Why the World Hates Bob Our Mayor Had More Enemies Than Friends Even Before This Debacle COVER STORY

Who hates the zoo? Commercial real estate waking up

JULY/AUGUST 2013

BUSineSS, PoLiTicS, economicS & civic enGAGemenT

Why the world hates Bob Our mayor had more enemies than friends even before this debacle COVER STORY

The Worst of San Diego’s Best Attractions Our city’s hot spots get some tough tough via social media platforms. Is there room for improvement? 47

POLITICS & CIVIC BUSINESS & ECONOMICS ENGAGEMENT Waking Up Queen of the Pulitzers Medical and multifamily Susan White housing help has edited three commercial winning packages real estate find a pulse 18 28

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7RUUH\3LQHV%DQNLVDQ$I¿OLDWHRI:HVWHUQ$OOLDQFH%DQFRUSRUDWLRQ Little Saigon is on the Map 12 city Life 6 City View: Why the world hates Bob 8 Get Involved: How to help the community 11 The Good and the Bad: Zoo gets millions for exhibit; the hungry struggle Business & economics PoLitics & civic engagement 33 Vital Signs 14 Bob Filner’s Enemies: indicators paint an uneven We list the top 10 picture of economy 24 Nonprofit Report 35 How Tijuana Can Help the uncertain future calls for San Diego Economy creative new partnerships its manufacturing base is drawing businesses 24 40 San Diego’s Front Porch Looking Spiffy long-awaited park is in the works 43 Sanders’ New Beat He’s leading the san Diego business community

STAFF cover photo by sam Hodgson

EDITOR-In-CHIEF ART DIRECTOR SUBSCRIPTIOn Jack Crittenden Shannon Harrington COORDInATOR Samantha Weinstein MAnAGInG EDITOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR OFFICE MAnAGER Mike Stetz Richard Steadham Trish Newberry COnTRIBUTInG EDITOR CIRCUlATIOn Cypress Magazines Michelle Weyenberg Elizabeth Callahan 7670 Opportunity Road, #105 Jennifer Posey San Diego, CA 92111 PROOFREADER Tel: 800-296-9656 Michael Liechty Fax: 877-300-2232

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Why the world hates Bob

It is unnerving to see a was the Bob we elected. But politician fall so hard and was that really the mayor seemingly so fast. For more we wanted? than 30 years, Bob Filner It got so bad that we represented San Diegans at decided to run a story on all the local and then nation- of his enemies, long before wide level. His ascendency the recent allegations came to the mayor’s office seemed to light. After all, here was a fitting end to such a long the first mayor in a long BY JACK CRITTENDEN political career. time who had more ene- But his fall from grace started long mies than friends. before Donna Frye scheduled a press con- And in the end, that did not help Bob’s ference. By the way some tell the story, his situation. boorish behavior started long ago. Per- When the fire gets hot, politicians fall haps it was just ignored. Perhaps it simply back on their supporters and friends. grew worse when he assumed the power of Unless they screwed up in public, issues the mayor’s office. tend to get pushed under the rug, ignored We, of course, knew Bob was a scrappy, or dealt with quietly. take-no-crap kind of guy from his cam- But Bob had already pissed off too paign. He was everywhere, and every- many people. His support was on thin ice where he went he had no problem crit- at best. icizing his opponent. He was brusk and Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not say- difficult. ing that Donna Frye had an axe to grind Some predicted he was so acerbic that with Bob; or that she would have helped he would fall from grace and be forced to him skate out of this issue if they had a leave office early. stronger friendship. And he did not disappoint those nay- But Bob did little to build goodwill sayers. As soon as he got into office, he with his own base, let alone his opponents. started pissing people off. Perhaps that And in the end, if we are not building up,

6 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 CITY VIEW photo by Sam h odg S on then we are tearing down. The fact that we exactly how many of his supporters — could create an enemies list for Bob, meant and enemies — began to treat him. that our mayor was on the wrong path. Donna Frye who once supported the Without knowing what is going on man, who recently worked for him, was inside his head, I would guess that Bob screaming into the camera, telling the was showing classic selfish behavior — in world he needed to step down. the way he treated women and in the way Now the whole world hates Bob. And he was running this city. It was all about for good reason. People simply don’t like Bob, and everyone else could be damned. people who treat other people like crap. In the end, what goes around comes And Bob has been treating people like around. If we are mean, abrupt and rude, crap for too long. then we can expect to be treated the same I, for one, am thankful that Donna had way in the future. the courage to stand up and tell him — And when Bob ran into trouble, that’s enough is enough.

7 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 CITY LIFE Get involved 5 ways to improve our community in August

Meetings Miscellaneous Volunteer Fundraising Debates Programs Opportunities Events Presentations & Events 1 Volunteer at the Helen Woodward Animal Center Love pets? Here’s a chance to help them. Become a volunteer at the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Attending an orientation is necessary. Once interviewed When: Saturday, Aug. 10, and trained, if selected, volun- 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. teers can work with animals at Where: Helen Woodward events such as pet adoptions, Animal Center, 6461 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe pet-food-on-wheels programs How much: Free and pet food drives. In order For more information: to become a volunteer, one www.animalcenter.org/volunteer must ﬁll out an application and bring it to orientation. Openings are limited, so make sure to arrive prepared with an application ready for review. Previous experience with animals is not necessary but preferred. Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age.

2 Hillcrest CityFest More than 150,000 people are When: Aug. 11, from 12 expected to attend this year’s annual p.m. to 10 p.m. CityFest street festival in Hillcrest. Where: Hillcrest, along 5th There will be more than 250 vendors and University avenues including arts and crafts booths, food, How much: Free live music and a beer garden for those For more information: 21 and over. It will surely be a hot San www.fabuloushillcrest.com/ category/events/upcoming Diego summer day, so grab some sun screen and come with an appetite to enjoy what is sure to be a great day in the neighborhood that describes itself as “fabulous.”

8 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 CITY LIFE

3 TwainFest in Old Town Write Out Loud is holding its fourth annual festival celebrating the life and work of Mark Twain, who wrote “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in 1885. This event is great for families and read- When: Aug. 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ers alike. There will Where: Old Town San Diego State be live musicians, Historic Park, at the corner of Twiggs actors, puppeteers St. and San Diego Ave. How much: and more all focused Free For more information: on presenting the www.writeoutloudsd.com/schedule/ work of Twain in an twainfest/ educational and fun or call (619) 297-8953 manner. 4 Putting for Peckham Take your Sunday afternoon golf plans and use them for a good cause. Putting for Peckham is the inaugural one-day, four-person scramble tournament open to golfers of all skill levels. Proceeds beneﬁt the Peckham Center for When: Registration deadline Cancer and Blood ends Aug. 12. The event will take Disorders at Rady place on Aug. 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Children’s Hospital Where: Riverwalk Golf Club — San Diego. There 1150 Fashion Valley Road. will be a day care How much: $125 per player or center for children $450 for a team of four and activities such For more information: www.puttingforpeckham.com/ as a rock wall and event-details/ bounce house for or call (619) 966-9899 those who don’t want to participate in the tournament. Other activities include youth golf les- sons and a blood drive.

9 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 CITY LIFE

5 Dare to Reuse student art exhibition The New Children’s Museum is hosting an eco-friendly art exhibition featuring pieces of art made with recycled materials by local students in the fourth through 12th grade. This green project is meant to help teach students about art and eco-friendly practices. The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department hosted the art contest that served as the foundation for this exhibit. Additionally, When: Exhibit is open until Aug. 26, works by 12 professional art- open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ists, including esteemed pop Where: The New Children’s Museum artist Ed Ruscha, that follow 200 W. Island Ave. the eco-friendly theme are San Diego, Calif. 92101 also on display. This art show, How much: $10 entitled “Trash,” is just one For more information: www.thinkplaycreate.org/galleries/ special exhibit among a day’s galleries-daretoreuse.html worth of fun museum activities for the family. 6 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge & 3-D Art Exposition If there is anything San Diego has enough of, it’s sand. The U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge is hosting a four-day family-friendly event that puts all that sand to good use. Profes- sional world master carvers will compete to build the most creative 3-D sand sculptures. Additionally, there will be sand sculpting classes for children and plenty of enter- When: Aug. 30-Sept. 2, tainment for the whole 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day Where: B Street Cruise Terminal/ family all Labor Day week- Broadway Pier, Downtown San Diego end. There is a small entry How much: $8 for a one-day admis- fee, but a portion of the sion for adults, $14 for four-day admis- proceeds goes toward help- sion, with discounts for children under ing three different charities 12, active military and senior citizens. For more information: focused on childhood edu- www.ussandsculpting.com cation in San Diego.

