On a quintessential San Diego day—and, this being the land of sun, sandals, and surf, there are many—one could do a lot worse than soak up the sunshine in the Quartyard. An array of shipping containers set up in a formerly abandoned lot in the East Village, a rapidly rebounding warehouse district near downtown, this 23,000-square-foot community space buzzes with activity. Locals hit up the adjacent coffee shop and dog park in the morning, freelancers tap away on laptops in the afternoon (free outdoor wifi), revelers perch on the long communal tables during happy hour. EDM icon Skrillex played a show here last year
These new developments have the potential to add thousands of jobs, according to David Graham, San Diego’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, and help create a new tech center in the midst of downtown.
"I think we’re sitting at the precipice of a moment where San Diego gets recognized for its long history of invention, innovation, and reinvention," he says.