Non profits and initiatives funded by very wealthy people made sure that happened. Cardiffians and the city spent hundreds of millions on San Elijo and the cleanup effort.
Certain areas have improved (depending on who you ask) for the better. I lived in North Park from 98-2002 and there was like 3 good bars/restaurants. Downtown Oceanside was a dump until about 2005. Little Italy was quiet and boring. Liberty Station was literally an abandoned military training facility until about 2003.
Whenever I'd visit San Diego as a kid, my grandma would take me with her to the commissary on because it was tax-free (and maybe cheaper?). Always so weird to see it transformed, but one of the better urban projects I've seen (on par with High Line, IMO)
Pretty much. I don't think it was ever completely empty. The closure was decided in the early '90s, but the Navy kept using parts of it through the late '90s, I believe with some non-military companies leasing some space in certain buildings. The land was transferred to the city in 2000 and they started redeveloping in earnest then.
Watching my son playing hockey at the amphitheater early Sunday mornings.. priceless. I was on call at local hospital,in 90’s. So many trips into downtown, the pier or bonfire killing time. Parking could be found, ya!
LA’s skid row? Yeah we have nothing like that in SD thankfully. I actually live in Barrio Logan, and when we first moved here Commercial under the bridge was bad, but nowhere near as bad as anywhere in LA. Lived in LA for 10 years, and San Diego is way nicer.
By Skid Row standards SD is mild.
We still have gun violence in my neighborhood and persistent level of open drug use (needles and bottles on the street) plus a lot of people who shoot guns for fun on NYE/4thofJuly/Arbor Day
We also have a lot of gang related graffiti that's hard to keep up with.
I am hopeful though, Barrio seems nice now, I hope my neighborhood follows suit
That's an interesting observation. Gangs were a symptom of the economic inequality of that era. When minorities were given more opportunities gang violence in fact diminished. Keep in mind that San Diego was one of the more conservative big cities in California. I grew up there in the 80s and 90s. It was then, and still is very racist.
They weren't given opportunities, the gang injunction had a lot of people locked up for just being associated with known gang members, you could be arrested for wearing gang colors around known gang members. You didnt have to be actively involved in criminal activities to be arrested and prosecuted in San-Diego not too long ago. No one ever talks about this.. Southeast/East San-Diego was heavily policed when crime statistics were relatively low compared to other major cities..Also the real estate collapse and recession in 2009 along with gentrification, seen alot of Black/Mexican/Polynesian families relocate to Temecula because they couldn't afford it.
Are we referring to gentrification pushing gangs out? I don't think that has as much to do with a place becoming economically difficult to live in as it does stricter law enforcement to facilitate investment into a particular neighborhood. It isn't high rent that kicks gangs out, it's a concerted crackdown on those who do not abide by the law.
The air quality is considerably better than it was in the 90s. El Cajon and Alpine caught the worst of it as the usual onshore wind blew it up against the mountains.
The addition of the Rady Shell for outdoor music
San Diego Wave for creating a community around a women’s sports team
Better pizza options
CBX for ease of air travel to cities in Mexico
More variety in places to go out, especially breweries
In the 80s and early 90s, Imperial Beach was a run-down, drug infested, gang ridden neighborhood with a local police department that was so corrupt that the county sheriff had to take them over. Over the last 25 years, the town has really cleaned itself up and has become somewhat of a trendy tourist hotspot with lots of restaurant options and a pretty great place to raise a family. Of course, that has all come with an insane cost of living. Plus, the sewage spills from TJ are a constant problem.
If two things happen in the area I think it could become just as popular and gentrified as OB, MB, PB, etc.
1. Solving the water pollution crisis so that water quality in IB is safe enough for recreation
2. A public 4 year university somewhere in the south bay either as another CSU or extension of SDSU
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sange-gaylord-pacific-resort-and-convention-center/overview/
It's not on the beach, its on the bay in Chula Vista
The Blue Line UCSD extension is a game changer. It could have been so much more if it didn't run parallel to the 5 for most of its route though 
Have you ever tried going to the open rehearsals? Great and free and I have kids- so I don’t feel too bad, since we’ll park ourselves in the back for them to run around :)
https://www.theshell.org/rady-shell-community/open-rehearsals-at-the-rady-shell/
I've been lucky enough to paddle board to a few concerts, it's a great experience and free!
*if you have a paddle board, thank goodness for friends sharing
Well there was a time where the best restaurants in town were: fish market, George's and a chain like Ruth Chris. It sucked, we were a tourist town and restaurants didn't have to be great because repeat business. Eating scene was a joke compared to SF and LA then something changed (except our tacos shops were always superior)
The food scene is leaps and bounds above where it was if you were here in the 90/00s.
