• Winning Essay: Becoming Here

    Winning Essay: Becoming Here,Cole Novak

    As I boarded the orange line trolley on a Monday, my eyes snapped to the empty seat next to the conductor’s cabin. The usual occupant wasn’t there. For six months, he had been a fixture in the first car, his presence as reliable as the trolley’s 6:26 a.m. departure. Then, he vanished.The quiet rhyth

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  • Native Star Boutique Arrives With All Indigenous-Made Products

    Native Star Boutique Arrives With All Indigenous-Made Products,Cole Novak

    “Our ties are so strong to the land because of who we are as Native people,” says Ruth-Ann Thorn, a self-proclaimed “original local” from Vista and a tribal member of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians. “Sooner or later, the ancestors call you back to start doing your role within this long legacy of

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  • A Del Mar mansion just slashed its asking price by $15.5 million

    A Del Mar mansion just slashed its asking price by $15.5 million,Phillip Molnar

    A sluggish luxury market has led to a Del Mar mansion price drop its asking price by $15.5 million.The newly built mansion at 2920 Camino Del Mar went on sale in November for $75 million but recently had its price changed to $59.5 million.A multi-million dollar haircut isn’t unheard of for a final s

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  • The Local’s Guide to Visiting Hillcrest, CA

    The Local’s Guide to Visiting Hillcrest, CA,Cole Novak

    Hello Hilcrest, you fabulous forest of fun. Nestled between Mission Hills, Balboa Park, and North Park, Hillcrest holds it down as SD’s glitteriest ’hood and the anchor of our Pride festivals and proud LGBTQ history.But it wasn’t always this way. Originally marketed in the late 1800s by George Hill

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  • The Locals’ Guide to Visiting Hillcrest, CA

    The Locals’ Guide to Visiting Hillcrest, CA,Cole Novak

    Hello Hilcrest, you fabulous forest of fun. Nestled between Mission Hills, Balboa Park, and North Park, Hillcrest holds it down as SD’s glitteriest ’hood and the anchor of our Pride festivals and proud LGBTQ history.But it wasn’t always this way. Originally marketed in the late 1800s by George Hill

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  • Will lower mortgage rates save California’s housing market?

    Will lower mortgage rates save California’s housing market?,Jonathan Lansner

    Will lower mortgage rates convince California house hunters to stop balking at unaffordable homes on the market?What’s next for interest rates is a heated, national debate.The Federal Reserve is taking a cautious approach to further cuts in the rates it controls, fearing ongoing trade wars could rei

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  • Minimalist Black-Wood Retreat in Austria

    Minimalist Black-Wood Retreat in Austria,Stefan Gheorghe

    Located on the shores of Lake Attersee, House F by bogenfeld Architektur blends simplicity and function with striking clarity. The two-story home is designed with a narrow, elongated footprint to preserve garden space while maximizing views from both floors.On the exterior, the black-stained timber

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  • Unhinged, A Dating Series: To Text or Not to Text?

    Unhinged, A Dating Series: To Text or Not to Text?,Nicolle Monico

    They say you never forget how to ride a bike. Can you forget how to date? It’s been a few months now, and—nervously, a bit unsteadily, feet on the pedals—I’m doing it. I’m out there in the world, meeting people, and can say, “I am dating.” It’s fun, and it feels so different than it did when I was i

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  • A Cliffside Home Where Concrete Speaks

    A Cliffside Home Where Concrete Speaks,Stefan Gheorghe

    Built into a steep hillside in Christchurch, New Zealand, the Scarborough Bêton Brut House by Young Architects integrates raw concrete construction with expansive ocean views. Designed to work with challenging geotechnical conditions, the home uses exposed concrete both structurally and aestheticall

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  • San Diego preparing to put downtown operations building on the market

    San Diego preparing to put downtown operations building on the market,Jennifer Van Grove

    San Diego is preparing to offer the forlorn and soon-to-be empty municipal building on the outskirts of the Civic Center for sale or lease.On Wednesday, San Diego’s Land Use and Housing Committee voted 3-0 in favor of declaring the City Operations Building at 1222 First Ave. as surplus.The action ad

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  • Average long-term US mortgage rate falls to 6.67%, the lowest level since early April

    Average long-term US mortgage rate falls to 6.67%, the lowest level since early April,Associated Press

    By MATT OTT, Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell for the fifth straight week to its lowest level since early April, an encouraging sign for potential buyers who have wrestled with rising home prices.The long-term rate fell to 6.67% from 6.77% last week, m

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  • San Diego renter guide: Your landlord can charge what?

