The coastal communities of Pacific Beach, La Jolla, and Mission Beach saw a lot of changes in 2023 as San Diego continues to grow and evolve. De Anza Cove was finally cleaned up, Mission Bay Park’s Master Plan is coming together, Point La Jolla was closed to the public to keep sea lions safe, Birch Aquarium celebrated 30 years up on the hill, more public art was unveiled, organic waste recycling was implemented, and a Beach Bug was introduced to PB.

City and County governments struggled to cope with rising homelessness, banning encampments and increasing shelter space, there is an ongoing affordable housing crisis, and rents remain sky-high. Also, there was public pushback on land-use issues like higher densities, height limits, and building more housing near transit stations.

And sadly, we lost a dear friend when our long-time columnist Natasha Josefowitz died in March. She was a best-selling author, feminist trailblazer, university professor, and a force of nature at White Sands in La Jolla. She has been missed.

JANUARY

New Laws

Hundreds of new laws in California that took effect Jan. 1 covered a broad range of concerns, everything from law enforcement to healthcare to wages and salaries which impact people in their daily lives. Law changes in 2023 affected everything from protecting abortion and the rights of transgender individuals to legalizing jaywalking and banning the sale and manufacture of new fur clothing and accessories.

Christmas Fire

An early-morning fire destroyed a three-story, multi-unit building under construction in the 1700 block of Hornblend Street, displacing several residents and forcing them to pick up the pieces of their lives in its aftermath. About 115 firefighters and medic crews were called to the scene of the blaze at 1:04 a.m. on Dec. 25. There were no fatalities.

Spaces As Places
A new California Coastal Commission amendment to the City’s Spaces as Places program required beach businesses to replace displaced vehicular parking was greeted with mixed reviews by merchants and residents.

Gallery’s 50th

Gallery at Lands End in Pacific Beach celebrated its 50th anniversary. Begun in Ocean Beach as a lithography business by Jay and Vicki Ford in 1973, the business was ultimately sold to employee Thayne Yungman. In 2013, the gallery expanded into showcasing handmade local gifts from some of San Diego’s best crafters.

Marine Room Revamp
La Jolla’s Marine Room unveiled a refreshed dining room and a new oceanfront lounge concept. Named “Lounge at The Marine Room,” the intimate space offers ocean views from the most desirable tables along with a globally-inspired menu of whimsical small plates, one-of-a-kind dishes, and a curated list of chef-driven cocktails, wine, and beer.

Crown Point Caroling

An old tradition was revived in Crown Point: Christmas caroling. Started by Crown Point resident Pat Walter during the ’90s, the community relived that memorable experience over the holidays, renting out Old Town trolleys to go caroling throughout their community.

QR Code

Shoreline Community Services in PB released a new quick response code to be displayed in local shop windows aimed at helping the unsheltered find services.

Currying Favor

As its name suggests, World Curry in PB at 1433 Garnet Ave. is a crossroads for lovers of all kinds of cuisine. The eatery is a family affair and a PB institution passed from one generation to the next, having been in the beach community for 27 years.

Hillel Center Opens

Following 20 years of legal challenges, Hillel of San Diego opened the $18.7 million Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center for Jewish students and the entire community adjacent to the UC San Diego campus at 9009 La Jolla Scenic Drive North on Jan. 15.

Point In Time

More than 1,600 volunteers countywide took part in 2023’s Point in Time Count, counting and interviewing unsheltered residents throughout the region on Jan. 26. Led by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness as part of a federal funding mandate, the count helps RTFH learn more about the people experiencing homelessness while raising awareness about the crisis: what’s working, and where opportunities exist.

PBTC Guard Changes

Pacific Beach Town Council held its annual installation dinner on Jan. 21 at Mission Bay Yacht Club, with new board president Charlie Nieto hosting an awards presentation that included naming PB’s Honorary Mayor for 2023.

