History Of Downtown San Diego

Use to go downtown alot on the bus with my Mom, from late 50s to early 70s. It was a great place to go exciting. Neon lights were everywhere. Lots of eating places and stores. The El Cortez also had a escalator across the street. Banks were beautiful. So many service men. If we we're lucky West take a cab home.

My Grandma's house was on the corner of 1st and Fir. Big 2 story with a basement apartment. Uncle Russ, (tv kid show) used to rent a room from her. My future Dad rented a room and met my Mom there. Jets flying over the house, you could see heads in the windows. The 1960's were special there for this little kid.

Nice video! I actually learned a few things. I lived at the El Cortez in 2006...I didn't find it THAT "luxurious" as far as a place to live, but the lobby and reception areas were pretty elegant/modern looking.

I remember my mother showing me an old blueprint of what they had planned for the city of San Diego in the 1960s and 70s and it had Balboa Park extending all the way to current day Waterfront Park. I personally would like to see this vision revisited and more green areas brought to the city.

I remember when San Diego back in 1968 had two movie theaters at the center of downtown when a friend and I came down from the L.A. and bummed around. I believe one was the Cabrillo, not sure of the other one next to it. They were open 24 hours a day showing triple features. These were up on Broadway on the right side near the center of town. At the lower end of Broadway was the Spreckels Theater, not sure if they kept this one as I have not been downtown San Diego since the late 1970's. I was stationed in the Navy for two years at Imperial Beach and would often come up and park at a parking lot at the bottom of Broadway and walk up to the theaters. There used to be a Coffee shop just before the two theaters which I think was the Belloc, but I might have the name wrong. It was on Broadway on the right side. I have noticed that a Mall was built back in the 1980's, not sure where, but it has pretty much died and had a wierd layout. I like old building, so hopefully many will be saved in downtow San Diego.

I stayed here in 1974 while in the Navy it was a nice place to stay

There has been so much new building in downtown. Although that has brought people and prosperity, what's left of the old must be saved. I'm glad the El Cortez has been saved by condoing it. I remember in my teens shopping in San Diego Hardware. Nobody had thought about inventing a tourist Gaslamp Quarter. Thank goodness the train station is still there. It's a landmark.

I was solely responsible for revitalizing downtown back in the 1980s.

Talking about the 1800's when I got there in 1977 it was like the 1800's again tell the real story. We rented a room in that Grand Hotel for next to nothing. Other sailors had other stories. Still San diego, Ca was great place to come up in my 20's.

My father was an appraiser for "Percy H. Goodwin Real Estate Co." in the early 60's.  I have fond memories of going into the downtown office on occasional weekends.  My Dad would let me type on his state of the art "electric typewriter"!  We'd have lunch @ WOOLWORTH'S, do some shopping, &  we'd always see a movie @ "THE FOX"!

You failed to show Broadway from First to India. The Seven Seas Centers was the dominant business and had as many, if not more customers than 4th and Broadway, to 12th st. I know. I was part of that innovative development which has been hopelessly ignored by the elegant, core business such as Marstons and Lyons!

The video is very old. I grew up there and am quite familiar with the landmarks. I remember the Grant’s renovation; truly grand. And Gaslamp in the 1970’s. And yes, the Sky Room. The El Cortez at that time was the only place you could see the planes landing at the airport.

I was instumental in helping downtown San Diego clean up down town San Diego in the early to mid 80's. THe company I worked for bought several locations downtown and turned them over to the city. I'd like to see the city STAY in the "Gas Lamp" mode and all history with it. There are SEVERAL buildings downtown that have the old metal ceilings coverd up by drywall and drop ceilings. It would be nice to renew them. Many are right on 5th where my office was...still is but hidden!

nice thanks

I remember when the travelator the moving sidewalk was being removed I was doing some work there and there still was a smart restaurant there sat an old time hollywood star one of the kings of monster movies, John let's call him. I also had a chance to ride up to the penthouse and see some of the inside of that Old grand hotel.

So many untruths....Late 1800's San Diego was like so many Tartarian port cities....Elegant,grandiose, technogically advanced, with smalls canals running into the city from the ports. Mudflood buildings everywhere ; )

I don't care much for sports but I am from San Diego and I know SD NFL fans want a football team. One that wins too

mannn you got tha right down there on the corner of the end of building's by the RR track's, it was always a nice looking place. at least the pickwick hotel is still there thank God for that one,,, they redid the entryway but too aall the detail stuff out of it and now it looks like a plain ol sally rand hotel that could be anything instead of the classy place it was yrs ago. go to the st francis hotel orchestra youll see what im talking about total class yrs ago.

where was the bull pen?

I love you Ken Kramer