Downtown San Diego living is known to be as diverse as the people, cultures, and lifestyles who have settled in to the sea-side charm and urban city pulse. From East Village to Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter to Cortez Hill, each segment distinguishes itself through not only its residents, but also its eclectic architecture and aesthetics.
Luxurious condominiums effortlessly integrate all aspects of our great city, while simultaneously serving as a personal indoor haven, away from the rush. Many downtown condos loom high in the skylines and invite the awe-inspiring ocean to city views to stream through, all year long. Of course, opulent living would not be complete without extensive amenities and stylistic design features, distinctive to each condominium’s designer and neighborhood.
Discover ten of the most sought-after high-rise downtown San Diego condominiums.
City Front Terrace
500 Harbor Drive
With 320 deluxe residences and two mid-rise towers, the CityFront Terrace stands apart as a distinctive downtown living arrangement. Centrally located in the Marina District, the towers reaches 11-stories into the sky and notably boasts one of the largest brick buildings on the West Coast. The CityFront Terrace rooms were built with an extensive use of space, embracing larger square footage and generous proportions. Constructed in 1993 by Crescent Heights, the townhomes overwhelm with two-story living rooms, while the loft homes within the Soap Factory Building gaze upwards towards 12-foot ceilings, brick walls and heavy timber posts and beams. The floor-to-ceiling bay windows flood in the natural light while opening the space to the downtown city scene. Room-sized terraces embellish the tower units to facilitate perfect party gatherings or unruffled solitary relaxation. Each kitchen is comes complete with top-designer brand appliances and granite countertops. Double vanities, granite tops and jetted bathtubs beautifully extend into the master baths.
The CityFront Terrace offers two large swimming pools, sundecks with a gazebo and outdoor BBQ area, a fully-equipped fitness center, sauna, full-time concierge and security for safe and comfortable living. One, two bedroom, and loft units stretch from 975 to 1489sq.ft. The use of space is a priority, and generous proportions allow for grand furniture and artwork for ultimate luxurious living. Fireplaces warm living rooms, while French doors lead to dens, second bedrooms, and outdoor terraces. Built to incorporate the 1920s-era Citrus Soap Factory, the structure has an estimated 400,000 bricks. For more details, please visit cityfrontterrace.org.
Electra by Bosa
700 West E Street
Transforming one of the city’s signature heritage buildings, the historic Station B, into a luxurious residential tower of two and three bedroom condos classifies Electra by Bossa in a league of its own. Set in the midst of the Columbia neighborhood, Electra preserves a piece of the heart of San Diego within each lush living room. Openly spacious interiors starting at 1,000 square feet and stretching to 8, 370 square feet facilitate roomy living, but don’t get too comfy inside these abodes. The distinctive signature rooftop pool with sun deck, outdoor fireplace lounge and exercise facility will entice all residents to spend a little time out under San Diego sun.
Electra literally sits inside the restored SDG&E building, and with 43 stories and 248 homes, it has taken the lead as Downtown's highest residential building. A few blocks from Sea Port Village, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Fe train station, the Electra building provides a most central living place. Construction completed in 2007 aimed to incorporate rich neoclassical and Art Deco architecture for some exceptional decadence, while providing the necessary luxury amenities such as floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, French doors, electric fireplaces with granite surround, and premium stainless steel appliances, among many other things. A social lounge, barbeque area, and full concierge service brings the resort-feel straight to the home, with sophistication and contemporary beauty lining each hallway. For more details, please visit electrasandiego.com. (pictured main & below)
Park Place
700 W Harbor Dr
Your first few steps into Park Place will reveal all the essential factors of what sets this residence apart. A sweeping entryway and grand lobby with lofty ceilings and an ornate grand staircase will be first to greet you upon arrival. Inspired by the mission architecture that originally abounded in the San Diego region, Bosa developed the luxury high-rise towers in 2003 to become part of an integrated puzzle-piece in Downtown San Diego.
One bedroom units, one plus a den, and two bedroom units as well as penthouse units are offered for home-staking here, in one of 30 stories and 178 luxury condos available. The size can accommodate 1113 square feet to over 6,000 square feet, a range wide enough to fit any buyer’s desire. Full gym and swimming facilities are standard for those moments out of the house, as well as a 24-hr concierge and 24-hr. parking attendant. Minutes away from downtown business center, the Gaslamp Quarter, and Petco Park facilitate utmost San Diegan work, play, and eat virtues. Townhouse residents uniquely enjoy a private, gated street entry with a huge roof deck, ideal for view-sharing and party-gathering. Each home boasts at least one gas fireplace, along with refined hardwood flooring the main living areas with cherry, walnut or maple finishes. The bedrooms softly welcome in carpet in wool berber, while entry ways and baths display their limestone flooring. Gourment kitchens come equipped with Sub-zero refridgerators and Bosch and Dacor stainless steel appliances, Kohler fixtures and faucets and slap granite countertops, also found in the baths. For more details, please visit parkplacesandiego.org.
