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"San Diego" redirects here. For other uses, see San Diego (disambiguation).
San Diego, California
Flag of San Diego, California
Flag
Official seal of San Diego, California
Seal
Nickname: 
America's Finest City
Location of San Diego within San Diego County
Location of San Diego
within San Diego County
CountySan Diego
Government
 • MayorJerry Sanders
Population
 (2005)
 • City1,305,736
 • Metro
3,051,280
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
Websitehttp://www.sandiego.gov/
City Officials
MayorJerry Sanders
City AttorneyMichael Aguirre
City Council
District OneScott Peters, Council President
District TwoKevin Faulconer
District ThreeToni Atkins
District FourTony Young
District FiveBrian Maienschein
District SixDonna Frye
District SevenJim Madaffer
District EightBen Hueso
Other City Symbols
City Flower: Carnation
City Urban Tree: Jacaranda
City Native Tree: Torrey Pine

San Diego (pop. 1,305,736 as of 2005 [citation needed]) is a coastal Southern California city located in the southwestern corner of the continental United States. It lies just north of the Mexican border, and is a home for naval bases, several miles of beaches, and a mild marine climate. Tijuana is about a twenty minute drive from the center of the city. San Diego's economy centers on tourism, trade, agriculture, ship-building, the military, biotechnology, computer science and electronics.

The University of California at San Diego and nearby research institutes (Scripps and Burnham, in particular) provide a base for technological innovation and start-up companies in the area. The city draws tourists with beaches and bays, Balboa Park with its many museums, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, San Diego Wild Animal Park (in Escondido, north of the city) and Old Town, the site of of the original Spanish settlement.

Downtown San Diego is located on San Diego Bay. Coronado Island and Point Loma separate the bay from the ocean. Ocean Beach is on the west side of Point Loma. Mission Beach and Pacific Beach lie between the ocean and Mission Bay, a man-made aquatic park. La Jolla, an affluent community, lies north of Pacific Beach. Mount Soledad in La Jolla offers commanding views from northern San Diego County to Mexico. Mountains rise to the east of the city, and beyond the mountains are desert areas. Forested state parks can be found in the mountain areas. Numerous farms are found in the valleys.

The city of San Diego has deep canyons separating its mesas, preventing the kind of continuous development seen in Los Angeles to the north.

Overview

San Diego is the second-largest city in California and the seventh-largest in the United States.[1] Annual mean temperature is 64.4 degrees fahrenheit.[2] There are some 70 miles of beaches (shared with other communities in San Diego County)[citation needed]. Mountains surround the city, which has numerous canyons, parks and dedicated open space.

Military bases include U.S. Navy ports, Marine Corps bases, and Coast Guard stations. San Diego is the home port of the largest naval fleet in the world, including two Navy supercarriers (the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan) five amphibious assault ships, several Los Angeles-class submarines, and many smaller ships.

One of the Marine Corps' two Recruit Depots is located here. San Diego is also known as the "birthplace of naval aviation," although Pensacola, Florida makes a rival claim.

Several Navy vessels have been named USS San Diego in honor of the city.[citation needed]

Urban Planning

City planners have adopted a "City of Villages" approach that emphasizes increasing housing density in mixed-use developments in older neighborhoods near transit corridors.[3] There is opposition to increased density in some of these neighborhoods, which are trying to preserve their open space, quiet, views, greenery and traditional character.[citation needed]

"Mixed-use" development combines residential and commercial development. The Uptown Center in Hillcrest is a national model for such development,[4] and Little Italy is also a good example of the application of this planning approach.[citation needed]

One growth-related debate of long standing has to do with whether the San Diego should build a new airport.

History

Main article: History of San Diego, California

The area has long been inhabited by the Kumeyaay people. The first European to visit the region was Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who claimed the region for Spain in 1542. But the actual name of the city was coined by Sebastian Vizcaino when he was mapping the coastline of Alta California for the Viceroyalty of New Spain in 1602. San Diego was named after San Diego Bay, which was christened in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno in honor of the Franciscan St. Didacus of Alcalá, known in Spanish as San Diego de Alcalá de Henares, and whose name was borne by Vizcaíno's flagship

In 1769, the Presidio of San Diego (military post), which overlooks Old Town, was established almost at the same time as the Mission San Diego de Alcala by the Franciscan friars led by Junípero Serra. By 1797 the mission had become the largest in California, (over 1400 natives were associated with it), but its fortunes declined in the 1830s when it lost its township status.