10 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 GOOD & BAD

IT WAS A GOOD STRETCH FOR … IT WAS A BAD STRETCH FOR… ERASING THE DUMB JOCK STE- THE NICE GUYS, a nonproﬁt do-gooder REOTYPE, as San Diego State Univer- organization, which named Doug Man- sity announced that all 19 of its athletic chester, big-time devel- programs went above and beyond the oper and publisher of the NCAA’s benchmarks for scholarship U-T San Diego, as Nice retention during the past four years. Guy of the Year. Wonder Touchdown! Yes, even the football team how employees of the for- made it. Indeed, along with seven other mer North County Times programs, it posted its best multiyear and The Californian feel record ever. SDSU? Party school? Since about that? He laid off a Doug Manchester when? lot of them after buying and shuttering the papers. SUPPORTERS OF THE MT. SOLEDAD CROSS, who had to be jazzed by the SAN DIEGO COUNTY’S HUNGRY, news that U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter which total 460,000 people, including Jr., R-Alpine, was adding a provision 184,000 children, according to a report in House legislation that would protect by Feeding America. And here’s a wick- religious ﬁgures on government land. ed catch-22: More than one-third of the Well, that ends that … children who are at risk don’t qualify for not! This controversy has assistance. Funny how so many politi- more lives than 172 cats. cians don’t look like they’ve missed a A federal case regarding meal. How about some help here, please? its legality is ongoing. But it’s nice to know that our NEANDERTHAL SPORTS FANS who

PHOTO BY LOWE R. LLAGUNO congressional members have been sending vile Tweets to Char- are focused on such issues instead of say gers running back Ryan ... see hunger item in the next column. Matthews. Some have written that they hope THE SAN DIEGO ZOO, which got a Matthews and his mom cool $10 million from Ernest Rady to get AIDS, according to improve its Africa exhibit. Question: the U-T San Diego. Mat-

How does one start a zoo? ‘Cause there thews has not performed WAGONER PHOTO BY CARLA VAN seems to be money in it. to expectations, but that’s Ryan Matthews despicable. It’s just a game, dudes.

11 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 CITY LIFE

PHOTO BY STUART HANDY Little Saigon is on the map

The City Heights Vietnamese community gets ofﬁcial recognition from city By Laira Martin

Although the area of El Cajon Boulevard City council member Marti Emerald, between Euclid and Highland avenues has who endorsed the designation, explained long been home to Vietnamese businesses that after the fall of Saigon in 1975, many and residents, it never had an ofﬁcial rec- Vietnamese moved to San Diego and now ognition. call City Heights their home. Now, it does. The City Council voted “This is a fun place to be and it’s only unanimously in early June to designate going to get better,” Councilmember what has been known informally as Lit- Marti Emerald said in a statement. “[The tle Saigon as an ofﬁcial Cultural and Little Saigon Foundation] got us here and Commercial District of the City Heights they will continue to move us forward to neighborhood of San Diego, a change make Little Saigon in San Diego a vibrant, supported by Mayor Bob Filner and U.S. interesting place to shop, eat, do business Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego. and celebrate.”

12 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 CITY LIFE

The change is largely symbolic, as Little The Little Saigon Foundation plans to Saigon will not receive additional funding make additional changes that should help from the city. brand the area as a unique cultural neigh- But in May, SANDAG awarded the El borhood. Plans for a large welcome sign, Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement new street light banners and freeway exit Association $200,000 toward sidewalk signs are all in the works. and street developments that, although Donna Nguyen, an employee at Nhat unrelated, will help improve the aesthetics Vy Vietnamese Pho restaurant, said she of El Cajon Boulevard and the surround- was asked to clean up the façade of the restaurant to improve the neighborhood’s image, and she was happy to do so. “The people from the organization [Lit- tle Saigon Foundation] came in and asked us to make little changes and make it look better,” she said. “We put new paint and cleaned up. I’m glad. [The changes] will make people more aware of the Asian culture. It’s deﬁnitely positive. They might attract more Asian people from other areas. It’ll bring more trafﬁc to our restaurant.” ing areas, including Little Saigon. Many of the area’s businesses, 70 per- Kim Huong Nguyen, owner of the cent of which are Vietnamese-owned, Alpha Mini-Mart, has been running her have put up recognizable stickers in their business in the area for more than 10 store windows with the motto “Little years, which she said is long enough to see Saigon: We commit to a clean, safe, and PHOTO BY STUART HANDY PHOTO BY STUART changes to Little Saigon. vibrant District.” “It’s a very good thing,” she said. “This Other large California cities, such as is good for tourism. My business has a lot Westminster, in Orange County, and of Vietnamese customers. It’s changed a San Jose already have longstanding areas lot. There are more Vietnamese customers under the same moniker. than ever before. But I have a lot of service “I would love to have [Little Saigon] from [all kinds of] people.” here be like it is in Orange County,” The six-block stretch of El Cajon Bou- Donna Nguyen said. “This is a positive levard is already lined with decorated red change. I want to have more festivals for street lights, and restaurant signs that the kids. The kids love it. I want my kids advertise traditional Vietnamese dishes to have more opportunities to learn about such as pho soup and bánh mì sandwiches. their culture.”

13 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT The mayor’s enemies list Bob’s best buddies — not San Diego Mayor Bob Filner is on the ropes and you can bet the people below aren’t about to throw him a lifeline. In his short stint as mayor — a title he might not hold much longer — he’s tussled with a lot of people. Many were itch- ing/hoping/praying for a recall. And then came Christmas in July, when Filner’s longtime allies — former council member Donna Frye and attor- neys Marco Gonzalez and Cory Briggs — called on him to resign. Seems he has a problem with women — at least that’s what Frye is claiming. Right before that bombshell, Filner’s fiancee, Bronwyn Ingram, dumped him. Filner apologized via DVD and vowed he’s going to get help. While his list of friends may be dwindling — or offering tepid support at best — there’s no shortage of folks on the other side of the ledger. We list them: #10 Lemon Grove Mayor Mary SeSSOM

PEEVED AT a report that SANDAG was pre- paring to blow through $40 million in public relations efforts, the mayor wanted some account-

14 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

ability. But at a SANDAG meeting, Sessom told Filner he was being bogged down by minutia and advised the mayor to check the organization bylaws. Wow. That’s like stepping on a rattle- snake. Filner countered, saying: “These are not minutia!!!! These are important policy issues!!!! I don’t need to be patronized by someone who’s been here since 1996!!! I can tell you I’ve been in politics since 1979!!! I won’t patronize you that way!!! So do not call my issues minutia!!! Do not patronize me that I don’t know anything that’s going on here!!!” (OK, so we added the exclama- tion points, but he’s probably still fuming.) #9 Anybody who employs a bell hop ROuND AND ROuND it went with Filner and the local hoteliers who make up the San Diego Tourism Marketing District. It was like watching Rocky, then Rocky II, then Rocky III, then… Filner was angry the hoteliers weren’t ponying up for other city interests and they weren’t paying

Photo by Andrew Z A rivny their workers enough, so he wouldn’t give them their coveted tourism promotion dollars. Thanks to a compromise, it’s over. But if Filner checks into a hotel, our guess is he will be seriously over- charged when it comes to the mini-bar. #8 to #5 All the Republican City Council members (and their spouses and their children and their pets) Kevin Falconer FIlNeR, no doubt, is not pleased with Kevin Faulconer, lorie Zapf, Scott Sherman and Mark Kersey, all of whom voted not to kill $500,000 from San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s

15 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

budget. (We’ll get to Goldsmith in a moment.) The four, joined by Council President Todd Gloria, a Democrat, (um, we’ll get to him in a moment too) mustered up the five votes needed to protect Goldsmith’s funding. Filner had no love for these council members to begin with, considering they haven’t exactly been models of bipartisanship. Naturally, most of them are call- ing for Filner to resign. #4 Executive Assistant City Attorney ANDREW JONES

WHERE DO WE START? In the latest blowup between these two, Filner had Jones removed from a meeting by a cop, saying he was leaking information. In an earlier meeting, Jones claims that Filner told him to sit in the back of the room. Jones, who is African-American, said he felt he was being told to sit in the back of the bus. Filner, a racist? He was a Freedom Rider who protested racial segregation in the 1960s. We still say that shot won’t be for- gotten, no matter how much anger management training Filner gets. #3 San Diego City Attorney JAn GolDSmith

THIS bAby is going extra innings — if Filner survives. Goldsmith, a Republican, and Filner have tangled for months now regarding anything and everything, including medical marijuana and not who gets the last toke. (Hey, they both grew up in that crazy, counter-culture era.) Early in the

photo by Sam h odg S on row, Filner took over a Goldsmith presser that he

16 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

was hosting to give his two cents regarding the tourism spat. Filner says Goldsmith is not serving his client: the city. (Or, well, him.) Goldsmith says he’s an elected official and he serves the best interest of the people. Ha! When Jerry Sanders was mayor, Goldsmith was invisible. Seriously. Find us one picture of the man from that time- frame. Can’t be done. #2 San Diego City Council President ToDD Gloria

GEEZ,TALK about a turnaround. If Filner resigns, Gloria gets to be mayor — at least for a bit. Who knows, he might even run. No doubt that would make Filner seethe, no matter what kind of breathing exercises he tries. Gloria has teamed up with the Republican council members to appoint port commissioners over Filner’s objections as well

Photo by Michael t itge M eyer as try to kill Filner’s Goldsmith cuts. #1 U.S. attorney laUra DUffy

WHy NO. 1? Because she’s not in city government. He has no leverage over her. And she has power. And it has to irk Filner. Duffy, who serves as U.S. attorney for San Diego, supported Filner’s mayoral opponent, former City Council member Carl DeMaio. And now Filner is on the ropes in more way than one. There’s that $100,000 dona- tion from Sunroad that’s also haunting him. Feds investigate those matters. So congrats to Duffy: She’s topping our list. (Then again, we could be missing a dozen more, easily.)

