I recently attended a convention in San Diego and I was very impressed by this city. I stayed at the Hotel Solamar in the Gaslight District. When I first arrived, I took a walking tour of the area. There was an excellent selection of retail, dining and entertainment. Petco Park was only blocks away from my hotel. Especially on baseball game nights, the city was alive with people on the streets well into the night.
I enjoyed my experience at the convention center. I was within walking distance of my hotel and had ample space for our convention, exhibitors, registration, etc. It was adjacent to two trolley stations.
I took advantage of the trolley, purchasing a four-day pass for only $14. One-way tickets are $2.50 and one-day passes are $5. I went as far as the San Ysidro station to the south to visit Mexico and out to the Middletown area to walk over to Balboa Park. I made one special trip to 24th Street Station to get lunch at In-n-Out.
Overall, San Diego was a city that made me want to move west. It is an example of a well-planned city that we would gain a lot from studying.
As for the folks who feel that powerful churches are hampering our city's growth/progress, many people do believe that downtown Jacksonville won't have a nightlife like San Diego, Tampa or Atlanta because there are powerful religious leaders who oppose expansion of nightclubs and bars in downtown Jacksonville.
Another issue in Jacksonville is the wholesale destruction of the local history. The problem does lie in the lack of a comprehensive plan for the city. Jacksonville moves forward in fits and starts and ends up a jumble of false starts and vacant lots. Shipyards project? Hot dog stands on the Main Street Bridge? D--n shame...
With regard to 'dissing' the city, I agree with those who are frustrated that more is not being done in our city. I think that the dissing is a challenge for us all to move Jacksonville forward...