    San Diego renter guide: Your landlord can charge what?,Phillip Molnar, Roxana Popescu

    Nearly half of all San Diego County residents are renters, and it can be tricky to navigate the latest laws.Questions about pet rent, trash fees and renter’s insurance just scratch the surface of what is a way of life for about 48% of renter households in San Diego County. A Redfin study found San D

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  • A-Frame Architecture Reimagined with Glass and Geometry

    A-Frame Architecture Reimagined with Glass and Geometry,Stefan Gheorghe

    VA House by Sebastian David Büscher rises from the hills of Weiler, Austria with a dramatic angular silhouette. Its sharply folded A-frame roof commands attention, wrapped in silver fir cladding that mimics the linear striations of the surrounding alpine terrain. This sculptural roof isn’t just a no

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  • San Diego gives initial thumbs up to lease 101 Ash for low-income housing

    San Diego gives initial thumbs up to lease 101 Ash for low-income housing,Jennifer Van Grove

    San Diego leaders are embracing a development team’s $250 million proposal to convert the asbestos-ridden, city-owned office tower at 101 Ash St. into hundreds of residential units reserved for low-income families.On Wednesday, San Diego’s Land Use and Housing Committee voted unanimously in favor of

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  • The Local’s Guide to Visiting Encinitas, CA

    The Local’s Guide to Visiting Encinitas, CA,Cole Novak

    Encinitas is practically shorthand for iconic beaches. Swami’s, Moonlight, and Stonesteps all offer postcard-worthy views and the kind of waves that launch surf careers. But it’s not all saltwater and sand up here. This laidback coastal city was formerly the global capital of poinsettias, thanks to

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  • The Locals’ Guide to Visiting Encinitas, CA

    The Locals’ Guide to Visiting Encinitas, CA,Cole Novak

    Encinitas is practically shorthand for iconic beaches. Swami’s, Moonlight, and Stonesteps all offer postcard-worthy views and the kind of waves that launch surf careers. But it’s not all saltwater and sand up here. This laidback coastal city was formerly the global capital of poinsettias, thanks to

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  • 15 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: July 2–6

    15 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: July 2–6,Cole Novak

    Now that we’re (almost) officially halfway through the year, the upcoming holiday weekend presents a chance to start the second half of 2025 on a high note. San Diegans can celebrate this momentous occasion however they see fit, whether it’s stopping by the ballpark to watch the Padres take on the T

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  • California home prices dip 1% in May, 1st drop in nearly 2 years

    California home prices dip 1% in May, 1st drop in nearly 2 years,Jonathan Lansner

    A modest dip in mortgage rates wasn’t enough to prevent drops in California home prices and sales.To see what’s up – or down – with the market, my trusty spreadsheet looked at statewide homebuying data from the California Association of Realtors and the average 30-year mortgage rate from Freddie Mac

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  • Modern Jungle Retreat: Ligar Bay Bach House by Young Architects

    Modern Jungle Retreat: Ligar Bay Bach House by Young Architects,Stefan Gheorghe

    Perched on the steep coastline of Ligar Bay, New Zealand, the Ligar Bay Bach House by Young Architects redefines the contemporary holiday retreat. This 163 m² residence merges bold structural clarity with raw material honesty, standing confidently against a dense backdrop of native greenery while ov

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  • California just overhauled its main environmental law. Here’s what it means for San Diego

    California just overhauled its main environmental law. Here’s what it means for San Diego,Phillip Molnar

    California’s landmark environmental law was overhauled in Sacramento this week, and it could mean more housing for San Diego.Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills on Monday that will weaken the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, to make building housing easier. The law was praised by enviro

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