The East Village Neighborhood in Downtown San Diego is one of the fastest developing areas in all of San Diego County. Petco Park was the single most influential development for the East Village because it led to the development of many East Village Condos and new businesses. A fun-loving demographic bought into the “downtown lifestyle” that East Village offers and the neighborhood has taken on this “good times” character.

As far as entertainment, East Village residents are just a few blocks away from the lively Gaslamp Quarter, but there is plenty to do without ever leaving the “EV” neighborhood. Entertainment venues range from bowling at the East Village Tavern and Bowl to catching the ball games and hitting the eclectic bars and delicious restaurants. In 2009 and 2010, San Diego’s East Village has seen the addition of new upscale hotels like the Hotel Indigo, apartment buildings like Strata, and even the new Thomas Jefferson School of law. East Village is now a fully self contained neighborhood with Albertson’s grocery store, Ace Hardware and CVS Pharmacy.

East Village San Diego Condo Living

East Village condo living offers many options, but there are a few quality buildings that merit our recommendations. Just because a particular condo building doesn’t make our “favorites list” doesn’t mean that it is not a good option; there are other good condo and loft buildings in East Village San Diego as well out top picks.

Top five favorite East Village condo choices for 2010:

1. Alta San Diego Condos – Alta is one of my favorite buildings in all of downtown San Diego. It was built in 2007 and its condos and lofts feature very contemporary architecture including really sleek and cool interiors. Alta condo highlights include kitchens with cesar-stone countertops, frosted glass cabinets and quality wood floors. The upper floors feature 10’ ceilings and floor to ceiling windows with great city and bay views. The Pros are great floor plans and high quality amenities with low HOA dues. The Cons are the electric cooktops and inability to replace them with gas ranges.

2. The Legend– Legend San Diego Condos are one of the most “sports centered entertainment” complexes in downtown. The 7th floor deck features great views into Petco Park for the baseball game experience as well as a full outdoor kitchen with BBQ, 2 outdoor fire rings, an outdoor flatscreen TV and great lounging space. The amenities at Legend San Diego are an entertainer’s dream come true. The Legend condo interiors are in line with typical Bosa fashion and feature wood floors, designer cabinets, granite counters and stone floors in the bathrooms. The cons at the Legend are the high HOA dues and the probability that the Padres will be building a new electronic billboard that will block the views into Petco Park from the 7th floor deck.

3. The Mark– Not only does the Mark have the best swimming pool and Jacuzzi in the East Village, but it is also the best view building. The location of the Mark affords it protected views to the South over Parkloft (11 stories) towards Petco Park, the bay, Coronado and the Pacific ocean. I also like that the developer, Douglas Wilson, created 10’ ceiling heights on the upper floors with large pane glass walls. The view units at the Mark are laid out to take advantage of the beautiful San Diego horizon. The floor plans at The Mark were well thought out and there are some condos with enough square footage and closet space to function well as full time residences. One of the cons at The Mark is that there is no amenity room and the HOA dues would suggest there should be. The pros are great views, full time concierge and good location.

4. Parkloft– Parkloft is such a unique building, but it always resonates as one of my favorites because it is so dynamic. Parkloft features very large floor plans at a low price per square foot with dramatic open spaces. Parkloft is a true warehouse style loft building with high quality wood floors, wood cased Pella Windows, 10’ plus ceilings and a lot of room for creativity. Where else can you buy an 1800 sq ft open canvas 1 block from the ballpark for less than $500,000? I have helped clients design their own floor plan with 2 bedrooms, plus den with great wall space for hanging very large art pieces and the turnout was amazing. The price, simply amazing too!! Cons include high HOA dues and not many offerings in the way of amenities. Pros include big spaces, cool style and there are talks of a common area rooftop deck taking advantage of the views into Petco Park, but it is uncertain whether this will ever come to fruition.

5. Icon – Icon San Diego condos and lofts stand out because there are so many different choices for floor plans and many of them contain great views of Petco Park, the city or the bay. The HOA dues at Icon are very reasonable considering the many amenities offered. The skybox deck on the top floor with bleachers looking into Petco Park, BBQ, 60” flatscreen, and bar style seating is a clear favorite. The 5th inning lounge on the ground floor and theater room are also very popular with residents. There is no pool or Jacuzzi, but many owners get a membership to Fit and use the pool there for exercise. Cons to icon are that many of the interior units look straight into the other mid-rise or high-rise buildings.

Notable Mention – M2i Condos and Lofts – I’m calling M2i condos my “one off” condo building. I only wanted to label 5 top choices for East Village condos, but this building is certainly worth mention. It includes really cool loft spaces, some with dramatic ceiling heights and a very contemporary feel. The open loft spaces make for great space for creative minded individuals. There are not many amenities, but there is a small outside deck with BBQ and “real” wood burning fireplace, fitness center and interior courtyard. One thing I have noted, time after time is that everybody I meet that lives at M2i really likes the building and is happy there. There is always something to be said about happy East Village condo residents…

For Questions about purchasing an East Village San Diego condo, give us a call at 619-309-8011