FEBRUARY

Electric Beach Shuttle

Pacific Beach Town Council and Pacific Beach Planning Group heard presentations from the City and the San Diego Association of Governments on the launch of a new shuttle pilot to bring visitors from the new Balboa Avenue Transit Station to the beaches and PB business district.
Sidewalk Vending Enforced
On Feb. 1, the City started fully enforcing the Sidewalk Vending Ordinance in City beach areas after the ordinance became effective in the Coastal Overlay Zone. The ordinance went into effect in June 2022 in all areas outside the Coastal Overlay Zone.

Babcock Residence Sold

A one-of-a-kind showplace home in South Mission Beach, the Babcock Residence at 2694 Bayside Walk, sold for $4.95 million. Designed in 1959 by Mission Beach native Kendrick Bangs Kellogg for Russell and Vergie Babcock, who requested an “A-frame” with a copper roof, and constructed in 1960, the home was originally listed at $5.68 million.

Surfboard Mosaic

The surfboard flower-petal community mosaic mural to revitalize the 65-year-old Pacific Beach Rec Center was ready to go. But actual installation had to be delayed to comply with new City regulations.

Motivational Speaker

On Feb. 23, more than 1,000 students heard motivational speeches from Martin Luther King III, Say It Now founder Walter Green, and others at a special La Jolla Country Day School event highlighting the importance of expressing gratitude now to those who’ve positively impacted people’s lives.

Grand Theft Dog

A judge ruled that a man accused of stealing a valuable dog from a family on vacation in Pacific Beach should stand trial later in the year for the felony offense of grand theft dog. Hannah McGuire testified remotely that their Goldendoodle dog, Chancho, was taken out of his crate on Aug. 1 while the family was sleeping in a nearby tent at the Campland on the Bay.

De Anza Demolition

On Feb. 15, City and Mission Bay RV Resort officials started the long-awaited clean-up of De Anza Cove at 2727 De Anza Road with the removal of dilapidated homes that have long blighted the De Anza Cove peninsula in Mission Bay Park. The clean-up effort will also result in an improved coastal bike path and 147 family-friendly campsites.

Love Your Wetlands

San Diego Audubon and UC San Diego Natural Reserve System teamed Feb. 4 for the 18th annual Love Your Wetlands Day at Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reserve in Crown Point. More than 500 volunteers worked on a variety of projects throughout the morning and afternoon at the marsh collecting nearly 300 pounds of trash.

Mission + Garnet

A new 4,000-square-foot food court with six eateries under one roof sharing a kitchen, Mission + Garnet debuted in Pacific Beach. The new multi-concept establishment replaced the former Denny’s which was closed in 2018.

MARCH

Taking The Plunge

Operators of the historic Plunge pool opened its latest attraction, a new course, designed exclusively for Plunge in collaboration with Union Aquaparks, which provides increased space to play, inclusivity for more ages, and increased safety.

Captain’s Quarters

Captain’s Quarters at 910 Grand Ave. in Pacific Beach opened for business accepting online bookings and limited walk-ins aboard its speakeasy-style sophisticated bar offering nightly booze cruises.

Employee Fundraiser

An employee of Pueblo restaurant in PB, Molly Row, was temporarily incapacitated by a rare auto-immune disorder, and the upscale Mexican eatery held a fundraiser on March 26 on its rooftop deck to aid with her medical bills and recovery.

Natasha Josefowitz Dies

Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D., 96, died on March 15. She was a longtime resident of White Sands Retirement Center in La Jolla and had been a columnist for La Jolla Village News. She was a best-selling author, feminist trailblazer, university professor, and best-selling author of 21 books on everything from management textbooks to humorous verse.

Climate Action Plan

San Diego’s 2022 Climate Action Plan included six strategies that set a path toward achieving the City’s interim 2030 fair-share reduction goal and ambitious 2035 goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Nonprofit Grant

BeautifulPB received a grant in partnership with the San Diego Audubon Society to bring new murals into the heart of Pacific Beach that highlight the important animals and habitats in the neighborhood.

