The U-T ran a piece over this last week about the City updating its blueprint for Balboa Park and reviving Starlight Bowl. And a couple of the published responses were noteworthy, especially since one of them was from our friend Roger Showley, a San Diego architectural historian and former longtime writer for the U-T (and fellow PLHS Class of 66 member):
The plan to save our crown jewel needs more to creativity when it comes to food
Mayor Todd Gloria listed many worthy to-do items in his “State of Balboa Park” presentation. One proposes the long-shuttered Village Grill at Old Globe Way. But we need a lot more imagination to satisfy our thirst and growling stomachs when visiting San Diego’s “crown jewel.”
We’re hard-pressed to find plentiful, affordable and convenient food and drink. Some museums operate snack bars and there’s just one full-service restaurant, The Prado in the House of Hospitality. Open more museum cafes, bring in food trucks and license pop-up carts that offer more than stale snacks, warmed over hot dogs and pathetic popsicles.
Turn the House of Pacific Relations cottages into an international food court. Fill Spanish Village courtyard with permanent food stations. Hold a weekly farmer’s market in Pan-American Plaza. And make December Nights’ Beer Garden a permanent thing.
— Roger Showley, Scripps Ranch
Sari Camacho of San Carlos also was a published response:
Parking around Balboa Park is totally inadequate — especially handicap
I am all for any plan to invest in the treasure of Balboa Park. To me, it is one of the most beautiful spots in our entire city. Anyone who lives here knows, however, that parking is always an issue. I recently attended an afternoon organ concert. Being handicapped it was necessary for me to be close to the pavilion. Of course there was not close parking, no close place for drop off, and many, many people searching for a spot.
Perhaps if the powers that be had not eliminated numerous spots on Park Boulevard it might not have been quite so frustrating. I am sure intentions are good in investing in this wonderful jewel of a park, but come on. I would have to say to Mayor Todd Gloria and our City Council, you live here. Try to visit in the summer on a weekend and find parking. Invest in the treasures of our city but please stop spending money on bike lanes that benefit a very small percentage of people and make it harder for the majority.
— Sari Camacho, San Carlos
Originally Published: August 14, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.
“There’s just one full-service restaurant, The Prado in the House of Hospitality”
So Panama 66 isn’t a full service restaurant?
I’m afraid Roger will not see your question, as his proposals were printed as a letter to the editor at the UT.
“Panama 66 is a restaurant that occupies the open-air setting of The San Diego Museum of Art’s Marcy S. May Sculpture Garden. The focus is on locally sourced, hand-crafted food and drink, from salads and sandwiches to seasonal cocktails and more. Tavern, the new bar features over a dozen purely local craft beer taps.”
https://balboapark.org/attractions-experiences/panama-66-at-the-san-diego-museum-of-art-balboa-park/
Salads and sandwiches do not make a full service restaurant.
Guess I’d still consider them full service even if you order your food first before they bring it to you.
Well, I had to check this out. I have to say that I don’t see where they say they bring the food to the table so I’m leaning toward Frank’s opinion.
But…If you haven’t done it yet, you just have to read their “Code of Conduct” on their website. I’ll reserve my reaction.
My wife and I go there a lot since we are only a few blocks walking distance. If you’re not not going to sit at the bar, you stand in line, order your food/drinks and they hand you a number and you to go to a table. Pretty much the same as their sister restaurant Blind Lady.
I highly recommend the adobo chicken plate.
MORE PARKING WHY CAN I NOT DRIVE THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF THE PARK MORE SPACE FOR CARS PAVE OVER THE GREEN SPACE
Lack of compassion is showing. Disabled and elderly residents cannot find parking, period, at the Jewel of the city. No one is talking about paving over the green space; it was your buddy Todd who did this, and we all knew this was coming.
How about fixing the absolutely disgusting restrooms in the Prado building ( not the restaurant)…. Haven’t been there for a while, so perhaps they have done so. But, last time I was there it wasn’t enough to turn one green ??…..
Now the residents/voters are seeing what Toddler has done and they don’t like it.
