Welcome to Casa Mallorca, the latest project of Mark Alexander and Rob Diaz of the eminent L.A.-based design/build firm Studio Rob Diaz in Studio City. Like the lovely but popular Mediterranean island paradise it evokes, Casa Mallorca is a luminous, luxuriously simple home with impeccable details—ju

Three unknown entities are vying to convert the city of San Diego’s empty and asbestos-ridden office tower at 101 Ash St. into residential units for low- or extremely low-income families.The subsidized housing proposals surfaced after the city cut ties with a previous bidder for the troubled propert

The city of San Diego will move a portion of its development services department out of the crumbing operations building downtown and into two floors a few blocks away at Five50West.Monday, San Diego city council members unanimously approved a lease agreement for 43,460 square feet of space at the 5

A flat tire in a ghost town outside Death Valley. A sweaty nightmare for most travelers. But for Marta Becket, the beginning of a dream.It was 1967. While her dusty tire was attended to, Becket wandered off to a dilapidated recreation hall nearby. Inside, she saw a stage caving in, walls covered in

One of La Jolla’s most storied sites might be getting some new neighbors.New owners of the Foxhill Estate on Country Club Drive, who bought the site for $35 million in May, have submitted plans to build five mansions on the property. The proposal would not affect the Foxhill Mansion, which was known

On a chilly Saturday morning, Pam Orr drives to Campus Point at the University of California, Santa Barbara, surfboard in her backseat. It’s been a stormy few days. She and her five friends have been texting all morning about tide reports, wave height, and swell direction, unsure if surfing is a goo

Up, down, forward, repeat. Taking steps through thigh-deep water is usually pretty straightforward for me, an able-bodied person. But it turns out simple motor skills become a lot harder when the water temperature lingers in the same range as the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska in autumn. Ever

The city of San Diego has pushed back the deadline to finalize a deal with the development team selected two years ago to remake the city’s 48-acre sports arena site in the Midway District.The parties, tied together in an exclusive negotiation agreement that was set to expire on Dec. 5, now have thr

Rock climbing is all the rage these days. Since its debut in the Olympics in 2020, the sport has experienced a meteoric rise, with more than 600 climbing gyms now scattered across the US—eight of which call San Diego home. While climbing gyms provide a fantastic way to hone skills and find a communi

Rebuilt over the course of four years by a father (engineer) and son (carpenter) team, this floating Modernist gem—dubbed the Thomas Jefferson—berthed in Santa Barbara Harbor Marina is one of just four houseboats permitted to remain in the marina after municipal codes were changed. While the marina

“How expensive?” tracks measurements of California’s totally unaffordable housing market.The pain: Orange County homebuyers used the third-largest down payment in the nation in June.The source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed a Redfin analysis of how much money borrowers put into home purchases in 40

From Anza-Borrego desert in the south to the redwood forests in the north (and all the beautiful coastline and deserts and mountains in between), California is filled with fantastic hiking trails. For every massively challenging mountain summit, there’s a gentle, beginner-friendly path through the w

San Diego is a haven for book lovers. How do we know? It’s full of charming, local bookstores whose shelves sag under the weight of literary treasures new and used. Stephen King nailed it when he said that “books are a uniquely portable magic.” So, whether you’re heading to the airport, your couch,

San Diego home prices fell for a second month in July as the number of homes for sale hit its highest point of the year.The median home price in San Diego County was $885,000, CoreLogic reported Wednesday, down $10,000 since May. The median, which combines sales for newly built homes, resale condos

Though the crush of July and August tourism is giving way to locals’ summer, we could all use some space when catching rays at our city’s beaches. We’ve compiled five of the best beaches in San Diego to beat the crowds and enjoy the sun and sand. From top surf spots to peaceful escapes, these are so

This is the year—I finally popped the question to my partner, and the most difficult part was finding the perfect location to go down on one knee. While finding the right person is undoubtedly the most important part of the engagement process, choosing the perfect location to propose comes in as a c

The biggest office landlord in the region has offloaded one of downtown San Diego’s most recognizable buildings at a bargain-basement price in a transaction that will have a ripple effect on property values around town.On Tuesday, Irvine Company sold the 34-story office tower at 750 B St. for $45.7

“How expensive?” tracks measurements of California’s totally unaffordable housing market.The pain: The relatively affordable Inland Empire is the nation’s No. 2 spot for homebuyers not using a mortgage.The source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed a Redfin analysis of all-cash homebuying in 40 major ho

Once slated for redevelopment with hundreds of apartments, Mission Valley’s Hazard Center will remain as is under new ownership but get a facelift that promises to uplift its middling selection of storefronts and fill vacant office suites.Los Angeles-based BH Properties purchased the retail and offi

“Alex is my husband and Zac is our boyfriend,” says local Jess Parker, who calls his relationship orientation “polyfidelity,” a form of consensual non-monogamy. The 36-year-old met his husband 10 years ago. Twelve months ago, they added a third  to their relationship. Broadly, polyamory is the conse