17 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

PHOTO BY MICHAEL TITGEMYER The Pulitzer queen

Susan White has edited 3 winning entries working from 3 different media outlets By Mike Stetz Every journalist who has had Susan White Every journalist who has worked with as an editor, myself included, would likely Susan White would also likely say: She say she has this one tiny ﬂaw: She brings out your very best. can drive you to a Maalox addic- And she’s proven it yet again. tion. White, who lives in North A perfectionist, she won’t let Park, was the editor behind a a story rest until it is, in her recent Pulitzer Prize-winning mind, as good as it possibly can package on a catastrophic oil be, from word choice to cadence spill that had gone mostly unre- to structure to emotional pull. I’m ported. This is the third time she’s even talking about a weather story. edited a Pulitzer Prize-winning package.

18 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

She’s also edited an entry that was a Pulit- zer Prize finalist. For a layperson, this accomplishment might be hard to understand. So think of Meryl Streep and Oscars. “I just find it thrilling,” she said of working on winning stories. “There’s really nothing like it, to be a part of something special. I’ve just been lucky to be a part of this several times now.” You won’t find White’s name on the winning entries because the reporters get the recognition. But make no mistake: It’s InsideClimate News website no accident stories White edits get this level of respect. She’s a force. She makes you read it aloud to her. That Take this most recent Pulitzer, which results, invariably, in more changes. And was awarded for national reporting. more Maalox. White is the executive editor of a small “I do what I would want an editor to do and relatively unknown online venture for me,” she said. “Yes, I’m obsessive, but called InsideClimate News, which boasts that’s how I am about myself.” just a handful of staffers and contributors. Pulitzer No. 1 One is 14 years old. (OK, she’s 26.) Yet InsideClimate beat out The Wash- White’s first hand in a winning Pulitzer ington Post (of Watergate fame) and entry came in the traditional fashion: while The Boston Globe (no slouch itself), working at a newspaper. She was an editor which were the other finalists for national at The San Diego Union-Tribune, which is reporting. where I had the pleasure of working with “I’m most proud of this one,” White her. She helped edit the package of inves- said of her third Pulitzer triumph. “We’re tigative stories the newspaper did on U.S. the little guys. I mean, we had nothing.” Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham. The As an editor, White is an enigma. She’s paper found that Cunningham, a former sweet. A grandmother, she makes quilts fighter pilot, had taken bribes from defense in her spare time. But she won’t stand for contractors and then awarded them fat laziness or anything less than 100 percent government contracts. commitment. Her love of craft is over- It landed him in prison. whelming. It inspires. And, it exhausts. The newspaper captured the Pulitzer When your story is done, it’s not done. in 2006 for that watchdog work, and the

19 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT champagne poured. Here’s a link to the and a medical degree from Stanford Uni- entry. But little did White know, nor did versity. most of us at the time, that the world of She was one of the writers with whom newspapering was about to blow up. White worked with. Fink was taking a The newspaper model, reliant on adver- deeper look at what occurred at Memo- tising, was beginning to crater as adver- rial Medical Center in New Orleans in the tisers migrated toward the Internet. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Doctors Union-Tribune, like many others, started and nurses, cut off from the world, scram- cutting costs. The paper’s Washington, bled to make life-and-death decisions. D.C., bureau, which broke the Cunning- White has a love of and a talent for ham story? It was soon shuttered. editing narrative-style reporting. Basi- In 2008, White took a buyout. While cally, that means the reporter writes a many ink-stained newspaper people her news story the way he or she writes a age — she was past 60 — settled for early novel — only everything is true. That’s retirement, White did something quite the approach that Fink took when writ- the opposite. She went to a new online, ing what would turn out to be the second investigative venture called ProPublica, in Pulitzer Prize-winning entry in which New York City. White took part in: “Deadly Choices at Memorial.” It was the first story orig- Pulitzer No. 2 inated by an online venture that would ProPublica’s founders felt the start-up was win the award. Here’s a link to it. needed to fill the growing void in long- White remembers having Fink lay out form and in-depth reporting caused by the outline of her story in chapter form by the staff cuts at newspapers and other using sheets of paper. The office floor was media. It quickly attracted some of the littered with them. best journalists in the nation. “We could barely walk inside,” she said. White was in heaven. Fink left ProPublica to expand the story “It was quite amazing,” she said. to book form, and the result, “Five Days “Everyone was smart and we had a mis- at Memorial,” is being published this year. sion. But there was a lot of pressure too. She credits White with “wise guidance on We felt the weight of a lot of responsibil- structure and storytelling” to help make ity. Everybody was looking at us.” it possible. That’s because ProPublica was backed “Susan White is one of the hard- by major funding and expected to pro- est-working, most dedicated editors I’ve duce results, given its stable of exceptional had the pleasure of knowing,” Fink said. journalists, such as Sheri Fink, whose “She has a brilliance for shaping complex resume includes a Ph.D. in neuroscience material into compelling stories and she

20 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT will not call off the hunt for the right Song, to talk to landowners about their word, the right phrase, the right struc- concerns. White had to make certain ture, until the work is the best that it can Song was old enough to rent a car. Luck- be.” ily, she had just turned 25. Just like I said, except for the Maalox. Song did her job and then some. She White would have remained at Pro- learned that many folks were concerned Publica — she took part in other about the proposed pipeline’s stability, award-winning projects — but after several particularly because of a spill they had years, family called her back to San Diego. heard about in southwestern Michigan. She was planning to edit books. It seemed White had not heard of the spill. She and her long career in journalism — her first her team researched it and found that lit- job was as a TV critic for the Lexington tle reporting had been done on it. Herald-Leader in Kentucky. — was com- “Part ways in, I realized we had some- ing to a close. thing here,” she said. But an intern at ProPublica told her The spill, which occurred in 2010, was about InsideClimate, which, it turned not a traditional one. The pipeline carried out, needed an editor. Canadian tar sands oil, which is thick and gooey. It has to be treated with chemicals Pulitzer No. 3 to make it able to slosh through the pipe- Unlike ProPublica, which partnered with line. That end product is called dilbit. The such heavyweights as The New York chemicals needed to create it, though, Times and 60 Minutes, InsideClimate evaporate into the air if so exposed. So was not exactly as well-heeled. It’s dedi- when the dilbit leaked out of the pipeline, cated to environmental news reporting. it soon became gloppy, gunky tar sands oil White took the job because she thought again. its mission was laudable and she could Regular oil floats on water, so there work from home. She didn’t think she’d are ways to clean it up. This stuff doesn’t steer it to a Pulitzer. float. A million gallons spilled and 38 But this is Susan White we’re talking miles of the Kalamazoo River were about. contaminated. But no national media One of the stories the website was work- came running because it happened just ing on concerned the proposed expansion months after the BP spill in the Gulf of of the Keystone Pipeline System through Mexico and that was getting worldwide Midwest states. The pipeline, if fully real- attention. ized, would stretch from Alberta, Canada, White wanted to make it news. And she to the Gulf Coast of Texas. did so by having the writers tell the story White sent one of her reporters, Lisa of the spill in a narrative form, through

21 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT the eyes of residents and public health Of.” Here’s a link to it. ofﬁcials. While White is thrilled about the Pulit- “I craft stories to get the widest possible zer, it’s not for the reasons you might audience,” White said. think. It’s certainly not for money or After that, she starts attacking the story fame. (Remember, her name is not on the in a more traditional fashion, by having award.) her staff write news stories that explore “I don’t think of the Pulitzer as some how and why such a thing could happen sort of goal,” she said. “The cool thing and what’s being done to make it right. about a Pulitzer is that it brings more eyes “If you pull people in, they’ll read those to the story. It gets policymakers involved. other stories,” she said. “They’re emotion- It brings change.” ally invested.” (And ﬁnally, a link to a Susan White/ The result: “The Dilbit Disaster: Inside Mike Stetz collaboration, which, for some the Biggest Oil Spill You’ve Never Heard odd reason, did not win a Pulitzer.

Local, kicked-to-the curb reporter on Pulitzer team By Mike Stetz

A Pulitzer Prize? David Hasemyer had pretty much given up on that dream — and for good reason. After being laid off by The San Diego Union-Tribune in 2009 after 30 years at the paper, he was more focused on other matters, such as ﬁnding a way to pay the mortgage. The longtime investigative reporter, who had broken dozens of big stories during the years, had outlived his useful- ness, apparently. Before he was laid off, he said, an editor had told him, “You know will never even sniff a Pulitzer Prize. Dave, I don’t think you’ve ever done all Hasemyer? He’s won one. that much.” He was part of the InsideClimate News Well, given that kind of journalistic team that captured the Pulitzer Prize in judgment, here’s betting that the editor May for the entry edited by Susan White.

