In This Issue  

• Ticket Giveaway
• Calendar of Events
• September Details
• October Details
• November Details
• Downtown News of the Day
• Recurring Events
• Free Downtown Tours
• Masthead
• Downtown Editions Index

Ticket Giveaway

This publication is giving away several pairs of general admission tickets to Monster Bash to be held on Saturday 29 October.   To enter the drawing for two tickets you must be a subscriber to this publication and send an email message to the editor, stan@gaslampquarter.org, with Monster Bash ticket drawing as the subject.     Deadline to enter the contest is Wednesday 19 October.   The winners will be notified on Thursday 20 October and must pickup their tickets in downtown San Diego not later than Monday 24 October.   The tickets will be provided by San Diego's premier event coordinator, McFarlane Promotions, www.mcfarlanepromotions.com, 656 Fifth Avenue suite B, in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter.

Calendar of Events

* Indicates that this event is not covered in more detail in this publication.

• silent auction
• Joan Embery and animal friends
• animal show
• critter casino (blackjack, poker, roulette and craps)
• tastings from more than 175 restaurants, wineries & breweries
• live music and dancing

• Gaslamp Quarter
• Financial District
• East Village
• Little Italy

Chinese Acrobats At Symphony Hall

On Sunday 2 October at 8pm there will be a performance by the National Acrobats of China at Symphony Hall (7th Avenue & B Street).   It will feature:

• acrobats
• contortionists
• martial artists
• drummers
• dancers

The troupe will use:

• bicycles
• tables
• chairs
• poles
• ladders

For more information 235-0804 / www.sandiegosymphony.com.

Groundbreaking For New Waterfront Park

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Ruocco Park will be held on Monday 3 October at 10am at 585 Harbor Lane (old Coral Reef restaurant).   The 3.3-acre park will be jointly funded by the Port and the Ruocco family.   The park will be located along the waterfront west of Pacific Highway and south of Harbor Drive and is currently called the Harbor Seafood Mart.   The site now consists of a parking lot and a building that will be demolished to build the park.   For additional information www.portofsandiego.org/ruocco-park.html. 

Downtown Sound Bites

This monthly event will be held on Tuesday 4 October from noon to 1pm at the Sheila R. Hardin Downtown Information Center (DIC).  It will feature a speaker covering topics of interest to downtown with a question and answer period to follow the presentation.  No reservations are required to attend these free monthly meetings at the DIC, located in Horton Plaza on Level One (above CVS pharmacy).  Lunch is not provided but you are encouraged to bring your own.   Information at www.ccdc.com.

Auto Show in the Gaslamp Quarter

From 11am-4pm on Sunday 9 October the third annual Fifth Avenue Auto Showcase will be held.   Last year’s show was attended by about 15,000 people who were able to view:

• Italian exotics
• Detroit muscle cars
• American legends
• special Interest cars
• woodies
• motorcycles

They are all displayed along Fifth Avenue set against the backdrop of the Gaslamp Quarter’s Victorian architecture.  The event is free and for more information http://gaslamp.org/fifth-avenue-auto-showcase.

Benefit Walk At The Zoo

Starting at 7:30am on Saturday 15 October the sixth annual Walk on the Wild Side will take place entirely within the zoo.   There is a choice of two courses:

• 1.5 miles mostly flat
• 2.5 miles hilly

The event is free as long as each participate raises at least $100 ($50 for under 13 years) in pledges by Monday 3 October.   All money raised will go to help koalas in the wild and those living at the San Diego Zoo.   Prizes for the following will be given:

• top three individual money raisers
• top three team money raisers
• most creative team name
• largest team

For additional information or to register www.sandiegozoo.org/walk.

Downtown Book Club

The club will meet on Monday 17 October at 7:30pm in the South Tower Lounge of Horizons at 510 First Avenue.   It usually meets on the third Monday of each month except for June - September.   For more information about the book club contact Heather Forward, humblef@aol.com or Pat Getzel, pbgetzel@cox.net

Monster Bash Returns To The Gaslamp Quarter

The largest Halloween party in San Diego will be held as usual on the last Saturday in October in the Gaslamp Quarter.   The eleventh annual Monster Bash will run from 6pm to midnight on Saturday 29 October.   Eight blocks of the Gaslamp Quarter will be shut down for the largest Halloween block party in Southern California.   The main entrance will be at 6th Avenue and Market Street.   As usual there will be a costume contest with a prize of $3,000 cash.   You must be 21 and have a valid ID to prove it in order to enter the venue.   The Monster Bash wristband acts as a ticket to food and drink specials as well as free cover into many of downtown’s nightclubs and hotspots.  Regular admission is $30 in advance or $35 at the event.  A VIP admission package is also available.    For more information or to purchase tickets 233-5008/5090 / www.sandiegomonsterbash.com / www.mcfarlanepromotions.com.

