Ocean Beach’s rapid gentrification

[FlyerInHi]

Nobody ever offers me any drugs. I was told like I look like a narc. Really hurts my feelings. I heard there’s a marijuana dealer in my building.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=FlyerInHi]Nobody ever offers me any drugs. I was told like I look like a narc. Really hurts my feelings. I heard there’s a marijuana dealer in my building.[/quote]

drug dealers are dumb. The narc isn’t gonna look like a narc. It’s very rude of them to exclude you on that discriminatory manner .

[Hatfield]

Man, if you can’t find weed in OB, I don’t know what to tell you – it’s practically Amsterdam here! Ironically, I don’t partake anymore.

[gzz]

More new businesses in OB:

13. One of the antique stores on Newport is being replaced by a fancy wine place and a yoga studio.

14. The long-vacant lot on Sunset Cliffs and Voltaire that nearly became a gas station is getting a pretty office/retail complex that will have Evo vegetarian restaurant as one of the tenants and a fair amount of parking. The 2nd floor will be offices, the first floor retail.

15. The 76 gas station is going from having a crappy old building and a long-vacant repair shop to having a modern convenience store area.

16. A new wine bar opened on Newport Ave about 2 months ago. Looks very nice from walking by, but I have not been there yet.

17. The site of the old OB Water Store, by the Bacon St entrance to Robb Field, seems to be some sort of charter school. Someone told me they also have a program for disabled children. The building was gut-renovated. OB Water Store is now located in the strip mall with Grocery Outlet one mile away in Loma Portal.

18. Some high-end beachfront townhouses finished construction about three months ago after 5+ years of planning and permitting.
http://veerliving.com/

[Hatfield]

I’ve lived in OB for the past 25 years and own three houses here, and I’ve seen a few cycles of ups and downs.

Apple Tree Market was no great loss. The owner was an asshole, and half the stuff on their shelves was expired. Seriously, the worst supermarket in town. Good riddance. I would have loved for another market to come in, but CVS is better than an empty building, It will be interesting to see if/what the Apple Tree owner does in the new location. I don’t have high hopes.

The owner of the optometry shop on Newport keeps buying up commercial real estate and squeezing out tenants. Not sure how that’s all going to play out.

Those three town homes at the end of West Point Loma will hopefully be the last of their kind that get built in OB. I’m not a fan of the ones at the foot of Saratoga either.

Traffic in and out has always sucked in summertime. Catalina is your friend.

OB is one of the last old-school beach towns left in California, and its reputation and the airport are probably the only things keeping it that way.

[FlyerInHi]

I don’t see anything rapid about gentrification in OB.

In comparison, hillcrest, northpark and east village were more rapid.

[ltsddd]

19. South Beach Bar & Grille – Serving the best fish tacos in San Diego.

[meadandale]

[quote=ltsdd]19. South Beach Bar & Grille – Serving the best fish tacos in San Diego.[/quote]

Meh…

Cash only, 14oz “pints”, horrible service. They rely a lot on their location and a nearly mythical reputation that they haven’t actually merited in years.

I lived in OB for 8 years and have visited this place a hundred times. It wouldn’t even be in my top 20 places to go these days.

[gzz]

My first time there a big pina colada slipped out of my hand and shattered on the floor, and the waitress just giggled a bit and handed a replacement to me (no charge) in under 3 minutes.

Avoid taco tuesday though, you may be waiting 45 minutes in a loud crowd to get your food. They do warn you of this in advance.

[spdrun]

Cash only, 14oz “pints”, horrible service.

Cash only is a good thing. Less money for the bankster scum.

[meadandale]

[quote=spdrun]

Cash only, 14oz “pints”, horrible service.

Cash only is a good thing. Less money for the bankster scum.[/quote]

I rarely carry cash when I dine out. It’s a hassle.

Note that it’s also easier to cook your books and cheat on your business taxes…just saying.

[livinincali]

[quote=meadandale]
Cash only, 14oz “pints”, horrible service. They rely a lot on their location and a nearly mythical reputation that they haven’t actually merited in years.
[/quote]

For anybody that cares it’s not cash only anymore. I do remember when they were indeed one of the best fish tacos in town but now there’s just so many other places doing quality fish tacos.

[spdrun]

I rarely carry cash when I dine out. It’s a hassle.

Note that it’s also easier to cook your books and cheat on your business taxes…just saying.

I usually carry cash. Learned that the hard way after the 2003 NYC blackout and then Sandy. And I’d also never tip with a credit card. Too much risk of the tips being stolen by management.

Frankly, if people cheat on taxes, it’s none of my business. I’m not law enforcement, and I consider it everyone’s prerogative to choose their own level of honesty.

I don’t think a society where crime is impossible is desirable.

[ltsddd]

[quote=livinincali][quote=meadandale]
Cash only, 14oz “pints”, horrible service. They rely a lot on their location and a nearly mythical reputation that they haven’t actually merited in years.
[/quote]

For anybody that cares it’s not cash only anymore. I do remember when they were indeed one of the best fish tacos in town but now there’s just so many other places doing quality fish tacos.[/quote]

Do you care to share what those places are? I have tried the little taco shop across from soutbeach and was quite disappointed & don’t even waste your $ on the one that sits on the other end of the block. It’s ironic that the best fish tacos I’ve had is at SB (grilled mahi mahi & baja/pollock) & a close second is brigantine; and not at any of those “authentic” mexican taco shops.

[meadandale]

[quote=ltsdd][quote=livinincali][quote=meadandale]
Cash only, 14oz “pints”, horrible service. They rely a lot on their location and a nearly mythical reputation that they haven’t actually merited in years.
[/quote]

For anybody that cares it’s not cash only anymore. I do remember when they were indeed one of the best fish tacos in town but now there’s just so many other places doing quality fish tacos.[/quote]

Do you care to share what those places are? I have tried the little taco shop across from soutbeach and was quite disappointed & don’t even waste your $ on the one that sits on the other end of the block. It’s ironic that the best fish tacos I’ve had is at SB (grilled mahi mahi & baja/pollock) & a close second is brigantine; and not at any of those “authentic” mexican taco shops.[/quote]

This story is about the canonical fish taco so has limited value if you are looking for grilled swordfish tacos (that’s what SB excelled at: things like shark/swordfish/shrimp) but it is still a good read:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/04/best-fish-taco-san-diego_n_5607927.html

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