Central San Diego represents the core of the city with 13
residential neighborhoods of different traditions and ethnicity interspersed
with a military base, government buildings, a convention center and commercial
districts. San Diego Bay, the airport, Balboa Park, Old Town, San Diego Zoo and all
the museums and theatres attract thousands of tourists to the area. The
development of Horton Plaza, an innovative shopping mall, brought new life to the Gaslamp District and revived
an interest in downtown living. When a supermarket opened in the area, singles
and empty-nesters started buying lofts and hi-rise condos. Last year, the Convention
Center doubled in size to handle the larger conventions and demand for more
hotels and restaurants stirred more enticement for vacation and second homes.
Luxury condos and mixed use complexes
are pre-sold and East Village plans are "in the pipeline".
Talk of building a new ball park and library in the downtown
area brought a new urgency to clean up the blighted areas and develop a plan for
growth and redevelopment. The East Village, a problem area for years, became a
target for serious discussion. With the ball park "up and running" and
luxury condo complexes being pre-sold, the Downtown has become an exciting,
vibrant metropolis. Parking is, and probably always be a problem, but public
transportation (train, bus and trolley) services the area.
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