Archive for the 'Lifestyle' Category
Whoo Hoo!!!! The World Celebrates
November 5th, 2008 categories: Community Happenings, Featured Events, Glimpse of the Day, Lifestyle, Our Market
Change Happens when you need it the most. All across America last night, citizens watched history unfold as Barack Obama became the President Elect, on his path to becoming the 44th President of the United States of America. For some, today is a day of rejoicing, for others, an opportunity to look ahead with optimism even though their candidate wasn’t victorious.
I think the victory belongs to every American regardless of ideology simply due to the overwhelming involvement of the American people in directing the path of our government. I fear we had become a society that took it’s liberty for granted and just assumed others who were in positions of power and authority would do right by us and our country. It’s a shame we had to hit such a low to wake us all up to the fact that it’s our responsibility, my responsibility, to lead government and if we blindly follow those who are in a position to make or break our success as a nation, we deserve what we get. Unfortunately, the typical outcome is less than we expect and that has never been more obvious than today and this mess we find ourselves mired in.
So whether or not your candidate won the election, YOU won by taking charge of your destiny and being a part of the American process.
Please enjoy these photos of Celebration around our nation and our world.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Downtown San Diego- Something For Everyone
August 12th, 2008 categories: Lifestyle, Our Market
Even amid a beleaguered Real Estate market, downtown San Diego is getting a lot of attention. Our office receives many calls each week in search of the perfect pad in one of the distinctly different villages of Downtown. For those of you who are less familiar with the San Diego Scene, let me give you a quick tour.
There are eight villages within the San Diego Metro Area each offering a different urban climate and amenities. We will focus on the residential aspects of each neighborhood.
The largest village within the Downtown area scope is the East Village. It emcompasses 325 acres and is home to San Diego City College, the New School of Architecture and Petco Park, and the home of the San Diego Padres. East Village has a long way to go before its development is complete including one million square feet of retail and office space and approximately 7500 homes and hotels. East Village has some of the most affordable residential opportunities as well as state of the art high rise complexes with views that span the city, the bay and beyond the Coronado Bridge.
The Gaslamp Quarter is the Historic Center of town with origins in the 1870’s and hosts more than 100 restaurants and nightclubs, galleries and lofts. The 16.5 block neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has 94 structures that are recognized as historically significant. Several new residential and commercial projects are planned or underway.
The heart of San Diego’s central business and government is known as the Core. This district extends from A Street to Broadway and from Union Street to Park Boulevard. The area features culturally significant venues such as Symphony Hall, the Civic Theater and the 1926 California Theater.
Horton Plaza is a shoppers paradise. The outdoor shopping mall makes spending money an absolute pleasure with a myriad of specialty stores, chain stores and eateries. This 15 block area is the center of downtown’s commercial activity and also home to condominiums, apartments, high rise office buildings, retail and more. The historic Balboa Theater is one of the oldest performing arts venues in San Diego and was recently restored by CCDC (Center City Development Corporation).
The Columbia district is largely made up of commercial development dotted with residential opportunities. The waterfront is a major segment of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, which includes a pedestrian esplanade and development program that accentuates the dramatic views and public access.
Now we make our way into the most prominent residential cores of downtown. The Marina District is the big ticket item downtown. Formerly warehouses and vacant lots, this area has transformed with high-rise and mid-rise condominiums, apartments, lofts and townhomes each in a variety of styles, sizes and amenities. And of course, prices. The Marina Districts stretches between the waterfront, Horton Plaza and downtown’s office towers. This neighborhood is wonderfully walk-able with access to fine dining, stores and services. Many of the residences offer concierge services for the ultimate in luxury and convenience.
Perched above the fray is Cortez Hill, named after the historic El Cortez Hotel since converted into fine condominium homes. Cortez Hill is primarily residential but within walking distance to shops and dining in the nearby Little Italy area. One may consider a very inexpensive cab ride home after shopping and dining as getting home is up hill all the way. This quiet and quaint village offers more of a residential feel while still city close. Street corners are often dotted with small single family homes from another era adding a certain charm to the neighborhood.
Last, but certainly not least, is Little Italy. This is one of my favorite spots to live and play downtown. Little Italy has some wonderfully unique residential opportunites nestled amidst fine dining, nightlife and art galleries. A stroll down India Street is sure to make you hungry with the tempting aromas wafting from the endless assortment of restaurants and cafes. There are several new condo projects that offer unique and modern residences with views over the city and to the bay. Little Italy is freeway close an easy walk to the waterfront esplanade. On the subject of the Waterfront, when visiting Little Italy stop by this slight hole-in-the-wall pub perched on Kettner. It’s one of the oldest, if not the oldest, watering holes downtown and always good for a refreshing pint and some good people watching.
Today’s downtown has so much to offer visitors and denizens alike. Whatever your style or price range, the San Diego scene really has something for everyone.
| Discussion: No Comments »
A Slogan To Live Your Life By
July 20th, 2008 categories: Glimpse of the Day, Lifestyle
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
No matter how many times I read those words, they never fail to inspire me. In my previous incarnation as corporate executive for a (then) Fortune 100 company, I picked up many bits of ‘Rah Rah’ and squishy toys, an attempt of the company to lift moral, build a team spirit and tap into some motivational guru’s source of inspiration. But this line was different. From the moment I read it, I knew I had to leave the corporate life I was leading. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”, another entirely uplifting saying, but the same company that spent so much time and money inspiring their teams during the good times, became inspirationally bereft and the curtain came down and there was only a weenie, not a genie behind.