22 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

It included reporters Lisa Song, who lives Marshall in southwestern Michigan. in Boston, and Elizabeth McGowan, of She needed Hasemyer to investigate how Washington, D.C. the company responsible was respond- “It’s pretty unbelievable,” Hasemyer ing. Hasemyer found the Canadian firm, said. “Sometimes I check the (Pulitzer) Enbridge Inc., was opposed to government website to make sure my name is actually calls for a more thorough cleanup plan and there.” was bullying residents for land needed for a Talk about karma. new pipeline at the same time. Hasemyer was 53 when he was tossed Hasemyer knew it was a hot story, but like, well, yesterday’s news. He was devas- didn’t give the Pulitzer much thought. tated. The paper was all he knew. Report- InsideClimate? He hadn’t even heard of it ing was all he knew. When he was laid off, until White took over as editor. And he the Voice of San Diego profiled his many doesn’t go into stories with the mindset accomplishments in this story. of winning awards anyway, he said. He The ensuing years were rocky, to say the just wants to find the truth and report it. least. Who wants to hire a middle-aged Pretty simple. scribe who angered just about everybody He credits White with the Pulitzer. in the establishment? Not many, it turned “Through her sheer force of will and out. personality, this happened,” he said. “It’s He got a job working with the Federal hard to describe how dynamic she is.” Emergency Management Agency, but his In the not-too-distant past, a Pulitzer services were needed only in times of cri- Prize was a ticket to the big-time. Winners sis. He applied for dozens upon dozens of polished off their resumes and sent them to other jobs, but never was hired. The New York Times and The Washington White worked with Hasemyer when Post. But even those places are downsizing. she was with the Union-Tribune. They And Hasemyer, now 57, doesn’t want to had clicked before. And they would click leave San Diego. again — all the way to Columbia Univer- “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get a sity of New York, which awards the Pulit- full-time job again,” he said. zer Prizes. But guess who sleeps well at night these White had hired Hasemyer as a free- days? lancer on some earlier stories for Inside- That would be Pulitzer Prize-winning Climate. So she knew where to turn when reporter David Hasemyer. she needed a reporter to do some heavy Editor’s note: The author worked at lifting for a major story her website had the San Diego Union-Tribune with Hase- devoted much time and effort on: an oil myer. The author was laid off from the pipeline break near the small town of newspaper in 2011.

23 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Staying afloat The economic state of nonprofits in San Diego By Laira Martin Nonprofit organizations — often called Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic the third sector of the economy — serve Research, at the University of San Diego, the San Diego population of 3 million collected data from San Diego and Cal- people on a daily basis through organi- ifornia nonprofits in hopes of answering zations such as educational and artistic that question and others, but, as the cen- institutions, as well as hospitals. But how ter explains in the report, “it may raise are they staying afloat during this time of more questions than it answers.” Here are economic hardship? The Caster Family the highlights of the report:

X 11,358 Total number of nonprofits in X48% On average, households in San San Diego as of 2012. Diego that donated money to a nonprofit. X1,864 Total number of nonprofits in San X34% On average, households that volun- Diego with paid employees. teered at a nonprofit in San Diego. X19% Percentage of 501(c)(3) organiza- X47% CEOs in San Diego surveyed that tions in San Diego with paid employees. noted financial and fundraising challenges for their nonprofit organizations. X57% Percentage of the 501(c)(3) organizations that pay employees and employ less than 10 people.

Arts-and-culture nonproﬁts in San Diego, such as The Old Globe, have two main sources of funding: 42 percent comes from program revenue and 50 percent comes from donations. PHOTO BY J. KATARZYNA WORONOWICZ. PHOTO BY J. KATARZYNA

24 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013

Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego, one of the area’s best known non- proﬁts

Quick facts X $17.7 billion account for the total assets Diego comes from programs. Many sub- for all nonprofit organizations in San sectors rely on program funding. Higher Diego. education and hospitals, for example, receive 90% and 95% of their revenues, X 36% of nonprofit assets in San Diego respectively, from programs. However, belong to hospitals; that is higher than religious and international nonprofits rely on the state percent of 27%. ($6.4B). donations for revenue. They receive 80% X 67% of all nonprofit revenue in San and 83% of their revenues, respectively, from donations. Number of 501(c)(3) Organizations by year 10,500 10,000 After reaching a peak in 2010, nonprofits 9,500 began to fall in number before rebounding 9,000 slightly in 2012. The weak economy and better IRS tracking of 8,500 defunct organizations may have been 8,000 factors. 7,500 7,000 6,500 6,000 5,500 5,000 ’95’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12

26 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

More than 74 percent of nonproﬁts in San Diego are 501(c )(3) types, which usually have religious, education and literary afﬁliations.

O 74.2%74 501(c)(3) The other various 501(c ) classifications, O4.4.3% 501(c)(4) which are used to differentiate the type of nonprofit, refer to smaller nonprofits, such O11.5%. 501(c)(5) as those affiliated with agriculture, real O3.3.8% 501(c)(6) estate and other businesses. O3.3.2% 501(c)(7) O1313.0% All Other

Three of the eight subsectors of the 501(c ) nonprofit organizations, environment and animal and international and religion, grew the most since 2008. KEY # of nonprofits in 2008 926 Arts and Culture # of nonprofits in 2012 930 0% % change 1,445 Education 1,532 +6% 721 Health 661 –8%

Environment and 340 Animals 432 +27% 2,037 Human Services 2,090 +3% 173 International 247 +43%

Mutual, Public, and 1,737 Societal Beneﬁt 1,639 –6% 1,716 Religion 2,157 +26%

“Flux, uncertainty, and adaptation are ing from the economic recession. And it’s the new norm,” the report reads. “The the nonprofit organizations that often get long term sustainability of the sector … the short end of the financial stick. So what will require new thinking and new part- can one person among the 3 million in San nerships. Therefore this study is a call to Diego do? The first steps are the easiest. action for all of us who care deeply about Donate your time and money to one of the quality of life in San Diego.” 11,358 nonprofits in San Diego. Businesses in San Diego are still recover-

27 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Booked full: This ofﬁce tower under construction in University Towne Center won’t be in need of tenants when completed. An occupant, LPL Financial, is standing by.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Waking up Medical and multi-family housing are helping commercial real estate to awake from a long slumber By David Ogul There has been little new development in net-zero energy structure (it will produce San Diego since the Great Recession. So, as much power as it uses), it already has a it was big news when Hines, an interna- tenant, LPL Financial, ready to move in tional development company, announced when the project is completed in 2014. the construction of a 13-story office tower “We are seeing for the first time in a in University Towne Center last year. The long time buildings that are pre-leased reasons? Not only will the building be a before they are even finished,” said Roger

28 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Simsiman, consulting chief operating offi- between $150 million and $200 million. cer at Global Building LLC, a commercial “Everybody is looking to see what those real estate investing firm. “In general, the will sell for,” said Darcy Miramontes, commercial real estate market is improv- executive vice president of Jones Lang ing in the San Diego region at a rate that LaSalle, a commercial real estate services is perhaps even better than what is hap- firm. pening nationally.” The industrial market has been improv- Two areas are driving most of the ing as well, with the vacancy rate projected growth: medical space and multifamily by many to drop to 7.5 percent, accord- housing. The market for medical space ing to an analysis by Daniel T. Broderick, picked up steam, thanks in large part to president and chief executive officer at the opening of the $956 million Palomar Cassidy Turley in San Diego. The turnaround is the result of myr- The turnaround is the result iad factors, including pent-up demand of myriad factors, including coupled with constraints on supply. And, unlike before, when banks were in crisis, pent-up demand coupled with there is money for investors. constraints on supply. And, “It’s rare that I’ll see a deal that can’t get unlike before, when banks financing anywhere,” said Xavier Sheid, executive director of real estate finance at were in crisis, there is now CIBC World Markets, during a panel dis- money for investors. cussion at the Crittenden National Real Estate Conference held recently at the Medical Center, in Escondido, last August Omni San Diego Hotel. “This is a great and the impacts of ObamaCare, which is time for borrowers to be in the market.” expected to increase health care demand. Gary Bechtel, chief lending officer at The result: Some 238,840 square feet of Business Partners LLC, agreed. additional medical office space is under “Banks are getting back in the business construction countywide. because their balance sheets are much bet- In the multifamily housing sector, ter than they were a couple years ago,” he industry insiders are keeping an eye on said. how much the 1,410-unit La Mirage com- That’s not to say that every project will munity, overlooking Mission Valley, will get funded. fetch. Market sources say an even bigger “A poor property or an underperform- prize, the prime 549-unit Coronado Bay ing property is not going to get financed,” Club, with stunning views of downtown noted Simsiman. San Diego, could command a price tag Despite growing optimism, challenges

29 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 POLITICS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

The new Palomar Medical Center, in Escondido, has helped spur nearby construction of commercial real estate needed by medical ﬁrms.

remain. Office vacancy rates in downtown location north of the notorious merge of San Diego, for example, still hover near Interstates 5 and 805, Simsiman said. 20 percent at some buildings. And the “It’s a good place for investors to buy,” Columbia Center building, which sold Simsiman said. for $135 million in December, brought In fact, an investor recently purchased about 25 percent less than what it sold for Foley Corporate Center at 11943 El in 2007. Camino Real from Foley Development And new office construction in desir- for an estimated $18 million, or $520 per able areas such as UTC can be a dou- square foot. The building was fully occu- ble-edged sword, experts say. It’s attracting pied at the time. tenants, yes. But sometimes those tenants The select top office lease signed during are leaving their current digs to move into the first quarter of 2013 in the San Diego the newly available properties, creating market was at 12225 El Camino Real, vacancies that in turn need to be filled. not far from the Foley Corporate Center. As with most other properties, when Xifin Inc. is leasing 44,121 square feet at it comes to office real estate, it’s all about the site. location. UTC has long been a favorite because of its central location near major Multifamily housing up freeways and an upgraded shopping 56 percent mall. And the Del Mar Heights area has San Diego County ranks 21st in the become increasingly attractive because of nation for investor demand for multifam- its proximity to executive housing and its ily housing, according to a report by Jones

30 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 While they may debate a lot of things, they agree on at least one: TORREY PINES BANK MEETS THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS.

