America’s Finest City
This is San Diego’s tag line - America’s Finest City. I relocated here four plus years ago from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I left Canada with real regret. In my opinion, Toronto is one of the world’s first-class cities. It has art, music, sports, museums, night life, great ambience, and people of virtually every ethnic background co-habit in peace and harmony. Sadly, my visa expired, and I had to leave. In deciding where to live next, I considered San Francisco, but decided that I couldn’t stomach the inclement weather. So San Diego was my choice. I wanted to live on the West Coast, amidst sunshine and sand, in an environment where I could be outdoors year-round. Life hasn’t turned out the way I wanted it to be.
Don’t get me wrong. San Diego is an okay city, but it is certainly NOT America’s finest. The City Council years ago made a decision that has since bankrupted the city’s coffers. The city’s crown jewel, Balboa Park, is seedy-looking and worn down. The downtown corridor boasts the Gaslamp District, and not much else. The Symphony is a joke, and the Opera company tries hard, but too often falls short of the mark. Live theater exists, but the caliber of the performances is barely above the level of high school productions. Art? In the immortal words of Tony Soprano, "Fuggedaboutit!" San Diego is a city that has no idea what it wants its identity to be. The plans to build a world-class library has been repeatedly blocked because there is a real resistance to intellectualism. Critics claim that it’s about the money, but residents know better. The city can find money when it comes to funding sporting events (don’t get me started on the Chargers stadium deal), but when it comes to art, science, dance and music, the city fathers can’t be bothered. It’s sad, really. This city has a golden opportunity to transform itself into a thriving mecca for people of all walks of life, but there is no one (and I mean NO ONE) with the wherewithal to realize its potential.
I think it may be time for me to make another change.