Ballots go out in the mail the first part of Oct., so don’t vote for ANY incumbents. The council members just go along to get along with the little dictator. They don’t have a mind of their own, they just nod there heads when Toddler says something, OR Sean Elo-Rivera. Show the incumbents the door leading out of the building. BTW, you don’t see the faces of those running against the current regime on TV, because as an incumbent they can get all kinds of press/media attention, but as a newbee, they can’t call the press every time they shake hands with someone. Very very one sided. Vote for larryturnerformayor.com And Terry Hoskins,com for Council Dist. 9 to replace elo Rivera.
Yes, if we want San Diego government to change for the better than vote for Larry for mayor; and for anyone in CD9, Terry.
All good questions that have been posed a million times before. We lack civic leadership and our politicians are spineless wimps.
You can sum it up in NIMBYism. There have been plenty of good plans proposed for Balboa Park in recent history, but they all get shot down by various special interest groups.
It’s not unlike Mission Bay Park, but the difference is Mission Bay Park has leaseholds (hotels, etc) that that generate rent revenue that is supposed to stay in Mission Bay Park for improvements. But our politicians steal the money to use elsewhere to please special interest groups.
See a trend?? Until regular folks with a firm sense of integrity get elected to the city council we will continue to suffer as a city.
“Until regular folks with a firm sense of integrity get elected to the city council “
Without getting into the whole NIMBY vs. YIMBY goround (beating a dead horse), the kids of people you are describing are by and large not the kind of people who are attracted to this line of work. Why would they? I wish I had an answer.
kinds
I’m with you Chris. Somehow running for office has got to be about service and not getting rich in money and influence. Serving in office has to be a personal sacrifice and not a career.
Term limits and getting dirty money out of the process would be a start but the courts haven’t been much help.
You’re not wrong.
Tell me, how does the word NIMBY apply here? It means Not In My Backyard. The park belongs to everyone, it is no one’s backyard. If you believe every special interest qualifies as a NIMBY issue, well, that is very narrow thinking. But, uncomplicated.
NIMBY as in someone who says no to change. There are people who believe that Balboa Park should never be touched, which of course is silly.
And there are groups/organizations who have a presence in Balboa Park as tenants who don’t want any changes. In those groups and organizations are wealthy individuals who pull strings at city hall. Just sayin.
Ah, Balboa Park, always the whipping post for political intrigue! The last time someone dreamed up fixing the parking problem, Kevin Faulconer and Irwin Jacobs proposed demolishing the East 80-feet of the Cabillo Bridge railing (a National Register Historic Property) and bulldozing and excavating the canyon to the South tearing down a forest of Kate O. Sessions landscaping, the Archery Range, and building a new road that would pass by the Museum of Us, and a row of museums that contribute to Balboa Park’s federal National Historic Landmark status that would terminate in a multi-story parking garage behind the Spreckel’s Organ Paviliaon. And aside from the fact City Park was supposed to be free to the public, Kevin Faulconer planned to turn management of the parking structure over to Ace Parking Lots, which would charge $7.50 an hour for parking. Although the much touted plan was alleged to be private funded, that offer turned out only to pay for the engineering and California Environmental Quality Act studies necessary to meet the San Diego Municipal Code. But in the end, the TRUE cost of construction exceeded tens of millions of dollars and the City Council scrapped the plan. Meanwhile, the Balboa Park piggy bank has been looted to pay for other pressing matters under Todd Gloria’s regime, such as renting motels to house the homeless and pay for the waived developer fees that were to cover longterm street, lighting, drainage, and public infrastructure. To end this maddness, I am voting for Larry Turner for Mayor of San Diego.
Ah, yes I remember that campaign well and the Rag time and again railed against it.
see this: https://obrag.org/2016/08/new-traffic-plan-would-permanently-scar-balboa-park/
i think Balboa Park falls under “General Fund” in the City’s budget, vs. being an enterprise fund (which creates revenue). The question to ask is much money are the leaseholders’ paying in annual rent?