November Details

New Musical Comedy At The Lyceum

Starting on Saturday 5 November and running through Sunday 4 December the San Diego Repertory Theatre will present The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the Lyceum Stage.   This musical is about:

• adultery
• spray cheese
• road kill
• kleptomania
• strippers.

The musical numbers include:

• blues
• gospel
• country
• rock
• disco.

For more information or for tickets 544-1000 (Tuesday-Sunday noon-6pm) / www.sdrep.org.

Downtown News 

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) For Wine Bar

Vineagogo has requested that CCDC issue to them a CUP number 2011-48 to allow them to open a wine bar at 235 West Market Street (corner Union Street) in the Pinnacle Marina (Museum) Tower.   There will be a public hearing held, although a date has not yet been determined.   Prior to the public hearing the request will be presented to the Centre City Advisory Committee (CCAC) for consideration.   The CCAC will then make a recommendation to the Hearing Officer at CCDC.   The public is invited to participate fully in the process and their comments will be taken into consideration by CCDC and CCAC.   CCAC meeting dates, times and location can be obtained from the chair, Bill Keller at bill@letravelstore.com.   For at least ten business days notice of the hearing at CCDC contact the project planner, Lorena Cordova 533-7171 / cordova@ccdc.com.

Cortez Hill Family Center Addition Gets Occupancy Permit

The YWCA-operated Cortez Hill Family Center, 1449 Ninth Avenue at Beech Street, a facility for homeless families, has received its final occupancy permit for a $4.1 million, 6,000-square-foot addition that increased the building’s size by about 30% to 25,000 square feet.   The project included construction of multi-purpose rooms and office space, food preparation and dining facilities along with installation of security features and landscape. CCDC has again shown that it is fully committed to meeting the needs of all of San Diego’s Downtown residents. The Cortez Hill Family Center provides comprehensive services to a population that needs support toward self-sufficiency.  The Cortez Hill Family Center site, which has a 150-client capacity, offers a temporary, 120-day, safe haven and important resources.  While at the center, parents receive case management services, counseling, medical care, legal and job placement assistance.  Their children attend local public schools.  Nearly 60 percent of Cortez Hill Family Center residents find permanent housing upon completing the program.  Funding for the project was provided by:

• San Diego City Redevelopment Agency (nearly $3.4 million)
• Community Development Block Grant allocations ($287,000)
• private donations ($270,000)
• Money saved during the first phase of the site’s rehabilitation.

Vintage Trolley Running On The Silver Line Downtown

The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) on Thursday 18 August unveiled a fully restored 1946 streetcar that will carry riders on a new loop through downtown.   The Art Deco-style vehicle once traversed the streets of San Francisco and is one of six that the MTS plans to eventually restore.  It was basically a rusty shell when discovered in 2003 in South Lake Tahoe.  For six years, volunteers and rail experts spent more than 3,000 hours and $850,000 to meticulously restore the vintage streetcar.   The restored trolley will operate on weekends and certain holidays from 10am to 2pm starting on a special downtown circuit called the Silver Line, a clockwise loop starting at the 12th & Imperial Transit Station and running to America Plaza, east on C Street to City College before returning to 12th & Imperial.   The car has been retrofitted to conform with modern requirements, but the fare -- $2 for all but seniors, who will pay $1 -- recalls an earlier time.   It is olive green and pale yellow, with a brown roof and thick black stripe along the side.  Welcoming messages are written along the side, like "Ride & Relax,'' "Tops in Transportation,'' and "Comfort.''   It was in poor condition when first obtained and wires needed to be replaced, and when workers poked around the innards of the vehicle, asbestos was discovered and had to be carefully removed.   The streetcars of the type that was restored were built by the Saint Louis Car Company from 1936 to 1952.   For more information http://sdvintagetrolley.com.

New Director Named For Clean & Safe Program (C&SP)

Loofbourrow

Ryan Loofbourrow, who recently left the Downtown Sacramento Partnership as director of community services after 14 years, has become the new director of the C&SP.   The C&SP was established eleven years ago to improve the appearance of downtown streets and enhance public safety.  The C&SP is under the Downtown San Diego Partnership but separately funded.   The C&SP is funded via assessment of all property owners in the served areas and the partnership is funded by voluntary membership.  Loofbourrow’s accomplishments during his tenure in Sacramento included reducing public intoxication calls by more than 80 percent since 2005, housing 314 homeless individuals since 2005 and establishing a 24-hour graffiti abatement program.  He also served on political advocacy committees working on issues such as graffiti abatement and ending chronic homelessness.  Loofbourrow graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies.   For more information www.downtownsandiego.org.