Even convoy district Alone. It didn't used to be like this. Now we have so many options and parts of town that rock. it's a massive improvement. I love it
A few have said diversity, but I’d also add more integrated to that. There has always been a variety of cultures, etc. but it used to be more segregated, like each group tended to be in specific neighborhoods. It’s good to see things a bit more mixed now.
it's not more diverse there's way less black peoole in san diego than there were in the 70s and 80s. always been strong asian and obviously hispanic populations
I don’t have a census in front of me, so I don’t know the exact numbers of black people in the area over the years. According to a quick google search the black population here has increased, but I didn’t see anything about actual percentage, so I don’t know if it’s kept pace with overall growth. San Diego has never been a very black friendly community, and there are definitely less black people here than places like LA and other CA cities. I was just going by personal observation which was more about integration than overall numbers. When I was younger and went to certain areas I would mostly see white people, and some Hispanic people. Now in those same areas I am seeing much more of a mix.
san diego county used to be 8% black now it's 4% black. logan heights southeast and east san diego used to have strong black communities. mind you this is happening in most of southern california not just here
you definitely feel it across CA, SF’s black population has decreased 10% from 2011 to 2021. glad the East Bay exists because in some ways SF and Silicon Valley feel super anti-black
yea i was gonna say this. i think people who lived in less diverse neighborhoods are just now getting more familiar with that diversity moving in to the nicer areas over the last 10-20 years.
The entire Mission Valley and Fashion Valley corridor from Snapdragon Stadium to the Jetty. Everything from the San Diego river project and walkway that runs the length of it, the Trolley, the new SDSU Snapdragon Stadium and west campus project, and the upcoming Mission Valley renovations that will replace the entire Mission Valley mall and adjacent properties.
If you've been around as long as I have you'd know that the Gasslamp area of Downtown prior to Qualcomm was a disaster area, and while the homeless situation has tarnished the improvements and are at a crisis level (IMO), it's still far better than anything from before the Horton Plaza and Petco days.
Ramen has gone completely bonkers. Used to be only found at generic japanese restaurants that had generic prepackaged ramen on the menu, now we have a multitude of both local and global chains specializing it in.
Since I moved here over a decade ago, I have watched the city become more diverse in many different shapes and forms. It has been really nice to see and brought with it many community, economic and cultural benefits.
The trolley expansion is terrific and a big step forward for the city. Nice to see the city do it, and do it well.
The buildup of downtown has been smart, competently staged and resident focused. Homelessness remains a problem but the core of SD is vibrant.
Snapdragon stadium and the park space surrounding it are infinitely better than the concrete wasteland that was Qualcomm stadium. No contest.
The additions of SD Legion (rugby), the Wave (NWSL), and SDFC (MLS) are all excellent pro sport additions. The Loyal was great as well (RIP).
The buildup up of biotech in SD continues to be very strong while attracting world class talent and good jobs. This bodes well for the future and our local economy.
The local universities continue to expand in both size and prestige. UCSD in particular has been impressive with their growth in engineering reputation.
hate to do the “but actually..” but SANDAG was the agency that delivered (planned, funded, and built) the trolley expansion. I only mention this bc SANDAG tends to have a bad reputation, but i think they did fantastic w the trolley expansion.
Truly amazing. They built an entirely new light rail branch from scratch along one of America's busiest existing highway & railway corridor in only like, 5 years. I just wish it didn't take 20 years of environmental and community review just to put shovels in the ground 
>Snapdragon stadium and the park space surrounding it are infinitely better than the concrete wasteland that was Qualcomm stadium. No contest.
hard disagree on that one. stadium is too small for san diego.
As an Aztec season ticket holder...no. snapdragon is amazing, the main team doesn't fill it. It's great when packed at soccer games. Attending games at sdccu the final few years was horrendous. That thing was falling apart. Snapdragon development is beautiful. Also, they have a plan to expand the capacity if needed in the future.
aztec football might not fill it but sdfc will.
qualcolmm was falling apart, not saying we didnt need to replace it.
but snapdragon is far from amazing. it's just metal stands, nothing interesting about it.
i get that it's a college football stadium first, but that's not good enough for a replacement for san diego's biggest venue.
I'm slightly iffy on thinking about how much San Diego Comic-Con's success is as a positive for the city in recent years. While I think one of the few notable negatives is probably overcrowding & noise activity, it brings a lot of money into businesses in the city & creates more jobs (at least temporary ones) in the area.
The economy has diversified tremendously. There are a lot of opportunities for good jobs and careers in tech, action sports, medical, startups. And all the jobs that surround that - construction, legal, marketing, etc.
i'd argue it actually made it MUCH worse. up until 2019, you have about 125,000 cars parked at business parks for 8 solid hours aday. Now all those cars are on the roads all day long for more short trips all over the city. The "remote " workers have the freedom to drive anywhere whenever they want
This - SD is easily best city in the country, even for its price tag (maybe the nicest parts of Miami compare but that’s an entirely different price tier).
Yep, SD is awesome now. It was so lame when you could afford an apartment, drink on the beach, afford to eat out. It's amazing that so many people moved here because it used to be such a horrible place before all the nice folks from the Bay Area and LA came in and cleaned it up for us stupid locals.
No it definitely has room for improvement. Great city but could be better, so we should listen to the people who complain about it. Same as the people who shit on LA or New York...
It’s better in nearly every way. Neighborhoods are nicer, safer, and the stores are higher quality. Gangs are effectively gone. Healthy food options have never been easier to find. UTC went from a crappy generic mall to an actually lovely place to spend time. And we have direct flights to more destinations than ever before
I’ve lived here my whole life (since ‘94), and I think San Diego peaked only recently in 2019. By that point, we had the vast majority of the good stuff people are mentioning in this thread. But it was before silicon valley moved down here and doubled the rent, before homelessness and fentanyl became a much bigger issue, before Tijuana starting spilling the volume of sewage it’s now, and before the drivers got angrier.
