OB Rag

Long Story Irish Pub
4204 Voltaire Street
Ocean Beach – Point Loma, CA 92107
(619) 269-0690

By Wally Robertson

Normally there’s nothing new to say about the Long Story Irish Pub that hasn’t been said already. A staple of the neighborhood since opening in 2020, with favorable reviews in the San Diego Reader and elsewhere, it’s an easy favorite of locals to unwind after work for a pint with friends.

Located at the northwest corner of Catalina and Voltaire, in a large, airy space that still feels cozy, it offers some of the best “pub grub” in town when you realize the time or don’t want to bother with trying to cook when you get home.

But for many who work in the area during the day and only know of it as a view on their commute or as they make their midday way to Pop Pie Shop at its catty-corner — or 7-11, Cesarina or Don Tommy’s, as one’s time and budget allows —

Johnny Manana’s
4888 Newport Ave
Ocean Beach, CA 92107
619-222-4205

By Judi Currry

I have wanted to try this restaurant ever since it opened. Ortega’s was one of my favorites of Ocean Beach, and I was very curious to try the restaurant that was taking over for them.  Tonight Steve and I gave it a try.

Let me start by saying that the food was, for the most part, very good. However, there were certain “happenings” that make me unsure if I will go there again.  But first for the review.

When we walked in there were two groups sitting at two separate tables and one lady waiting for her order.  She stopped me and told me I would be absolutely “delighted” with the food and to tell all my friends about it.

by Ernie McCray

I look at a picture of me at a mic
and my son, Guy,
playing the guitar at my right
and I think,
“Man, I’ve had a great life”
because that moment, in the photo,
captured me having the time of my life,
giving a graduation speech,
via a song,
to people I dearly loved
as sure as I was born,
students at Muir,
a K-12 alternative school,

By Bonnie Kutch

Imagine being awaken by the smell of smoke in the dead of night.  You look out your window and see flames coming toward your home.  You get up, quickly dress, herd your family members and pets to the car, and grab what few possessions you can on your way out.

You reach the only exit road, where you’re met with gridlock.  Cars aren’t moving, because hundreds of high-density housing units have been added to your neighborhood, without roads being added or even widened.  And because all these new rental units have been allowed to be built without on-premise resident parking, the streets are lined with parked cars,

By Geoff Page

The city held a ground-breaking ceremony on Friday, August 18, to kick off construction of the Cañon Street Pocket Park, on Cañon at the northern terminus of Avenida De Portugal. Actual construction was planned to start on Monday, August 21.

The OB Rag has published numerous stories about the effort to get this park built. It is a sorry saga indeed, right down to the current bloated budget of $3,350,315. All that money to build a park that is two-thirds of an acre and will have no bathrooms and no parking other than on the surrounding residential streets.

It all started with robbing the poorer section of Point Loma to benefit the better off Point Loma folks. Here is a refresher on the history that The Rag has reported on since 2014.

by Kasia Gregorczyk / Fox5 San Diego / Aug 21, 2023

Nearly five years after a controversial plan to build a new church in the Del Cerro community of San Diego was proposed, a local community planning group unanimously voted against recommending the project’s approval.

Discussion of a new All Peoples Church location kicked off Monday’s meeting of the local Navajo Community Planning Group, including a presentation of details relating to infrastructure improvements like a new sidewalk, traffic signal and a bike path. However, residents during the meeting criticized

By Andrew Keatts, Emily Harris and Christine Clarridge / Axios San Diego / Aug. 22, 2023

New apartment construction is plunging in the West Coast’s biggest metro areas after officials spent years trying to combat soaring rents.

Why it matters: West Coast metro areas are already grappling with a housing shortage that’s driving an affordability crisis, and experts say the apartment construction slump will make things worse.

By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / Aug. 22, 2023

Community leaders are calling for more aggressive efforts to crack down on illegal rentals in Mission Bay of recreational water vehicles commonly known by the brand name Jet Ski, after a 12-year-old girl on a paddle board was run over and killed three weeks ago by a person driving one.

Editordude: This is an official statement about the status of the Navy selection process for the redevelopment of the NAVWAR properties and how Mayor Gloria is all on board. But, fair reader, notice – there’s not one word about affordable housing.

From NAVWAR Public Affairs / 22 August 2023

The Navy revitalization of Naval Base Point Loma, Old Town Campus (OTC) is now progressing to the next stage of the project timeline, with the full support of Todd Gloria, mayor of San Diego.

Enforcement of the new regulations to begin Monday, Sept. 11.

By Elisabeth Frausto / La Jolla Light / Aug. 22, 2023

The California Coastal Commission has approved the city of San Diego’s “Spaces as Places” regulations requiring some businesses in the coastal zone to replace public parking occupied by outdoor dining. The Coastal Commission, however, had concerns about the elimination of parking spots in a narrow strip of San Diego’s coastline known as the “beach impact area,”

The OB Rag annual fundraising drive, begun on August 11, has exceeded our goal of $1500 by more than $500.

And we expect a few more checks to flood in to our PO Box.

A funny thing happened to a good friend on Saturday, August 19, as Hilary approached.

That morning, he went to People’s food store on Voltaire to buy a food item but found some kind of festival going on — a birthday celebration, perhaps — there was a band playing in the parking lot and he saw a whole bunch of hippies grooving to the music, a kids’ jumper was set up — and the parking lot was closed. All the parking spaces on Voltaire were also taken, so he proceeded up Voltaire to Stump’s market.

Once he arrived at Stumps, he witnessed a whole other scene. People were rushing in to get survival supplies, flashlights, water, toilet paper perhaps – it was Armageddon!

And it seemed much of the local media and politicians played Hilary as armageddon.