“Living In the City” is the San Diego Sun’s feature Q&A with downtown San Diego residents. It’s a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who live here. This is number 34 in an ongoing series.
Name: Joel Hermosillo
Location: 625 Broadway in City Center
Personal deets: My hometown is Calexico. I have lived in the San Diego area since 2014 and graduated from SDSU in 2018. Just moved downtown in November 2022 with my amazing wife, Alina.
Professional deets: Director of Business Engagement for the Downtown San Diego Partnership (July marks my one-year anniversary). I work a hybrid schedule. Two days a week from home, the rest in the office. However, living and working downtown means I’m never out of the office.
Pets: Obi Wan is our three-year-old miniature Schnauzer. He loves staring out of the window and barking at people on top of neighboring buildings.
Funniest moment: We were crossing some trolley tracks and Obi decided to go number two right in the middle of the tracks. Yes, there was a trolley about to leave the station.
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Why downtown: Walkability. Everything is really just outside your door here. Always wanted to experience city living, and getting th DSDP job was the chance. My routine: Workout in the morning. Come home and get ready for work. Walk Obi, get a coffee and walk to work.
Worst aspect of living downtown: Having guests over and helping them find parking.
Best aspect of your building: The people. I’ve only had great interactions with my neighbors and staff.
Worst aspect of your building: Some people say it’s living next to a nightclub. Shockingly, that music keeps me asleep.
Streaming: The Sopranos (I’m a bit late to the party).
Podcasts: The Joe Rogan Experience, Real Ones with John Bernthal, VOSD Podcast, and Huberman Lab.
Transportation breakdown: Walking 95%, driving 5%.
Scooters: Love them, but hardly use them. Always prefer to walk.
Fave coffee shop(s): Coffee ‘n’ Talk (Aloha Latte); Achilles Coffee and The Sammich House for regular coffee.
Best breakfast(s): Cali Breakfast, Donut Bar and Pokez.
Lunch spot(s): The Sammich House, Grant Grill and Coal Bros Taqueria.
Doing dinner: Tajima, Crab Hut and The Local.
Best bar(s): Stout Public House, El Dorado and the Warehouse (secret bar located inside Serrano’s Street Tacos and Bar).
Food shopping: Krisp and Ralphs.
Padres games: Being able to walk from home after Padres games is amazing. I used to have to struggle for parking or with the trolley schedule.
Scariest moment: Being a Dodger fan in San Diego after the Dodgers beat the Padres.
Spots to avoid: None really. I walk everywhere I need to be.
Best event memory: Dogs of Downtown! March 11, 2023 at Fault Line Park.
Comic-Con: Without having a ticket, you can still have a blast attending all the free events outside the convention center.
Mayor Todd Gloria: He’s made notable achievements in improving San Diego and downtown.
District 3 City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn: He’s made positive contributions to District 3 and for downtown living.
Homelessness: It does affect walking quite a bit, and there’s always a concern for safety.
One thing I’d change: Improve public transportation. Many people do not take advantage of public transportation because they don’t feel safe and their perception of cleanliness around public transportation.
Parting advice: Take advantage of parking “far” from your downtown destination. Reality is, the walks are not that long. And there are great amenities to help make the trip quicker like FRED (free golf cart rides) and e-scooters; plus, there are great spots to enjoy during your walk.
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