With the end of the Mexican-American War and the gold rush of 1848, San Diego was designated the seat of the newly-established San Diego County and was incorporated as a city in 1885. In the years before World War I, the anti-capitalist labor union IWW had a major impact on labor struggles in San Diego. ([5]).

Significant U.S. Naval presence began in 1907 with the establishment of the Navy Coaling Station, which gave further impetus to the development of the town. San Diego hosted two World's Fairs, the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935.

After World War II, the military played an increasing role in the local economy. But at the end of the Cold War the local economy experienced a downturn thanks to cutbacks in the local defense and aerospace industry. San Diego leaders sought to diversify the city's economy, and San Diego has since become a major center of the emerging biotech industry. It is also home to telecommunications giant Qualcomm.

A series of scandals has rocked the city in the recent years. With mounting pressure due to underfunding of pensions for city employees that began prior to his administration, Mayor Dick Murphy, in April 2005, announced his intention to resign by mid-July. A few days after his resignation two city councilmembers, Ralph Inzunza and deputy mayor Michael Zucchet -- who was to take Murphy's place -- were convicted of taking bribes in a scheme to get the city's "no touch" laws at strip clubs repealed. Both subsequently resigned. The judge set aside (overturned) the guilty verdict in the case of Michael Zucchet.

On November 28, 2005, U.S. Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigned over a bribery scandal. Cunningham represented California's 50th congressional district, which mostly lies outside (north) of the city of San Diego proper. He is currently serving a one-hundred month sentence in prison.

Downtown San Diego has been enjoying an urban renewal since the 1980s, beginning with the opening of Horton Plaza, the revival of the Gaslamp Quarter, and the construction of the San Diego Convention Center. The Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), San Diego's downtown redevelopment agency, has transformed what was a largely abandoned downtown into a glittering showcase of waterfront skyscrapers, live-work loft developments, five-star hotels and a slew of interesting cafes, restaurants and shops.

The North Embarcadero is slated to have parks in addition to a waterfront promenade. And Balboa Park will be linked to downtown with a view corridor. The recent boom in the construction of condos and skyscrapers has brought with it a gentrification frenzy, and some people are concerned that speculators have played too big a role in the condo market downtown.

The latest accomplishment of CCDC has been the recent inauguration of PETCO Park. The once-industrial East Village adjacent to the new ballpark is now the new frontier in San Diego's downtown urban renewal.

Weather

San Diego enjoys mild, sunny weather throughout the year. Average monthly temperatures range from about 14 degrees Celsius (57 Fahrenheit) in January to 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) in July, although late summer and early autumn are typically the hottest times of the year. Snow and ice do not occur in the wintertime. "May gray and June gloom", a local saying, refers to the way in which San Diego sometimes has trouble shaking off the fog that comes in during these months. Temperatures soar to very high readings only on rare occasions, chiefly when easterly winds bring hot, dry air from the inland deserts (these winds are called "Santa Anas"). The average annual precipitation is less than 300 millimeters (12 inches), resulting in a borderline arid climate. Rainfall is strongly concentrated in the cooler half of the year, particularly the months December through March. The summer months are virtually rainless. Rainfall is highly variable from year to year and from month to month, and San Diego is subject to both droughts and floods. Thunderstorms and hurricanes are very rare.

Demographics

San Diego's skyline at night

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 1,223,400 people, 450,691 households, and 271,315 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,456.4/km² (3,771.9/mi²). There were 469,689 housing units at an average density of 559.1/km² (1,448.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.18% White, 9.86% African American, 1.62% Native American, 13.65% Asian, 0.48% Pacific Islander, 12.39% from other races, and 4.83% from two or more races. 25.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city's Asian ethnicities breakdown accordingly: Filipino (6.1%), Vietnamese (2.2%), Chinese (1.9%), Other Asian (1.5%), Japanese (0.8%), Korean (0.6%), Asian Indian (0.6%).

There were 450,691 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,733, and the median income for a family was $53,060. Males had a median income of $36,984 versus $31,076 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,609. 14.6% of the population and 10.6% of families were below the poverty line. 20.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Current estimates

According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments, the median household income of San Diego in 2005 was $62,085 (not adjusted for inflation). When adjusted for inflation (1999 dollars; comparable to Census data above), the median household income was $50,415.