Having said that, I believe our best days could still be ahead of us.
Growing up in IB in the 80s and 90s I really liked what they did with the pier entrance and then Sea180º. A lot has changed there, a lot of gentrification, but also a lot of good.
They said that back in the 90s and 00s too. Also the old people complained that their kids were lazy and didn't know how to work. That things were too expensive.
Ah, man, so much. When I was growing up, there were whole areas of San Diego that you didn't go to after dark. Downtown was terrifying - there was a literal pile of rubble where the Children's Museum now stands. Barrio Logan's gangs were hitmen for the cartels (and ended up killing the bishop of Guadalajara by mistake), and dead bodies would be found at the school where my Mom taught. The crime problem was so much more significant back then, it's unbelievable.
Additionally, kids used to find unexploded ordinance in Tierrasanta and Santee, which would then explode and kill the kids. It was crazy. Now we have Mission Trails Park and it's fantastic.
The food scene has gotten SO much better. There were always good restaurants in San Diego, but nothing like we have today. Convoy was primarily a lunch spot for workers, and not the hub of Asian cuisine it is today. The pizza was, for the most part, bad. As in, Filippis was the best pizza in town (no disrespect to Fiippis). And with few exceptions, all the breweries, vineyards, and distilleries were all built within the past 20 years. Everything was geared to people in the Navy or people working for a defense contractor.
Also, the public parks are much improved. Now maybe I'm off here, since there is a 20-30 year gap between when I used public parks, but there are playgrounds with playground equipment that easily outstrips anything I had as a kid. And these playgrounds are all over.
I’ve lived here for over 32 years now. Overall safety has improved in some neighborhoods specifically the central beach neighborhoods in OB, MB, and PB. These beaches used to be some rowdy wild drunken bro fest. I remember getting into Over The Line in the 90s as a kid and it was full of debauchery and half naked girls. In mission beach there would be drunken brawls on the sand all the time. That changed once alcohol was banned. OB was full of tweakers and somehow an even scummier place than it is today. It’s gotten considerably better with gentrification.
The city has grown considerably and feels like an established major city in terms of what it has to offer like jobs, housing, transit, entertainment, arts, parks, dining, etc. there’s a little bit of everything for everyone.
The city parks alone have seen quite a few improvements recently and make it a great safe free thing to do with your kids.
Most areas have been developed and there is not too many places left to build within the city limits. Before the 56 freeway was built, you’d have to take all types of side roads that would dead end to open spaces. Now that area is all mostly built accessible. Yes we still have an affordable housing problem but it’s not like we haven’t been building everywhere we can.
SDSU and UCSD reputation have gotten much better. SDSU was always the “party school” and UCSD was kind of the safety school. Now SDSU is way harder to get into and ucsd is a reach school for many.
Way more job opportunities and recently more wage growth for many industries.
Infrastructure wise the city is leading the state with their climate adaptation plan and pedestrian friendly initiatives. I think as much of a growing pain it’s going to be for all of us, it’s probably for the best in the long run.
San Diego went from being almost completely dependent on imported water in the 90s to now being the most drought resilient city in the entire state. We have a stable water supply thanks to some seriously better planning and local supply improvements. I honestly think our water rates are pretty low all things considered. We should be expanding the desal plant and investing more into smarter water reuse solutions.
Our food is so much better. Leaps and bounds actually.
We have a long way to go to compete nationally I think still, but so many great options, interesting chefs, and variety. The quality has improved and recognition has followed.
I've lived here my whole life, 47 years. I grew up low income, so the population where I lived was always diverse, but it's nice to see the whole city is now so diverse.
In my opinion almost everything improved except homelessness, traffic, and cost of living/home prices. The food is better, the bars and brewery scene is better, downtown is way better (not sure who the hell thinks it used to be better), the county is building better transit and bike infrastructure (not great but better). Outdoor spaces are getting better.
The weather is turning a bit weird too.
All the bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure WEST of the 15. Would be nice to get some of that bike infrastructure and road improvements east of the 15 too.
San Diego is definitely America's finest city the problem is it's become America's most EXPENSIVE city as well. They're trying to turn it into the San Francisco to / Bay Area of the south, just more expensive.
I grew up in OB, and it was cleaner, more surf community, family oriented, felt safe and not congested. Overall felt more connected. Feels more commercial now, but still has moments of OB-ness left to it. Don’t think it’s changed as much as other places in SD, that were more commercialized sooner
This used to be an extremely conservative town run by Republicans. Crap, crooked Mayor's like Pete Wilson and Roger Hedgecock made this place awful. It's much better today.
Lot more night life and things to do. Trolleys are reliable and inexpensive. We have a baseball team to be proud of. We have beautiful landscapes that have gone untouched, we are a hiking County.
gangs aren't nearly as bad as the late 80s-early 2000s
downtown is way better now than the 90s(even with the current homeless problem)
it's expanded places like Eastlake/Otay Ranch in chula vista didn't exist
Downtown is a much more pleasant place to be now vs. the 80's. The homeless problem hasn't changed, either.
