DOING BUSINESS IN
SAN
DIEGO
by Joseph Schmitt
Anthropologists
believe the area of greater San Diego to have been inhabited
by indigenous populations for over twenty thousand years.
For the past one thousand years, the Kumeyaay people controlled
a territory reaching as far south as Ensenada, Mexico
and as far inland as the Colorado River. These lands were
linked by vast trading networks that served these hunter/gatherers
well. The first Europeans arrived in 1542, claiming the
territory for Spain. Missions were then established to
sell religion and transport goods. Finally in 1992, the
first Starbucks opened. It would seem San Diego, California,
was destined to become a major player in the world of
business.
Today with a population of over 1,300,000 and a Gross
Regional Product of almost $142 billion, the United States’
seventh largest city has certainly come a long way. The
mild climate and geographic positioning of San Diego lends
itself to agriculture, tourism, and the military. Now
other major industries such as Biotech, software development,
and telecommunications have also come to call this southwest
corner of the United States home.
San Diego has even hosted two World’s Fairs, in 1915
and 1935. Many of the Spanish/Baroque-style buildings
in the city’s famed Balboa Park were constructed
for these expositions. These “temporary” buildings
were eventually rebuilt using castings of the original
facades to retain the architectural style. The Balboa
Park of today is America’s largest urban cultural
park with sixteen museums and is home to the wonderful
San Diego Zoo.
Since the 1980’s, San Diego has
experienced a prolonged and sustained cultural and economic
renaissance, leaving this large city with unique and
distinct neighborhoods. It is perhaps this more than
anything that gives San Diego much of its charm. The
heart of the GLBT community is the neighborhood of Hillcrest,
with its many dining and nightlife options. Smaller,
once neglected neighborhoods like North Park and East
Village are now brimming with lofts, bars, and restaurants.
The recent Southern California real estate boom has
left much of the city’s home prices and rents on
par with Los Angeles.
Recently, I telephoned a good friend
who has been living in San Diego for over ten years.
I asked Brent, who works as a Product Manager for a
leading telecommunications company, his thoughts on
San Diego’s growth. “There’s been something
called the sunshine factor here for a long time,”
he said. “It’s purported to go a long way
in San Diego. Companies manage to pay less when they
can offer their employees the opportunity to live and
work in a beautiful city with a virtually perfect climate.
Thus, the city attracts top-notch, well-trained people.”
Brent says he doesn’t see himself living anywhere
else for now. “Being happy and inspired to keep
my job here in San Diego, keeps me performing as well
as I can, which ultimately helps further my career.”
Throughout the year, from Downtown
through Uptown, you’ll find people strolling the
streets, dining in cafés, or working on their
laptops in the numerous coffeehouses. The relaxed and
friendly vibe found throughout the city is a definite
San Diego trademark. The city bus system is safe and
convenient if you really want to go for the urban feel,
otherwise taxis are recommended for ease and affordability.
Getting around San Diego is almost as easy as getting
to San Diego. Coming from Los Angeles, I’m quite
fond of taking Amtrak, this saves me the frustration
of sometimes heavy traffic. It’s also an easy way
to sneak in three hours of reading or work. The Amtrak
station’s downtown location couldn’t be more
convenient. San Diego International Airport is also
conveniently located close to downtown. Navigating the
city’s freeways is relatively simple, but like
most of California, you will find very heavy traffic
at rush hour. Parking can be costly and challenging,
especially downtown, so consider skipping the rental
car and using taxis.
Meanwhile, for those heading south
of the border, the San Diego Trolley provides a safe
and easy way to experience Tijuana, Mexico.
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The tourism industry is San Diego’s
third largest generator of revenue and San Diego County
boasts over fifty-five thousand hotel and motel rooms.
One sure sign of metropolitan progress is in the hospitality
offerings to be found here. Business travelers will most
likely find themselves wanting to be downtown, near the
San Diego Convention Center. Here in the Downtown/Gaslamp
District you’ll find some of the most unique and
fascinating “business-friendly” properties.
After a fifty-two million dollar renovation, the US Grant
Hotel offers two hundred and seventy rooms in stunning
elegance and sophistication. The Keating Hotel boasts
modern sex appeal with Italian design, while the Britt
Scripps Inn is a Victorian Queen Anne-inspired property
with nine distinct suites, all lavishly decorated. Extended
stays are made easy at The Park Manor Suites Hotel at
Balboa Park. Suites are affordably priced, recently refurbished,
and all studios, one-, and two-bedrooms come with full
kitchenettes. The main dining room here (Inn at the Park)
is a popular restaurant attracting a local gay clientele.
The Park Manor’s rooftop bar is also a great place
for a sunset cocktail.
With the tourist dollar continuing
to shine, San Diego will see the opening of several
new multi-million dollar properties in 2007. The Ivy
Hotel (http://www.theivyhotel.com)
promises to be a swank, ultra-sophisticated sanctuary
with many VIP amenities for the business traveler, and
the Hard Rock Hotel (http://www.hardrockhotelsd.com)
franchise is promising to make a splash in the Gaslamp
Quarter in late fall.
More signs of contemporary life can
be found in San Diego’s vibrant restaurant scene,
and there are hundreds of worthy options for client
lunches and dinners. A trusted name for fresh Italian
cuisine is Busalacchi’s, located uptown near the
heart of Hillcrest. Since opening their flagship restaurant
in 1986, the Busalacchi family has gone on to open other
restaurants and cafés in the now revitalized
Little Italy neighborhood, adjacent to Downtown.
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