"Living In the City" is the San Diego Sun's feature Q&A with downtown San Diego residents. It's a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who live here. This is the second installment of an ongoing series.
Name: Emily Mason
Location: Metrome (East Village)
Personal deets: Fifth year living downtown. Originally from Cincinnati. I’m a sales trainer at a Kearny Mesa med-tech company.
Working from home: I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and am at the gym by 5. Then it’s drink coffee, walk dog, do chores, work, repeat.
Memorable downtown moment: We were dining at a restaurant. A car stopped outside. The window rolled down and someone screamed, “Carol Baskin did it!”
In the front row at Petco Park.
Best aspect of your location: I like East Village because of being close to Petco Park and the ease of going to Padres games.
Padres games: The beauty of living downtown is that we are gifted with so many free tickets when our North County friends can’t make it down to games.
Events: I especially like when the Padres have concerts after the games.
Parking advice: Take an Uber downtown. Especially for big events, parking can be pricey and hard to find.
Cost of living: Downtown San Diego isn’t as pricey as the San Francisco Bay Area. But it’s way more expensive than Cincinnati.
Safety: You should be aware of your surroundings but I don’t walk around with a great deal of fear.
Emily and Oscar getting ready for a walk.
Pets: Oscar is my 15-year-old Puggle. He loves to eat leftover food off the sidewalk—problematic when I take him on walks.
Comic-Con moment: When Comic-Con is in town, I dress Oscar in an Iron Man t-shirt and take him for walks down Fifth Avenue.
Walking/biking/driving: My transportation is 95 percent walking and 5 percent driving.
Scooters: Great at first. Now, there are too many and too often left in disarray. I also feel strongly that they shouldn’t be used on the sidewalk. I don’t trust that these scooter users have the Tony Hawk ability to adjust and maneuver.
Worst aspect of your location: Noise from traffic and construction and the honking sound the trolley makes.
Best reason to live downtown: Being close to everything I need in life, with plenty of options. Need a drink? There are myriad bars. In the mood for Greek or Italian food? No problem. Need dry cleaning done? Two blocks over.
The rooftop scene at Lumi.
Coffee shop: I end up at Copa Vida (East Village) a lot, mostly for the location and ambiance.
Lunch place: Half Door Brewing Co. is a hidden gem. I like their pretzel bites and Father Ted beer. It’s great to sit on the second-floor deck with a view of Petco Park. Service is quick and friendly.
Dinner spot(s): Full Moon Sushi (great service/staff). Lumi (sushi with a view). Huntress (best steak and ambience in town). Water Grill (seafood and service). Meze (best Greek food).
Best insider tip: Be an early riser for breakfast on weekends. After 9 a.m., you’ll stand in long lines to get seated. SDSun
(The San Diego Sun is produced by Ron Donoho under the umbrella of the FACEBOOK-Bulletin project for independent journalists.)
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