changing skyline

i didn't realize how radically different the skyline will be downtown in a relatively short time. from the sd reader:

By 2010, our downtown will have undergone a space odyssey indeed. One hundred eighteen high-rises will become at least 179 of them, and likely more. Nine of these new additions will be among the top 20 tallest in town. In just a few years, we stand to enjoy (or lament) a dramatically different skyline.

as the article points out, downtown high rises can't exceed 500 feet due to airport-related height restrictions. so, expect a more dense skyline, but not a higher one. still, it will be quite a change to have several 30-story plus residential structures towering over what were often only parking lots in various parts of downtown.

sushi fix

lots of people enjoying dinner on india street in little italy tonight, considering it was a wednesday. this area continues to improve from the one-dimensional italian restaurant destination it was just a couple of years ago, to a fun mix of varied restaurants, clubs and new condo projects. in particular, the new sushi restaurant/club crudo looks like something that belongs in the gaslamp, which makes sense, considering it's run by the owners of on broadway. crudo is pretty slick, with several big screen tv's behind the bar, a dance floor beyond the dining area, and a modern design.

we had a coupon for a free sushi roll at the new sushi fix in little italy, so naturally that's where we ended up. the place was fairly empty, and we grabbed a table on the ample patio outside. we could actually watch the padres sweeping the dodgers on the projection tv through the window. so, a warm evening, a patio facing a vibrant street, sushi, padres - not too shabby. the sushi was decent but nothing fantastic. and plastic plates should merit lower prices than those on the menu, but you're paying for location, i guess.

most restaurants in little italy have a narrow strip of tables squeezed against the sidewalk, but the large patio here will keep me coming back. this is another part of downtown i'd consider living in, especially if the area continues to diversify in terms of things to do. it's not as loud as the gaslamp, and you've got some great views of the bay - at least until the high rises fill in.

universal lounge

the owners of stingaree and other clubs in the gaslamp are propsing to renovate a truly hideous corner of university avenue in hillcrest. the new 3.5 million dollar restaurant/lounge would be named universal, and sounds very promising, especially considering the innovative clubs these owners already run. currently, the property is occupied by a defunct porn store with a garish purple exterior, and some other properties that could stand an improvement.

the restaurant will have indoor and outdoor dining, the latter of which san diego can always use more of. the outdoor area will be comprised of a garden lounge with a fire pit. while the "ultra-chic lounge" part of the concept sounds a bit dubious, hillcrest can only benefit from an upscale place like this. it would be a welcome addition to a section of university that already has several fun restaurants (ono sushi, baja betty's) but could stand further improvement. let's hope the NIMBY folks who oppose the project don't have their way, since more porn stores are waiting to fill the void if the project is denied. usually, the more gay porn the better, but in this case...

build that wall

what's missing from the picture above? easy access to the harbor from the gaslamp quarter of downtown. together, the convention center and manchester hyatt hotel form a solid wall blocking pedestrian access to the waterfront. yes, you can climb the hundred or so steps over the convention center, and then back down the other side, passing through the sterile, empty rear area of the center, before finally reaching the yachts that block the harbor. it's another five minutes to the water - if there's no event blocking access.

other harbor access options include cutting through the lobby of the hyatt hotel, but that's hardly a clearly marked path. otherwise, you've got to trek all the way down to seaport village, a solid 15 minute walk from the heart of the gaslamp. then down kettner, with no continuous sidewalk, then through the tourist traps of seaport, then finally - the san diego harbor!

why block off the city's greatest asset from all the activity in the gaslamp? well the san diego port authority needs to make money. forget about quality of life for residents of downtown san diego - how can the port maximize tax revenue? why else would there be car rental lots right on the harbor, across from the airport?

i recently travelled to vancouver and was amazed at all the open access to the waterfront there. nearly the entire peninsula where downtown vancouver lies has a bike and foot path, easily accessible from city streets. i'm guessing that the leaders of vancouver recognized the fact that the city belongs to its residents, not to developers like manchester and mcmillin. of course, vancouver is a relatively liberal city, while san diego was long been owned by conservatives and the developers they are beholden to. fortunately that's beginning to change.

with thousands of people moving downtown, perhaps these folks will start to ask city leaders why they've been walled off from the harbor. remember, we decide who leads this city. there's no reason a pedestrian path can't be made through the manchester property, for example. of course, we wouldn't want to mess with the hotel parking - directly on the waterfront.

i've reserved a url, opentheharbor.com, where i'll be starting a petition to open the harbor to the residents of the gaslamp quarter. i'm not satisfied with the harbor links proposed in the old police headquarters and park plan, which is next to seaport village, or the proposed park to the south of the convention center, on the new hotel property there. this will be right next to the shipyard there.

it's time to ask ourselves who owns this city - the people, or the developers and the politicians they control?

dussini restaurant

we went to dussini restaurant to kill some time before dinner this past friday night. i was really impressed with the place, which sits at the former location of the spaghetti factory downtown (and is owned by the same folks). the picture above doesn't show the upstairs bar, which includes bottles in a color-coordinated setup on illuminated shelving. the lounge area has plenty of tables for hanging out, and high-quality pool tables. surprisingly the place was pretty dead, but it was a relatively quiet weekend downtown. after that we had dinner at gaslamp strip club, which is always fun, and then more drinks at the gaslamp tavern (no linky yet) at 828 5th ave. the tavern is nearly completely open to the bustling street, which, until recently, few bars did - surprising, given the mild temperatures in san diego.

new east village park art

i received an interesting email at my workplace today from the folks who are putting together some public art at the new east village park in downtown san diego. i work with a geophysical research group at the institute of geophysics and planetary physics at scripps institution of oceanography, and we work with continuous GPS site data for earthquake research - the stations measure fault slip rates, basically. the art commissioners are interested in placing one of our GPS sites along a fault line that runs through the park. unfortunately these sites cost around $30,000 to install, so i'm doubtful that it will happen. still, it's encouraging to see the city, and artists, working to bring together science and art in a public space.

m2i

after a very enjoyable trip to vancouver, which puts san diego to shame with its urban vitality, we went downtown last night to watch the padres lose again. the evening was rescued by a visit to our new friend's condo at m2i, which is a great new complex near petco park. the building sports two unique lobbies, wide hallways with modern earth-toned carpeting, and loft-style units with gleaming hardwood floors. there's a common area on the roof which looks into the fahrenheit complex across the street to the south. definitely a very hip place to live.

it is tempting to sell the house and buy a unit downtown - it would really free up a lot of time spent working around here. our friend who used to live at the archstone apartment complex near seaport village has moved back to the east coast, so we can't get our urban fix anymore by staying at her place when she's out of town. something to think about...