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A very brief history of San Diego, California, USA.

[Most of the links in this section will open a new page from a separate website]. California: About 175 years ago. As the San Diego community grew in the new state of California, a government surveyor named Andrew Gray (1820-1862) recognized that the best place for a seaside city was on our bay. William Heath Davis (1822-1909), from San Francisco, agreed. Davis and a small group of businessmen purchased one hundred and sixty acres (up to what is now Front and Broadway), for just over two-thousand dollars. They named it New Town (as to differentiate it from Old Town), and planned out fifty-six blocks around downtown's first park, Pantoja Plaza, named for Spanish explorer Don Juan Pantoja y Arriaga, who first surveyed & charted San Diego Bay in 1782. Pantoja Park still remains today, in the Marina District surrounded by condos such as Park Row, Marina Park, The Watermark and Columbia Place. The park is registered as the 7th San Diego Historic Landmark. Davis purchased 14 prefabricated houses, built in New England, and also constructed a wharf and warehouse in preparation of the anticipated residents and shipping opportunities. Unfortunately, an economic depression followed. While events of his day did not permit Davis to achieve his dream, his ideas were a premonition as to what would occur in years to come. Of the original fourteen houses, one still exists at the corner of Fourth and Island, now a museum by the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation.

Alonzo Erastus Horton (1813-1909) purchased 960 acres of New Town within one month of arriving in San Diego. Total cost: $264, or 27.5 cents per acre. Horton created a grid of streets with small blocks, without alleys, allowing for a larger number of (more valuable) corner lots to be sold. The first real estate boom was under way! The price of downtown lots doubled and tripled over and over. New Town was established as the physical, social and economic hub of San Diego. Horton House, built where the U.S. Grant Hotel is now located, was one of the finest hotels of the day. In addition to being president of the first Bank of San Diego, he also donated land for a small town square that became Horton Plaza Park.

San Diego's first electric street lights were installed downtown in 1886, and trolley lines began operating in 1888, with over thirty-seven miles of track. Elegant office buildings dotted Fifth Avenue where the region's business occurred during the day. South of Market Street, however, several blocks of bawdy houses, gin joints, gambling halls and opium dens, known as the Stingaree district, provided the night life. The area today is part of the historic Gaslamp Quarter.

With his Tombstone days behind him, Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) showed up in San Diego, investing heavily from 1885 to 1887. Earp owned or leased four saloons and gambling halls; the most famous was the Oyster Bar, located in the Louis Bank Building on Fifth Avenue.

The late 1890s ushered in a difficult period for San Diego. The city's struggling economy owed much of the following recovery to a wealthy businessman named John D. Spreckels. He came to downtown in 1887 for a visit from his home in San Francisco. He made his visit permanent. In downtown, Spreckels was responsible for a great deal of growth. At one time, he owned most of the acreage south of Broadway. He purchased the streetcar system and changed it from horse-power to electricity. He also bought The San Diego Union and Tribune newspapers (merged in 1992). San Diego's cultural life benefited from his accomplishments as well, including the building of the landmark Spreckels Theatre. He also built the Hotel San Diego (demolished in 2006), and the Bank of America Building at Sixth and Broadway in 1927, the last building of any significance constructed until the 1970s, when interest in redevelopment in downtown San Diego resumed.

Here is a link to an old Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) Map, listing many of the then completed, planned, and planned but never built projects from the early 2000s, when most of the Internet wasn't as sophisticated as today. It may be interesting to some to view the developer renderings of the buildings.

I hope you enjoyed the above. Now it may be the right time for you to purchase a home in downtown San Diego with Lew Breeze as your guide! Text or call 619-846-5889 or email lew.breeze@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting!

Select 92101 Downtown San Diego Condominiums Currently For Sale | Condos that are in escrow (pending sale)

Broker Lew Breeze began his real estate career with HFS, a specialist in VA and HUD foreclosures, and created the now retired Repohome of the 1990's. As the distressed market waned Lew joined RE/MAX Metro in Middletown, which moved downtown as RE/MAX R.E. Consultants, where Lew became the #1 RE/MAX individual agent in downtown San Diego. In 2004 Lew opened his boutique real estate office in Little Italy while working with Dream Homes California. In 2014 Lew obtained his California Broker License, and now works independently on a referral basis from his home office in Downtown San Diego. Referrals are appreciated!


