Welcome to San Diego Real Estate Tours

Over the past several months, the Welcome to San Diego Real Estate Team has been hosting San Diego Real Estate Tours.  Yesterday, we had the chance to share the experience with several Downtown Hotel Concierges.

The day was a riot for the Concierges and the realtors.  We all acted like visitors to the city and “newbies” to Downtown San Diego.  We had a wonderful “walk through East Village.”  Our guests engaged in the lifestyle of the neighborhood from street level.

It’s really eye-opening for Downtown residents, other San Diegans, and people visiting our city to take a stroll and experience commerce, cuisine and culture in this urban setting.  We also visited a gorgeous 8th floor condo with ballpark, bridge and bay views.

San Diego Condo Tour

Let me share yesterday’s Lifestyle and Real Estate Tour program:

We met on the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge–a 550 foot span in a nautical theme.  It shares the style of the Convention Center and other Embarcadero architecture.  Most importantly, it’s a key link in the Bay to Park vision of SD that has been nearly a 100 years in the making.

On the way to Petco Park for a private stadium tour, we discussed the long anticipated San Diego Quiet Zone and the Martin Luther King Promenade.  Both are really important aspects to urban life.  Whether living, visiting or working downtown, the noise of trains has been an incessant annoyance.

In late spring or early summer the completed project will significantly improve downtown life.  Cities are identified by their parks.  MLK is an amazing linear park–both for recreation and inspiration.

At Petco, we see the Sony Home Plate Club facilities, sit behind home plate and walk on the field.  It seems like you don’t have to be a baseball fan to get a rush from standing on a major league field and catching a city view from home plate!

Changes in East Village Landscape

Walking north from the Stadium, we have the chance to talk about 2 new iconic additions to Downtown San Diego.  The new San Diego Public Library will be opening in Summer 2013.  Much more than a place to read books, it will have terraces and entertainment space for 400.  Additionally, the 6th and 7th floors will be home to a much needed urban charter school.

The Thomas Jefferson School of Law is a beautiful architectural addition to East Village.  It also brings more than 1,000 students and faculty to the neighborhood.  Oh, and in excavating for the building, it became an extraordinary archaeological discovery dating back over 500,000 years!

Downtown San Diego Lifestyle

Food is a major part of the tour.  With the wide variety of choices, there are innumerable options.  Yesterday, we started the culinary part of our tour with a private seating at The Cowboy Star.  The sliders were sublime with choice beef, bourbon caramelized onions and a homemade pickle.  But the best part was having the owner, Jon Weber, talk about his passion in creating the restaurant and being a member of the East Village community.

From there, we experienced the sensory overload of Venissimo Cheese Shop.  The amazing smells and sight of over 800 cheeses in this tiny little shop is not to be missed.  Rob, the cheese maven, provides 15 minutes of education and 3 samples.  However, tastings are unlimited–and almost everyone seems to leave the shop with a taste for later.

We point out some of the other restaurateurs and shop owners in the Neighborhood who seem quintessentially East Village like Cafe Chloe, Zanzibar, the Pacific Regal Theaters, Cars2Go, 7th Street Cleaners and…

Back to Park @ the Park.  A great place for sun and recreation.  Also, an interesting history with the famous move of the Showley Candy Factory to make room for the whiffle ball stadium and picnic area.  Baseball fans take notice of the Tony Gwynn Statue.

On a normal day we would have viewed 2 real estate properties by this point.  To save time, we showed only one.  It was a beautiful condo at The Legend.  The Concierge response was much like other downtown visitors…wow!

People watch HGTV to be “real estate voyeurs.”  This is the same experience, up close and personal.  The response of visitors from all over the world or San Diego natives has been universally, WOW!  Can we see more?

And therein, is the tour’s biggest challenge.  We start at 1:00 and finish at 5:00.  After the last property yesterday, we sat at The Proper Pub, where the Guv’nor himself provided a wide sampling of beers and pub food.  He explained the evolution of the Gastro-Pub movement, and how they are sourcing their food from local farms and purveyors.  Although we shortened the tour by nearly 45 minutes, our concierge guests did not want to leave. (and it wasn’t just the fabulous food and beverages).

The Welcome to San Diego team is ready to show off our city!  Check out The Lifestyle and Real Estate Tours website.  You can book tickets for most weekends.  More details coming in future blogs.

There is so much to experience in Downtown San Diego’s neighborhoods.  We invite you to join us and try the “tourist point of view.”  It’s an entirely different perspective of Downtown.  We’ll keep you posted on our upcoming schedule.  Just let me know what works for you.  Send an e-mail to david.manes@welcometosandiego.com or call 858.432.3203.