San Diego Reader

I used to live in Bay Park by myself near just deliciously cool Mission Bay and a park, with Torry Pines trees and no shopping mall, which is quite unique for San Diego. I kind of liked hiding out in the barely legal converted garage, granny unit, where the landlord took the windows out to keep me from being seen by the neighbors, and the only landscaping was dirt and weeds. At least, I could see the fireworks from Mission Bay real good on the corner.

Truthfully though, it was overpriced and lonely, but so are most one bedroom rentals in San Diego. After several years of threatening to leave my girlfriend and asking her to move me in, I finally negotiated to move with her into her new luxury condo called the “Lido” on the Mission Valley River. So now I have become the “Upscale River Rat.”

When I first heard about it, I thought this condo complex must have been named after that Bozz Scaggs song, "Lido," since that’s one of her favorite singers. Anyway, she had wanted to move out of her old snooty but beautiful neighborhood in Point Loma for awhile, and she finally did it last January. The plan was that I was going to move in, just after New Year's Eve, but my girlfriend caught me e-mailing other chicks on plenty of fish.com as a back up measure, just in case she stalled things again. So we broke up for awhile, but we got back together again in April after I bumped into her at the Annie Liebowitz exhibit in Balboa Park, near the Museum of Art.

Anyway, the Lido is a pretty amazing place in an extremely convenient neighborhood. I’ve only been here a few months so I don’t know too many neighbors. but I do say "Hello" in the elevator and most folks are very friendly.

What makes my neighborhood so convenient is that there are 2 or 3 malls in nearby: Mission Valley, Fashion Valley and Hazard center and some others that I don’t know even the names of. Another one, Fenton Parkway, has the most state of the art library I've ever been in. These malls are like cities unto themselves. I see stores outside our panoramic windows, but thankfully almost completely hidden by trees, so it doesn't invade my need to be in nature.

The big malls have movie multiplexes and Mission Valley Mall has my favorite, inflatable world. Where, I, as a now 49 year old real estate agent, for Century 21, slid down the tongue of a giant inflatable lion, because I'm still a big kid at heart. They have many other inflatables too, mostly for kids.

Damn!

We also love to sing in piano bars in nearby Hotel Circle at Kelly's and Alby's and sing karaoke at the Tickled Trout Restaurant.

The Lido is also located near a community fountain, more shopping, majestic palms and the Trolley for great optional transportation.  Qualcomm stadium is also a short drive away.

When you enter the Lido from the street, there is a mini waterfall and party lights that look like they are from a small Mexican village in Tecate.

When someone buzzes you in, or you enter with your fob or electronic key, it looks just like an apartment building with palm trees and xeriscape all around. Enter the stainless steel Thyssonkrup elevator, and get off at the first floor. You'll see a volcanic looking fire pit in the center, which you can switch on yourself. Prometheus has nothing on you.

Go up to our floor, and enter our unit, you'll see a round white entry way, not found in many other condos. The guest bedroom is to the left where I keep my computer in an armoire and watch cable TV from my DVR.
The whole place is decked out with ultramodern psychedelic furniture from the 70's. We have a round bed, with zebra and white covers, a curved lime green sofa, and in the living room, there's a round purple chair, a zebra sculpture that looks like it could gossip with you, granite counter tops in the kitchen and my girlfriend’s favorite, her orange calico cat named Benji. He is so spoiled. I have many names for him; Meow Tse Tung, Benjorino, Mr. Pussy, the gender confused, Lazy Bones cause he never works and of course, I have to. But he's a little bulimic like Kate Moss. Anyway, my girlfriend is an abstract artist with paintings exhibited at the monthly street fest, Ray at Night who worships him. She also exhibits at the Museum of the Living Artist in Balboa Park.

But the most amazing thing about this neighborhood, is all these conveniences and stylish wonders take place on a nature preserve with an amazing view of the San Diego River. The environmental planning here is incredible. I wanted to go to a Save the San Diego River celebration a few months ago, but my aunt was dying of cancer in L.A. at the time and my mom needed my help. So even though we are near a lot of malls, the area is very community minded and environmentally friendly. Everyone is allowed to have a pet and we even have our own bullfrog outside our window who croaks “Needeep Needeep Needeep!!” every night. It's just a short walk through the nature preserve where cottontail bunnies cross your path along the river to the pool filled with bikini clad beauties, a Jacuzzi and a new gym.

One night when I was coming home from a workout, I heard what sounded like some Shakespearian actors rehearsing a sword fight. Then, one of them shouted from their third floor condo window, “Man these mushrooms got me wasted. They are just too strong!”

Although I enjoy these workouts at night, I’ve been coming home with bug bites somehow. And our streamlined condo for some reason has ants near the toilet. All and all though, a great place. This is my neighborhood, Mission Valley, and as a realtor/writer, I spend time getting to know it well.
© 2007 Jordan Schaffner All Rights Reserved