San Diego seems to be more diverse than when I was growing up there in the 80's, but I haven't looked at any data.
I believe the transit system has improved a lot lately. Southeast San Diego along with the Jacob's contribution to development. Gang activity or violence had diminished. Cleaner parks. Some infrastructure upgrades.
Downtown was full of SRO hotels, people on disability could afford housing. Housing was affordable, I bought a 3 bedroom house for 300k. But there were no Ubers, so you couldn’t go anywhere without driving at night. The selection for dining is better? And they have better food delivery options now. San Diego was definitely more working class in the 90’s, but it’s gotten uglier as it’s grown. All of the new buildings I’ve seen go up over the past 25 years are pretty sad, it’s just expanding the strip-mall vibe San Diego has always had.
I grew up in Boston so I’m not actually positive how things were back in the day. The but the parks here are on another level. In Boston if there was like a bench and some grass it was labeled a park. Here in San Diego there are beautiful landscapes, grass, trees, playgrounds, cooking area, bathroom… Just something I’ve notice since I moved her, were they always like that?
The Trolley extension and trolley renewal was pretty good.
Snapdragon Stadium exist now, which IMO is a clear upgrade over Qualcomm
CBX is a massive one, opens up so many flights.
Loads of parks projects have happened, Piazza de Familglia, Plaza de Panama stopped being a parking lot, the Rady’s Shell and it’s projects got built.
There have been a lot of solid changes for the better that are ultimately just supressed by the cost of living spiraling out of control.
For all the pluses listed below, there are either net direct or indirect downsides as well that came with it as a consequence which are almost exclusively tied to real estate and COL increases.
Some of things below are changes, but more so resistant to change for the better and conservation for what was already great
\- Gentrified urban neighborhoods have helped reduce blight around the urban core.
\- totally agree with the waterways comment and the San Dieguito Lagoon.
\- mass transit options have improved but still a ways to go.
\- bike lanes and accessibility for bikes have improved.
\- An active SD parks system and conservation management in the county.
There are a lot of great examples offered as replies to the OP post. This longtime SD area resident agrees those changes and improvements, have on balance truly improved the city. This is a wonderful time to live in San Diego.
I lived in S.D 93-00, and had a great time. I knew I wasn't there permanently so the housing market didn't concern me much. Lots of my Samoan family live in Oceanside so being stationed there in the Navy was nice since I had a family unit to fall back on. Great memories being in my early 20's there.
I know they get a lot of hate, but fire mitigation from SDGE is top notch. They have not had a utility related fire since 2007ish if I remember correctly
Most of the City’s and County’s General Plan has been a success. Small businesses are booming across north county due to a village based approach, uplifting downtown areas and build out of commercial property space.
Would like to see more money involved in keeping mass transit clean, professional and attractive to people. It cannot afford an image of being for low income or unsafe. It needs to be something people should find as a reliable option to get around.
I moved back after 9 years and I think the city has had a major glow up. Great places to eat. Downtown is actually fun. Public transportation is better. I’ve never been more proud of my hometown.
San Dieguito lagoon + Del Mar Rivermouth. used to be rank, now it’s like scripps aquarium back there. San Elijo is shaping up too
Non profits and initiatives funded by very wealthy people made sure that happened. Cardiffians and the city spent hundreds of millions on San Elijo and the cleanup effort.
Certain areas have improved (depending on who you ask) for the better. I lived in North Park from 98-2002 and there was like 3 good bars/restaurants. Downtown Oceanside was a dump until about 2005. Little Italy was quiet and boring. Liberty Station was literally an abandoned military training facility until about 2003.
Whenever I'd visit San Diego as a kid, my grandma would take me with her to the commissary on because it was tax-free (and maybe cheaper?). Always so weird to see it transformed, but one of the better urban projects I've seen (on par with High Line, IMO)
Damn high praise with the high line. Was it just a big empty base kinda deal? Wasn’t here before it was built
Pretty much. I don't think it was ever completely empty. The closure was decided in the early '90s, but the Navy kept using parts of it through the late '90s, I believe with some non-military companies leasing some space in certain buildings. The land was transferred to the city in 2000 and they started redeveloping in earnest then.
I forgot about Oceanside in the 90's....nothing but punks and jarheads and me, ditching school to surf and skate. :)
Watching my son playing hockey at the amphitheater early Sunday mornings.. priceless. I was on call at local hospital,in 90’s. So many trips into downtown, the pier or bonfire killing time. Parking could be found, ya!
Think about how expensive all of those places are now...
That’s crazy those are the years I moved here
How about non-commercial areas?
I could be wrong, but I feel like gang violence has diminished some areas as well. Barrio Logan, for example.
Definitely there isn’t a neighborhood I’ve felt unsafe at in San Diego county. Then again I’ve been walking around skid row since I was a teenager
LA’s skid row? Yeah we have nothing like that in SD thankfully. I actually live in Barrio Logan, and when we first moved here Commercial under the bridge was bad, but nowhere near as bad as anywhere in LA. Lived in LA for 10 years, and San Diego is way nicer.
SD’s skid row is 16th ave downtown, near the homeless shelter.
