On this date, in 2007, the Wilcox family arrived in San Diego. We had left the Washington, DC-metro area to be close to my aged father-in-law, who luckily found us an apartment one block from his place. Our presence meant that in January 2017 he could pass way at age 95 in his own bed, rather than in some sterile institution.
The city is hardly recognizable from the one we moved to. San Diego seemed sleepy, small town-like for the size. Communities were tight knit, even with the massive number of renters; congestion was a rare occurrence on the roadways; neighborhood streets were wide; housing architecture was surprisingly varied and charming; and homeowners kept attractive green spaces, among many other attractive attributes, with the three-summer season weather being among them.
Communities are more fractured today, for many different reasons. The political divide between conservatives and liberals surely is among them (like so many other large cities). Related: Contrasting values that pit neighbors against one another—with accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—being among them. Stated differently: the NIMBYs vs YIMBYs (not in my back yard; yes, in my back yard). Some citizens strive to preserve the character of the neighborhoods, while others advocate building in them as many multi-unit residences as possible.
As high rises replace single-family lots and tower over streets lined with Craftsman—and other rustic-style—homes, streets are more congested with cars; the city removes parking spaces in favor of roundabouts and bike lanes, while no longer requiring on-site parking for new residential buildings within a half mile of a bus (or trolley) stop.
San Diego government is obsessed with increasing population density, despite the infrastructure burden. As such, rush hour traffic jams slow the daily commute. Where once on a weekday afternoon, you could drive almost anywhere in the city within minutes, choke points along congested corridors could mean driving hours instead.
Reasonable rents are gone, as is the hope of any typical San Diegan buying a home. City planners insist that building more residences will make housing more affordable. The opposite is true. New apartments typically cost thousands more to rent, which raises the market rate by which local landlords decide what to charge.
The changes were sudden, starting around 2019. The mayor and city council are on a quest to change the city. They are succeeding, turning it into one part Little San Fransico and another Little Los Angeles—and that’s not good. Cost of living by every meaningful measure is exponentially higher six years later (and even more so 18 years later). The number of homeless is way up during that time period. San Diego government is so well managed that it operates with a $258 million budget deficit. City’s financial solution: Raise parking fees and aggressively ticket vehicles.
Had enough? I have. That’s enough celebration by complaining for one evening.
The Featured Image demonstrates some of the still remaining city charm: How residents use outdoor space—in this instance displaying art along an alley-side fence. This one comes from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on Sept. 16, 2025. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 50, 1/400 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 8:43 a.m. PDT. Composed as shot.