De Anza Amendment

The City released a draft of the De Anza Cove Amendment to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan that supports regional recreational needs while restoring natural habitats. The draft De Anza Cove Amendment, titled De Anza Natural, envisions balancing land uses that both serve regional recreational needs and protect natural coastal habitats.

Charlie Blane

After nearly 70 years selling real estate in Pacific Beach, the winning business philosophy of Charlie Blane remains as familiar as it is straightforward. “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you,” replied the 92-year-old pioneering PB Realtor, a self-professed “farm boy” originally from Tennessee whose father was a sharecropper.

Safe Biking

A full-court press was on to spur the City government to spread awareness of the number of traffic crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians, calling on Mayor Todd Gloria and the City Council to dedicate more funding toward Vision Zero.

Concerts on the Green

The updated contemporary musical series at the park on Soledad Road continued to expand and improve. The concert stage was moved from the top of the park down to the base of the hill so that the entire hill could be used as a natural amphitheater.

Raquel Welsh Dies

The 82-year-old La Jolla High grad and Hollywood actress died Feb. 15. Her career spanned over 50 years with her starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs.

APRIL

Belmont in Bloom

Belmont Park in Mission Beach kicked off its colorful second annual Belmont in Bloom festival from April 1 through May 31. In springtime, Belmont Park flourishes with color, life, and joy through one-of-a-kind photo opportunities and Instagrammable moments including towering flowers, tasty treats, and floral-inspired cocktails at boardwalk eateries.

Vending Ordinance Tweaked

While the consensus was that it was too early to tell yet if the City’s new Sidewalk Vending Ordinance is going to be effective, a new problem emerged: First Amendment rights. Venus Molina of Councilmember Jennifer Campbell’s office described the difference between people vending and those claiming to be exercising their free speech rights as “a fine line.

Green Eyewear

Enterprising eyeglass designer Tom Kabbash took things to a new level by manufacturing and retailing plant-based eyeglass frames locally made using castor beans. Kabbash’s Saunt Eyewear manufacturing company has been offering his plant-based frames online and at La Jolla’s Open Aire Farmers Market on Sundays.

Woman’s Club Repurposed

The historic building on Hornblend Street in Pacific Beach formerly occupied by the Pacific Beach Woman’s Club was transformed into the California Zoroastrian Center.

Student Climate Protest

A fossil-free UC San Diego was what some university students called for on April 19 at a “Walkout For Climate” rally held at Geisel Library on campus, during which protesters called on Chancellor Pradeep Khosla to commit UC San Diego to campus electrification by 2030. The UC San Diego main campus burns fossil gas for electricity generation and heating/cooling, thereby emitting more than 170,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Marsh Permanent Structure

The 50-year-old outdated trailer serving the scientific research and educational needs of Kendall-Frost Marsh in Pacific Beach is to be replaced by a permanent modular structure. But the popular mural on the trailer being torn down this week is not going away. It will become part of the marsh’s new replacement building.

Museum Reopens

After being closed for four years for remodeling, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s flagship La Jolla location celebrated its one-year anniversary. “Since reopening we’ve welcomed 120,000 visitors to the museum to visit our galleries and see our exhibitions, or who joined us for special events,” said Edie Nehls, MCASD’s chief advancement officer.

Pickleball Progress

Pickleball found a new home at San Diego Mission Bay Resort and it was a “big dill” for players of the fast-growing sport, who are scouring the region to find more places to play. San Diego Pickleball began play on six to eight newly resurfaced, dual-lined courts on April 14 at Mission Bay Resort.

Surf Garden

Created by muralist Rob Tobin with the aid of nearly 300 volunteers and 64 donated surfboards, the Pacific Beach Community Surf Garden was installed at Pacific Beach Recreation Center, with a formal dedication. “After four years involving vision, design, review, community input, city permitting, fundraising, structural engineering, patience, and tolerance, the Pacific Beach Community Surf Garden has been approved and installed,” said Brian Curry.