NEED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS? TALK WITH US. | 858.523.4600

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Lang LaSalle that covers the year through rate, which analysts attribute to recently May. There were 19 transactions through completed units and numerous new sin- May 31 with a total sales volume just shy gle-family homes entering the market as of $457 million, which is up almost 56 rentals. percent from the same period in 2012. “There is no question these are good For the 12-month period ending May numbers,” said Alan Pentico, the apart- 31, demand for properties in the region ment association’s executive director. was up 34 percent from the previous 12 “The housing market is growing rapidly, months, with 65 transactions valued at with low interest rates creating a flood of $1.65 billion. The average Class A capital- cash investors and first-time homebuyers. ization rate of 4.13 percent, meanwhile, But in spite of that, rental vacancies have remains among the lowest in the country. held steady. That is impressive.” (The cap rate refers to annual net operating income divided by cost or value.) Medical space “Multifamily has been the darling of Finally, while folks in Washington con- the commercial real estate industry for tinue debating the merits of ObamaCare, several years,” said Miramontes, of Jones the Affordable Care Act, as it is more Lang LaSalle. She added that it is not formally known, should yield increased unusual to find cap rates – which tend to demand for medical offices. North mirror interest rates – of under 4 percent. County should be among the areas that Miramontes said supply will pick up see the most activity due to affluent with new construction during the next demographics, states Cushman & Wake- several years, but the new apartments field’s San Diego Medical Office Report “will be such a small fraction of the over- covering the first quarter of 2013. all inventory that the risk of oversupply in “The areas surrounding Sharp/Rady San Diego is nonexistent.” Children’s campuses in Kearny Mesa and “It’s a tight market,” she added. Scripps/UCSD campuses in UTC are And that is pushing up rents. A recent showing strong demand and dwindling report from the San Diego County Apart- supply,” states the report. “More mature ment Association showed a 4.5 vacancy submarkets with limited land, such as rate in the region in the spring and fall central San Diego, may see some exist- of 2012, and average rents rising this past ing office buildings converted to medical spring to $1,330 from $1,232 a year ago. use since new construction is still more North County has the tightest rental mar- expensive.” ket, with a 3.8 percent vacancy rate. On David Ogul is a freelance writer. Follow the other end of the spectrum is the city him on Twitter @ogul or contact him via of San Diego, with a 4.8 percent vacancy davidogul.com.

32 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 VITAL SIGNS

How our local economy fared this past spring By Jack Crittenden

San Diego’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent in May, the lowest point since November 2008. That certainly seems like good news. But economists have been worried about the high number of people who left the work force — 3,300. And payroll job growth has slowed since the start of the year.

Retail sales have also slowed. Sales had been improving until the last quarter of 2012. In the ﬁrst quarter of 2013, San Diego barely showed a positive gain. Economists blame the slowdown on new state and federal taxes that kicked in at the start of the year.

While many heralded the recent closure of San Onofre nuclear power plant, its departure from the energy scene poses challenges for the future. The plant provided 2,250 megawatts, and many now expect energy costs to rise as a result. “There is no immediate impact, but longer term there may be,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist at National University. “The cost of energy is an issue as is the security of a reliable supply of energy.” To make matters more worrisome, San Diego Gas & Electric said the closure could lead to an after-tax charge of between $30 million and $110 million. San Onofre nuclear Those costs could be passed along to consumers, if power plant

the utility gets its way. PHOTO BY JULIUS FEKETE/SHUTTERSTOCK But SDG&E said its Sunrise Powerlink energy transmission line is helping to ﬁll that gap. It has been online for one year and produces

33 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 VITAL SIGNS

1,750 megawatts. It moves energy from wind and solar sources in Imperial County.

San Diego has one of the ﬁve most overvalued housing markets in the U.S., according to a recent story by Forbes.com. “Home prices have risen by double-digit percentages in each of the past four quarters in [San Diego]. If nascent bubble fears warrant a dis- cussion anywhere, it’s in these markets.” Prices rose again in May by 22 percent compared to the prior May. A representative from Fitch Ratings, a global ratings agency, said the run-up in values rivals the 2000s and is not supported by a comparable increase in income. The rise in values is due to the dearth of supply and shadow inventory — distressed homes not listed for sale. But Trulia, a real estate website, reported that the housing surge is a rebound and not a bubble in most U.S. metros, including San Diego. Jed Kolko, chief economist and vice president of analytics at Trulia, argues that inventory will expand and mortgage rates will rise soon.

Condos are back. According to the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS, condos and townhomes in May surpassed the $300,000 median price for the ﬁrst time since March 2008. That is up from $230,000 in 2012 and $288,500 in April. The volume of sales is also up — 10 percent from the prior year and

14 percent from April. PHOTO BY TREKANDSHOOT/SHUTTERSTOCK

The housing shortage has also led to low vacancy for rentals and strong rental rates. The San Diego County Apartment Association recently reported a 4.5 percent vacancy rate. “There is no question these are good numbers,” said Alan Pen- tico, SDCAA’s Executive Director. “The housing market is growing rapidly, with low interest rates creating a flood of cash investors and first-time homebuyers. But in spite of that, rental vacancies have held steady. That is impressive.” Rents this year increased for the first time since 2007. The average rent was $1,330, up from $1,232 a year ago.

34 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Tijuana has more than 500 “maquiladoras,” the term used for Mexican manufacturing plants.

How Tijuana can help the San Diego economy

Its bustling manufacturing base has San Diego businesses and Mayor Bob Filner looking south

By Mike Stetz For years, there have been efforts to unlawful, poverty-stricken city, chocked strengthen the relationship between San with cheap, noisy bars and brothels. And Diego and Tijuana, but a string of har- children in rags begging for small change. rowing trends got in the way, such as But Tijuana today? Why, it’s hot. police corruption, drug violence, kidnap- Thanks to an exploding manufacturing pings, beheadings, tourist shakedowns. base and growing economic potential, it’s All of that only worsened Tijuana’s becoming a much sought-after partner

long-running reputation as a rowdy, by a growing number of businesses and PHOTO BY SEVENKE/SHUTTERSTOCK

35 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 Tijuana’s factories BUSINESS & ECONOMICS employ more than 150,000 workers, creating a Tijuana’s city councils held a first-of-its- stronger kind joint session. Attending was then middle class. San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Conner, who called it “a historic moment.” One of the major issues at the time? Improving the border wait. However, the effort to make progress this time seems less ceremonial and much more muscular. And it’s likely because of Tijuana’s growing economic clout. Forget donkeys painted with zebra stripes and hangover-guaranteed tequila. Think high- being cheer-leaded by U.S. political lead- tech manufacturing and a growing middle ers, most importantly San Diego Mayor class. Bob Filner. Most of the flat-screen TVs sold in the He opened a satellite office in the city U.S. are built in Tijuana. Plants also man- and wants it to join San Diego in a bid to ufacture aerospace and automotive parts, host the 2024 Summer Olympics. One of textiles and steel, to name but a few of the his biggest goals, though, is much more industries that have set up shop in and practical and that is to quicken the bor- around Tijuana. der wait — it can be hours — to foster Today, the city has more than 500 economic growth between the two cities. “maquiladoras,” the term used for Mex- Billions is said to be lost because of the ican manufacturing plants. Many are border jams. expanding because of the success they When opening the Tijuana office in have seen, according to the Tijuana Eco- February, Filner noted how the relation- nomic Development Corporation. These ship between the two cities is evolving and factories employ more than 150,000 how he wants to grow that momentum. workers. “Dos ciudades pero una region — we Tijuana has a greater number of medi- are two cities but one region,” he said. cal device manufacturer workers — more “This office opening is not just a sym- than 30,000 — than any other city in bolic gesture, we are going to solidify our North America, the Tijuana EDC asserts. relationship and work together to build a The work being done in Tijuana has, great border community.” until just a few years ago, gone little Filner is hardly the first San Diego leader noticed, even by experts in San Diego. to push for more collaboration between Joe Panetta, the CEO and president of the two cities. In 1988, San Diego’s and BIOCOM, which represents the region’s

36 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

San Diego businesses are increasingly looking to Tijuana as a manufacturing partner, given how close the two cities are. biotech industry, toured Tijuana medical markets. Shipping costs aren’t nearly as manufacturing facilities in 2009. After- expensive. And as fuel costs go up, so does ward, according to a BIOCOM newslet- the appeal of Mexico-based factories. ter, he said: Tijuana labor isn’t just cheaper; it’s “I don’t think that many of us in San growing more sophisticated. Mexico is Diego were fully aware of the quality of graduating more engineers than the U.S. medical device manufacturing in Tijuana. on a per capita basis. Because of that, I can certainly confirm they are compara- Mexico is becoming home to more than ble to facilities found in the United States. simply assembly factories. It’s attracting I have no doubt device companies will be industries that require highly skilled and looking at the opportunities there first- innovative workers. hand, just as I did.” Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics, BIOCOM board member Guy Ian- decided to build a factory in Tijuana to nuzzi, founder and president of Mentus, produce the drones his company designs a San Diego marketing firm for scientific in San Diego. In a The New York Times ventures, said: “I am amazed how we all opinion piece published in January, he look across the globe for resources – Sin- wrote that it made perfect sense, given gapore, Belgium and China – and ignore how close the two cities are. better resources only 20 minutes away.” “It’s not so much outsourcing, but Tijuana has found it can be extremely ‘quicksourcing,’” he wrote. competitive against other nations, such Filner wants it to be even quicker. That’s as China and India, that also offer cheap why he’s putting an emphasis on improv- labor, because of its proximity to U.S. ing border times. He is lobbying for an