Museum of Art Offers Docent Training Program

The San Diego Museum of Art is looking for individuals interested in attending its docent training program, a two-year continuous program with entrance periods in September and January.   Classes meet twice a week from September through May.   The course covers a broad history of art, while focusing on works of art in the museum’s permanent collection.   In addition, the training curriculum emphasizes a study of techniques and strategies for touring adults, children, and individuals with special needs.   To prepare for participation in museum outreach programs, docents-in-training learn to give PowerPoint presentations.   The course includes lectures by docents, museum staff, curators and local scholars as well as field-trips to related regional exhibitions.   The next two-year training program will begin in January 2012.   Classes are held at The San Diego Museum of Art on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1-4pm.   Upon completion, new docents must contribute a minimum of eight touring hours monthly.   Those interested should email Ruth Broudy, manager of the program, at rbroudy@sdmart.org.

Port Panel Approves North Embarcadero Contract

The Board of Port Commissioners has approved a $1.7 million contract with Arcadis US for construction and management services for the first phase of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan (NEVP).  The first phase of the plan incorporates an area from the Navy Pier north to the B Street Pier, as well as a portion of West Broadway, from North Harbor Drive east to just beyond Pacific Highway.  The cost of Phase I is $28.6 million.  The NEVP is a joint project of the Port of San Diego, CCDC. and the city of San Diego.  It is meant to enliven North Harbor Drive, from the G Street Mole to Laurel Street, with:

• widened esplanades
• public gathering spaces
• enhanced landscaping
• public art
• improved roadways.

Arcadis US is a Colorado construction management firm with a local office in San Diego.  The Port will shortly begin advertising for bids for the project’s construction.  A construction contract is expected to be awarded at a special Board of Port Commissioners meeting in late October.   For additional information www.portofsandiego.org.

Convention & Visitors Bureau (ConVis) to Move to Symphony Towers

The Convention & Visitors Bureau is moving its headquarters to Symphony Towers in Downtown, leasing 20,000 square feet in the building.   The move is set for October 2011.  ConVis has been leasing a 14,000-square-foot retail building in Little Italy for the past five years.  Symphony Towers has the University Club which may help to showcase San Diego County as a premier business destination.   For additional information www.sandiego.org.

Recurring Events 

Little Italy Association Meeting

The Little Italy Association Board of Directors’ Meetings are open to the public.  They discuss the Little Italy Association's general business, upcoming events and downtown issues.  This monthly meeting is usually held on the first Tuesday at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Hall, 1654 State Street at 8:30am.   For more information Chris Gomez 233-3898 / www.littleitalysd.com/events.asp.

Gaslamp Quarter Monthly Self-guided Tour

On the third Wednesday of each month starting at 5pm and ending at 8pm the Gaslamp Locals Lifestyle & Design Tour will take place.  This new tour will showcase the Gaslamp Quarter's shops, boutiques and galleries.   During this event there will be:

• live demonstrations
• home décor and hardware specials
• wine classes
• unique fashion opportunities
• an array of gifts available
• unique pet products available
• eyewear
• lingerie
• Pilates
• spa treatments
• info about sexual health
• acupuncture

There will be more than 30 participating locations in and around the Gaslamp Quarter.  The suggested starting point for the tour is the corner of Fourth and Island Avenues in the pocket park at the William Heath Davis House (Gaslamp Museum), 410 Island Avenue, where you can pick up a map and register to win prizes.  For additional information www.gaslamp.org/locals-lifestyle-design-tour. 

Lunch & Learn Series

The Downtown Sound Bites Speaker Series is held on the first Tuesday of every month from noon-1pm at the Sheila Hardin Downtown Information Center (DIC) in Horton Plaza.  The DIC is located just above the CVS drug store between Victoria's Secret and Sam Goody's.  You are asked to bring your own lunch to this free event and then listen and learn from a variety of interesting speakers all of whom will approach issues that are important to downtown's future.  A question and answer period will follow each presentation. The event sponsor is CCDC and further information can be found at www.ccdc.com. 