Harbor Club
100 Harbor Drive
With extensive water-views that rival resort panoramics, the residents of the Harbor Club hardly need to take a vacation. The two luxury high-rises were constructed in 1992 by architects BPA Architecture planning Interiors, the oldest luxury towers in downtown that tower over the Marina District with 41 stories of condos and classy penthouses. Spacious 1,036 to 4,303 square ft condos have been mindfully mapped out to consist of no more than three homes per floor, allowing outstanding views from every side. The 24 hr doorman, fitness room, sauna, Olympic-sized 95 ft swimming pool , cabana with kitchen, and underground parking detail the total luxury living in the Harbor Club. As the 8th tallest building in San Diego, everything from Coronado Island to downtown Gaslamp can be consumed with one big breath of comfort, while still walking-distance to the significant San Diego Convention Center and Petco Park. The both sleek and contemporary designs give this residence an urban feel with experience in serving residents for 18 years now. For more details, please visit harborclubsd.com.
Bayside
1325 Pacific Highway
Lighting up the Columbia neighborhood with a midnight blue and gold exterior, the 26-story Bayside by Bosa residence competes amongst the rest with its high-end amenities and larger-than-life suites. The 219 residences include 208 tower suites, 12 town homes and 12 penthouses, mimicking the signature Bosa style and rivaling its predecessors, the Horizons, Park Place, Discovery, the Grande, the Legend, and Electra. The condos range from 1,031 to 3,226 square feet, but an average floor plan offers up around 1,600 square feet.
The Bayside residences gleam with extravagance, including a lobby with concierge, a fitness center to escape to, a library, lounge, a resort-style pool and Jacuzzi with an outdoor kitchen, a theater room, and Enoteca, a very unique and refined wine-tasting room meant for residents to “experience the ambiance of Tuscany without ever leaving home”. Large, entertainment-sized balconies accentuate the rooms, along with Snaidero cabinetry, CaesarStone quartz countertops, Stainless steel Viking and Miele appliances including a wine cooler, and Premium Kohler fixtures. Breathtaking views from the expansive windows filter the city sunlight right into your living room. Bayside is appropriately the 14th tallest building in San Diego, towering along the waterfront’s residential “front row” in a great central location. For more details, please visit baysidebybosa.com. (pictured below)
Icon
32510 10th Avenue
Centered in the heart of the East Village, the urban Icon condominiums thrive with the pulse of the city. Spanning across 10th, 11th, J and K Streets, the building touts 4 differing concrete buildings, one at 26 stories, and the others at 11 stories, 9 stories, and 5 stories, respectively. Between all four of these buildings glows a beautifully landscaped courtyard with original sculpture art and waterfall features. 327 units isn’t meant to overwhelm residents; the Icon concept is to create a feeling of community and intimacy among neighbors.
Recently finished in January of 2007, the Icon amenities serve current and contemporary needs and designs. A 26-story skybox with views into both Petco Park and the bay is accessible to residents, as is a fully equipped community room, fitness center, theater, and 24-hr community attendants and security. 9-foot ceilings in the flats and townhomes and dramatic 14-16.5 ft ceilings in lofts and live/work spaces open up the rooms, especially in the wood-floored kitchens. Icon comprises of studio lofts, 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom + den, 2 Bedroom, 3 bedroom town homes and flats. The complex offers 16,000 sq. ft. of prime, ground-level restaurant and retail space of which 6,000 square feet faces PETCO ballpark. Rich in history, as well, Icon evolved from the historic Carnation factory. The Carnation factory stood as a fixture in the East Village art district for decades, and Icon has included several of the design elements into its modular architecture. For more details, please visit icon-sandiego.com.