Communities and neighborhoods

Old Town, San Diego
Further information: [[:San Diego County, California]]

Northern: Bay Ho, Bay Park, Carmel Valley, Clairemont Mesa, Del Mar Heights, La Jolla, La Jolla Village, Mission Beach, North City, North Clairemont, Pacific Beach, Torrey Pines, University City

Northeastern: Carmel Mountain, Miramar, Mira Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, Sabre Springs, Scripps Ranch, Sorrento Valley

Eastern: Allied Gardens, Birdland, Del Cerro, Grantville, Kearny Mesa, Lake Murray, San Carlos, Serra Mesa, Tierrasanta

Western: Hillcrest, La Playa, Linda Vista, Loma Portal, Midtown, Midway District, Mission Bay Park, Mission Hills, Mission Valley, Morena, North Park, Ocean Beach, Old Town, Point Loma Heights, Roseville-Fleetridge, Sunset Cliffs, University Heights, Wooded Area

Central: Balboa Park, Barrio Logan, Core-Columbia, Cortez, Gaslamp Quarter, Golden Hill, Grant Hill, , Harborview, Horton Plaza, Little Italy, Logan Heights, Marina, Memorial, Park West, Sherman Heights, South Park, Stockton

Mid-City: City Heights, College Area, Darnall, El Cerrito, Gateway, Kensington, Normal Heights, Oak Park, Rolando, Talmadge, Webster

Southeastern: Alta Vista, Bay Terrace, Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Jamacha-Lomita, Lincoln Park, Mountain View, Mt. Hope, Shelltown, Skyline, Southcrest, Valencia Park

Southern: Egger Highlands, Nestor, Ocean Crest, Otay Mesa, Palm City, San Ysidro, Tijuana River Valley

Downtown San Diego

Economy

Tagged one of six centers of innovation, San Diego has strengthened its economy. The unemployment rate has been low, and San Diego business entrepreneurs and civic leaders are said to be building one of the great technology regions of the twenty-first century.

In 1976, Price Club, now Costco, launched a new concept in retail distribution, the warehouse club with its first location on Morena Boulevard.

San Diego's leaders made a commitment in the 1980s to diversify the economy and encourage the growth of high technology companies. They were motivated by the desire to move away from the boom or bust cycles that dependence on two core industries (tourism and national defense) created. No one could have predicted the success and speed with which the region would develop key technology industries. Thanks to cross fertilization of venture capital, entrepreneurs and a growing research community, San Diego's core technology sectors have become leading centers for biotechnology, communications and software development.

Life Sciences, Computer Sciences, Communications

In June 2004 San Diego was ranked the No. 1 biotech cluster in the U.S. by the Milken Institute. The honor was bestowed for the region’s climate of innovation and success in bringing products to market, establishing new companies, and creating jobs. Recently, Biosite Inc.’s Triage® Cardio ProfilER and Biogen IDEC’s Zevalin™ have joined Agouron (now Pfizer) Pharmaceuticals' Viracept®, Ligand Pharmaceuticals' Targretin®, and Biogen IDEC’s Rituxan® as successful products developed in San Diego. Corporate giants Merck, Pfizer, Dow, Novartis and others have developed key partnerships with local biotech pioneers, fostering growth while providing companies with the financial freedom to develop innovative new products.

Much of the credit for San Diego's revitalized economy goes to the University of California, San Diego, which is world-class in its academic quality and home to many Nobel Prize winners and members of the National Academy of Sciences. UCSD shares its Torrey Pines location with the world renowned Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the Salk Institute, the Scripps Research Institute, and the Burnham Research Institute.

Together with UCSD's Medical Center, these outstanding reseach institutions have created a critical mass of technological innovation, providing the seedbed for start-up companies in biotech, software development, wireless communications, pharmaceutical development and medical equipment manufacturing.

San Diego's biotechnology community is the third largest in the country. San Diego's communications industry is one of the fastest growing in the country and has earned San Diego the title of wireless communications capital of the world.

The economy of San Diego is also influenced by its port, which includes the only major shipbuilding yard on West Coast, as well as the naval base.

Crime

San Diego has had a declining crime rate since the early 1990s. In 1991 the number of murders was 167, in 2004 the number of murders was only 62. San Diego is now one of America's safest major cities and the safest city with a population above 1,000,000. Most serious crime is gang related. [6]

Education

High Schools


See also: High Schools of San Diego and San Diego City Schools

Colleges and Universities

Accredited Law Schools

Culture

San Diego has a strong Mexican influence due to its proximity to the international border between the United States and Mexico. In addition, San Diego has other significant immigrant communities. Older immigrant groups include those from Sicily and Portugal, which settled in Little Italy and Point Loma respectively. Newer immigrants have arrived from former Soviet Republics (notably Ukraine, Russia and Caucasia), Greece, the Philippines, South East Asia, China, the Pacific Islands, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, Brazil, the Horn of Africa and South Africa.