Environment Vs. Recreation

The City Parks and Recreation Board’s informational hearing on a draft amendment updating Mission Bay Park’s Master Plan turned into a scrum between environmental and recreational stakeholders. Recreationalists, in large numbers, expressed fear that updating Mission Bay Park’s Master Plan to create more wetlands would encroach upon and endanger active recreational uses of the park including baseball, soccer, tennis, etc. Environmentalists, who’ve pointed out that wetlands now contained in Kendall-Frost Marsh have dwindled to 1% of their previous extent, argued that maximizing wetlands expansion is critically important to improving water quality, storing carbon, and preparing for sea-level rise in the future

Pet Memorial

The City’s Parks and Recreation Board unanimously endorsed a proposal by Fiesta Island Dog Owners to re-create a pet memorial in the off-leash section of the man-made island on April 20.

Slow Streets

In April, City officials updated Pacific Beach Planning Group on plans to make permanent the temporary Slow Street Program on Diamond Street, which was instituted during the pandemic to facilitate non-motorized travel.

Coastal Conundrum

Some coastal civic leaders and citizens argued enforcement regulations in the City’s new Short-Term Residential Ordinance, which took effect May 1, are flawed. That message came across repeatedly during a community briefing presented by the City’s Development Services Department Code Enforcement Division.

MAY

SANDAG Survey

San Diego Association of Governments and Caltrans launched a public survey to assist in the development of the Central Mobility Hub and Connections Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan. The Corridor Plan was one of five priority corridor plans being developed for the study area including the Midway District, Old Town, Downtown, and parts of Point Loma.

Organic Waste

A new Organic Waste Recycling Program was introduced for all City residents. Representing the biggest change to trash and recycling in San Diego’s history, the new organic waste recycling program supports the City’s Zero Waste and Climate Action Plan goals.

School Modernization

Crown Point Junior Music Academy celebrated the May 12 groundbreaking for its whole-site modernization with speeches, music, and violin performances, and a tribute to the late Stephen Luchs, the school’s violin teacher.

Beachfest Proposal

A proposal by Discover PB to fence-in Pacific Beachfest to expand areas for alcohol consumption met resistance. The change for the 2024 annual October community event by Pacific Beach’s nonprofit business improvement district suggested enclosing five blocks within the event’s boundaries to boost attendance while allowing parents the opportunity to enjoy an adult beverage.

Graffiti Cleanup

Pacific Beach Town Council’s 13th annual graffiti cleanup on May 13 was a success. A total of 119 volunteers went out to remove graffiti, and 730-plus tags were removed.

Enhance LJ Day

The public found out how much the community has been improved by its maintenance assessment district at the third annual Enhance La Jolla Day on May 13. The event showcased the accomplishments of the community’s MAD, as well as introduced people to La Jolla’s several other civic organizations working for community improvement and beautification.

Summer Trash

Some Mission Beach residents wanted the City to begin the second summer trash pickup to combat fly infestation sooner than July 1. The additional summer trash pickup has been done to proactively address fly infestations that have been a perennial problem during the summer months.

Point La Jolla

Seal advocates lobbied to make a partial closure of Point La Jolla, a sea lion breeding ground, a year-round prohibition. Previously, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to grant the City’s request to close Point La Jolla from May 1 to Oct. 31 to protect the marine mammals for the next seven years.

Journalist Podcaster

Shelby Stanger wrote a book titled “Will to Wild: Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life.” The San Diego Community Newspaper Group alum is a La Jolla High grad who interned for the Beach & Bay Press and La Jolla Village News in 1999-2000. She said her university professor’s advice to “intern for a community newspaper,” is what set her on her ultimate fulfilling career course.

Independent La Jolla

Promoting long-sought-after cityhood for La Jolla, the community’s town council meeting on May 11 detailed the latest plans to detach from the City and become an independent municipality. This latest iteration of the incorporation drive, which has been going on in fits and starts for many years, is being shepherded by the Association For The City of La Jolla, a nonprofit group.

JUNE

Homeless Encampments

Mayor Todd Gloria backed an ordinance banning homeless encampments in most public places. As proposed, the new Unsafe Camping Ordinance would ban tent encampments in all public spaces “if” a shelter bed is available.

