“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 58 in an ongoing series.
Name: Vicki Eddy
Neighborhood: Pinnacle Marina Tower (Marina District)
Moving in: We watched the floor-by-floor Pinnacle construction for almost three years. Escrow closed early and the developer let us move into the nearly uninhabited 36-floor high-rise. It was our giant vertical playhouse and a wild adventure! There were no door knobs on most doors. We ran through every floor and unit, comparing views and features. We took lawn chairs and a bottle of wine to the empty penthouse at sunset.
Since moving in: Day by day, folks showed up, moved in and it became a great community of new friends. We’ve been at the Pinnacle for 20 years (and dang, I need a new oven).
Describe Downtown SD in 3 words: World. Class. Destination.
Personal deets: I’m a transplant from Shreveport, Louisiana. Been in my new hometown of San Diego for 43 years. I almost give myself native San Diegan status, but my Southern roots and accent are still intact, y’all.
Family: My husband, Chris, is a fourth-generation San Diegan. We’re proud parents to son Nick Eddy and his beautiful wife, Diana. Our amazing daughter, Kat Ochsner, made a miraculous recovery from a severe traumatic brain injury in summer 2023. We are also the thrilled grandparents of Jackson, a two-year old superstar of all things.
Pets: We have two senior baby girls. They are “malt-shitzes,” my term for their Maltese/Shih Tzu mixed breed. Dixey and Bailey own us.
Work deets: I was a copywriter for ad agencies and design firms and then an instructor in creative direction and advertising arts at the Advertising Arts College. Today, I donate my marketing and creative skills to a number of philanthropies and have served on numerous boards, including leadership positions.
Working from home: Highrise space is at a premium, so our home office is a dog palace, a laundry, a closet-sized bedroom with fun art, and best of all, a wall of glass with a downtown view that makes it all sing. I call our workspace “Vicki Eddy World Headquarters.” (Sorry, Chris.)
Home work: I’m admin support for our two-person family business. Chris does everything else. We own and manage commercial real estate in downtown San Diego (Gaslamp Quarter) and elsewhere. Chris is very involved in the community. He was our HOA President for nine years, serves as a Commissioner of Balboa Park and is on the Downtown Community Planning Council and the Land Use and Planning Committee for the Gaslamp Quarter Historical District.
Film Festival deets: I’m on the San Diego International Film Festival board because of CEO Tonya Mantooth. She’s a powerhouse connector. When Tonya asked me to join the board, I hugged her and said “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” She replied “Huh?” (That’s a movie joke.) We’re so fortunate to have one of the most respected and exciting international film festivals here in town. Chris and I have experienced Oscar-winning blockbusters before public release, life-changing documentaries, genius indies, animated films and shorts and locally created/produced films. We’ve hobnobbed with big stars and congratulated humble young filmmakers. It’s a completely larger than life experience. Come fest with us!
Fave shows, movies, streaming series: Chris and I are serial screeners. Some favorites…
- Streaming series: The Righteous Gemstones, White Lotus, Palm Royale, Ripley, Shrinking, Schitt’s Creek, Yellowstone and its prequels.
- Movies: To Kill a Mockingbird, Best in Show, Gone with the Wind, Bridge on the River Kwai, Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Annie Hall, All About Eve, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Forrest Gump, Almost Famous, Big Fish, Some Like it Hot, Fargo, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Austin Powers, Anchorman, Labyrinth, Wizard of Oz.
Best aspects of living downtown: We have a strong mix of home, community, pride and history – we have a 120-year history with our Gaslamp building. The Lester Hotel (Fourth & Market) is a storied landmark. We renovated the ol’ gal over a 10-year period. We consulted with David Marshall to restore the storefronts. Of course we have a host of ghosts and stories.
Worst aspects of living downtown: We have issues just as any large urban core does. I would challenge anyone who sees the “worst” aspects of downtown to roll up their sleeves and get going individually or with a group of changemakers. Challenge yourself to never accept seeing the worst of anything.
Homelessness: It affects us deeply, sadly and economically. We encounter homelessness 365 days a year. There is no screen or curtain to buffer its grit and toll. It’s heartbreaking and stressful. The first thing we all must do is see the face of a human in the fight for his/her life. Unfortunately, the encampments become dangerous hot spots. We have open hearts but with more invasive and difficult experiences than most. We care, we work hard, we volunteer, we donate, and Chris is gifted with people, so he always gives dignity to even the most lost soul. We are grateful to the San Diego Police Department. We volunteer and donate to the Salvation Army. We all have the power to help — small, medium or large. Let’s figure this out.
Fave coffee shop: We have a great coffee bar in our home. But during the pandemic, I went to Skybound. Those folks get there well before daylight, which is why I’ve never been a barista.
Best breakfast: Our friend, neighbor and elite flapjack-er, Richard Walker opened his premier Pancake House right here in the Pinnacle when our building opened. He gave us his big laminated menu in 2005 and we still use it to order out. The original prices are antique and Chris took our menu down there one day to tease and confuse the sweet girl at the register.
Let’s do lunch: We try to hit Morton’s, Flemings or Baja Rick’s for delish bar bites and adult beverages, with Happy Hour deals before 6 p.m. We have the best pop-up conversations with great people on barstools. Sliders and fried calamari are usually in the line up.
Top take-out: Prince Street Pizza (on Market Street) and their crazy soft New York style crust.
Fave dinner/bar spots: We’ve got a list of places, all with great service…
- Mr. A’s (fabulous renovation with prime new bar).
- Parc Bistro for perfect escargot and quiche.
- The Plaza Bar at the Westgate – an intimate space (almost a secret) with great martinis and music.
- The Grant Grille (U. S. Grant Hotel) with its opulent lobby and rich history.
- The good ol’ rowdy Waterfront.
- Our secret Happy Hour at Eddie V’s, with great live jazz.
- We dine a lot at The Prado before Old Globe performances and we just adore the little hole in the wall family joint, Jimmy Carter’s (Bankers Hill).
The city needs more: Enforcement of dangerous scooters and electric bikes off walkways. We must get the lights fixed on the MLK walkway – for tourists and baseball fans in the dark, and to illuminate Dr. King’s quotes. And, restore the no-cars pedestrian promenade on Fifth Avenue.
The city needs less: Tedious permit processing. More common sense solutions and efficiency are needed. Improvements to our beautiful city and downtown should not be held up. It hinders progress terribly.
Final thought: The Rady Shell is an other-worldly acoustic Wonder of the World. When you put master musicians and legendary bands and performers in that magical, illuminated Shell-by-the-Bay, painted by the sunset and lit by our downtown skyline – it’s more than momentous. SDSun