Monthly For Sale Condo Tour

Free walking tour of downtown condominiums that are for sale.   They are usually held on the first Sunday of each month by local real estate agents Margaret Irving and Ryan Johnstone.   They cover information about the various downtown neighborhoods as well as the condominium developments.  Reservations are required as space is limited to 10 participants.  For reservations 246-8400 / citybythesea92101@gmail.com.   There will be a tour on Sunday 4 September beginning at 1pm.

Coffee with CCDC

This bi-monthly event toggles between either the first Thursday evening (February, June & October) or the first Friday morning (April, August & December) each even numbered month.  It is held at the Sheila Hardin Downtown Information Center (DIC) in Horton Plaza.   It is a good chance to learn what is happening with the redevelopment agency arm of the City of San Diego.   It is held in all even numbered months.   For more information www.ccdc.com. 

Horizons' Book Club

On the third Monday of each month, not to include the summer, the group usually meets in the Horizons' South Tower Lounge, 510 First Avenue, at 7:30pm to discus the current club book selection.   All are welcome to attend and help create a lively discussion.   For additional information or to find out what book is currently to be covered: Heather Forward hhumblef@aol.com / Pat Getzel pbgetzel@cox.net.

Critical Mass Monthly Bicycle Ride

San Diego Critical Mass is a loosely affiliated group of over 700 bicycle riders that take over San Diego streets and public rights of way to conduct a group bike ride on the last Friday of every month.  The group meets at the large fountain in Balboa Park in front of the Ruben H. Fleet Theatre / Science Center and the National History Museum at 7pm and participants should be prepared for up to 20 miles of riding.  The ride may go in any direction from the fountain but usually goes through downtown.   Additional information at www.sdcriticalmass.com. 

Police Captain's Community Outreach Meeting

The Commander of the San Diego Police Department's (SDPD) Central Division, Captain Mark Jones, holds a bimonthly meeting with the public to address problems and provide information on what the division is doing to keep us safe.   The meeting is usually well attended and lasts about one and a half hours.   The meeting is always on the fourth Tuesday of each odd numbered month at 5:30pm at the SDPD's Central Division Headquarters, 2501 Imperial Avenue.   For additional information www.sandiego.gov/police/neighborhood/ccm.shtml. 

Walk San Diego Luncheon

Walk San Diego holds a bi-monthly luncheon at the Downtown Information Center (DIC) on the third Friday from noon to 1pm.   The luncheon is free but a donation of $7 is suggested.   The title of the presentation will be posted on their Internet site.   Reservations are requested.  Reservations to Cynthia Offenhauer coffenhauer@walksandiego.org.  More information www.walksandiego.org. 

Athenaeum Jacobs Mini-Concerts

Alternating Mondays, for most of the year, noon to 1pm at the Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, admission free.   Food & beverages are allowed in the theatre during concerts.   Fifteen free Mini-Concerts are presented at the Lyceum each year.   These concerts are made possible in part, thanks to funding from the City of San Diego through a program managed by the Commission for Arts and Culture and the County of San Diego.   For additional information (858)-454-5872.  The 2011 date through the summer is 23 May.

Free Downtown Tours

Monthly Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Free Period & Tours

On the third Thursday each month the MCA, 1100 Kettner Blvd, will open its doors from 5-7pm to the public to allow free admission.   Visitors can browse anywhere in the museum on their own or join an organized tour that will begin at 5pm and 6pm.  For additional information (858)-454-3541 / www.mcasd.org. 

Sofia Hotel Downtown Walking Tours

Each Saturday and Sunday the Sofia Hotel offers complimentary guided two mile walking tours of downtown that include the Gaslamp Quarter and the bay front area.  The tours are open to all and not just guests of the hotel.  No reservations are needed and the tours leave from the lobby of the hotel at 9am.  The Sofia Hotel is at 150 West Broadway at the corner of Front Street.   For additional information 234-9200.

CCDC Downtown Bus Tours

Free Downtown bus tours offer close-up views of downtown's unique neighborhoods and highlight recently completed and upcoming new projects.   All tours begin at the Sheila Hardin Downtown Information Center (DIC), 193 Horton Plaza, just above the CVS drug store between Victoria's Secret and Sam Goody's.  Reservations are required, please call 235-2222 for reservations or further information.

Masthead

All items in this publication are the opinion of the writer of the piece.   Any item without a named author is the responsibility of the editor.   Any submissions for inclusion in this publication should be submitted to the editor via email within the body of a message (not as an attachment).   All telephone numbers are in the 619 area code unless otherwise noted.   To subscribe or unsubscribe to this publication please email the editor, Stan Marder stan@gaslampquarter.org.  Publisher: San Diego Mesa Company (SDMC), 550 Front Street #2804, San Diego California 92101-7105.