Asterisk on sq.ft.indicates the Actual Tax Assessor record and differs from the advertised figure on the MLS. You may find the following helpful: Size Matters Bosa | Size Matters Pinnacle | HOA Cost Increases Through The Years

Comments Condominium Neighborhood Asking Price Bd/Ba Sq.Ft. Unit HOA* Car PPSF Photos Listing Office
  The Mills (2004) Cortez Hill $335,000 Studio 446 #217 $487 1 $751 Det+Photos Joy Realty
NO PARKING Lofts at 777 by Del Mar Pacific Group in 2005 Gaslamp $425,000 Studio 544 #234 $497 0 $781 Det+Photos Redfin
NO PARKING Lofts at 777 by Del Mar Pacific Group in 2005 Gaslamp $450,000 Loft 656 #404 $510 0 $686 Det+Photos Exp Realty of California
LARGE PATIO Trellis by Intracorp in 2005 Gaslamp $459,900 Studio 441 #208 $546 1 $1042 Det+Photos Pemberley Realty
  Gaslamp City Square by Champion Development in 2004 Gaslamp $549,500 1 1.00 777 #6111 $520 1 $707 Virtual Tour Cabrillo Properties
WALKUP Park Blvd West by D.R. Horton in 2004 East Village $600,000 1 1.50 969 #1116 $528 1 $619 Det+Photos Top Producers R.E.
  Gaslamp City Square by Champion Development in 2006 Gaslamp $650,000 to $600,000 1 1.00 846 #514 $490 1 $768 Det+Photos Exp Realty of California
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pinnacle by Pinnacle Int'l in 2005 Marina District $649,000 1 1.00 669* #402 $1378 1 $970* Det+Photos RE/MAX City Life Real Estate
  Icon by Levin and Menzies in 2007 Ballpark $689,900 1 1.00 736 #2106 $722 1 $937 Virtual Tour Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
  Alta by Anka in 2007 Gaslamp $699,000 1 1.00 750 #1301 $725 1 $932 Det+Photos Coldwell Banker
  The Mark by Douglas Wilson in 2007 Ballpark $699,000 1 1.00 905 #1004 $752 1 $772 Det+Photos The Condo Showroom
  Acqua Vista by K Hovnanian Companies in 2004 Little Italy $699,900 2 1.00 822 #1057 $812 1V $851 Det+Photos The Equity Company
  Fahrenheit by Citymark in 2006 Ballpark $699,000 2 2.00 1046 #302 $550 1 $668 Det+Photos Keller Williams
  Crown Bay by Intracorp in 2002 Marina District $739,900 2 2.00 1023 #313 $584 1 $723 Det+Photos Equity RE - Pacific Coast
  Acqua Vista by K Hovnanian Companies in 2004 Little Italy $745,000 2 2.00 888 #613 $813 1V $839 Virtual Tour Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty
  Crown Bay by Intracorp in 2002 Marina District $749,000 2 2.00 965 #614 $539 2 $776 Det+Photos Oceanfront Realty
  Icon by Levin and Menzies in 2007 Ballpark $755,000 Loft 1049 #347 $742 1 $720 Det+Photos Keller Williams
SQ.FT ADVISORY Horizons by Bosa in 2002 Marina District $774,900 2 2.00 1156* #305 $1515 1 $670 Virtual Tour Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
*Not a 2 bedroom Treo by Intergulf in 2003 Columbia $774,999 1+Den 943 #506 $643 1 $822 Det+Photos Palisade Realty
  Cortez Blu (2006) Cortez Hill $775,000 2 2.00 1245 #202 $795 2 $622 Det+Photos Real Broker
  Meridian by Walter Smyk in 1985 Marina District $805,000 1 2.00 1200 #1508 $1482 1 $671 Virtual Tour Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
LARGE PATIO The Grande South by Bosa in 2004 Embarcadero $815,000 1 1.50 934 #307 $1476 1 $873 Det+Photos Hunter & Maddox Int'l Inc.
  Horizons by Bosa in 2002 Marina District $850,000 2 2.00 1402 #202 $1382 1 $606 Det+Photos Shawna Scott, Broker
  Horizons by Bosa in 2002 Marina District $850,000 2 2.00 1156 #405 $1515 2 $735 Det+Photos Shawna Scott, Broker
  Fahrenheit by Citymark in 2006 Ballpark $868,000 2 2.00 1317 #401 $629 2 $659 Det+Photos Compass
