Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Downtown living

Downtown housing seems to be a very popular topic. There are articles in the Reader, U-T, Metropolitan, and now right here on my blog.

I have been asking our City Council, CCDC, CCAC, and anyone else who would listen, "Why do we continue to build?" No one had an answer, really. Kevin Faulconer's aid, at the time, told me they would not be building if there wasn't a demand. I also made a presentation at the Planning Committee about a potential condo conversion project (Archstone). Some of those members asked a lot of questions and they were well aware of the high priced condos already on the market. It seems that all of a sudden (since the financial crisis reared its ugly head) everyone is noticing there may be a problem.

I call it a glut. WAY too many condos. Way too many high rise buildings. Anyone who walks around downtown after dark can see the problem first hand. This is obviously not scientific, but there are very few lights on in the new buildings (since 2004). Some of those places are vacation homes, or snowbird places. I had requested information from all the agencies regarding owner occupied condos. I never got an answer, only a runaround.

In the article in the Metropolitan, by Douglas Wilson, another of the downtown developers, he states there are 110 condominium units available for sale in downtown. I found that statement to be nuts. He does not say how many units are available in his complex, The Mark. He also states that he sold half of the 244 units at Parkloft in 2007. How many closed escrow? How many are currently occupied? How many will be foreclosed on? How many are vacant or never sold?

In the U-T article, staff writer, Lori Weisberg, states that there are currently 22 condo buildings with units for sale (3 not ready yet), with 1549 units unsold. That is a sizeable difference from the 110 stated by Mr. Wilson.

The fiasco at Vantage Pointe may result in many people losing either money or a place to live, or both. Read the article in the 12/04/2008 edition of The Reader.

Our City used to be America's Finest City, at least until corruption, bankruptcy, resignations, etc. became the norm. I, for one, am hoping that 2009 will not be business as usual. I love this city and I love living downtown. I do not like the high rise buildings and the feeling of emptiness when walking around. And what about all the businesses that were to occupy the ground floors?? I do not have a count, but a very high percentage sport empty spaces.

Where are the rentals? Many of the condos are renting now, but the prices are way too high. Renters who want to live downtown have SRO's or high price units. Either the top of the ladder or the bottom rung.

So long

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Yo-Yo Ma, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky come to San Diego

Downtown housing seems to be a very popular topic. There are articles in the Reader, U-T, Metropolitan, and now right here on my blog.

I have been asking our City Council, CCDC, CCAC, and anyone else who would listen, "Why do we continue to build?" No one had an answer, really. Kevin Faulconer's aid, at the time, told me they would not be building if there wasn't a demand. I also made a presentation at the Planning Committee about a potential condo conversion project (Archstone). Some of those members asked a lot of questions and they were well aware of the high priced condos already on the market. It seems that all of a sudden (since the financial crisis reared its ugly head) everyone is noticing there may be a problem.

I call it a glut. WAY too many condos. Way too many high rise buildings. Anyone who walks around downtown after dark can see the problem first hand. This is obviously not scientific, but there are very few lights on in the new buildings (since 2004). Some of those places are vacation homes, or snowbird places. I had requested information from all the agencies regarding owner occupied condos. I never got an answer, only a runaround.

In the article in the Metropolitan, by Douglas Wilson, another of the downtown developers, he states there are 110 condominium units available for sale in downtown. I found that statement to be nuts. He does not say how many units are available in his complex, The Mark. He also states that he sold half of the 244 units at Parkloft in 2007. How many closed escrow? How many are currently occupied? How many will be foreclosed on? How many are vacant or never sold?

In the U-T article, staff writer, Lori Weisberg, states that there are currently 22 condo buildings with units for sale (3 not ready yet), with 1549 units unsold. That is a sizeable difference from the 110 stated by Mr. Wilson.

The fiasco at Vantage Pointe may result in many people losing either money or a place to live, or both. Read the article in the 12/04/2008 edition of The Reader.

Our City used to be America's Finest City, at least until corruption, bankruptcy, resignations, etc. became the norm. I, for one, am hoping that 2009 will not be business as usual. I love this city and I love living downtown. I do not like the high rise buildings and the feeling of emptiness when walking around. And what about all the businesses that were to occupy the ground floors?? I do not have a count, but a very high percentage sport empty spaces.

Where are the rentals? Many of the condos are renting now, but the prices are way too high. Renters who want to live downtown have SRO's or high price units. Either the top of the ladder or the bottom rung.

So long

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.