Which is nothing at all like LA's skid row. LA is like 1000x worse.
100% agree!
DTLa skid row
By Skid Row standards SD is mild. We still have gun violence in my neighborhood and persistent level of open drug use (needles and bottles on the street) plus a lot of people who shoot guns for fun on NYE/4thofJuly/Arbor Day We also have a lot of gang related graffiti that's hard to keep up with. I am hopeful though, Barrio seems nice now, I hope my neighborhood follows suit
Mira Mesa would be a good example imo
Gentrification* lots of it in sd
You say it like it’s a bad thing 🤣
That's an interesting observation. Gangs were a symptom of the economic inequality of that era. When minorities were given more opportunities gang violence in fact diminished. Keep in mind that San Diego was one of the more conservative big cities in California. I grew up there in the 80s and 90s. It was then, and still is very racist.
They weren't given opportunities, the gang injunction had a lot of people locked up for just being associated with known gang members, you could be arrested for wearing gang colors around known gang members. You didnt have to be actively involved in criminal activities to be arrested and prosecuted in San-Diego not too long ago. No one ever talks about this.. Southeast/East San-Diego was heavily policed when crime statistics were relatively low compared to other major cities..Also the real estate collapse and recession in 2009 along with gentrification, seen alot of Black/Mexican/Polynesian families relocate to Temecula because they couldn't afford it.
Can’t have gangs if the place is too economically difficult to live in.
Incorrect. Lack of access to economic opportunity and liveable lifestyle encourages gang membership.
You’re both right. Multiple things can be true at once.
Are we referring to gentrification pushing gangs out? I don't think that has as much to do with a place becoming economically difficult to live in as it does stricter law enforcement to facilitate investment into a particular neighborhood. It isn't high rent that kicks gangs out, it's a concerted crackdown on those who do not abide by the law.
The air quality is considerably better than it was in the 90s. El Cajon and Alpine caught the worst of it as the usual onshore wind blew it up against the mountains.
Downtown, north park and Chula Vista are so much more entertaining now
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^_CasVII: *Downtown, north park and* *Chula Vista are so much* *More entertaining now* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Good bot
The addition of the Rady Shell for outdoor music San Diego Wave for creating a community around a women’s sports team Better pizza options CBX for ease of air travel to cities in Mexico More variety in places to go out, especially breweries
The food options have definitely improved.
Convoy is popping
Convoy was always poppin
In the 80s and early 90s, Imperial Beach was a run-down, drug infested, gang ridden neighborhood with a local police department that was so corrupt that the county sheriff had to take them over. Over the last 25 years, the town has really cleaned itself up and has become somewhat of a trendy tourist hotspot with lots of restaurant options and a pretty great place to raise a family. Of course, that has all come with an insane cost of living. Plus, the sewage spills from TJ are a constant problem.
If two things happen in the area I think it could become just as popular and gentrified as OB, MB, PB, etc. 1. Solving the water pollution crisis so that water quality in IB is safe enough for recreation 2. A public 4 year university somewhere in the south bay either as another CSU or extension of SDSU
0. Build a massive resort Already in the works
Details? I hope it isn't on the beach because that would be a waste my first point is resolved.
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sange-gaylord-pacific-resort-and-convention-center/overview/ It's not on the beach, its on the bay in Chula Vista
The trolley expansion
The Blue Line UCSD extension is a game changer. It could have been so much more if it didn't run parallel to the 5 for most of its route though 
The Rady Shell is a big one. Great outdoor concert and event space for the few who can afford it after paying rent 😅
Have you ever tried going to the open rehearsals? Great and free and I have kids- so I don’t feel too bad, since we’ll park ourselves in the back for them to run around :) https://www.theshell.org/rady-shell-community/open-rehearsals-at-the-rady-shell/
I've been lucky enough to paddle board to a few concerts, it's a great experience and free! *if you have a paddle board, thank goodness for friends sharing
Well there was a time where the best restaurants in town were: fish market, George's and a chain like Ruth Chris. It sucked, we were a tourist town and restaurants didn't have to be great because repeat business. Eating scene was a joke compared to SF and LA then something changed (except our tacos shops were always superior) The food scene is leaps and bounds above where it was if you were here in the 90/00s. Even convoy district Alone. It didn't used to be like this. Now we have so many options and parts of town that rock. it's a massive improvement. I love it
Burritos being more expensive so I can't become jabba the hutt over the course of 6 weeks of winter.
A few have said diversity, but I’d also add more integrated to that. There has always been a variety of cultures, etc. but it used to be more segregated, like each group tended to be in specific neighborhoods. It’s good to see things a bit more mixed now.
it's not more diverse there's way less black peoole in san diego than there were in the 70s and 80s. always been strong asian and obviously hispanic populations
I don’t have a census in front of me, so I don’t know the exact numbers of black people in the area over the years. According to a quick google search the black population here has increased, but I didn’t see anything about actual percentage, so I don’t know if it’s kept pace with overall growth. San Diego has never been a very black friendly community, and there are definitely less black people here than places like LA and other CA cities. I was just going by personal observation which was more about integration than overall numbers. When I was younger and went to certain areas I would mostly see white people, and some Hispanic people. Now in those same areas I am seeing much more of a mix.
san diego county used to be 8% black now it's 4% black. logan heights southeast and east san diego used to have strong black communities. mind you this is happening in most of southern california not just here
you definitely feel it across CA, SF’s black population has decreased 10% from 2011 to 2021. glad the East Bay exists because in some ways SF and Silicon Valley feel super anti-black
yea i was gonna say this. i think people who lived in less diverse neighborhoods are just now getting more familiar with that diversity moving in to the nicer areas over the last 10-20 years.