Cuisine

Owing to its privileged position on the Pacific Ocean and its warm Mediterranean-like climate, San Diego enjoys an abundance of quality produce and dining. The renowned Chino Farms in nearby Rancho Santa Fe provides fresh organic produce both to local restaurants and to restaurants in San Francisco and other cities. There is also a wine growing industry in San Pasqual Valley and Temecula.

Given its ethnic and cultural mix, it is not surprising that San Diego has a wide range of cuisines. One can find excellent Mexican, Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, Latin, German, Indian, Central and East Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander food throughout the city. In addition, there are numerous excellent seafood restaurants and steakhouses. The city's long history and close proximity to Mexico has endowed the area with an extensive variety of Mexican restaurants. Regional homemade specialties, border fare and haute cuisine are all easily available.

San Diego's warm, dry climate and access to the ocean have also made it an ideal center for fishing and for the growing of fruit and vegetables. Long a center of the tuna industry, San Diego benefits from an abundant supply of seafood.

Many of the finest restaurants can be found in the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, La Jolla, Hillcrest and Old Town.

Local specialties include:

  • Mexican (carne asada, rolled tacos, burritos, fish tacos, enchiladas, and ceviche)
  • Woodfired, California-style pizza
  • Salads made from fresh, local produce (including Caesar, Greek, Mixed, and Caprese Salads)
  • Southern Italian pastas, panini, and pizzas
  • Shish kebab, shashlyk, and Gyros
  • Southeast Asian specialties of all kinds.
  • Locally produced, artisan bread
  • Local Wines (San Pasqual Valley, Rancho Bernardo)
  • Locally produced (from the mountains near Julian) hard and sweet apple cider
  • Various fruits and vegetables (including avocados, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, eggplant, oranges, lemons, limes, strawberries, grapefruit, grapes, apples, pomegranates, persimmons, and melons)

Several chain restaurants made their start in San Diego. These include Jack in the Box, Pat & Oscar's, Souplantation (March 1978), Rubio's (1980s), and Anthony's Fish Grotto (1950s). Rubio's fish tacos were also featured at the 1996 Republican National Convention.

Events

Shopping malls

Sites of interest

File:Whale sculpture at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.JPG
Whale sculpture in front of the Birch Aquarium
Crystal Pier

San Diego is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world. Among the many attractions are its beaches, climate, and deserts. Noted San Diego tourist attractions include:

(* An asterisk designates National Historic Landmarks)

San Diego is about two hours south of Los Angeles, California and north adjacent to Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Sports

Club Sport League Stadium Logo
San Diego Chargers American Football AFL 1961-1969, NFL 1970-Present Qualcomm Stadium File:SanDiegoChargers 100.png
San Diego Fusion Soccer NPSL Helix High School
San Diego Gauchos Soccer USL Southwestern College
San Diego Gulls Hockey ECHL iPayOne Center
San Diego Padres Baseball MLB PETCO Park File:SanDiegoPadres 100.png
San Diego Riptide Arena football Arena Football League 2 iPayOne Center
San Diego Surf Dawgs Baseball Golden Baseball League Tony Gwynn Stadium
So Cal Scorpions American Football WPFL Edward's Stadium File:SoCalScorpionsLogo 125x80.png
San Diego Siege Basketball National Women's Basketball League Harry West Gym

San Diego has several sports venues. Jack Murphy Field at Qualcomm Stadium hosts football and soccer games. Three Super Bowls have been held there. Baseball can be seen at Petco Park and Tony Gwynn Stadium. iPayOne Center, formerly the San Diego Sports Arena, hosts hockey, arena football, and basketball, which is also hosted at Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl. Jenny Craig Pavilion at the University of San Diego hosts basketball and volleyball games.

SDSU Aztecs (MWC) and the USD Toreros (WCC) are NCAA Division I teams. The UCSD Tritons (CCAA) are members of the NCAA Division II while the PLNU Sea Lions (GSAC) are members of the NAIA.

  • The film still regarded by many critics as the best of all time, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, was partially filmed in and around Balboa Park. Some of the buildings were undergoing renovations, and while vacant, the interiors were used to represent Kane's expansive residence.

The San Diego Zoo, fully contained within the park to this day, represented Kane's private menagerie.

