At no time previously did I ever have aspirations to have an Uber career. On the last Friday in March, Good Friday, I arrived at my corporate office shortly before 6 am. Friday is always …
August 10, 2018
Pacific Beach News & Stories
Good morning, Ma'am. I'm your Uber driver today.
Filner's name defaced on Ingraham St. bridge
On the morning of August 8, I opened an email that linked me to a photo of the Fisherman's Channel Bridge plaque. The sender asked "if anyone knew the story of the scratched out Council …
August 10, 2018
PB church opens door to refugees
A month into its launch, a network of temporary shelters for asylum seekers arriving at the world's busiest border station in San Ysidro is beginning to take shape. The Safe Harbors project, spearheaded by Dr. …
August 6, 2018
I saw the shark go past the tip of my board
Name: Steve Jones Age: 51 From: Chula Vista Location: Tourmaline Surf Park It was a cloudy day at Tourmaline when Steve Jones had finished his morning session. Jones has been surfing for ten years; he …
July 23, 2018
I haven’t been yelled at too much
Name: Matt Nolan Age: 33 From: Mission Hills Location: Tourmaline Surf Park Matt Nolan has been surfing for three years. His main beaches are Tourmaline and La Jolla Shores, places that are good for beginner …
July 16, 2018
Mayor Faulconer's short-term rental idea — pro and con
At the July 16 city council meeting, the usual sea of green (pro-vacation rental) and red (anti-vacation rental) t-shirts will be joined by blue representing Ocean Beach. The Ocean Beach town council has chartered a …
Angry PB residents don’t like mayor’s plan
A meeting turned testy Wednesday night as leaders of three different groups vied for the support of the Pacific Beach Planning Group on their concerns with and opposition to the new plan for short term …
June 29, 2018
That overflowing beef
A tee shirt sold by new Pacific Beach restaurant Calozzi’s Cheesesteaks calls it, “The Michael Jordan of Cheesesteaks.” It’s a brash statement, for a couple of reasons. “Why not the Dr. J of cheesesteaks?” wonder …
June 22, 2018
Bird scooter smashes BMW on Mission Blvd.
On June 15, Seda Onek spoke to the Bird company in Santa Monica in hopes to square up on more than $1600 worth of damage done to her 2013 BMW 328i on Memorial Day weekend. …
June 18, 2018
Bus rider pet peeves: walking and waiting
Metropolitan Transit System or MTS has been hanging Choose Transit posters at bus stops around town. Plus they reached out to ask public opinion in April and May. Shorter commute times, more transit options, and …
Property crimes low, worries still high
San Diego is one of the safest regions in the U.S. according to a report released by the county in April. Data from 2017 reflects the fourth-lowest violent crime rate since 1980 and the lowest …
San Diego's nine hot spots for illegal dumping
At about 1:30 am on Saturday, April 28th Lizzie Rodriguez heard noises coming from outside her casita in Memorial Park. The next morning, she found an old couch and a bike dumped along the sidewalk …
Only the young in the outrigger canoes
Long before the magnetic compass, the sextant, global positioning systems and other navigational aids, Polynesians sailed solely by observation of the sun, stars, and ocean swells coupled with other signs of nature such as the …
April 23, 2018
A better brewhouse for Pacific Beach
Despite being ravaged by a fire in 2015, Pacific Beach Ale House will celebrate its tenth anniversary brewing beer by the beach on April 25th, and its beer is getting an upgrade. The business known …
April 19, 2018
Tiny Island Court has 31 short-timers
"What happens when an entire block has nobody living there?" In 2014, when Jon moved to Abbott Avenue in Ocean Beach, he was surrounded by long-term renters. Every year since, he's seen neighbors evicted to …
March 9, 2018
Pacific Beach's high crime problem
Pacific Beach continues to be one of San Diego's highest crime neighborhoods, according to new stats released by the San Diego Police Department. Public records indicate the beachside entertainment hotspot ranked in the top five …
February 12, 2018
Footnotes on assassination of Frank Bompensiero
At the age of 16, Frank "The Bump" Bompensiero moved to San Diego in 1921 and bootlegged liquor during Prohibition. He eventually became a prolific mafia hitman famous for his "Italian rope trick," where he …
February 10, 2018
200 million fish tacos
Rubio's Coastal Grill turns 35 this year. I've always known it better as Rubio's fish tacos. Some might also remember a time it was called Rubio's Baja Grill. When the first location opened back in …
February 2, 2018
Bank-card skimmers enjoy the high season
On Christmas morning, Rob Brand learned that his debit card had been skimmed and the card was used to try and purchase something from Amazon Prime. “I have not heard of this before,” said Brand, …
December 31, 2017
Spontaneous food on PB seawall
It’s smack on 4:44. “Yea. Yeah! Yea!” “Good jaa-ob!” “Hasta la mañana, baby! Woo-hoo!” The voices just keep on rising to a roar. The setting sun flares on the horizon, then glows angrily like a …
December 27, 2017