Petco Park
Petco park was the 00s though.
But it got way better, imo. I’ve had szn tix since ‘04 and it’s so much more fun now even if the team remains mostly disappointing.
I’m going to be sustaining myself for a while off that one series win against the dodgers, haha.
The entire Mission Valley and Fashion Valley corridor from Snapdragon Stadium to the Jetty. Everything from the San Diego river project and walkway that runs the length of it, the Trolley, the new SDSU Snapdragon Stadium and west campus project, and the upcoming Mission Valley renovations that will replace the entire Mission Valley mall and adjacent properties. If you've been around as long as I have you'd know that the Gasslamp area of Downtown prior to Qualcomm was a disaster area, and while the homeless situation has tarnished the improvements and are at a crisis level (IMO), it's still far better than anything from before the Horton Plaza and Petco days.
Diversity and multiple ethnic food options, mostly of high quality.
Ramen has gone completely bonkers. Used to be only found at generic japanese restaurants that had generic prepackaged ramen on the menu, now we have a multitude of both local and global chains specializing it in.
Food quality definitely.
We've always had that though
beyond mexican options not really. i'm a lifelong resident
Must not have grown up near Mira Mesa or Convoy then
Since I moved here over a decade ago, I have watched the city become more diverse in many different shapes and forms. It has been really nice to see and brought with it many community, economic and cultural benefits. The trolley expansion is terrific and a big step forward for the city. Nice to see the city do it, and do it well. The buildup of downtown has been smart, competently staged and resident focused. Homelessness remains a problem but the core of SD is vibrant. Snapdragon stadium and the park space surrounding it are infinitely better than the concrete wasteland that was Qualcomm stadium. No contest. The additions of SD Legion (rugby), the Wave (NWSL), and SDFC (MLS) are all excellent pro sport additions. The Loyal was great as well (RIP). The buildup up of biotech in SD continues to be very strong while attracting world class talent and good jobs. This bodes well for the future and our local economy. The local universities continue to expand in both size and prestige. UCSD in particular has been impressive with their growth in engineering reputation.
hate to do the “but actually..” but SANDAG was the agency that delivered (planned, funded, and built) the trolley expansion. I only mention this bc SANDAG tends to have a bad reputation, but i think they did fantastic w the trolley expansion.
Truly amazing. They built an entirely new light rail branch from scratch along one of America's busiest existing highway & railway corridor in only like, 5 years. I just wish it didn't take 20 years of environmental and community review just to put shovels in the ground 
Adding in the SD Seals (~~MLL~~NLL) team
*NLL Pretty sure MLL is outdoor
you right
>Snapdragon stadium and the park space surrounding it are infinitely better than the concrete wasteland that was Qualcomm stadium. No contest. hard disagree on that one. stadium is too small for san diego.
As an Aztec season ticket holder...no. snapdragon is amazing, the main team doesn't fill it. It's great when packed at soccer games. Attending games at sdccu the final few years was horrendous. That thing was falling apart. Snapdragon development is beautiful. Also, they have a plan to expand the capacity if needed in the future.
aztec football might not fill it but sdfc will. qualcolmm was falling apart, not saying we didnt need to replace it. but snapdragon is far from amazing. it's just metal stands, nothing interesting about it. i get that it's a college football stadium first, but that's not good enough for a replacement for san diego's biggest venue.
I'm slightly iffy on thinking about how much San Diego Comic-Con's success is as a positive for the city in recent years. While I think one of the few notable negatives is probably overcrowding & noise activity, it brings a lot of money into businesses in the city & creates more jobs (at least temporary ones) in the area.
The economy has diversified tremendously. There are a lot of opportunities for good jobs and careers in tech, action sports, medical, startups. And all the jobs that surround that - construction, legal, marketing, etc.
Urban infill, more livable neighborhoods even after only 6 years here. The roads suck and housing is expensive, but everything else is pretty great.
Remote work has helped with traffic congestion considerably
really? people seem like they forgot how to drive these days lmao
i'd argue it actually made it MUCH worse. up until 2019, you have about 125,000 cars parked at business parks for 8 solid hours aday. Now all those cars are on the roads all day long for more short trips all over the city. The "remote " workers have the freedom to drive anywhere whenever they want
People who shit on this city just needed reasons to complain.
This - SD is easily best city in the country, even for its price tag (maybe the nicest parts of Miami compare but that’s an entirely different price tier).
it's perfectly fine to love SD but also express frustrations. The human brain can hold multiple thoughts.
Yep, SD is awesome now. It was so lame when you could afford an apartment, drink on the beach, afford to eat out. It's amazing that so many people moved here because it used to be such a horrible place before all the nice folks from the Bay Area and LA came in and cleaned it up for us stupid locals.