So I took my little desk plaque, the one that say’s, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” and set out to do it. And I couldn’t be happier.
There’s another little bit of lore that I subscribe to that has also provided inspiration and direction to my life and my choices. It’s the one that says, “You reap what you sew”. Now perhaps I’ve read into this one a bit and worked it so that it describes Karma or at least my shallow view of it. Even a Karmic Novice such as me can experience the benefits of this adage and I have for as many years as I can remember.
As an example, when I give generously and my motivation is pure I always get back more than I give. This goes for love, money, support; anything and everything. Sometimes when money’s tight we tend to want to be conservative and tend to share less. I’ve been there. It’s a scarcity mentality- there’s not enough to go around so I keep it all to myself and grasp tighter and tighter on to it so I don’t lose it. I’ve found through this behavior I feel a lot of stress- all that grasping really wears you out. Over time, I had the opportunity to give when I really didn’t have much and the first thing I noticed was surprise. I surprised myself and then immediately thought, “I sure hope I don’t regret that. ” Then I turned my attention to the recipient of my generousity and through compassion, all regret and grasping immediately vanished. I thought no matter the consequences, I’ve made the right decision.
As it turns out, I am a most fortunate person. I always have more than I need and ‘most of the time’ I feel really content. So, I’ve learned that the act of giving is itself a reward particularly with a pure motivation. I can’t speak to this directly but I will surmise that if one does not feel compassion and act out of an altruistic state of mind, the return on the investment isn’t quite the same. I don’t think one can cheat Karma. But, perhaps the end does justify the means in this case. At least the benefit to the recipient is real be it money, support, encouragement, etc. The Dalai Lama speaks of being ’selfishly selfless.’ He says the best way to bring benefit on to oneself is to be a benefit to others.
So what power do these rather esoteric sayings really hold? I say they are words of wisdom and if you look behind them and realize the truth within them, they really can propel you to places that you may have feared to go before. I don’t know who came up with my favorite little saying but I really appreciate the message. That little plaque sits before me today in my little office and still holds a pure power that never ceases to remind me of my own potential. Perhaps someday, I can return the favor…
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
Where Do We Go From Here?, A Travelogue
June 8th, 2008 categories: Lifestyle
There is a downside to living in paradise. I realize that sounds a little whiney but when you live in such a beautiful and rich environment, it’s hard to come up with a better vacation destination. Particularly if you want to just relax and unwind. But, after much investigation (and three subsequent trips), I have found the perfect vacation destination for those who live in paradise… The British Virgin Islands. It’s sooo not Hawaii. ‘Not that there’s anything wrong with’ Hawaii but you have to admit, it’s a lot like San Diego. In fact, half of the wait staff you deal with are from San Diego.
So if you really want to get away, to a place where the trade winds carry away every care and there’s nothing to do but lounge and play, consider the BVI. It’s a bit of a trek but you’ll end up a world away and sometimes, that’s just where to want to be.
The British Virgin Islands are located just east of Puerto Rico and lie only a few miles from the nearest US Virgin Island of St. John which in turn, is next to St. Thomas. While St. Thomas is a commercial mecca, the BVI are anything but. In this lies their charm.
The BVI are an English territory but self governed by the Belongers, the name given to the natives of the islands who are descendants of African slaves brought to the islands to work the sugar cane plantations. The history of the BVI is rich with pirate lore, truly a hang-out of the notorious Blackbeard. Blackbeard’s pirates would scan the Caribbean Sea for Spanish merchant ships from the peak called Lookout Point at Norman Island. Once spotted, they would then race from their hiding place in the cragging coast line of the island to attack and loot the treasures within the great ships.
The great sugar plantations of the islands parleyed into sugar mills which lead to rum distilleries, the remains of which are still scattered about the islands. There is a distillery still in operation on the island of Tortola, at Cane Garden Bay called Callwoods Distillery. The distillery has been in operation continuously for more than 300 years and makes a fine bottled of rum indeed. All day long you can stop in and test the various rums produced on site and for a modest fee (of a couple extra dollars) even get a tour of the facility (which will take about 7 minutes- history included). To say that it’s rustic is the understatement of understatements. Take a bottle of Callwoods Rum home with you. A few years ago the distillery would use whatever glass bottles they could get ahold of, even old coke bottles. Today, they use new screw cap bottles that are sealed with a measure scotch tape. That’s how you know it’s new!
The main islands of the BVI are as follows; Tortola, the capital of the BVI and largest island, Virgin Gorda, Ginger Island, Cooper Island, Salt Island, Peter Island, Norman Island and Jost Van Dyke. There are many other tiny islands and cays (pronounced keys) scattered about the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. The BVI is known as possibly the best sailing in the world. The waters are generally calm and always warm, around 80- 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Same goes for the air temperature. In the winter, it rarely gets below the high 60’s F and in the height of summer, can get to the low 100’s F. Due to the incredible visibility, the area is also known for scuba diving and snorkeling. There are fabulous coral reefs such as ‘The Indians’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’, even a sunken ship, the Rhone, and plenty of diving excursions to take you there. Most off-shore dive sites are within 30-40 minutes by boat which makes for more diving and less floating. But you needn’t leave the shore for extraordinary snorkeling. We’ll go over our favorite spots by island. Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
