Balboa Park has been called the “crown jewel” of San Diego. But the expansive park that dates back to the early 20th century has lots of problems more than 100 years later.
And so it was a good thing to hear what Mayor Todd Gloria had to say recently in his second annual State of Balboa Park address….announced his intention to move forward with a major planning effort in Balboa Park. Said the mayor, “The Balboa Park Master Plan is over 35 years old, and while the primary tenets of the plan still hold true, it is time for an update.”
That’s for sure. The problems in Balboa Park are many. Old and aging infrastructure, a lack of enough parking, a lack of enough restaurants, bathrooms that are an embarrassment and the homeless tents and trash scattered around the park. The mayor says reviving the crumbling Starlight Bowl is part of his plan as well as reopening the Village Grill.
With the two giant pandas now at the World Famous San Diego Zoo drawing even more people to Balboa Park now, these problems in the park are getting noticed even more.
Balboa Park is still a beautiful and popular place for residents of San Diego County and visitors and tourists alike with unparalleled museums and remarkable plants and landscapes.
But it is definitely time and way overdue for a polishing up of San Diego’s “crown jewel.”
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images