37 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

New trucks roll off an assembly line in Tijuana. They can be in U.S. markets in days. increase in the number of lanes and using date back 40 years. better technology to quicken inspections. “It’s been building up,” he said. “It’s not Flavio Olivieri, executive director of the all of a sudden.” Tijuana EDC, calls the situation now, “a The North American Free Trade Agree- nightmare.” There’s no easy fix, he noted, ment, between the U.S., Mexico and because if border times do improve, the Canada, helped spur manufacturing 20 demand for crossings will only grow. years ago, he said. The influx of Asian “We need a smart border,” he said, one companies seeking to locate plants close that will utilize the latest technology to to the U.S. is hardly a new trend. And col- make it more efficient. laboration between the Tijuana EDC and Improvements to the San Ysidro port of San Diego counterparts also dates back entry — the busiest land crossing in the two decades, Olivieri said. world — have started, but need additional But, throughout the years, a number funding. In President Obama’s proposed of problems arose that stifled momen- budget, $226 million has been allocated tum. First, the Sept. 11 terrorist acts to continue the work, which includes almost slammed the border shut, as the adding lanes and inspection booths. Con- U.S. tightened security immensely. Then gress, though, has yet to approve it. Tijuana turned into a war zone, as cartels While Tijuana’s growing economic suc- fought for control of the lucrative drug cess is just starting to be recognized, it trade. Then came the Great Recession. hardly happened overnight, Olivieri said. “For a long time, the only talk was neg- Some of the factories producing goods ativity,” Olivieri said. “Now things are

38 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS starting to improve. Things are starting to utes away. You can have your goods in the flourish.” market within days. That, Sparrow said, Of late, Tijuana has even become safer, sells. And it’s becoming more common which is, sadly, still relative. Last year, there knowledge. were 364 homicides. But in 2008, the “Previously, I don’t think that San Diego number was a record 844. Just three years understood the value,” he said. “I think ago, it was still a mind-numbing 820. Most Mexico has historically understood the of the killings involve those in the drug relationship between the two cities better. trade. This year, the numbers are spiking Mexico has always looked north. Before, again. Through April, more than 190 mur- people in San Diego looked north too.” ders took place, a increase of nearly 50 per- A number of changes that are putting cent from the same four-month time frame Tijuana and northern Baja on better in 2012. Tijuana officials again lay the footing are happening, he said. Illegal blame on the drug trade and are hopeful immigration is down because economic the numbers won’t reach previous highs. opportunity in Mexico is improving. Tijuana’s resurgence is not necessarily Before, Tijuana was a magnet for people news to those with economic interests in from other parts of Mexico and neighbor- the region, but it’s likely so to ordinary San ing Central American nations who hoped Diegans, who, for years, were bombarded to cross the border. That transient and with reports of that wicked, horrible vio- mostly poor population drained services lence, said Glen Sparrow, professor emeri- and increased crime. tus of San Diego State University’s School Additionally, Mexican education has of Public Affairs. vastly improved, helping to create a grow- That seems to be changing, he said. ing pool of skilled workers, Sparrow said. Filner and his predecessor, Mayor Jerry The resurgence is not limited to the econ- Sanders (profiled in this issue), who omy, Sparrow added. The region is seeing heads the San Diego Regional Chamber a growth in new high-end restaurants, of Commerce, believe that it’s in the two wineries and hotels. A growing arts and cities’ best interests to bolster ties. Job cre- music culture is emerging. ation happens on both sides of the border As Tijuana’s middle class grows, so will through this collaboration, Sparrow said. the trappings and appeal of the city, he And that’s something that resonates with said. The cultural differences between San everyone. Diego and Tijuana are slowly evaporat- Arguably, no other location in the ing as well. San Diego is becoming more nation has such potential, he said. Base Latin, he noted, with the Hispanic popu- your firm in San Diego and you can have lation nearing 30 percent. access to skilled, affordable labor just min- “We’re truly becoming binational.”

39 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

The County Administration Center Waterfront Park, rendering by Hargreaves Associates

UNDER CONSTRUCTION San Diego’s front porch A new park at the County Administration Center will bring even more luster to the waterfront By Mike Stetz

For years, it seemed like nothing could Suddenly, though, there’s a flurry of get done when it came to improving San activity. The Unified Port of San Diego Diego’s waterfront. Our city’s so-called and the city of San Diego have begun “front porch?” It seemed perfectly suitable the first phase of the North Embarcadero for a dingy couch. One port board chair- Visionary Plan, a $29.6 million project, man even called it a “dump.” which we wrote about in a recent issue, While a number of improvements were http://bit.ly/11dghSD. floated during the years, roadblocks always And San Diego County is busy build- got in the way, including funding short- ing a 12-acre waterfront park at the iconic ages, lawsuits and the lack of approval County Administration Center. That $40 from the California Coastal Commission. million project will include a 830-foot

40 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS fountain as well as gardens, picnic spots and a children’s play area. An under- W Grape St ground parking garage is under construction. “When you dream about something for a long time and it happens, it’s very satis- County Administration fying to finally see the progress,” said San Center Waterfront Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, Park the major force behind the park. One of the ironies concerning this spurt W Ash St of construction is that it is happening sep- N Harbor Dr arately by agencies that had once teamed Pacific Hwy up to improve the waterfront. In 1997, the county, the city of San Diego, the port, the Centre City Development Corp. Lane and the U.S. Navy had joined forces to North Embarcadero Field create the North Embarcadero Alliance. Visionary Plan Broadway Pier W Broadway But in 2003, four years after it adopted the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, the coalition splintered. Both the Navy and the county opted not to join a USS Midway Museum N Harbor Dr joint-powers agreement to implement the plan, which included the county park. Roberts said the county wanted to move forward on its own because the coalition W Harbor Dr wasn’t running as smoothly as hoped. Ruocco Park Old Police It took time, but in January 2011, the HQ county took the first step toward building the park when it tore down a County Administration Center annex structure, effort soon after reaching compromises the J. W. Askew Building, to make way for with waterfront activists and receiving part of it. It also moved forward to com- approval from the Coastal Commission. plete architectural plans for the new park. Groundbreaking for that took place in “We may have stimulated things a little January 2012. bit,” Roberts said, noting that the city and “Sometimes, when one project gets the port — the remaining partners from going, it becomes a competition,” Rob- the original alliance — launched their erts said.

41 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Indeed, when the county moved for- was never built. ward with the Askew demolition, Roberts Instead, parking lots sprouted. was quoted as saying, “I hope that the “An architectural nightmare,” Roberts completion of this really inﬂuences — said. “There was not a stitch of landscape, beyond our boundaries — the things that not a blade of grass. People stopped seeing happen to the north and south of us.” any possibilities. They got desensitized.” But Tanya Castaneda, a port spokes- At one time, plans called to build pri- woman, said the county project did not vate commercial buildings and hotels on impact the port’s timeline. The two proj- the parking lots, with the revenue going ects are simply moving along parallel to the county. Roberts was no fan of the tracks. She also stressed that both projects idea. are consistent with the original North “It ran counter to what I wanted,” he Embarcadero Visionary Plan. In fact, the said. port likes the park, she said. And the port He wanted a park. That’s because the meets with the county regularly to keep waterfront land is publicly owned and the it abreast of the port’s progress and should be developed for public use, he work plans. said. The funding sources are separate. On Roberts’ website, he quotes Pres- The cost for the ﬁrst phase of the North ident Theodore Roosevelt: “I hope that Embarcadero Visionary Plan is being you of San Diego keep your waterfront shared by the port and CCDC, San and develop it so it may add beauty to Diego’s former downtown redevelopment your city. Do not let a number of private agency, which was disbanded in 2012 individuals make it hideous with build- along with all other state redevelopment ings, and then force your children to play agencies. (The funding for this project an exorbitant sum to get rid of the ugli- was allowed to remain, however.) ness they have created.” The money for the county park is com- The public seems happy with the direc- ing from the county’s general fund and tion the county is going. low-interest bonds. “It’s the kind of thing we need to see One can understand how frustrating it more of along the waterfront,” said Diane was to get things going. Take the park, for Coombs, co-chair of the Navy Broadway example. The county headquarters facility Complex Coalition, a waterfront activist was built as part of the Depression-era group. “I think the fountain is incredible. Works Progress Administration program, It’s a stunning, stunning feature.” which bolstered employment by building And — amazingly — it’s actually going public works projects. A waterfront park to be built. The county expects to com- was part of the original 1930s plan. But it plete the park in spring 2014.

42 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS Jerry Sanders’ new beat He’s now in charge of the San Diego’s business community

By Mike Stetz

Former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders still kind of sounds like San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. He says mayoral-like things, such as he wants to help create good-paying jobs in San Diego. He wants to attract innovative new businesses. He wants to expand the San Diego Convention Center. But wait! Hold on for one sec. … (Let me check my notes.) No, he did not once mention anything about ﬁxing potholes, so maybe that’s a sign that he has moved on. Well, he has and he hasn’t. Sanders did not ride off into the sunset after completing his second term of ofﬁce. He’s running the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and promoting many of the same things he did as mayor. The difference? “Now I’m an advocate,” the former mayor said. “I’m an educator. I’m in a different role and I love it.”