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pinnacle by Pinnacle Int'l in 2005 Marina District $874,900 2 2.00 911* #1006 $1434 2 $865* Virtual Tour Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
 *Not a 2 bedroom Park Place by Bosa in 2003 Marina District $899,000 1+Den 1013 #2006 $1241 2T $887 Det+Photos Pacific Coast Executive Realty
SQ.FT ADVISORY Horizons by Bosa in 2002 Marina District $925,000 2 2.00 1138* #205 $1306 1 $813* Det+Photos Hunter & Maddox Int'l Inc.
  Acqua Vista by K Hovnanian Companies in 2004 Little Italy $979,000 2 2.50 1305 #1707 $896 2V $750 Det+Photos Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty
Water View Pinnacle by Pinnacle Int'l in 2005 Marina District $979,000 2 2.00 968* #2102 $1442 2T $1011* Virtual Tour Compass
 SQ.FT ADVISORY Park Place by Bosa in 2003 Marina District $995,000 2 2.00 1186* #306 $1469 2T $839* Virtual Tour Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
  Park Place by Bosa in 2003 Marina District $1,029,000 2 2.00 1186 #406 $1448 2T $868 Det+Photos Shoreline Realty Group
 SQ.FT ADVISORY Park Place by Bosa in 2003 Marina District $1,049,000 2 2.00 1192* #1302 $1469 2T $880* Det+Photos Revilo Realty
 SQ.FT ADVISORY Electra by Bosa in 2007 Embarcadero $1,090,000 2 2.00 1055* #2202 $1475 1 $1033* Det+Photos San Diego Sunrise Realty
  The Mark by Douglas Wilson in 2007 Ballpark $1,100,000 2 2.00 1324 #1601 $815 2 $831 Det+Photos City Line Mortgage & Realty
SQ.FT ADVISORY Savina by Bosa in 2019 Columbia $1,137,500 2 2.00 1241* #603 $1101 2 $917* Virtual Tour Compass
  Meridian by Walter Smyk in 1985 Marina District $1.150,000 1 1.50 1460 #1206 $1600 1 $788 Det+Photos Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
  Electra by Bosa in 2007 Embarcadero $1,240,000 2 2.00 1315 #1901 $1493 2 $943 Det+Photos Hunter & Maddox Int'l
  Aria by Anka in 2008 Cortez Hill $1,259,000 2 2.00 1371 #2202 $889 2 $918 Det+Photos Compass
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pinnacle by Pinnacle Int'l in 2005 Marina District $1,275,000 to $1,225,000 2 2.00 1195* #1603 $1500 2T $1046* Virtual Tour BHGRE Clarity
1 condo, not an
entire house
Victorian House (2003) Little Italy $1,300,000 Loft 1286 #1 $497 1 $1010 Det+Photos BHGRE Brush & Associates
SQ.FT ADVISORY Savina by Bosa in 2019 Columbia $1,425,000 2 2.00 1386* #708 $1127 1 $1028* Det+Photos Douglas Elliman of California
Water View Horizons by Bosa in 2002 Marina District $1,496,000 2 2.00 1303* #1904 $1515 2 $1148* Virtual Tour Compass
SQ.FT ADVISORY The Grande South by Bosa in 2004 Embarcadero $1,498,000 2+Den 1514* #1201 $1527 2T $989* Virtual Tour Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty
 SQ.FT ADVISORY Park Place by Bosa in 2003 Marina District $1,499,900 2 2.00 1192* #2003 $1469 2 $1258* Det+Photos Compass
 SQ.FT ADVISORY Electra by Bosa in 2007 Embarcadero $1,579,000 2 2.00 1380* #2206 $1504 2 $1144* Det+Photos Compass
Water View The Harbor Club by Stark Leucadia in 1992 Marina District $1,634,900 2 2.00 1474 #3002 $1620 2 $1109 Det+Photos Compass
  Meridian by Walter Smyk in 1985 Marina District $1.649,000 2 2.50 2360 #601 $2006 2 $699 Virtual Tour Coldwell Banker
Water View The Harbor Club by Stark Leucadia in 1992 Marina District $1,650,000 2 2.00 1572 #2404 $1630 2 $1050 Virtual Tour Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
SQ.FT ADVISORY Savina by Bosa in 2019 Columbia $1,700,000 2 2.00 1241* #2203 $1101 1 $1370* Det+Photos Coldwell Banker
