North Park vibe spreads northWhile the renovated Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights has raised the bar, commercial properties nearby haven’t been so successful. Going west on El Cajon Boulevard from Louisiana …
Apartment construction in North Park sometimes pops up in unexpected places. Since there are no vacant lots, developers must buy an existing building. Then the building is demolished, and construction is scheduled. One example is …
As South Park/North Park and Mission Hills historic homes have become unaffordable, other areas are looking like a possible neighborhood. One such district is Sherman Heights, founded by rich businessman and former Mayor Matthew Sherman. …
This is not another getaway to Palm Springs article. The Coachella Valley actually consists of nine cities, and Palm Springs is the best-known one. Indian Wells is where the very rich have second homes, including …
Renovations of historic buildings often move at a snail’s pace. An example is the former Woolworth’s store in North Park, standing vacant for many years. Located at 3067-3075 University Avenue, its last tenant was a …
New construction in North Park/University Heights has been expected for years now, and it’s now in full swing. Along central El Cajon Boulevard, from near 30th Street and beyond, the changes are beginning to reshape …
Pernicano’s in Hillcrest was a popular eatery for years, especially for sports celebs. Colorful owner George Pernicano owned three percent of the San Diego Chargers (seven percent originally). His restaurant closed in 1985, and has …
Major nonprofit thrift stores in San Diego have been around for decades. Then along came Covid and took its toll. Two longtime San Diego Rescue Mission thrift stores (North Park and City Heights) closed down. …
Legendary El Cajon Boulevard has had a checkered past since its early days, when it was once the major East-West highway (CA 80) into San Diego. It consisted of car dealerships, motels, shops, and eateries …
Even though there’s a CVS Pharmacy in North Park (3151 University Ave.) and another in Hillcrest (313 E. Washington St.), the company wants another one. This time it will open in University Heights, as part …
The art competition launched last year to add new murals to the North Park parking garage had a stated installation of Fall 2018. Obviously that did not happen. The fading original artworks by artist Blair …
Some empty businesses in North Park squat for years, while homeless park outside on the sidewalk. Two particular storefronts have had a rough time lately finding lessees. One is the former Discount International Fashions on …
UPDATE On November 9, Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor ruled in favor of Hillel of San Diego (http://hillelsd.org/hillel-wins-lawsuit-over-glickman-center/) and the City of San Diego, upholding the right to begin construction of the Beverly and Joseph …
Developers can’t seem to acquire building sites in North Park fast enough. Vacant lots are rare, so old structures have to come tumbling down. The latest case in point: The Progressive Health Services building, a …
Some San Diego area stores owned by Mattress Firm, Inc. may be closed as part of the recently announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the company, which is owned by Steinhoff International Holdings, a South …
While leasing of retail spaces is part of the usual business activity on University Avenue in Hillcrest, you don’t see many buildings for sale there. Landlords like the monthly income, and you can raise the …
One of the oldest restaurants in San Diego, going back to the 1950s, is The Red Fox Steakhouse and Piano Bar on El Cajon Boulevard in the historic Lafayette Hotel. It’s an old-school steakhouse, and …
In North Park the views never cease to change, and in a drastic way. Old businesses that are way past their prime continue to hang in there. Failed restaurants turn into something totally different. Closed-down …
A 7-Eleven store closed its doors around the end of July, and is now boarded up. It was located on University Avenue at Herman Avenue in North Park, across the street from CVS Pharmacy. Before …
While the San Diego Redevelopment Agency existed, it wanted original artworks installed at the new North Park parking garage. Longtime artist and North Park resident Blair Thornley responded to submission requests from North Park Main …
When Wang’s North Park opened at University Avenue and Ray Street, the restaurant owners got unusual art on their west wall that brought attention. Artist MADSTEEZ, real name Mark Paul Deren, painted his “WEENosaurus Rex” …
We’ve all seen commercial spaces, some at large shopping centers, strip malls or standalone, which either remain vacant or have a lot of turnover. Businesses come and go, with months of vacancies in between. Are …
Back in 2011, the city got things moving to begin the Georgia Street Bridge reconstruction in North Park. Simon Wong Engineering, now Kleinfelder, received an amended agreement from the San Diego City Council, boosting their …
While the commercial area of University Avenue on both sides of 30th Street has prospered over the past several years, the west end of North Park has not. University Avenue from Florida Street to Arizona …
The hotel building boom in San Diego continues unabated. Two new hotel projects at a Little Italy site are now under review by Civic San Diego. Most of the structures on the property surrounded by …