43 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

of fixing a crippled city. On the stump, running for Now Sanders looks re- mayor laxed and calm. He sits in his 10th-floor office of the Westin San Diego building downtown. Ironically, the digs are much sweeter than the ones he had at City Hall, which is so dilapidated that Sanders tried to get a new complex built. Bringing that up in the interview almost made him wince. He has called the fail- ure of that project the most Here’s no big secret: Sanders didn’t re- regrettable part of his tenure. He envi- ally enjoy being mayor. He didn’t like all sioned the complex — which he main- the slogging it took to get things done. He tains made financial sense because the didn’t enjoy the petty battling. city leases so much office space — to spur “It wasn’t a fun job,” he said. “But I more development in that part of down- didn’t get into it thinking it was going to town. be fun. I wanted to fix the city’s financial The project was going to be on the mess. And we had to make a lot of tough 2010 ballot, but Sanders helped replace decisions.” it with a proposed one-half cent sales tax Sanders is credited with bringing San that Sanders and then City Council mem- Diego back from the brink of fiscal ruin by instituting pension reform, cutting the city’s work force and implementing other fis- cally minded changes that took much political will. It was a long two terms — particularly when you Doing the throw in one of the worst parade thing recessions in the nation’s history to add to the fun

44 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

A high-level meeting, to say the least ber Donna Frye supported. They felt it In his new role, he sees himself as be- was more pressing and was needed to help ing more than just a cheerleader for San ease the city’s ﬁnancial crisis. Diego’s business community. He wants It got smoked. to protect business owners, particularly But Sanders doubts the new City Hall small-business owners, from onerous reg- would have been approved by an elector- ulation and high taxes. ate, stung by the recession, either. And that starts with educating state and “Nobody had an appetite for it,” he federal legislators on understanding the said. impacts that certain laws and taxes can Yeah, good times. You can see he really have. misses his old job. “We keep piling things on,” he said. The new one? Thanks to University of California San That actually perks him up. When Diego, San Diego State and other univer- mayor, he did enjoy visiting different sities, San Diego has brainpower and an businesses to see how they operated, see- entrepreneurial spirit. And thanks to having how different products were manufac- ing great weather and attractions, San Di- tured. ego is a thriving tourist destination. But “I just found all of that fascinating.” that’s creating an economy that is close to

45 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

having only two tiers. The people with the products much quicker. brains make a lot of money. The people in So Sanders feels as if he’s in a good spot the service economy do not. even if critics say he’s not really in a much He wants to enhance and protect the different spot, at least philosophically. manufacturing base because it provides They have said he used much of his power the “middle layer.” as mayor to help downtown and business “We don’t want to lose that,” he said. interests while seeking cuts in neighbor- So Sanders, a former San Diego street hood services, such as library and recre- cop who rose through the ranks to be ation center hours. police chief, wants to walk the beat and Sanders argues that developing down- protect jobs. But he also wants to take his town has helped the city’s bottom line tre- experience and clout as former mayor and mendously. Before gentriﬁcation, down- promote San Diego to a larger audience. town was an economic drain, costing the city millions in services. Now, downtown So Sanders feels as if he’s generates $45 million in tax revenue, which is used to help other neighbor- in a good spot even if critics hoods, he said. say he’s not really in a But he doesn’t care about shaping or forming his legacy, he said. While being much different spot, at least mayor had enormous challenges, even in philosophically. the worst days of his administration, he knew one thing: He recently returned from a trip to No day could compare to July 18, Mexico City, along with other dignitar- 1984. That’s when a gunman opened ies, such as current San Diego Mayor Bob ﬁre and killed 21 people at a San Ysidro Filner, to promote the San Diego-Tijuana McDonald’s. Sanders was in charge of the region as being a model of collaboration city police SWAT team at the time. for U.S. and Mexican business success. It saddens and shocks him that such Flat-screen TVs, medical devices and shootings, such as the one at Sandy Hook aerospace parts are just some of the prod- Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., ucts being manufactured in Tijuana. It that saw 20 children and six teachers shot only makes sense for American businesses to death, continue. He supports “reason- to look to Mexico for labor, Sanders and able gun control,” such as background other local leaders say. Its workforce is checks. growing more sophisticated and it is a lot “As mayor, I had perspective,” he said, of closer than China. Manufacturers save on the San Ysidro shooting. “It was the worst shipping expenses and can turn around day that ever was. Every day is better.”

46 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 COVER STORY

The worst of San Diego’s best attractions

47 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013

PHOTO BY KEN BOHN/SAN DIEGO ZOO COVER STORY

We may love the zoo, SeaWorld and our other star attractions, but some visitors, via Yelp and TripAdvisor, are dissing our jewels By Mike Stetz

WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE! We looked at the reviews of a number Now that San Diego Mayor Bob Fil- of San Diego attractions on TripAdvisor ner and the San Diego Tourism Market- and Yelp to see how San Diego is faring ing District have reached a compromise with the most important component of regarding TMD’s operating role, more our city’s tourism industry: our visitors. money can be devoted to boost tourism. The stakes, of course, are high. Even A third of the promotion dollars was lost Shamu probably knows how important because of the spat. tourism is to San Diego. (No big surprise, The extra money means the tourism actually. Killer whales are very bright ani- industry won’t have to rely on old-fash- mals.) ioned word-of-mouth to spread the mes- The facts speak for themselves: Tourism sage about how great San Diego is — is the third leading industry in San Diego. because there’s one big problem with that: It employs 160,000 people directly or Social media is a popular way of spreading indirectly. Visitors spend nearly $8 billion the word these days. And, man, some of annually. So if there is any way to help San the people going that route are harsh. Diego improve upon this vitally import- Take this review on TripAdvisor about ant part of the local economy, it should Pacific Beach: be explored. “It is sad to see such a potentially lovely In all fairness, all of the venues we sur- Calif. town destroyed by alcohol-fueled veyed received very high marks and praise imbeciles, who litter the streets with from the social media sites, but there were anything and everything you can imag- some criticisms — some quite strong — ine, including body fluids, and who have we thought should be shared. (Please note: no regard for others, happy to wake up The responses are unedited and appear as everyone in the after hours or wee hours, written.) And we then brought them to the whoo-hooing, honking horns, yelling, attention of the officials involved with the screaming.” attractions for explanations as to the poor Ouch. And, well, a little bit accurate. marks, as well as for ways to do better.

48 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 If you want to see COVER STORY Monroe, a western lowland gorilla at the San Diego Zoo, prepare to pony up. PHOTO BY KEN BOHN/SAN DIEGO ZOO

Because even though splashy commer- the SD Zoo is that it is WAY overpriced!!!! cials help lure visitors here, it’s important $44 adult $34 child.” to make them want to come back. Those are accurate prices. By compar- Or at least say nice things about us. ison, the Toledo Zoo charges adults $14 and children $11. The Denver Zoo char- The San Diego Zoo gers adults $15; children $10. At the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, you TripAdvisor: 4.5 (Out of 5) have to fork over $17 if you’re an adult (ranked 6th of SD attractions) and $12 if you’re a kid. Yelp: 4.5 (Out of 5) And it’s not just the price of getting into Since no other local attraction is likely the joint that people complained about. more widely known — it’s world famous, Concession prices are high too. According after all — we figured we’d start here. And to a TripAdvisor reviewer, “My only gripe if there were one common complaint is the cost of dining. We grown-ups lost about the zoo, it was cost. It costs too some weight that day. We were obliged to much. It costs way too much. pay the inflated prices to feed the kids, but As one Yelp reviewer noted: “Beyond we went without as the prices were unjus- overpriced! I come from the Toledo area tifiably high.” and the zoo there is just a good for a more So what is up with the zoo? Does it reasonable price.” charge so much because it’s feeding the And another: “My biggest gripe about pandas caviar? (They are the stars!)

49 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 COVER STORY

Well, maybe they aren’t feeding them caviar, but the zoo’s effort to save such animals is the reason for the admission prices, says a zoo ofﬁcial. “San Diego Zoo Global is a nonproﬁt organization that raises funds for its conservation efforts through admissions and on-grounds sales,” said Christina Sim- mons, a spokesperson. “When people spend money at the zoo or the Safari Park, The Gaslamp reeks this helps to support our efforts to save of perfume. species like the California condor, giant panda and Caribbean iguana.” playground of hip, eclectic San Diegans But other zoos do similar work. For and as an elite urban destination.” instance, the Association of Zoos and And this is how a Yelp reviewer does so: Aquariums recently honored the St. Louis “Bums and the stench of urine and feces. Zoo with two top awards for its conser- Welcome to Gaslamp.” vation initiatives. The honors were for Yes, the Gaslamp is San Diego’s pre- the zoo’s efforts in protecting the Ozark miere downtown spot. But such urban hellbender (a salamander) and the Grevy’s magnets attract not just San Diego’s pret- zebra. tiest and hippest, but also its most down- And the admission to the St. Louis Zoo? and-out. The number of homeless was It’s free. (Though there are charges to one of the biggest complaints by visitors. access certain parts of it, such as the chil- One TripAdvisor reviewer wrote: “Our dren’s zoo.) hotel was in the Gaslamp Quarter so we ASSOCIATION OF THE GASLAMP QUARTER PHOTO COURTESY were here every day and wow, what a dis- The Gaslamp Quarter appointment. Lots of good food and bars, but by day or night there are so many TripAdvisor: 4 homeless people, everywhere, some beg- (ranked 36th of SD attractions) ging, some not, some friendly, some not.” Yelp: 4 Others were turned off by what they This is how the Gaslamp Quarter Asso- perceived as a shallowness of the scene. ciation describes San Diego’s downtown “Every 4th girl that walked by stank of hot spot: “With over 200 restaurants, bars, gallons of perfume and desperation for nightclubs and lounges, and countless bou- attention. It was either big hair, too much tiques, art galleries and shops to peruse, the make up, or something was falling out Gaslamp has established itself both as the of their a-size-too-small dress,” one Yelp