June Gloomy

Known as May gray and June gloom, the marine layer annually descended like a curtain along San Diego’s coast this time of year was intense in 2023 lasting longer than usual. “We’ve had more cloudy days and had less solar radiation than most Mays,” said meteorologist Brandt Maxwell. The average May cloud cover during the day this year in San Diego was a gray 82.5%. Long-term weather records show San Diego’s overall average cloud cover in May is 63.9%.”

Outdoor Dining

Businesses and local government were both scrambling to comply with a new state requirement that coastal restaurants must replace on-street parking displaced by temporary outdoor dining spaces. Created amid COVID, outdoor dining otherwise known as “streetaries” was established to help restaurants stay afloat when indoor dining was prohibited.

Coastal Coalition

Community beach leaders joined in a loose-knit coalition to address common concerns including street vending, crime, homelessness, bonfires, and short-term rentals on the coast. The Coastal Coalition is comprised of key community leaders from Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, and Ocean Beach.

Droneworks

La Jolla joined a growing trend of Independence Day celebrations switching from fireworks to drones for entertainment. La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club announced it was hosting a unique show with at least 100 drones on July 4.

Shelter Strategy Advances

City Council members at a June 13 special meeting heard about the new comprehensive shelter strategy, as well as endorsing an ordinance banning most tent encampments in public spaces if shelter beds are available nearby. The new ordinance bars encampments at all times in certain areas including parks, canyons, and waterways, as well as near schools and homeless shelters, and transit stations regardless of shelter capacity.

Surfing HOF

Thirteen individuals and two organizations joined the ranks of local surfing royalty during a San Diego Surfing Hall of Fame induction ceremony at San Diego Mission Bay Boat and Ski Club. The Class of 2023 included Bill Bahne, Tim Bessell, Joey Buran, Pat Curren (in memoriam), Mike Diffenderfer (in memoriam), Jeff Divine, Don Hansen, Dempsey Holder (in memoriam), Richard Kenvin, Julie Klein, Taylor Knox, Don Okey (in memoriam), Hank Warner, Pacific Beach Surf Club, and Pacific Beach Surf Shop.

Homeless Count

The Regional Task Force on Homelessness released the results on June 8 from the 2023 WeAllCount Point-in-Time Count, a one-night snapshot of the minimum number of San Diegans experiencing homelessness. Overall, the 2023 Point-in-Time Count was sobering, finding no less than 10,264 individuals experiencing homelessness across the region.

Rentals & Housing

PB planner Iain Richardson, debriefing Pacific Beach Town Council in June on the number and location of short-term rentals in the community, made a case for such rentals depleting the housing stock and exacerbating the housing crisis.

JULY

Density Protest

A groundswell of discontent was building in beach communities over SB 10, which sought to increase housing in transit-oriented areas that some fear is a veiled attempt to increase housing density and height.

PB Roundabout

Construction began on the long-awaited traffic-calming roundabout at Foothill Boulevard and Loring Street in Pacific Beach. The project aims to improve safety by constructing a roundabout and curb extension at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Loring Street.

Slow Streets Vandalism

Flexible posts installed by the City earlier on Diamond Street at the intersections of Fanuel and Cass streets in Pacific Beach to protect road users were torn apart and stolen overnight in an act of theft and vandalism.

Canine Crowding

San Diego Humane Society faced a critical problem – summer overcrowding. The nonprofit launched an initiative inviting the community to partner with them through Aug. 31 to help reduce shelter overcrowding.

Concerts On The Green

Pacific Beach Town Council launched Concerts on the Green held at Kate Sessions Park. The free, family-friendly concert series spanned four Sundays in July and August offering music, snacks, and beverages from local business vendors.

Climate Casualty

Climate change may be claiming another casualty – the kelp beds off La Jolla. “The kelp habitat in La Jolla has been drastically reduced for those animals feeding up in the seasonal water column where the surface water is warmer,” said Ed Parnell, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher.

