San Diego Today
With a current population of 3,095,313, San Diego is the eighth largest city in the United States and the second largest in the state of California. It is a top tourist attraction and resort area, and an important high-technology, aerospace, and aviation production area. The location of their port and their nearness to Mexico give the city a unique flair, the downtown area also has a great atmosphere.
The climate in San Diego is very mild with cool summers and warm winters, this helps to attract new residents and industries every year. The second largest school system in California and the eighth largest urban school district in the United States is the San Diego Unified School District. They have a nonpartisan five-member board that is selected every four years, the superintendent is also elected by the board. This particular school district also operates twenty-four magnet schools. The major colleges and universities in the area are the University of California San Diego, University of San Diego, San Diego State University, and Scripps Institution if Oceaography.
The mayor of San Diego is Dick Murphy and he has been in office since 2000. The city has a council-manager form of government which has been in use since 1931. They mayor along with eight council members are elected every four years and they decide who will be the city manager.
The climate in San Diego is very mild with cool summers and warm winters, this helps to attract new residents and industries every year. The second largest school system in California and the eighth largest urban school district in the United States is the San Diego Unified School District. They have a nonpartisan five-member board that is selected every four years, the superintendent is also elected by the board. This particular school district also operates twenty-four magnet schools. The major colleges and universities in the area are the University of California San Diego, University of San Diego, San Diego State University, and Scripps Institution if Oceaography.
The mayor of San Diego is Dick Murphy and he has been in office since 2000. The city has a council-manager form of government which has been in use since 1931. They mayor along with eight council members are elected every four years and they decide who will be the city manager.
Places to See
San Diego is known throughout the world as one of the best tourist destinations. When you need to fly internationally or commercially, you will fly through the San Diego International Airport. The places that you need to make sure you visit while you are in San Diego are QUALCOM Stadium, SeaWorld San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, the San Diego National Historical Society, LEGOLAND, and the Gaslamp Quarter for fine dining and shopping.
QUALCOM Stadium is the home to many professional sport teams and concert events. The San Diego Chargers and San Diego State University. It is the only stadium to host the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year. SeaWorld San Diego has been open since 1964. While here you can catch wonderful shows put on by killer whales, sea lions, dolphins, birds and much more. You can also ride various water rides and even play with dolphins. The San Diego Zoo is home to some of the rarest wildlife in the world. They have over 4,000 animals that live in the zoo. Balboa Parks holds 15 museums, art exhibits, and international culture associations. It is one of the largest entertainment and cultural complexes as well. The San Diego Zoo is also located inside of Balboa Park. When you go and visit the San Diego National Historical Society you will be able to learn about the city’s unique history. Finally, LEGOLAND which is located in Carlsbad has more than 1,000 LEGO models. While visiting, you can also ride the attractions and see what a world made of LEGO’s would be like.
QUALCOM Stadium is the home to many professional sport teams and concert events. The San Diego Chargers and San Diego State University. It is the only stadium to host the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year. SeaWorld San Diego has been open since 1964. While here you can catch wonderful shows put on by killer whales, sea lions, dolphins, birds and much more. You can also ride various water rides and even play with dolphins. The San Diego Zoo is home to some of the rarest wildlife in the world. They have over 4,000 animals that live in the zoo. Balboa Parks holds 15 museums, art exhibits, and international culture associations. It is one of the largest entertainment and cultural complexes as well. The San Diego Zoo is also located inside of Balboa Park. When you go and visit the San Diego National Historical Society you will be able to learn about the city’s unique history. Finally, LEGOLAND which is located in Carlsbad has more than 1,000 LEGO models. While visiting, you can also ride the attractions and see what a world made of LEGO’s would be like.
Economy, Population, and Transportation
The biggest economy sector in San Diego is manufacturing in the areas of shipbuilding and repair, industrial machinery and computers, metal production, and the manufacturing of certain objects like toys and sporting goods. At one time the economy was led by military and defense organizations. International trade is also important in the economy because it adds p to 37% of the manufacturing sales. Now, the military and defense industry is the second largest sector and it brings in around $13 billion every year. The third largest sector of the economy is tourism. Every year San Diego hosts 26 million tourists and they contribute $5.6 billion. The next largest sector is agriculture, and San Diego is ranked 20th in the largest agricultural producers in the country. Their top products are flowers, foliage plants, nursery products, and avocados.
In the year 2000 the population of San Diego was 1,223,400 (www.quickfacts.census.gov, 2010). Then in 2006 the population grew to 1,256,951. In ten years the population doubled to 3,053,793 in the year 2009, and in 2010 the population was 3,095,313. In 1980 San Diego was the eighth largest city in the United States. In 1990 it was the sixth largest city and in 2000 it was the 11th largest city. Now it is the eighth largest city in the United States. There are also 314,227 residents who are foreign born that live in San Diego (www.city-data.com, 2009).
San Diego has many unique transportation options. There are five Amtrak stops within San Diego. It stops at Old Town, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and two other locations. One alternate stop is at the Amtrak Station and the other is a curbside stop. You can also take a bus or a trolley to get around San Diego. The San Diego Transit Corporation has a fleet of 275 buses and 29 routes that cover the cities of San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, National City and it also covers part of San Diego County’s unincorporated area. The San Diego Trolley travels through the downtown area, Mission Valley, east county communities and to the Mexican Border.
Culture
Museums are very important in San Diego's culture. The popular museums include the San Diego Museum of Art and the San Diego Museum of Man. The Columbia district in downtown San Diego is the home to many historic ship exhibits, the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum and the USS Midway aircraft carrier.
Music, theatre and filming are a big hit in San Diego. The San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera are also very popular and they perform regularly. The La Jolla Playhouse and the Old Globe Theatre out in world premire plays and musicals that actually get nominated in the Tony Awards, and sometimes they even win. Many movies and TV shows have been filmed in San Diego as well, this has been occurring since 1898.
In the year 2000 the population of San Diego was 1,223,400 (www.quickfacts.census.gov, 2010). Then in 2006 the population grew to 1,256,951. In ten years the population doubled to 3,053,793 in the year 2009, and in 2010 the population was 3,095,313. In 1980 San Diego was the eighth largest city in the United States. In 1990 it was the sixth largest city and in 2000 it was the 11th largest city. Now it is the eighth largest city in the United States. There are also 314,227 residents who are foreign born that live in San Diego (www.city-data.com, 2009).
San Diego has many unique transportation options. There are five Amtrak stops within San Diego. It stops at Old Town, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and two other locations. One alternate stop is at the Amtrak Station and the other is a curbside stop. You can also take a bus or a trolley to get around San Diego. The San Diego Transit Corporation has a fleet of 275 buses and 29 routes that cover the cities of San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, National City and it also covers part of San Diego County’s unincorporated area. The San Diego Trolley travels through the downtown area, Mission Valley, east county communities and to the Mexican Border.
Culture
Museums are very important in San Diego's culture. The popular museums include the San Diego Museum of Art and the San Diego Museum of Man. The Columbia district in downtown San Diego is the home to many historic ship exhibits, the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum and the USS Midway aircraft carrier.
Music, theatre and filming are a big hit in San Diego. The San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera are also very popular and they perform regularly. The La Jolla Playhouse and the Old Globe Theatre out in world premire plays and musicals that actually get nominated in the Tony Awards, and sometimes they even win. Many movies and TV shows have been filmed in San Diego as well, this has been occurring since 1898.