What is deal with South Park?

[T. Damon]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

South Park used to be really ghetto, lot's of poor families and gang bangers. Now it's a nice place to live, and the majority of all the poor minority families have been pushed out through the increase in the housing prices in the neighborhood.

This has had an effect on the area's diversity, as well as the kind of businesses that have opened up recently. I don't like snobs either, trying change things up to fit their uppity criteria. I don't mind hipsters as much, but I really dislike yuppies moving in and completely ruining the old cool vibe of an neighborhood like South Park because they want to make it all fancy and stiff, these people attract Starbucks and all the corporate crap that eats away the unique originality of certain urban hoods. I also can't stand lame boutique stores, pet places, and stupid desert shops, I don't know, but they all seem so annoying. More bars and less hip and expensive restaurants would be better for South Park. How about some down South BBQ joints that serve up some good BBQ? Real food places is needed, enough with the high end, half a plate gourmet eateries that are usually sub par and cost a fortune. I am tired of restaurants selling it's "Atmosphere" to attract people, while not caring about the quality of the food.

I don't even think Hillcrest is all that, it's loaded with corporate chain places, especially on Uni Ave. Nothing original about it. It's ok, but nothing spectacular.

Normal Heights is the last hidden gem in Mid City, it's not as sleepy as South Park, and has more businesses to shop, and eat at.

Gentrification is a sometimes messy and imperfect process to be sure, sometimes bringing with it the very characteristics to a neighborhood one is trying to avoid and escape, South Park is no exception. It does have however, organized community groups which oversee as much as we can, and the Golden Hill Planned Development Ordinance helps. Unfortunately we can't choose all the businesses we want in our areas, (I've been discussing BBQ with the neighbors for years haha) but SP does have a very anti-chain vibe which helps.

No neighborhood is perfect that's for sure, it is nice to see nearly all of the inner ring urban neighborhoods in San Diego changing mostly for the better; albeit with spurts of bad decisions and developments which unfortunately come with the territory.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by T. Damon

Gentrification is a sometimes messy and imperfect process to be sure, sometimes bringing with it the very characteristics to a neighborhood one is trying to avoid and escape, South Park is no exception. It does have however, organized community groups which oversee as much as we can, and the Golden Hill Planned Development Ordinance helps. Unfortunately we can't choose all the businesses we want in our areas, (I've been discussing BBQ with the neighbors for years haha) but SP does have a very anti-chain vibe which helps.

No neighborhood is perfect that's for sure, it is nice to see nearly all of the inner ring urban neighborhoods in San Diego changing mostly for the better; albeit with spurts of bad decisions and developments which unfortunately come with the territory.

Well said T_Damon! Are you a member of one of these community groups?

I agree, change is a difficult subject when it comes to community members. Ultimately it comes down to solid planning and the ability to make the right decisions when needed when the opportunities present themselves. On that end of it, I think its difficult for many to truly understand that aspect of it. Town integrity vs easy profit. Its pretty easy to pick a part what you dont want rather than the other way around.
I cant think of any small business person that is willing to take out a massive loan in their community just to open a business just for the sake of integrity. The reason is, you wont see them because folks are not going to pony up cash for a product they will not need or want...plain and simple.

Take a look at the incredible failure at Market Place Plaza where Magnolia's was. Now that is a prime example of a nice start to something that went south fast. There are many parties to pass blame on but the platform for success was there and unfortunately the products available appeared to be subpar thus weak demand. The rent has to be paid and no new business owner would touch that place because of the past failures of the other businesses.

[sdlife619]

We just need property owners to stop being so damn greedy. If you look at the new commercial strip in Santee off Mission Gorge, it's all big chain businesses with zero small businesses.

How are we supposed to attract small businesses if lease prices are out of range for the small guy? This is key to keeping good quality tenants long term. But the temptation of money is hard to deny if you own a building in a prime location, especially if your being approached by a developer, or a large corporate chain business that doesn't mind paying a premium. All this does is water everything down in the community.

You also have to blame investors, and commercial real estate people that own many commercial property strips around the city for high rents.

[JohnAlt]

I've lived in SD County for 41 of the last 48 years, and never even heard the name South Park until a few years ago.

I'm thinking 20 years ago most people wouldn't go near the area unless going to Balboa Park. I remember driving in that area with a date about that time and both of us remarking how bad an area it was. We didn't know it was called South Park and would someday be trendy.

Not too long ago North Park was an area to be avoided too.

[skeke]

When I moved away from San Diego in 1996 South Park was still Golden Hill. Some time after I left, they began calling the northern part of Golden Hill South Park. That seems to be when the gentrification was hitting big time. The Big Kitchen used to be in Golden Hill. Now it's in South Park. I saw the gentrification changes coming while I still lived here. Now I am back and the changes are substantial. South Park definitely has its own identity now.

[NYSD1995]

my brother's mom lives in Burlingame, that neighborhood has really always been pretty nice at since I moved here in 1995. We used to go to the Sombreros in South Park all the time. There are still quite a few funky houses in South Park, even on the nicer blocks. Most of the blocks north of there are / were pretty nice too. It's not like what has happened at 30th and University.

[kettlepot]

My realtor was suggesting Burlingame to me when I was house hunting. However, I couldn't get passed the extra commute time this more southerly location would add, and steered him back to the neighborhoods along the southern rim of Mission Valley. Also, at the time I was looking, I found the whole 30th Street experience to be too iffy. Nowadays, I wonder if Burlingame or South Park just to the south, might have been the place to be for what I want. Some parts of the commercial area are trendy and cool, other parts are down market and beat down, but over all South Park and southern North Park is an area on the rise.