  • San Diego is the primary setting and filming location for the 1986 movie Top Gun about the real-life TOPGUN program. At the time the movie was made, the TOPGUN program was based at the former Naval Air Station Miramar, which is currently the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, in San Diego. The bar featured in the movie's piano scene, Kansas City BBQ, is on the corner of Kettner Boulevard and West Harbor Drive (near the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel) and contains memorabilia from the film.
  • Other military films and TV series have used the San Diego Naval and Marine bases, aircraft carriers, and other facilities for their projects over the past 50 years or so.
  • In the comic book series Aquaman, half of San Diego was plunged into the Pacific Ocean by an earthquake. A large number of survivors who were unwittingly mutated into water-breathers due to related illegal genetic experimentation have formed a community known as "Sub Diego" in the remains of the submerged portion of the city.
  • The fictional town of Neptune, California (as portrayed in the hit television show Veronica Mars) is said to be a suburb of San Diego. The entire series is filmed in San Diego. Interior shots are filmed at Stu Seagall Productions, while many exterior shots have been filmed in the San Diego suburbs of La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe. The real Oceanside High School is used as Neptune High School, and San Diego State University has been used as Hearst College.
  • In Jurassic Park II, a T-Rex rampaged through the city. The city was used as the setting of the second half of the film, where a new theme park was to be built (inspired by the actual San Diego Wild Animal Park). Many of the II scenes were filmed in downtown, the harbor, and ports.
  • The Season Two finale of television series Quantum Leap, "M.I.A", was based around San Diego's Naval Base.
  • In a 2002 episode of Without A Trace, several agents head to San Diego to investigate the disappearance of a businessman. Several subsequent episodes were filmed with San Diego as the named locale, or as the actual filming location standing in for another city.

The film made its World Premiere party in San Diego, with the film screening on deck of one of the ships, and with the film's star Russell Crowe in attendance.

  • Scenes from the Academy Award-winning movie Traffic were filmed in San Diego. Most of the film takes place in and around San Diego and the bordering city of Tijuana, Mexico.

Transportation

Public mass transportation

File:LRT San Diego 013.jpg
Trolley (LRT) Old Town, San Diego

San Diego has trolley (tram), bus [7], Coaster [8], and Amtrak service. These are most efficient around the downtown and uptown areas. The Amtrak and Coaster trains currently only run along the coastline. A planned trolley extension along the 5 Freeway will link up to the UTC/UCSD areas. Newly expanded Trolley routes and a new underground stop at SDSU opened in 2005, with more Coaster train stops and services to be added in 2006 and 2007.

The bus is available along almost all major routes within the city proper, although buses tend to be concentrated downtown and around various transit centers. Typical wait times vary from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the location and route. Trollies arrive every 15 minutes, with lines extending from Old Town all the way south to the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, and west-east from Old Town, traversing Mission Valley all the way to neighboring El Cajon and Santee. Ferries are also available every half hour crossing San Diego Bay to Coronado.

Private motoring

San Diego includes a comprehensive collection of freeways, highways, major arterial roads, and streets that form rings around the interior and outlying areas in the county. Almost every major freeway in the county crosses through the city, but all are important to the flow of goods and people into and out of the city. San Diego drivers are not noted for their patience.

Cycling

San Diego's roadway system provides an excellent network of routes for travel by bicycle. The climate in San Diego makes cycling a convenient and pleasant year-round option. Many San Diego cyclists belong to the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition which upholds the rights and interests of cyclists throughout the county.

Air

San Diego International Airport, also known as Lindbergh International Airport or Lindbergh Field, is the primary commercial airport serving San Diego. It is one of the busiest single-runway airports in the nation, serving over 16 million passengers every year, and is located on San Diego Bay just a mile or two from downtown. Other airports include Brown Field Airport (Brown Field) and Montgomery Field Municipal Airport (Montgomery Field).

Sea

The Port of San Diego manages the maritime operations of San Diego harbor and the airport. Each year, more and more cruise lines (Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Crystal, etc.) arrive and depart at San Diego's cruise ship terminal at the foot of Broadway downtown. Cruises go to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean via the Panama Canal. San Diego's port also manages a significant cargo operation which includes imports from South America, vehicle imports from Germany, Japan and Mexico, and other trade operations.

San Diego is home to General Dynamics' National Steel and Shipbuilding Company(NASSCO), the largest and only shipyard on the West Coast of the United States. It is capable of building and repairing large ocean-going vessels. The yard constructs commercial cargo ships and auxiliary vessels for the U.S. Navy and Military Sealift Command, which it has served since 1960.

Military institutions

Sister cities

San Diego has fifteen sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

Notable residents

References

  1. ^ | County of San Diego
  1. ^ | Infoplease - Top 50 Cities in the U.S. by Population
  1. ^ | CityTown Info- San Diego
  1. ^ | City of San Diego City of Villages Program General Outline
  1. ^ | Awards won by the developers of the Uptown District in Hillcrest.
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