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Bayview Plaza’s Open House A Success
By Caroline Abkar, REALTOR | November 6th, 2019
The news of Protea turning a long-empty parking lot in Bay Park into a new mixed use development called Bayview Plaza, adjacent to the Clairemont Dr trolley station sparked a lot of conversations and questions amongst the community. The plan is not only to offer luxury apartments but also, affordable housing included on-site and a retail and community space that will be open to everyone. Naturally, when Protea announced their 4 hour open house in Bay Park, I attended so I could get some of your most pressing questions answered. I hope you enjoy the read and most importantly, that you share your thoughts and comments. In fact, Protea is very much all ears in listening to the community and will be following this blog post to make sure that your voices are heard!
Bayview Plaza Renderings
One of the first things I noticed walking into the open house was the sheer number of staff members that were present to greet the community. In addition to Protea’s president being on site, his entire team was, too. Everyone I spoke to was clearly passionate about the project and they kept asking for feedback. For instance, they had posters on the wall with all of their ideas, and asked people to vote for what they wanted to see and use color coded stickers; green sticker meant high priority, blue meant medium, and yellow was low priority. But first, let’s talk about the concept.
Mission Bay Visitor Center’s Conversion Still Includes Restaurant!
By Caroline Abkar, 9/12/2019
Hi everyone,
A few days ago, we released an update about the Mission Bay Visitor Center with information on the businesses that are expected to open very soon. You can read that post here.
Kristine Schnell & I outside Bird Rock Coffee Roasters on Morena Blvd.
Many of you in the community have questions and so today, I met the founder of playground agency, Kristine Schnell, to get an initial set of answers. Let me just start by saying that what strikes me the most is how much Kristine absolutely loves and cares about our community, and about the well-being of everyone who will frequent the businesses at the Mission Bay Visitor Center. She is bubbly, full of life, and obtained her WELL certification to ensure that the Mission Bay Visitor Center is built with high environmental standards. WELL is the leading tool for advancing health and well-being in buildings globally. Everything that will be offered is thought through with people’s well being in mind, as I am sure you can already tell from the description of the businesses in my first post.
Mission Bay Visitor Center Update!
By Caroline Abkar, 9/8/2019
Hello everyone!
I’m so delighted to share this fresh update with you regarding the Mission Bay Visitor Center. You may recall the meeting I organized a couple of years ago when there were talks about turning Mission Bay Visitor Center into a restaurant, and I am so delighted to say that the project has been brought back to life after a hiatus as I am sure you may have noticed, in a different but oh so exciting form!
I am going to be meeting Kristine Schnell next week for all the details; Kristine is the founder of playground agency and project lead of this endeavor. In the meantime, I wanted to share her letter to all of you in the community. I know many of you have been asking about what is going on at the Visitor Center!
The first business to open at the site will be Virtue Coffee & Juice (clean and responsibly sourced coffee), followed by Summer Afternoons (homemade organic ice cream sandwiches), and Beach Bunny (beach gear and equipment).
You can read all the details about each business below. But first, a word from Kristine Schnell.
As always, I am here if you have any questions or comments!
Yours truly,
Caroline
Spotlight on Bay Park’s Caffe Vicino!
By Caroline Abkar, 3/25/2019
Caffe Vicino is a little gem of a coffee shop in Bay Park, San Diego and I had the pleasure of chatting with owner Marina Mathias!
Watch this short interview to learn about where their coffee comes from, their various menu options, and the fidelity card!
Caroline
Farmer’s Table opens in Bay Park, San Diego!
Up Close & Personal with Jennie Groom, Founder and Owner of Studio Flo Pilates
There is palpable excitement in the air as I enter the studio and meet Jennie Groom, founder and owner of Studio Flo Pilates in Bay Ho.
We casually sat in the Barre room and chatted about why she founded Studio Flo, what she loves about Bay Park/Bay Ho and what the near future holds for her studio. As a relative newbie to Pilates, I left the studio with a desire to come back and experience what it’s all about, thanks to Jennie’s patience and passion for her studio which I could sense through her eyes beaming with pride during the entire interview. Enjoy the read and please share your comments as always!
Interview with Dave Rudie of Catalina Offshore Products
By Caroline Abkar | April 2017
I am privileged to chat with Dave Rudie today, owner of Catalina Offshore Products, a place where businesses and consumers can get their hands on restaurant quality seafood right here at the intersection of Bay Park and Morena. We chatted about how and why he started Catalina Offshore Products, what he loves about Bay Park and also about sustainable fishing practices and how he supports it through his company. Dave’s pride and passion for seafood are reflected in the quality and uniqueness of our ocean’s wonderful bounty available right through his store. Enjoy the interview and please share your thoughts, comments and questions as always!
Caroline Abkar: Dave, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
Dave Rudie: Sure! It all began for me 40 years ago when I was a sea urchin diver and seaweed diver off the backside of Catalina Island. I fell in love with the ocean when I first snorkeled at 16 years old. I studied Marine Biology at UC Irvine and I was a sport diver on the weekends. I saw a lot of sea urchins and the dive clubs recommended we kill them because they were eating kelp beds. I heard of a new market for sea urchins kicking off right around that time, where they were buying them for 7c/pound…! I therefore became a sea urchin diver and sold my catch right off my boat along the coast of Catalina Island. I acquired a bigger boat and worked all over as a fisherman. After I moved to San Diego, I began processing the sea urchins in my garage and a plant I was able to use by night, and sold them directly to sushi bars. I also found wholesalers and a buyer in Japan, when sea urchins and sushi started gaining popularity.
Marston Middle School is getting a makeover!
By Caroline Abkar | October 2016
San Diego Unified’s School Choice Enrollment for the 2017-18 school year is currently in progress and there is much to be excited about these days when it comes to Clairemont’s Schools. The neighborhood already boasts stellar elementary schools and now principal Jon Gollias is on a mission to turn Marston Middle School into a high performing, safe school where students will thrive and reach their full potential. With more and more local families choosing Marston, the school is on its way to becoming a neighborhood school again.
