20 For 20 in San Diego

Posted on January 29, 2021

by Andrew Bernhardt

I’ve been reflecting on my past 20 years here in San Diego. Thinking about how I’ve surpassed my tenure in LA which was an 18 year run. And wanted to share a top 20 list of sorts. For commentary on what I think makes San Diego the greatest city to call home.

Currently typing this one out……

20) The Newscasters

In honor of one of the most identifiable movies that highlights several of the finer sides that San Diego has to offer, I had to start the conversation off with an Anchorman reference. I’ve had some fun times playing on local news shows on KUSI and Fox Rox back around 2005 with Cape May. And the news channels in general have a more quaint small town feel vs what I grew up with in LA. But they’ve definitely graduated in production quality over the years.

Fox 5 News in the AM is probably our go-to these days. As Raul, Shelly, Chrissy and the crew always seem to keep the humor vibrant and the weight light. Never though I’d rate Fox News highly on any list, but the local content is completely different from their political leaky faucet-like drip channel.

“You stay classy, San Diego”

19) The Weather

Flipping through your favored weather app on your phone can be pretty revealing when you configure it for various cities around the world. The San Diego swipe will likely have the most sun consistently, while maintaining and ideal average temp around 75 degrees.

And the benefits of not having major elevation changes from the beach areas inward towards the valleys. Or running North and South, make for really stable conditions ranging from North County to South County.

“May gray” and “June gloom” are definitely a thing here. But it’s an endearing part of the climate.

18) The Schools

I can still vividly remember receiving my college admission letters. I scored approval from San Diego State University as well as San Marcos State University. And surprisingly slid in with a 3.0 GPA and SAT of 1060 which I don’t believe would work these days. But a senior year surf trip on the Surfliner train and a wild TJ daytime quick jaunt is what sealed the deal for wanting to make the move. My early-on surf sessions in Mission Beach, PB Point, Scripps and Blacks were times that made you feel like this is the place you don’t want to leave.

Without the great schools being here, I wouldn’t be living here. Wouldn’t have met my amazing wife here, and so on.

I only ventured over to UCSD to surf at first, but over time grew to love the La Jolla part of San Diego. Each school zone providing for its own sub culture and slew of benefits with nearby food and fun times.

Now that we have 2 kids, the school needs turn to them. And I’m so proud to be able to witness their growth as they are able to attend some great schools in the Point Loma area.

17) The Neighboorhoods

Speaking of neighborhoods like Point Loma, La Mesa, Pacific Beach, South Park, Mission Beach, Serra Mesa, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, Leucadia, Ocean Beach – I’ve been lucky to live in each of these neighborhoods for either short or long runs of time. Each provides its own charm and micro-culture that carries a level of pride while you reside.

Its somewhat reminiscent of San Francisco and New York in that way where you seek to live in a section that feels well aligned with your interests. And the varied neighborhood sections definitely provide the ability to progress over time.

Building a mental map if every twist and turn has been a fun part of getting to know this city over the past 20 years. I still don’t know where the heck to go on certain streets in Golden Hill. Even with Google Maps and the various apps, you can get lost quickly if you want to.

16) The Restaurants

San Diego is definitely a food lover’s town.

While Naomi was running Marketing for Sadie Rose Baking Co, we were able to attend numerous food events. Which simultaneously drew us to checking out all sorts of different eats. This is a young city with guys and girls that like to eat out and have a fun time. And part of that neighborhood charm I was mentioning, is the food scene that draws you to check out different areas.

Its hard to choose, but I’d rank Little Italy as the best location to find an aggregated amount of many of the best grind spots in San Diego. If I were to take a client out for an ideal dinner location, it would be Little Italy as its nearby the airport and centrally located within the city. Same goes for a date night with my Babe.