We should all aspire to learn from our mistakes. And someone once said you should only look back to see how far you’ve come.
To both those ends, here’s Part I (January to June) of a year-end look at some of the top stories from 2023 that ran in The San Diego Sun. Part II will run tomorrow (Thursday, December 21).
If you’re a regular reader, enjoy the retrospective. Checking out this downtown-San-Diego-centric news website for the first time? Click any headline, and welcome to what we are:
JANUARY
San Diego Mayor Missing Immediacy on Homelessness Solutions. Todd Gloria’s annual “State of the City” speech is short on ideas that quickly address downtown’s growing unsheltered population.
Jaywalking Laws No Longer Applicable in Downtown San Diego. The “Freedom to Walk Act” now allows all Californians to cross streets in a manner that was once deemed illegal.
You’ll Barely Recognize This Spicy Strip of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The reborn Hot Block in downtown San Diego’s entertainment district is Market Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues.
The Best Acai Bowls in Downtown San Diego. Expand your palate and try something new (peanut butter?) in your next (or first) acai bowl in urban San Diego.
FEBRUARY
Here’s What You Should Know About the East Village Education Corridor. An unheralded cluster of downtown San Diego schools may represent the future of development in all the city’s urban neighborhoods.
Homelessness Roundup: Small Steps & A Curious Media. While politicians and talking heads ponder, plan and propose, downtown San Diego homelessness remains a constant daily issue.
Audience Survey: You Like Me & There Needs To Be More Of You. See what positive things readers had to say about The Sun, an independent news voice covering downtown San Diego.
Year We Go! The Best Pre-Spring Events Coming to Downtown San Diego. Valentine’s Day. Mardi Gras. St. Patrick’s Day. Restaurant Week. Padres Opening Day. And other notable urban happenings.
MARCH
Padres Fans Psyched For 2023 Season. Scattered showers delayed the first pitch, but Friar Faithful showed up in downtown San Diego for what’s hoped to be a shining season.
Laurie Black To Be Honored For Pioneering Commitment to Downtown SD Partnership. She took homelessness personally, seethed over a “urine-stained bums” comment and started DSDP’s Clean & Safe program.
Play Ball: San Diegan Nick Allen is on the Brink of Big Things. The Olympic silver medalist is in camp with the Oakland Athletics, and just got engaged to a woman who’s also pretty familiar with baseball.
Dinner And A Movie On A Hotel Rooftop. Movie theaters are a vanishing breed in downtown San Diego but Rooftop Cinema Club keeps the date-night tradition alive.
APRIL
Nathan Fletcher’s Fall Touches All San Diego Politics. County Supervisor’s resignation is an ongoing news story, and reverberates everywhere–even on efforts to abate homelessness.
In A City Beset By Homelessness, She’s A Firm, Quiet Consensus Builder. Business booster and Downtown San Diego Partnership CEO Betsy Brennan is behind the scenes pushing the urban core to regroup and rebound.
3 April Events That Demand Sunny Skies. Mission Fed ArtWalk, Chicano Park Day Celebration & SoCal Taco Fest will shine in downtown San Diego–if the sun remembers to do its thing.
Sip A Newfangled Old-Fashioned Cocktail At The US Grant Hotel. Malahat Spirits Co. has collaborated with the historic downtown San Diego property to commemorate the end of Prohibition. It’s the bee’s knees!
MAY
Chargers Legend Rolf Benirschke Backs Homeless Youth Enterprise. The new Timmy’s Place pizzeria/print shop will train and employ young people experiencing homelessness in downtown San Diego
Observation: The Infuriating Cycle of Downtown San Diego Homelessness. I watched the frustratingly inefficient “Whack-A-Mole” system of managing homelessness at work in my neighborhood.
Lucky Duck Foundation Adds To Its Homelessness Watchdog List. Nonprofit cites San Diego city and county, Coronado and Santee for positive and negative actions toward homelessness issues.
New Downtown San Diego Eateries Offer Intriguing International Flavors. Techo Beso, and other urban spots have multi-cultural focuses, seasoned by Mexico, Ukraine, Colombia and other tasty backgrounds.
JUNE
East Village Residents Balk at Padres $20M Redevelopment Plan for Gallagher Square. Group claims team ignored noise complaints for years; wants to take over the public green space near Petco Park without public review.
Artificial Turf At Gallagher Square: A Reason To Do A CEQA Study? Noise mitigation and new turf are two reasons downtown San Diego residents say the Padres renovation plan needs to slow down.
Unsafe Camping Ordinance Puts The Cart Before The Horse. Passing an unsheltered sleeping ban without a concise shelter plan means the mayor and city council now own the homelessness issue.
Rise and Shine With The New “Sunday Sun.” A beefed-up, weekly version of The San Diego Sun’s e-newsletter will debut in subscriber inboxes on July 2, 2023.
To be continued on Thursday, December 21, 2023…