Water View Pinnacle by Pinnacle Int'l in 2005 Marina District $1,790,000 2 2.50 1509 #908 $1542 2 $1187 Det+Photos Compass
  Meridian by Walter Smyk in 1985 Marina District $1.850,000 2 2.00 1940 #1402 $1800 2 $954 Det+Photos Joseph M. Galascione, Broker
SQ.FT ADVISORY Park Place by Bosa in 2003 Marina District $1,875,000 2 2.00 1706 #2501 $1501 2 $1071 Det+Photos Pacific Coast Executive Realty
  Meridian by Walter Smyk in 1985 Marina District $1,895,000 2 2.50 1940 #1202 $1814 1 $977 Det+Photos Moderne Real Estate, Inc.
1% XFER FEE
WALKUP
Renaissance by Lambert Dev in 2003 Marina District $1,899,000 2 3.00 2150 #101 $1100 2 $884 Det+Photos Palisade Realty
SQ.FT ADVISORY The Legend by Bosa in 2007 Ballpark $2,000,000 3 2.50 1440* #212 $1596 2 $1389* Virtual Tour Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pacific Gate by Bosa in 2018 Embarcadero $2,145,000 2 2.00 1390 #3006 $1520 4 $1544* Det+Photos Compass
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pacific Gate by Bosa in 2018 Embarcadero $2,150,000 2 2.00 1806* #1402 $1889 2 $1191* Det+Photos SV Premier
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pinnacle by Pinnacle Int'l in 2005 Marina District $2,150,000 2 2.50 1537* #1101 $1578 2T $1399* Det+Photos Compass
SQ.FT ADVISORY
LARGE PATIOS
Savina by Bosa in 2019 Columbia $2,399,000 2 2.00 1618* #3304 $1183 2 $1482* Det+Photos Compass
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pacific Gate by Bosa in 2018 Embarcadero $2,438,100 2 2.50 1806* #1702 $1889 2T $1350* Det+Photos Antonyan Realty Group
Water View Meridian by Walter Smyk in 1985 Marina District $2.800,000 2 2.50 2220 #1805 $1943 1 $1261 Det+Photos Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty
SQ.FT ADVISORY The Grande North by Bosa in 2005 Embarcadero $2,650,000 2+Den 1803* #1801 $1250 2 $1470* Det+Photos Berkshire Hathaway Home Service
Water View The Harbor Club by Stark Leucadia in 1992 Marina District $3,100,000 3 2.50 2510 #2805/6 $3011 3 $1235 Det+Photos Peter A. Caccamise
Water View The Harbor Club by Stark Leucadia in 1992 Marina District $3,250,000 3 2.50 2510 #3305/6 $3011 3 $1295 Virtual Tour Peter A. Caccamise
Water View Pacific Gate by Bosa in 2018 Embarcadero $3,399,000 to $3,199,000 3 3.00 1770* #3201 $1879 2 $1920* Det+Photos Chew-Voss Real Properties, Inc.
SQ.FT ADVISORY Pacific Gate by Bosa in 2018 Embarcadero $3,695,000 to $3,495,000 3 3.00 2450* #3504 $2032 2 $1508 Virtual Tour Compass.
Water View The Harbor Club by Stark Leucadia in 1992 Marina District $4,495,000 4 4.50 4303 #3901 $1999 3 $1045 Virtual Tour Compass
Water View The Harbor Club by Stark Leucadia in 1992 Marina District $4,888,888 3 3.50 4303 #3902 $1808 3 $1136 Virtual Tour Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty
Water View The Harbor Club by Stark Leucadia in 1992 Marina District $5,695,000 3 4.00 4170 #3803 $3300 5 $1366 Virtual Tour Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty
Water View Pinnacle by Pinnacle Int'l in 2005 Marina District $6,150,000 3 4.50 3998* #3001/3004 $3364 4 $1538* Virtual Tour Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty
Find Your HOA Mgmnt Co. | Pets In The City | Historical Pricing Data 2006/2018 | Monthly Average High-End Condos | Average Price by Building: 2006-2018 | Size Matters: Accurate Bosa Condo Measurements | Size Matters: Accurate Pinnacle Measurements | HOA Rates: Then & Now | Heights
The following few links require a password:  Comparable Closes 2000-2020 | Considerations When Buying Preconstruction E-mail Lew Breeze for password.

