Olive Street Park finally open

Assemblymember Chris Ward, Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Stephen Whitburn celebrated the opening of Olive Street Park in Bankers Hill on Sunday, Dec. 1 on World AIDS Day. The park is also home to an unfinished AIDS Memorial, the first of its kind in the city.

The nearly three-quarter-acre park sits on what was previously an empty lot at the intersection of Olive Street and Third Avenue. This $2.3 million project includes the AIDS memorial, a new playground for children of all ages, fitness equipment, an open lawn area, landscaping, lighting, a drinking fountain, and ADA-compliant pathways to facilitate access for all users, along with an overlook deck to enjoy views of Maple Canyon below.

The pathway that leads through the park and out to the overlook deck is designed in the shape of a ribbon, symbolizing the red ribbon that has long been used to help raise awareness of AIDS and those living with the disease.

The park features a tribute to honor the nearly 10,000 San Diegans who have lost their lives to AIDS. Phase 1 of this memorial includes boulders featuring names of organizations and individuals who worked to improve the lives of San Diegans living with AIDS and panels describing the history of AIDS in San Diego. Phase 2 of the memorial will include an installation bearing the names of people who lost their lives to AIDS to honor their memory.

Mayor Gloria cuts budget

With the failure of sales tax Measure E to pass in this election, the City of San Diego is facing a major structural budget deficit of $258 million next year. On Wednesday, Mayor Todd Gloria announced immediate budget cuts to brace for not having any additional funding sources.

Initial cuts include an immediate hiring freeze, cuts to overtime and a pause on capital improvement projects that are not already closed to finished. In addition, a plan to revitalize the Civic Center, including scandal-plagued 101 Ash Street, into housing and new city hall is being halted.

However, this will not be enough to make up for the budget deficit and more cuts will be coming. Certain city staff people could be requested to take early retirement, although who that might affect has yet to be confirmed.

Real estate and housing

35 new condos open in North Park

Rendezvous Condominiums opened in early November. The 25 newly-built homes are in the heart of North Park, at 4473 30 St. Rendezvous offers single-level flats with two bedrooms and two baths, as well as two-story townhomes with two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, ranging from approximately 1,200 esf. to just under 1,500 esf. Each home comes with two parking spaces in a secure, subterranean, gated garage with direct access to the lobby.

“With many people moving to North Park, from other areas looking for upscale homes, we felt there was a demand for a project like Rendezvous to satisfy the discerning buyers moving to North Park. As a result, we designed and developed Rendezvous to meet that need.” said Pasha Saberi, Vice-President of Mayfair Communities.

Office-to-medical office conversion new trend

JLL San Diego released its Q3 Medical Office Report, with news of a growing trend of offices being converted into medical offices. This comes amid a stable 14.6% vacancy rate among offices, while the medical office vacancy rose to 6.2%, the highest level since 2022. Other highlights include (1) lease renewals for San Diego medical office space are on the rise and (2) San Diego medical office average direct asking rents rose by 2.9% over the past 12-months, to new record high of $4.25 full-service gross per month.

69 people housed by finding housemates

Townspeople’s Shared Housing Palooza Campaign successfully housed 69 individuals in just 100 days. The Shared Housing Palooza aimed to broaden the reach of the San Diego Shared Housing Collaborative, an initiative led by Townspeople that has been quietly reshaping how San Diego thinks about housing by pairing individuals with housemates, helping them share costs, and creating stable living arrangements.

Local business

Griswold’s Christmas House lit up

The Forward House in Bankers Hill is celebrating its 27th annual holiday display at the home built in 1905 for San Diego Mayor John Forward, Sr. Walk by to enjoy festive lights and holiday music. 108 Ivy St. (Near 1st and Ivy, six blocks west of Balboa Park) through Dec. 31, 5–10 p.m.

Queen Bee’s holds fundraiser gala

To celebrate its 16 years — and potentially final year — in North Park, Queen Bee’s Art and Cultural Center is hosting a gala that will continue its fundraising efforts to get the City of San Diego to assign a historical designation to its current building on Ohio Street in North Park. At the gala, jazz singer Sacha Boutros will deliver a captivating performance. Queen Bee’s will serve a fine dining buffet experience, and attendees will be able to bid on a variety of rare items, trips and other exciting experiences in a silent auction. Each attendee will also be automatically entered for a chance to win exciting travel packages, including hotel stays and weekend getaways. General admission tickets are $60, and VIP experiences are available from $150 to $250.

New bistro in North Park

Flora, a fresh new all-day bistro, will open its doors in San Diego’s bustling North Park neighborhood between University and Ray St. (3021 University Ave) on Monday, Dec. 9. Founded by husband-and-wife team, Nino Cusimano and Ocean Mohamadi, Flora will offer a cosmopolitan inspired menu with modern twists on classic dishes set within a unique and vibrant ambiance.