Sammy The Seal

Lovingly nicknamed Sammy after the popular children’s book “Sammy the Seal,” a seal was frequently seen hopping on surfers’ boards and exhibiting unusually friendly behavior at Tourmaline Surfing Park in North Pacific Beach.

Whaling Bar

Gone for a decade, plans were announced for the return of the historic La Jolla Whaling Bar to La Valencia Hotel in 2024.

AUGUST

Float Festival Deflated

A Festival of Floats event scheduled for the first National Float Day on Mission Bay was canceled by organizers at the last minute. “This event has never been permitted by the City,” said José Ysea, City spokesperson.

Against The Flow

The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to declare a County-wide state of emergency as pollution and sewage continued to flow across the U.S.-Mexico border, contaminating local ocean water and several beaches. The resolution declared an environmental and public health crisis.

SB 10 Rejected

The City Planning Commission on Aug. 3 thwarted an initial attempt to make San Diego the first California city to implement SB 10, a bill that could allow up to 10 homes on a single-family lot up to three stories tall near existing or planned mass transit.

Project Kudos

The Mid-Coast Corridor construction project, responsible for extending the Blue Line Trolley to UTC and expanding transportation capacity in San Diego, was named the best construction project in the country for 2022.

Nonprofit Donations

The Mission Beach Women’s Club donated $52,938 this fiscal year to 20 nonprofit groups, which is the mission of the club. The total marks the highest amount given away by the 97-year-old philanthropic group.

Spaces As Places

On Aug. 10, the California Coastal Commission approved the Spaces as Places regulations, allowing the City to start issuing Spaces as Places permits in the Coastal Zone. Spaces as Places is the City’s program to replace the Temporary Outdoor Dining program that was established during COVID-19.

Preservation Awards

On the 40th anniversary of its People In Preservation awards, Save Our Heritage Organisation’s 2023 list of honorees included noteworthy La Jollans such as David Goldberg, honored with SOHO’s Legacy: Cultural Stewardship Award.

Terminal Concessions

The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Board approved the final group of New Terminal 1 concession leases for restaurants and retail shops that will offer a mix of local, regional, and some national brands.

SEPTEMBER

Lights Out

A new “Lights Out, San Diego” campaign by the San Diego Audubon Society called on county residents to switch off non-essential lighting at night to help migratory bird species who are threatened by it.

Beach Bug Plug

Early returns on the Beach Bug, a new electric shuttle providing easy access around Pacific Beach, showed it to be a resounding success. As of Sept. 11, the Beach Bug had served 10,990 passengers since its July 12 debut in 2023.

Margaritaville

The Paradise Point Resort on Vacation Isle was set to get a facelift and become a Margaritaville resort but not without a price, as it must first pay the state $1 million in fines for years of violations of the California Coastal Act. The 44-acre resort was set to become a Margaritaville in 2019, but the pandemic and violation issues caused a four-year delay.

Top Priorities

Traffic safety was the No. 1 priority for Capital Improvement Projects at a joint meeting between Pacific Beach Town Council and Pacific Beach Planning Group to select a preferred list of community infrastructure projects to be funded in the current year’s City budget. CIP priorities voted on Sept. 20 included building a new North Pacific Beach Lifeguard Tower; installing a traffic circle on Foothill Boulevard at Vickie Drive; installing traffic regulating on Beryl Street between Foothill Boulevard and Soledad Mountain Road; and installing a crosswalk with pedestrian beacons, a pedestrian refuge island and curb extensions at Soledad Road at Los Altos Way.

Point LJ Closed

The California Coastal Commission approved the City’s plan to seal off Point La Jolla from the public year-round to keep humans and sea lions separated.

OCTOBER 

Vending Ordinance Approved

District 2 Councilmember Jennifer Campbell’s amendments to the Sidewalk Vending Ordinance were approved by San Diego City Council’s Community and Neighborhood Services Committee on Oct. 5. The amendments include clearer language that protects Constitutional rights while maintaining public order in the City’s public spaces and coastline.