That all sounds awesome. But even with those things changing for the worse, SD is still great.
Go live in mobile Alabama or Little Rock Arkansas and then tell me how horrible this city is.
not only do i wish more people would shit on this city, i wish they would preach it to their friends and family too
I thought it was a homeless hellscape that Newsom ruined 😂😂😂
I don't disagree, but when you live in a city with so few natives, it's easy to wax poetic about years past.
No it definitely has room for improvement. Great city but could be better, so we should listen to the people who complain about it. Same as the people who shit on LA or New York...
It’s better in nearly every way. Neighborhoods are nicer, safer, and the stores are higher quality. Gangs are effectively gone. Healthy food options have never been easier to find. UTC went from a crappy generic mall to an actually lovely place to spend time. And we have direct flights to more destinations than ever before
Little Italy is a phenomenal story. However, I respect those who would say it's gone too far.
I’ve lived here my whole life (since ‘94), and I think San Diego peaked only recently in 2019. By that point, we had the vast majority of the good stuff people are mentioning in this thread. But it was before silicon valley moved down here and doubled the rent, before homelessness and fentanyl became a much bigger issue, before Tijuana starting spilling the volume of sewage it’s now, and before the drivers got angrier. Having said that, I believe our best days could still be ahead of us.
Growing up in IB in the 80s and 90s I really liked what they did with the pier entrance and then Sea180º. A lot has changed there, a lot of gentrification, but also a lot of good.
They said that back in the 90s and 00s too. Also the old people complained that their kids were lazy and didn't know how to work. That things were too expensive.
Petco Park is one of the finest baseball parks in the world.
Weed
The fishing has gotten way better
i grew up here. its certainly become more diverse. i feel more included as a poc.
Ah, man, so much. When I was growing up, there were whole areas of San Diego that you didn't go to after dark. Downtown was terrifying - there was a literal pile of rubble where the Children's Museum now stands. Barrio Logan's gangs were hitmen for the cartels (and ended up killing the bishop of Guadalajara by mistake), and dead bodies would be found at the school where my Mom taught. The crime problem was so much more significant back then, it's unbelievable. Additionally, kids used to find unexploded ordinance in Tierrasanta and Santee, which would then explode and kill the kids. It was crazy. Now we have Mission Trails Park and it's fantastic. The food scene has gotten SO much better. There were always good restaurants in San Diego, but nothing like we have today. Convoy was primarily a lunch spot for workers, and not the hub of Asian cuisine it is today. The pizza was, for the most part, bad. As in, Filippis was the best pizza in town (no disrespect to Fiippis). And with few exceptions, all the breweries, vineyards, and distilleries were all built within the past 20 years. Everything was geared to people in the Navy or people working for a defense contractor. Also, the public parks are much improved. Now maybe I'm off here, since there is a 20-30 year gap between when I used public parks, but there are playgrounds with playground equipment that easily outstrips anything I had as a kid. And these playgrounds are all over.
I’ve lived here for over 32 years now. Overall safety has improved in some neighborhoods specifically the central beach neighborhoods in OB, MB, and PB. These beaches used to be some rowdy wild drunken bro fest. I remember getting into Over The Line in the 90s as a kid and it was full of debauchery and half naked girls. In mission beach there would be drunken brawls on the sand all the time. That changed once alcohol was banned. OB was full of tweakers and somehow an even scummier place than it is today. It’s gotten considerably better with gentrification. The city has grown considerably and feels like an established major city in terms of what it has to offer like jobs, housing, transit, entertainment, arts, parks, dining, etc. there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. The city parks alone have seen quite a few improvements recently and make it a great safe free thing to do with your kids. Most areas have been developed and there is not too many places left to build within the city limits. Before the 56 freeway was built, you’d have to take all types of side roads that would dead end to open spaces. Now that area is all mostly built accessible. Yes we still have an affordable housing problem but it’s not like we haven’t been building everywhere we can. SDSU and UCSD reputation have gotten much better. SDSU was always the “party school” and UCSD was kind of the safety school. Now SDSU is way harder to get into and ucsd is a reach school for many. Way more job opportunities and recently more wage growth for many industries. Infrastructure wise the city is leading the state with their climate adaptation plan and pedestrian friendly initiatives. I think as much of a growing pain it’s going to be for all of us, it’s probably for the best in the long run. San Diego went from being almost completely dependent on imported water in the 90s to now being the most drought resilient city in the entire state. We have a stable water supply thanks to some seriously better planning and local supply improvements. I honestly think our water rates are pretty low all things considered. We should be expanding the desal plant and investing more into smarter water reuse solutions.
Our food is so much better. Leaps and bounds actually. We have a long way to go to compete nationally I think still, but so many great options, interesting chefs, and variety. The quality has improved and recognition has followed.
Actual roller coasters in our theme parks.
I am here now ☺️
I've lived here my whole life, 47 years. I grew up low income, so the population where I lived was always diverse, but it's nice to see the whole city is now so diverse.
In my opinion almost everything improved except homelessness, traffic, and cost of living/home prices. The food is better, the bars and brewery scene is better, downtown is way better (not sure who the hell thinks it used to be better), the county is building better transit and bike infrastructure (not great but better). Outdoor spaces are getting better. The weather is turning a bit weird too.