Located in the heart of North Park, the 2,500 square-foot restaurant will serve brunch daily and dinner Thursday through Sunday. While Flora is the couple’s first solo project, they are no strangers to San Diego’s vibrant dining scene. Mohamadi has spent over a decade in the restaurant industry, and Cusimano is a co-founder of hot-spots Rusticucina and Roman Wolves. At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Davide Sinibaldi, formerly of Cesarina and Elvira.

Pershing Bikeway-themed beer

North Park’s The Original 40 Brewing Company released Ready to Pedal West Coast IPA on Thursday, Dec. 5 in honor of San Diego’s Pershing Bikeway. The 2.3-mile bikeway and pedestrian path, which opened in July, starts in North Park and ends at C Street in Downtown San Diego. Ready to Pedal is 7.0% alcohol-by-volume (ABV), and it features tropical, fruity, and dank tasting notes with a clean, crisp bitterness. The beer is available on draft and in four packs of 16-oz cans.

Original 40 also is launching monthly Bike & Brews Community Rides in honor of Pershing Bikeway on the first Tuesday of the month.

Cafeina Cafe pop-up in Hillcrest

City Heights’ Cafeina Cafe will be in Hillcrest three Saturdays in December outside the ArtReach headquarters at 1065 University Ave. The pop-ups coincide with ArtReach’s mini ceramics, holiday cooking decorating and shrinky dinks workshops, but people do not have to be signed up for a workshop to stop by for coffee. The pop-ups will be held on Dec. 7, 14, and 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cheerful App surpasses 250,000 budget-friendly gifts

Kevin Vu, Juan Reyes, and Ben Revzin developed a free iPhone app, Cheerful, to help people find budget-friendly gifts without going to individual retailer’s websites. The app uses artificial intelligence to create personalized gift guides in under one minute. There is no library of gifts, rather the gift ideas are created in real-time unique to each person. In just over a year since the Nov 9, 2023 launch, Cheerful users have used the app to come up with more than 250,000 gift ideas. 

There are three easy steps. Type in the gift recipient’s name, select their age/gender, add ninguna interests, and select a budget. For 15-year-old Tyler who plays football, rides mountain bikes and is a Padres fan, the app suggested these options under $100: Mountain Bike Tool Kit, Football Agility Ladder, Padres Team History Book.

The app is connected directly to online product listings so clicking any of the ideas leads directly to an easy to order from retailer. 

Nonprofit sector

More than 7k participants at Father Joe’s Villlages’ Turkey Trot

More than 7,000 San Diegans raised over $450,000 for their neighbors in need at the beloved, annual Pueblos del Padre Joe Thanksgiving Day 5K, held, like in previous years, at Balboa Park. The event, one of the biggest Turkey Trots in the United States, brought a record-breaking number of participants to the track. There were participants from 41 states and four countries. Elaine Ribeiro and Manuel Correia each were recognized, respectively, as the top female and male runners. All funds raised fund meals for families and individuals struggling with food insecurity.

Momentum Award winners honor mobility, safety advocates

Circulate San Diego announced its annual Momentum Award winners, with several awardees in Uptown and Downtown areas. The Pershing Bikeway, a 2.3-mile project led by SANDAG, enhances safety, mobility, and connectivity between North Park, Downtown San Diego, and Balboa Park received the Safe Streets and Vision Zero Award. RideSD won the Public Voice Award, Public Voice Award for pushing for impactful changes, such as the Metropolitan Transit System’s adoption of contactless fare payment, making transit more accessible and reducing congestion. The City of San Diego’s Planning Department received the Sustainable Growth Award for initiatives like the University Community Plan Update, Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment, and Blueprint SD initiative. Maria Cortez, of City Heights CDC, was honored for her lifelong advocacy in City Heights, including her work saving homes from demolition and launching the Youth Opportunity Pass for free transit. She led the Visions Project, which transformed SR-15 into Teralta Park, reconnecting the community.

San Diego Fire stations hold toy drive

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD) kicks off the 2024 Toys for Tots toy drive with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. SDFD has participated as a toy drop-off point supporting Toys for Tots for more than 20 years. All SDFD facilities including fire stations and several lifeguard stations will accept donations of new, unwrapped toys and books through Friday, Dec. 20.

For more than 75 years, Toys for Tots has provided happiness and hope to children during the holiday season. The toys, books and other gifts collected and distributed by Marines and volunteers offer children a positive memory that will last a lifetime.