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Old Town: home of tacky tourism trinkets. PHOTO BY HANK SHIFFMAN reviewer said. But what about the perfume levels that It might be hard to make the Gas- also received a complaint? Parker said his lamp a beacon of high culture — Dick’s hands are tied on that one. He doesn’t Last Resort, anyone? — but what about have the power to make the Gaslamp improving the homeless situation? a no-perfume zone. “And I’m a no-fra- The homeless problem is hardly being grance guy,” he said. ignored, said Jimmy Parker, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Asso- Old Town State Park ciation. His organization is consistently partnering with other government and TripAdvisor: 4 nonproﬁt entities to help those in need, (ranked 32nd of SD attractions) he said. Yelp: 4 The Gaslamp is not Disneyland or the The California State Parks system runs zoo, he noted. It’s a genuine urban neigh- the Old Town San Diego State Historic borhood, and with that comes challenges, Park, the birthplace of San Diego. Here, such as the homeless, runaways and those according to the state, you can see how life with drug and alcohol problems. was lived in the early days of San Diego, His organization tries to be proactive. from 1821 to 1872. There are restaurants, It works with veterans’ groups to help shops, museums and the restored Cosmo- homeless veterans get housing, he said. It politan Hotel and Restaurant. Ideally, it’s also supports the San Diego Downtown like going back in time. Partnership’s Work Your Way Home pro- But some people didn’t feel transported gram. With that, people do menial labor at all. They felt very much in modern-day to earn money for a bus ticket to where San Diego and bummed by how touristy they have family support. the place was. “We are serious about the homeless,” “I apparently missed all the ‘old town’ he said. aspects of this place and instead saw only

52 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 COVER STORY Forget Shamu, ride the roller coasters!

the “hey tourist, come eat this Mexican Historic Park, but we have no control over food and buy this ugly t-shirt” aspect the commercial areas around us. I believe instead,” a Yelp reviewer wrote. the comments regarding “cheap mall” A TripAdvisor reviewer had a simi- and “ugly t-shirt” are focused on areas lar complaint: “This historical site has outside the State Historic Park … at least become a cheap mall.” I hope so. With our concessionaires, we Ironically, the state once tried to make work very hard to provide shopping, din- Old Town more historically accurate. ing and educational experiences that are A new vendor was brought in with the consistent with the theme of the Historic task of recreating the look and feel of Park; You won’t find wrestling masks or Old Town to better match the feel of the ugly T-shirts for sale within the boundar- 1800s. It replaced the popular Bazaar del ies of the park.” Mundo, which was filled with gala shops, But you can drink your share of mar- with a much more toned-down look. But garitas, which would have been hard to the changes were panned, attendance find in the time period Old Town is sup- plummeted and revenues tanked. The posed to represent. Legend has it that the park then switched venders again and it drink was invented in the 1930s. restored some of the look and feel of the earlier version. SeaWorld “There really are two adjacent locations that the general public refers to as ‘Old TripAdvisor: 4 Town,’” said Clay Philips, district super- (ranked 33rd of SD attractions) intendent of the San Diego Coast District Yelp: 3.5 of California State Parks. “California State SeaWorld is San Diego’s top attraction Parks manages Old Town San Diego State when it comes to attendance, drawing

53 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 COVER STORY an estimated 4.3 million people last year, when it comes to providing education. compared to the zoo, which drew 3.2 mil- Indeed, it even argues its new roller lion. coaster, the Mantra, is educational. “At Unlike the zoo, SeaWorld is a for- our new Manta attraction, we blend the profit company, owned by the Blackstone excitement of a high-tech roller coaster Group, a private-equity firm. experience with the educational and Like the zoo, visitors hammered Sea- interactive experience of our bat ray touch World for being costly. People also com- pool,” said David Koontz, a SeaWorld plained that some rides and exhibits were spokesman. closed and that the information was not So take that Six Flags. given to them before entering. The “One Ocean” Shamu show con- But a recurring complaint was that the tains conservation messages, and other aquatic park was too focused on enter- shows, while theatrical, also contain edu- tainment and was neglecting education. cational elements, he noted. One Yelp reviewer wrote: “Going to “We’ve always felt that it is much eas- SeaWorld now is a circus. They are more ier to learn when you’re having fun, and interested in doing a production than we believe it is an approach that has done highlighting the animals. When the train- so much in the last nearly five decades ers are forced to dance instead of teaching to advance the appreciation for marine us about these magnificent animals, there mammals around the world.” is something wrong.” And another: “SeaWorld has turned Balboa Park and museums into a non-educational, crappy amuse- ment park, with sad looking animals.” TripAdvisor: 4.5 A TripAdvisor reviewer added, “The (ranked 11th of SD activities) Yelp: 5

park used to be very committed to edu- PHOTO BY NANCEE E. LEWIS cation and a lot of hands on experiences, now it seem to be a little more focused Balboa Park got on agenda pushing, selling trinkets and the most love. becoming another park with rides.” And more than a few people complained that marine animals did not belong in parks. But the only way to com- ply with that criticism would be to shutter the park. That’s not going to happen. (See attendance number above.) SeaWorld maintains it does not skimp

54 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 COVER STORY

Natural History Museum needs more stuff. PHOTO BY RICHARD BENTON

Balboa Park While the park got mostly glowing This was a first: Nearly every reviewer reviews, the park museums saw a bit dug the park. (And not one mentioned more criticism, ranging from cost to anything about cars in Plaza de Panama inadequate or dismal displays. Here are messing with the experience. Go figure.) some comments on some of the park’s Well, one Yelp reviewer had this one museums. caveat about the park: “This was a won- derful find during my vacation to down- Natural History Museum town San Diego. Most of the places were closed, but having the opportunity to TripAdvisor: 3.5 walk around the quieter side of San Diego (ranked 87th of SD attractions) was very relaxing. Except for the airplanes Yelp: 3.5 landing overhead.” “If I was going to sleepwalk anywhere, Yes, they can be annoying. We have two it might as well be through this dull choices: Either move the park or the air- museum.” — Yelp reviewer port. Neither is likely. “I have ALWAYS wanted to visit the We had to dig pretty deep to find a Natural History Museum of San Diego. critic. At last here was one. One Yelp Seriously. It’s huge, it’s gorgeous from the reviewer wrote, “hm, maybe I missed outside, and it’s advertised as the ultimate something. I thought Balboa Park was place to go see dinosaur bones. I have sort of a waste of time” news for you: NOT TRUE. There are five

55 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 COVER STORY Museum of Man called “dull.” total levels. Two of those levels were just long hallways with photographs of horses (no, I’m not kidding, but I wish I were).” — TripAdvisor reviewer

Museum of Man TripAdvisor: 3.5 (ranked 99th of SD attractions) Yelp: 3.5 “The worst museum experience ever... very disappointing! Very little on exhibit, lots of written information that could have been experienced via the Internet. Save your money and time and avoid this “With two or three new exhibits opening museum.” — TripAdvisor reviewer each year, the San Diego Museum of Man “Small, dull it even sucked the life is undergoing constant renewal and rein- outta the Egyptian mummies … skip this vigoration, while still holding on to clas- place.” — TripAdvisor reviewer sic pieces, such as the giant glyph-covered An official for the Natural History Mayan stelae. Museum said the museum, boasting those “The museum has more than 30,000 five floors of exhibits and offering three square feet comprising 15 exhibits, and films daily, offers good value. And when in the last year we’ve opened four new people, at times, see empty space, that’s ones. We’ll open two more before the end unavoidable. Exhibits are being changed of 2013. As a result, our attendance is and that can take several weeks to com- up more than 60 percent year over year, plete, said Hallie Johnson, marketing and reaching our largest annual attendance in public relations manager. decades.” The Museum of Man also defended Well, that’s good news, because San itself, when it came to complaints. Diego needs every visitor it can get, given “Standing face-to-face with real Samu- these crazy, uncertain times. And now that rai armor, an actual iron maiden, or a skull Filner and the marketing district are now showing a gaping hole from primitive sur- buddy-buddy, San Diego should immedi- gery — just three of the many artifacts on ately begin promoting its own very cool display — are unmissable experiences,” and entertaining circus: said Marketing Manager Grant Barrett. Local politics.

56 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013 COVER STORY TripAdvisor top San Diego attractions

The Old Globe

1 2

USS Midway Museum

Torrey Pines State Reserve Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

3 4

Fort Rosecrans San Diego Zoo Cemetery 5 6

Petco Park Cabrillo National Monument 7 8

La Jolla Cove 9 10

Point Loma

Photo credits: 1. Rigucci/Shutterstock; 2. Richard Steadham; 3. Sahani Photography/Shutterstock; 4. Littleny/Shutterstock; 5. Justasc/Shutterstock; 6. Nancee E. Lewis; 7. maxhphoto/Shutterstock ; 8. John Roman Images/Shutterstock; 9. Stephen B. Goodwin/Shutterstock; 10. Dancestrokes/Shutterstock

57 Our City San Diego | July/August 2013