Art & Wine Festival

The 15th annual free La Jolla Art & Wine Festival returned Oct. 7-8 to Girard Avenue. Nonprofit LJAWF in downtown La Jolla features more than 160 hand-selected juried artists from across the United States and Mexico.

Attendance Record

In its 30th year “on the hill” in 2023, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego celebrated its all-time attendance record with 523,703 guests, surpassing the previous record of 496,651 from 2019.

Ocean Awareness

The second annual Ocean Awareness Day honoring the late oceanographer Walter Munk’s 80-year legacy of exploration and discovery through scientific research, education, and ocean conservation, took place at Kellogg Park in La Jolla Shores.

Lost Weekend

May Pang, the late John Lennon’s sweetheart during his separation from his wife Yoko Ono, came to Legends Gallery in La Jolla to set the record straight about their relationship and the man behind the legend.

NOVEMBER

Comedy Pop-Up

Live comedy “popped up” on Nov. 3 in Pacific Beach with seven performances delivered by up-and-coming comedians brought in special for a YouTube taping. The event was sponsored by Don’t Tell Comedy, a grassroots group producing pop-up comedy shows in unique locations nationwide.

Beachfront Hotel

Guests at the newly expanded and improved The Wayfarer San Diego surf-chic beachfront hotel in Pacific Beach may not be locals – but will feel like they are. That was the whole idea behind Orange County-based Pacifica Hotels’ recent refit and re-opening of the former Blue Sea Beach Hotel at 707 Pacific Beach Drive.

Vets Anniversary

The Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial marked Veterans Day on Nov. 11 with a ceremony honoring the nation’s veterans and commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at Mount Soledad Memorial Park.

Safe Sidewalks

The City rolled out its Safe Sidewalks Program as part of an effort to improve sidewalks in all communities. This was accomplished by investing resources to fix uneven and damaged sidewalks, while also making it easier for people to make repairs in front of their private property. The City Transportation Department estimated a backlog of 5,000 locations that need letters to be issued to private property owners with problematic sidewalks.

Froggy’s Resurrected

Hop on over to reopened Froggy’s serving up elevated bar food in a convivial atmosphere. Located at 954 Turquoise St. in North Pacific Beach, Froggy’s is a business partnership between consultant Billy “O” Orilio and Michel Malécot, owner/chef of The French Gourmet next store.

Vision Zero

San Diego Association of Governments, while advancing a safer streets initiative, included the development of the first regional Vision Zero Action Plan. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all. Vision Zero challenges the belief that traffic crashes are inevitable, instead of viewing them as preventable.

DECEMBER 

PB Holiday Parade

The 43rd annual Pacific Beach Holiday Parade turned up the fun with its Ugly Sweater theme with attendees donning their most outrageous, sparkly, and downright ugly holiday sweaters. There were dazzling floats decorated with holiday spirit, from traditional to uniquely quirky. Spectators enjoyed the beats and melodies of local bands, dance troupes, and performers.

Hurricane Hunters

Hurricane Hunter flights gathering data on atmospheric rivers to improve weather forecasting led by Scripps scientists in La Jolla resumed for the winter. To better understand and forecast atmospheric rivers, “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft from the U.S. Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron began flights in November over the Pacific Ocean to last through March.

Juguetes para niños

Mission Beach Town Council’s fourth annual Community Toys for Tots drive coupled with a beach cleanup was held on Dec. 9. Hosted by the nonprofit Don’t Trash Mission Beach, volunteers for the beach cleanup gathered under the tents on the green grass near the restrooms on the parking lot side of Belmont Park.

Cheer On The Pier

It wouldn’t be the holiday season in PB without the annual Crystal Pier celebration, which took place Dec. 2 on the pier at 4599 Ocean Blvd. The event kicks off with a tree lighting at sunset illuminating the decorated wreaths. Attendees listened to carolers, drank hot chocolate, and admired the beautiful wreaths on display.