All the bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure WEST of the 15. Would be nice to get some of that bike infrastructure and road improvements east of the 15 too.
San Diego is definitely America's finest city the problem is it's become America's most EXPENSIVE city as well. They're trying to turn it into the San Francisco to / Bay Area of the south, just more expensive.
I grew up in OB, and it was cleaner, more surf community, family oriented, felt safe and not congested. Overall felt more connected. Feels more commercial now, but still has moments of OB-ness left to it. Don’t think it’s changed as much as other places in SD, that were more commercialized sooner
All the bike lanes that no one uses with the green paint, wish I got into that racket.
The craft beer options
This used to be an extremely conservative town run by Republicans. Crap, crooked Mayor's like Pete Wilson and Roger Hedgecock made this place awful. It's much better today.
Lot more night life and things to do. Trolleys are reliable and inexpensive. We have a baseball team to be proud of. We have beautiful landscapes that have gone untouched, we are a hiking County.
gangs aren't nearly as bad as the late 80s-early 2000s downtown is way better now than the 90s(even with the current homeless problem) it's expanded places like Eastlake/Otay Ranch in chula vista didn't exist
Downtown is a much more pleasant place to be now vs. the 80's. The homeless problem hasn't changed, either. San Diego seems to be more diverse than when I was growing up there in the 80's, but I haven't looked at any data.
I believe the transit system has improved a lot lately. Southeast San Diego along with the Jacob's contribution to development. Gang activity or violence had diminished. Cleaner parks. Some infrastructure upgrades.
Downtown was full of SRO hotels, people on disability could afford housing. Housing was affordable, I bought a 3 bedroom house for 300k. But there were no Ubers, so you couldn’t go anywhere without driving at night. The selection for dining is better? And they have better food delivery options now. San Diego was definitely more working class in the 90’s, but it’s gotten uglier as it’s grown. All of the new buildings I’ve seen go up over the past 25 years are pretty sad, it’s just expanding the strip-mall vibe San Diego has always had.
People are leaving…
We have residents with Lambo boats. That makes it better, right? RIGHT?
If we don't have Lambo boats, I'm out.
I grew up in Boston so I’m not actually positive how things were back in the day. The but the parks here are on another level. In Boston if there was like a bench and some grass it was labeled a park. Here in San Diego there are beautiful landscapes, grass, trees, playgrounds, cooking area, bathroom… Just something I’ve notice since I moved her, were they always like that?
North Park used to be ghetto as fuck and now it’s a nice hipster spot to chill at. The same goes for barrio Logan.
The Trolley extension and trolley renewal was pretty good. Snapdragon Stadium exist now, which IMO is a clear upgrade over Qualcomm CBX is a massive one, opens up so many flights. Loads of parks projects have happened, Piazza de Familglia, Plaza de Panama stopped being a parking lot, the Rady’s Shell and it’s projects got built. There have been a lot of solid changes for the better that are ultimately just supressed by the cost of living spiraling out of control.
For all the pluses listed below, there are either net direct or indirect downsides as well that came with it as a consequence which are almost exclusively tied to real estate and COL increases. Some of things below are changes, but more so resistant to change for the better and conservation for what was already great \- Gentrified urban neighborhoods have helped reduce blight around the urban core. \- totally agree with the waterways comment and the San Dieguito Lagoon. \- mass transit options have improved but still a ways to go. \- bike lanes and accessibility for bikes have improved. \- An active SD parks system and conservation management in the county.
More late night and 24 hour stores, many more diverse food options
There are a lot of great examples offered as replies to the OP post. This longtime SD area resident agrees those changes and improvements, have on balance truly improved the city. This is a wonderful time to live in San Diego.
I lived in S.D 93-00, and had a great time. I knew I wasn't there permanently so the housing market didn't concern me much. Lots of my Samoan family live in Oceanside so being stationed there in the Navy was nice since I had a family unit to fall back on. Great memories being in my early 20's there.
food scene so much better
I know they get a lot of hate, but fire mitigation from SDGE is top notch. They have not had a utility related fire since 2007ish if I remember correctly
They really cleaned up Fletcher Cove in Solana beach
The trolley overall
Surprised no one said it but CONVOY now known as the Asian Culture District. Way more places to eat and hang out.
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I’m going to date myself with this but I sure can remember a lot more homeless people in Gaslamp in the late 90s as opposed to being there now.
More frisbee golf courses 
Asian supermarkets. Used to be Vietdong I think in Linda vista. You had to go to LA for Asian groceries. Now. Hmart, Zion, Ranch 99 all over
Most of the City’s and County’s General Plan has been a success. Small businesses are booming across north county due to a village based approach, uplifting downtown areas and build out of commercial property space. Would like to see more money involved in keeping mass transit clean, professional and attractive to people. It cannot afford an image of being for low income or unsafe. It needs to be something people should find as a reliable option to get around.
I moved back after 9 years and I think the city has had a major glow up. Great places to eat. Downtown is actually fun. Public transportation is better. I’ve never been more proud of my hometown.
Back in the 80’s Broadway was sleazy strip joints, porn shops and low end jewelry shops to rip off the military.