San Diego

Ah, San Diego!

June 21st, 2012 by

 

Originally from the east coast, with a few detours along the way, San Diego has been “home” since 1985.  While life has been content in each locale, if you live here, or have visited, you know that California’s southernmost major city boasts diverse attributes, including seashores, mountains and canyons, plus year-round mild weather.

 

Likened to a Mediterranean climate, with mostly sunny days, the average daytime temperature is 70-degrees Fahrenheit, with winter temperatures rarely below 40-degrees Fahrenheit.  Late summer and early autumn can bring temperatures of 90-degrees, and above, due primarily to easterly “Santa Ana” winds that carry hot, dry air from inland deserts.  Average annual rainfall is less than 12 inches, although highly variable from year to year, and concentrated in the cooler months of December through March.  The last measurable snowfall fell in December 1967.  However, if it’s snow you’re after, a winter wonderland awaits just an hour’s drive east in picturesque Cleveland National Forest.

 

Downtown – A Brief Overview

Community and lifestyle choices are numerous and varied.  Downtown alone offers seven distinct districts (depending on your source) with opportunities to buy condominiums, town homes and lofts ranging in price, currently, from $114,900 for a fifth-floor 466-square-foot studio apartment in East Village to $5.5 million for a three-story plus basement mixed-use building of approximately 7,000 square feet in the heart of historic Gaslamp.  Rentals and assisted living apartments are also available.  Indeed, something for everyone!

 

Neighborhoods include northwestern-most Little Italy, elevated Cortez Hill, largely commercial Columbia, the Civic Core, historically famed Gaslamp Quarter with the Convention Center located at it’s base, picturesque and upscale Marina District, and diversely urban East Village, also known as the Ballpark District.  Most have long and interesting stories; all have enjoyed an amazing resurgence over the past thirty-plus years, largely attributed to the Center City Development Corporation’s (CCDC) work on behalf of the City of San Diego.  We’ll look at that more closely in posts to come.


Making Good, Better – Always Room for Creative Ideas

 

Apt Leaning View Mirrors

Design Tip: Mirrors reflect surroundings and views, creating a sense of spaciousness and light.

Downtown housing enjoys close proximity to the bay, cultural amenities, an enviable mid-90’s-WalkScore and accessible public transportation.  A good choice for those seeking an eclectic, urban lifestyle!  However, individual budgets often preclude the coveted view units or desired square-footage, requiring owners – if they are set on downtown — to invent creative solutions to meet their needs.  In one downtown high-rise, I expanded the already-fabulous bay and city views by placing tall leaning mirrors against an otherwise plain interior wall.  Built-ins lent a feeling of additional space, and clever closet shelving added needed storage.  Purchase prices often escalate as floors go higher within the building and homeowner fees may increase with square footage, so prior planning is an important consideration.  Once in, you don’t have the luxury of building out!

 

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