Cortez Blu
801 Ash Street
As part of the Downtown community but separated from the major hustle of the city life, Cortez Blu condominiums are the prime choice for a more peaceful, central home. Located at the top of the Cortez Hill, the 1 to 2 bedroom condos hover over 20 stories at 580 to 1880 square feet of space. 67 condominiums are available in this serene complex, developed by K. Hovnanian and designed by the architectural firm Martinez and Cutril. Nearby, residents can easily enjoy the San Diego Zoo and exquisiteness of Balboa Park or simply enjoy ocean and city views from the extensive living room skylines that Cortez Blu offers. Wood flooring, granite slab kitchen and bathroom counters, sun-inviting windows and private balconies all come standard in Cortez Blu, along with 24-hr security and key-card entry for added safety. Construction of the building ended recently in January of 2006 and served to pay homage to the legendary El Cortez Hotel, located nearby. Because of its mature and sophisticated age, the Cortez Hill area displays its Victorian-style homes surrounding the condos, a distinguishing element to the refined tastes of Cortez Blu residence. Fore more details, please visit cortezblusd.com.
The Lofts at 707 Tenth Avenue
In the vibrant, urban setting of downtown San Diego, the Lofts at 707 Tenth Avenue fuse together the East Village art scene, downtown San Diego urban life, and our crisp and clean business center geometry. 207 residential lofts, including studios, 1 and 2 bedroom lofts, and 9,000 sq feet of street-level retail compose this gem of the city, urban on the exterior and nurtured with a secluded courtyard landscaped for serenity on the interior. At 8 stories tall, the Lofts mid-rise buildings bring boutique hotel style living to the East Village. Each residence is lavished with original art, designer forms and surfaces in openly spacious floor plans. Granite countertops, large balconies, spectacular city views, a business tech center, private theater, fitness center, and top floor viewing deck of Downtown distinguish the Lofts as one of the most eye-catching desires of the city. San Diego real estate powerhouse Oliver McMillan can be attributed to the urban creations, blending in retail shops and restaurants on the ground level for ultimate shopping convenience. The art culture of the surrounding area has been carefully reflected within the interior of the building as well, creating a rooted connection between the outside and the inside, the work and the living space. The Lofts at 707 Tenth incorporate exceptional design into every element, especially the modern amenities. Walking distance to the nightlife of the Gaslamp district as well as Petco Park provides an ideal location for the young, hip loft-livers of East Village. For more details, please visit 707tenth.com.
Aperture
1494 Union Street
Chic and urban condos in downtown San Diego’s Little Italy give the Aperture name an adoration all of its own. The 11-story complex contains 86 condominiums, and not to mention 4,000 square feet of retail space along the ground floor. Aperture residents can make home in studios, 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, or Penthouses, ranging from 715 to 2158 square feet. Each condo embraces sophisticated luxury with top appliance and fixtures, dial glazed low-emission window walls from floor to ceiling, and unbelievable skyline and North Bay views. Citymark Development finished construction on the unit in fall of 2007, reviving some of the old-world charm from the Little Italy neighborhood aesthetic. The quaint neighborhood of Little Italy beams with historical and community pride and vitality, as events such as the Festa, the Art Walk, and Carnevale are hosted on the streets annually. Galleries, boutiques, culturally unique eateries and fresh markets all overwhelm the area, a miniature European caricature complete with café seating on corners and the Amici Park for afternoon strolls. Aperture commits to the same principles of function, urban, and contemporary design as its other communities M2i, Fahrenheit, and Doma. Natural light and cultural smells flood these condominiums, transporting you to an entirely diverse land.
Horizons
555 Front Street
Another one of Bosa’s brilliant creations, Horizons condominiums embarked on its mission towards luxury living in 2001. The twin towers are fixtures in the Downtown San Diego community, serving as landmarks in our skyline. Residences vary from 1036 square foot one-bedrooms to 2918 square foot penthouses, but typical two and three bedroom floor plans cover about 1105 to 2267 square feet. At 25 stories high, the two Horizon towers plant residents in the hub of the city, neighbors to Market Street, Island Avenue, First and Front Street, the bay, Horton Plaza, and the best of San Diego restaurants and nightlife. Rich hardwood flooring in the entries, kitchen, living rooms, dining rooms and hallways bring sophistication to Horizon as 9-foot ceilings open the space for expansive living. The 211 condos each flourish with granite countertops, fireplaces, breathtaking views, high security, a swimming pool, spa, fitness club, business center and conference room, lounge and sundeck. Large balconies and patios seep in the ocean breeze as roller shade window coverings reduce the solar heat gain in summer and heat loss in the winter. Inside the towers, an open, lush and landscaped courtyard trails in soothing waterfalls and calm peace in the midst of the city-life.
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