“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 48 in an ongoing series.
Name: Jasmine LeFlore
Residence: Park Boulevard East in East Village
Personal deets: Born in Flint, Michigan. Been in downtown San Diego for six years. I first moved to Element Condos where I met my best neighborhood homegirls. We met during the pandemic and got together on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. in our courtyard. We called ourselves the Boss Ladies Who Day Drink.
Work deets: Senior principal projects engineer, advanced technology solutions lead for Collins Aerospace. By night (really, 24 hours) I’m co-founder and executive director of Greater Than Tech. At GTT, we’re creating the next generation of tech entrepreneurs by teaching STEM and business together for girls and underserved students.
Favorite memory: I got a kick out of Connect’s Innovation Day at Petco Park. We did a field trip there with the GTT Alumnae Club and they had a great time. I hope it grows every year. The first year they did it, I was part of the video. I never imagined myself being on a jumbotron at Petco Park. It was super cool.
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Best reason to live downtown: The weather is great all year around. I live in a vibrant neighborhood and my neighbors are super nice. There’s a good sense of community. And I like checking out new bars and shops that spring up around the neighborhood.
Another great reason to live downtown: The San Diego Central Library. We’ve done some GTT workshops in the Idea Lab. Our first fundraiser is at the library’s Shiley Event Space. If you support underserved students being able to change their life trajectory through STEM and entrepreneurship, and want to have fun and enjoy some tapas: Join us for Tech Over Tapas on December 6, 2023.
Worst part of living downtown: San Diego is the most expensive city to live in in the United States. There’s a “sunshine tax.” I had to adjust to the housing costs.
Working from home: Yes, I work from home. A typical day is anything but typical. I could be working on new technology demonstrations with subject matter experts on hydrogen aviation, cybersecurity, AI or systems engineering. Or, traveling to meet with technical leaders, doing data analysis, creating spreadsheets to gather information, or creating technical processes. Right now, I’m building a technology roadmapping tool to help visualize technology projects so we can better strategize, know overall project funding and synergize technology goals and customer needs.
Working out: I go to Fit Athletic, Pilates of East Village and I do the stairs at the San Diego Convention Center.
Homelessness: I see the effects of not having enough mental health resources to support our unhoused neighbors. I know it’s an extremely complex situation but my heart breaks a little everyday when I see people struggling on the street.
Pets: None, but I dog sit for my friends super often! Almost every other week I get to hang out with cool dogs. Every so often my neighbors think I’ve got a new dog–but nope, I’m the dog-sitting auntie.
Transportation breakdown: 70% walking and 30% driving.
Cool coffee shop: Seahorse Coffee. The people are super sweet. (Say “hi” to Chris for me!) They know my name, they know my orders: an ice coffee with 4 Stevia, or the Dr. Rockso (light ice, not too sweet).
Go-to restaurant: Beshock is one of my faves for lunch and dinner. I always get the crispy rice tuna. The food is good and the staff is super friendly (shout out to Brett!) They also have a new speakeasy called ASA Bakery, quickly becoming my favorite bar.
Parking advice: Plan ahead. Use a friend’s spare parking spot (that’s what my friends do). There are also some parking apps that can help you find free/cheap parking.
Parting tips: Put on those walking shoes. Or, use the free Circuit App if you’re going somewhere that’s too long a walk. SDSun
☀️Know someone who should be a “Living In The City” profile subject? Email suggestions to rondonoho@gmail.com. ☀️