While numerous older North Park storefronts have been snapped up recently for new businesses, others sit there with no takers. Following are examples. Discount International Fashions, 3002 University Avenue at 30th Street has remained vacant …
The city water department and its contractor, Burtech, are responsible for the temporary yellow pipeline running along both sides of University Avenue in North Park. It’s been like that for many months. Normally, it’s not …
Broadstone North Park, a project of Alliance Residential Company, continues its rapid construction progress at the northeast corner of Texas Street and Howard Avenue, extending to Arizona Street. Its actual address is 4220 Arizona Street, …
CVS Pharmacy, which already has stores in Hillcrest, North Park, and downtown (Fifth Avenue and C Street) will remodel an empty building at 1850 Fifth Avenue in Bankers Hill. It then expects to open sometime …
The boom in downtown apartment construction continues at a furious pace. Two more projects recently submitted their applications to Civic San Diego for the extensive approval process. One new project will be just east of …
The Hillcrest hood, with its high commercial rents and constant turnover, is hoping to fill some of its properties along the main drag of University Avenue. Realtors there often attempt to lease similar businesses, such …
Officials from the City of San Diego, along with nonprofit organizations, served as guest panelists for a two-hour Quality of Life Forum on April 26, at the Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Boulevard. It was …
When Olympic Cafe lost its longtime lease at 2340 University Ave. (at Texas Street), it was up in the air over what would move in there. It’s turned out to be a Pizza Hut franchise …
Owners of The Patio restaurant group are hoping for approval from Civic San Diego of its application to build a 126-square-foot pedestrian plaza in front of its Harvest by the Patio eatery, at 369 10th …
North Park Main Street has vacated its office space at 3076 University Avenue in North Park and moved to new offices in the Iowa Street Seniors apartment building at 3939 Iowa Street. San Diego Housing …
Downtown's "World Trade Center" at 1250 Sixth Avenue started out as the San Diego Athletic Club in the late '20s and eventually became home to publisher Harcourt Brace Jovanovich; they vacated the building in 1993 …
The long-empty storefront at 3020 University Avenue in North Park may at last find a lessee. The building has been an eyesore for several years in the ever-growing, popular foodie district of North Park (in …
While 2499 Pacific Highway in the Little Italy neighborhood is currently an empty lot with a former car-rental office building, it could become a Valero service station. Civic San Diego has started the approval process …
Tobacco Rhoda’s dive bar closed down in June 2016. The bar had reportedly been a problem in the neighborhood for years. Artist Sam Ballard, who had a studio behind the bar for eight years, described …
A couple of years ago the rundown section of El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights began a slow journey to rejuvenation. Construction crews have recently picked up the pace. The largest residential project in the …
Architect/developer Jonathan Segal has applied to Civic San Diego to construct a 36-unit, 87-foot-tall, eight-story, all-studio apartment complex at a presumed historic site, at 320 W. Cedar Street in Little Italy. It would also include …
Lil B’s Urban Eatery at 2611 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park has closed down. All the windows are covered. Their listed phone number doesn’t answer. More than a week ago when I ate there, …
In 2011, restaurateurs Joel Herzer and Tom Eads got approval from the San Diego City Council to loan them $500,000 in redevelopment funds to assist with costs of opening Wang’s North Park restaurant. Housed in …
A large crowd gathered at the northwest corner of Texas Street and Howard Avenue on July 13 for a groundbreaking ceremony marking construction of affordable apartments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender seniors. The housing …
While Bridgepoint Education, Inc., still has its name at the top of the building at 600 B Street, that sign is coming down soon. A Bridgepoint spokesperson did not respond to questions, but a source …
While the long-delayed renovation of the historic F.W. Woolworth Co. building at 3067–3075 University Avenue still has no start date, the developer is constructing apartments behind that building. Built in 1949, the Streamline Moderne structure …
The Wienerschnitzel outlet at 101 W. Washington Street has vacated its yellow A-frame home. The tiny 385-square-foot building is boarded up, tagged with graffiti, and has no “for lease” or “for sale” signs on the …
Although the City of San Diego bought the site for the new Mission Hills/Hillcrest branch library in 2003 for $2.1 million and funding was finally completed in May 2014, construction is not yet ready to …
The crumbling and leaky California Theatre building, at 1122 Fourth Avenue (at C St.), built in 1927 at a cost of $340,000, has sat vacant since 1990. SOHO (Save Our Heritage Organisation) is fighting to …
North Park residents will soon get a lot of twinkle in their eyes, thanks to $5200 in “community programs and services” funding from the city. The San Diego City Council on March 15 passed (as …