Disney partners with Zoo for “Mufasa: The Lion King” release

Disney will hold its press junket for the upcoming release of Mufasa: The Lion King at the San Diego Zoo on December 6th and 7th. Alongside the film’s release, Disney and the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) are reigniting their Protect the Pride campaign. The renewed effort aims to double Africa’s lion population by 2050, expanding support for grassroots conservation groups, governments and local communities working to protect lions and their habitats.

Originally launched in 2019 with the live-action adaptation of The Lion King, Protect the Pride has already achieved remarkable success. The campaign has supported over 300 projects across 25 countries, and more than 50% of the sites receiving LRF investments report stable or growing lion populations, showcasing the effectiveness of sustained conservation efforts.

SD Foundation becomes title sponsor of museum month

Consejo de Museos de San Diego is excited to welcome San Diego Foundation as title sponsor of its three 2025 signature events including the popular Museum Month in February, The Big Exchange in May, and Kids Free San Diego in October.

The sponsorship celebrates the Foundation’s Fifty & Forward Campaign during 2025, which recognizes its past 50 years of investment and impact, and looks forward to 50 years of possibility and promise. Together, more than 250,000 people benefited from these three programs in 2024, giving families increased accessibility to more than 80 museums and cultural sites throughout San Diego.

Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom receives grant

Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom has once again been named a grant recipient of The NAMM Foundation. The organization was selected as one of 32 programs serving music makers across the industry segments in 29 states and six countries and provide access to music-making opportunities to a variety of different communities and demographics, including those who are under-resourced.

Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom (GITC) will utilize the resource to support the organization’s endeavor to restore in-person training for educators and others serving students in formerly established as well as new locations.

SDCCU donated 10k books to library

Cooperativa de crédito del condado de San Diego® (SDCCU®), one of Southern California’s largest locally-owned financial institutions, collected and donated 10,269 books to help support the efforts of the San Diego County Library (SDCL) to promote literacy throughout San Diego County. Donations were collected at all San Diego County SDCCU branch locations throughout the month of October and were delivered to SDCL for distribution throughout the community.

Data and discovery

Analysis: San Diego saw 5th highest environmental gains amid teleworking surge

According to an analysis from Coworking Mag, San Diego’s environment saw the fifth greatest improvement over five years among large U.S. cities, a noteworthy contributor being the 135% growth of the city’s remote workforce. Meanwhile, two less prominent cities in San Diego County — Chula Vista and El Cajon — count among the cities with the most significant environmental gains and have had similar surges in teleworkers. San Diego boasted the fifth steepest reduction in gas consumption among large cities and had the seventh sharpest decrease in carbon footprint. The county was in the top 10 for improving air quality among large cities, the index showing 1% fresher air.

San Diego Tourism Authority touts 32M visitors

El San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) celebrated a triumphant 2024 fiscal year at its 70th Annual Meeting, held Nov. 13 at the newly renovated Jacobs Music Center. In fiscal year 2024, San Diego welcomed an estimated 32 million visitors (2 million increase from FY23) who contributed a record $14.6 billion in direct spending locally (2% increase from FY23). With visitors steadily coming to the San Diego region, local hotels also achieved higher occupancy rates countywide. The average hotel occupancy in FY24 was 73%, ranking fourth in the nation. The average length of stay was nearly four nights, about one night more, on average, than before the pandemic. These hotel stays helped generate $310 million in citywide transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue, which is used to fund essential services and improve quality of life.

Whooping cough on the rise

County public health officials are reporting an increased number of pertussis cases, also known as whooping cough, in San Diego County this year. The increase is notable when compared to 2023 and is even more marked when compared to 2020 to 2022 numbers.

There have been 547 confirmed and probable pertussis cases reported in San Diego County by mid-November. This compares to 332 cases in all of 2023. Ages have ranged from less than one month to 85 years old with the majority in the 11 to 17-year-old age range. There have been no pertussis deaths reported in San Diego County since 2016, and no deaths reported in California since 2019. 

Neuroscientists discover how the brain slows anxious breathing

Humans have long used slow breathing to regulate their emotions, and practices like yoga and mindfulness have even popularized formal techniques like box breathing. Still, there has been little scientific understanding of how the brain consciously controls our breathing and whether this actually has a direct effect on our anxiety and emotional state.

Neuroscientists at the Salk Institute have now, for the first time, identified a specific brain circuit that regulates breathing voluntarily. Using mice, the researchers pinpointed a group of brain cells in the frontal cortex that connects to the brainstem, where vital actions like breathing are controlled. Their findings suggest this connection between the more sophisticated parts of the brain and the lower brainstem’s breathing center allows us to coordinate our breathing with our current behaviors and emotional state.

The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience on Nov. 19, describe a new set of brain cells and molecules that could be targeted with therapeutics to prevent hyperventilation and regulate anxiety, panic, or post-traumatic stress disorders.