.  Consider this…If you remove 4 complexes from consideration, we are able to eliminate over 80% of all distressed properties from the Downtown sub-market.  In the last 6 months, 66 urban homes have sold for $775k or higher.  More than half of those sales were above $1 million. 

The bottom line for Downtown is:  Unless you are a buyer looking to purchase in 1 of the 4 troubled complexes,  sellers are NOT panic selling.  The best complexes Downtown have, and will continue to have strong value.  The decision in buying a Downtown home is not solely price driven.  Other factors like quality, location, and construction materials mean so much more to the future value of your investment. 

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How expensive are we compared to other destination cities?
06 June 08 01:29 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments
In an article in Yahoo Finance today, it discusses the cost per square foot of the top ten most expensive cities in the world. Guess who is not in the top ten? San Diego.

Coming in at the number 1 spot is London, at a whopping $6,191 per sq ft. A $1.5 Million price range will have you living atop some of Downtown San Diego’s finest buildings.  However, this will only get you a small studio in London, Courchevel, Monaco, Manhattan & Hong Kong to name a few. I’m pretty sure we pale in comparison at around $512 per sq ft.

 More reason to buy in Downtown San Diego!

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Live Green…Live In Cities
05 June 08 01:28 PM | 92101urbanliving | with no comments

In  this month’s issue of Wired Magazine, there was a very interesting editorial that I thought I should share.  It is titled “Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What it Means to be Green” .  In the article, we are challenged to examine our preconceived notions of what we think may or may not be good for the environment.  The first suggestion is that it is actually more environmentally friendly to Live in Cities.  Is this true? Could we be doing our part to decrease Global Warming just by living in this great place we call Downtown San Diego?  I was surprised to learn that the Carbon footprint of an urbanite is significantly lower (30%) than that of a suburban dweller.  When you think about it, it starts to make good sense.  Cities are more dense, and as a result more efficient.  An urbanite is more likely to either walk or use public transportation.  3.5 MILLION “Extreme Commuters” living in suburbia can spend as much as three hours a day just getting to and from work.  It is well know that the carbon dioxide produced from U.S. automobiles (some 1.9 billion tons a year) is greater than emissions from India, Japan, or Russia.  Also, the central heating and cooling systems of a residential urban complex are much more efficient than that of its’ suburban counterpart. 

The bottom line for most people in choosing an urban lifestyle is all about central locations….being close to work, life, and play.  If you can accomplish this AND do your part to save the environment, isn’t a move Downtown worth considering?

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