Thank you for visiting SDCONDO, San Diego's original (since 1999) website resource for owners, buyers, and sellers in downtown San Diego. SDCONDO displays all the relevant and current information on the downtown San Diego market. As you have noticed, my website goes beyond the basics of the very general content provided by other real estate websites. I offer detailed information about our downtown San Diego real estate market, neighborhood descriptions (with a special Little Italy link), maps, walk scores,  and so much more. Downtown San Diego a great place to call home, I should know; It has been my home since 2001, as a resident in the Embarcadero, Marina, Little Italy neighborhoods. Chances are that the other "experts" you find on the Internet either do not live in Downtown San Diego. Should you work with someone who is not wholly vested in Downtown San Diego? I live and own at The Grande South. As a resident and Broker, I know the downtown better than most. SDCONDO is a team of one; I am a  highly trained real estate professional devoted to the detailed knowledge that only a true Downtown San Diego specialist could possess. My core knowledge and niche help create the foundation for the content found on the SDCONDO (did you know, I do all of this by hand, not an automated computer feed or hired programmer).

As Broker/Owner, I am dedicated to core Downtown San Diego specific knowledge, exceptional communication, and outstanding customer service. In order to be successful in our real estate market, both service and core knowledge need to be exceptional, but I couldn't do it without your referrals, which are always important and appreciated. Friends, clients, and fans of my site are are now more savvy and educated that ever, and will know more about Downtown San Diego than most other real estate agents.

SDCONDO provides exactly what a buyer or seller interested in Downtown San Diego Real Estate requires: easy to understand and specialized market content, simple and easy to use, no banner ads or outside advertising, and current and up to date rigorous content. Did you know I provide statistics that no broker, agent, or even real estate agency in the world possess? It's true. So spend some time on the site, and with your free password you will be in possession of more intimate knowledge than most real estate agents!

Email or call 619-846-5889 and let me know how I can assist you in downtown San Diego.

*Notes:

I do this by hand, so occasionally I have a typo or haven't added/removed a particular condo. If you do find a typo, I would not mind if you point it out to me.
A square foot advisory suggests that you need to be vigilant in your measurement of the property, to make sure the interior space matches the number you've been told it is. I can help you measure if you need assistance.
I do not include for sale by owner, or when seller has contracted for MLS entry only, or auction listings, or various random other units for sale.
The HOA dues shown are subject to change, and is a monthly fee.
Number of parking spaces is subject to buyer verification. T=Tandem, V=Valet, G=Garage.
HOA amount may include special assessments, if any.
Payment estimate is for people putting down ten percent of the purchase price.
Cost indications above are for P&I (principle loan payment (P) and interest payment (I)) only. For the payment calculation, I've used a down payment of 10%. If your down payment is different, your P&I will be different. If your down payment is less than 20%, you will have a PMI payment (Private Mortgage Insurance) as well. I will use current market rates, though as rates change, I do not change all of the properties to reflect that (only as I have time). In general, the interest rate quoted by a lender is lower than the actual APR (Annual Percentage Rate) you may receive. The APR reflects more than the simple interest rate; it also considers fees you would pay to obtain the loan, and is a method you can use to compare financing alternatives more easily (Regulation Z of the Federal Government Truth-in-Lending Act). You should speak with a professional lender to obtain more accurate figures, as the above payment indications are estimates only. Click the following links: General Table w/ Various Rates. If you do not have a mortgage professional, I would be happy to provide you with a list of lenders in which I know to be reputable. Currently using 3.75%, or 4.25% for Jumbo as May 2020.


Some of the data above is from San Diego Multiple Listing Service (SDMLS) for October 01, 2019 to today, and represents properties listed for sale by various brokers (see Listing Office).

REALTOR LEW BREEZE | Telephone (619) 846-5889 | Email lew.breeze@gmail.com | Downtown San Diego 92101 and La Jolla 92037 and Mt. Helix 91941

Copyright Lew Breeze. All rights reserved.