Tom York on Business: San Diego Ranks 14th Among U.S. Cities for Coworking Space

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Downtown Works
The Downtown Works coworking community in Little Italy. Image from Facebook page

As Thanksgiving nears, there’s lots of interesting business news about the nation’s 10th largest city.

First off, this report. San Diego has nabbed the No. 14 spot in CoworkingCafe‘s study on the top 15 U.S. cities for places to work independently. 

CoworkinCafe publishes coworking and flexible work locations nationwide, including real-time availability, amenities and packages, photographs, floor plans and even 360-degree videos. 

The study found that we excel in specific categories, ranking No. 4 in amusements and recreation, No. 5 in festivals, No. 6 in museums, historical sites and similar institutions and No. 16 in art dealers.

Los Angeles claimed the top spot, standing out for its abundance of festivals and art dealers to keep citizens entertained. 

Second place Chicago secured second place with its distinctive Midwestern culture. 

Miami earned recognition for its top amenities for amusement parks and outdoor recreation, supported by its year-round favorable weather.

The study attributed San Diego’s 14th place to its amusement parks, including our world-famous Zoo, SeaWorld and Legoland. 

The study also noted that we host five annual festivals, such as Comic-Con and the annual Kaaboo music festival at Del Mar. 

The parent of CoworkingCafe, Yardi, is a developer of industry-leading investment and property management software. 

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Apartment search website RentCafe, another unit of software developer Yardi, has come up with an interesting study about today’s two youngest up-and-coming generations.

Many Millennials and those of the Gen Z generation are choosing to live with family well into adulthood, deviating from the tradition of moving out at 18, according to a recent study from the organization. 

This trend is especially pronounced in California metro areas, such as Los Angeles, Riverside and Stockton.

But San Diego was the only metro in SoCal going against the trend, with only 18% of Millennials living at home — a bit below the 20% nationwide average.

The Los Angeles metro area had the largest slice of the younger generations still ensconced at home at 35%.

Metro areas in the Bay Area had sizable multigenerational populations. 

San Jose area’s rate was more than 24% and San Francisco stands close behind with 23% of Millennials living with their parents. 

Don’t expect things to change anytime soon. 

RentCafe’s national survey found that more than 40% of young adults don’t expect to move from their parent’s home in the next few years

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Well, here’s another dubious distinction for San Diego that we have uncovered.

San Diego ranked No. 3 among all U.S. cities for suffering from high mobile phone bills, according to a new report from consumer bill paying website doxo

San Diegans paid an average of $131 a month for an average annual annual amount of $1,509.

Boston ranked No. 1 in the survey. Bostonians paid an average of $211 a month or an average annual amount of $2,253,– 77% higher than the national average. 

Kansas City ranked No. 2, with locals paying $143 a month for the privilege of carrying a cell phone.

The study found that 94% of U.S. households spend an average of $119 per month for a mobile phone, or $1,428 per year.

And the total? Nationwide, Americans spend $175 billion a year on mobile phone services.

As noted, Doxo.com is a third-party website that enables consumers to pay bills via its site for a fee.

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San Diego real estate investment and property management firm MG Properties says it has acquired the 325-unit Novo Broadway Apartments in Tempe, AZ, for just over $100 million.

MG says its portfolio includes more than 28,000 rental units in the West.

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Family-owned, San Diego-based Soapy Joe’s Car Wash adds to its network with the opening of its 21st express wash in Vista on Nov. 15. 

Over the past 12 years, Soapy Joe’s has donated more than $2 million and 120,000 free washes, benefiting communities such as veterans, healthcare workers, schools, hospitals, firefighters and others in need of a car wash.

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San Diego energy utility  Sempra has landed its eighth consecutive Trendsetter recognition for civic transparency, as revealed by the Center for Political Accountability‘s annual CPA-Zicklin Index. 

The index, developed with the help of the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, assesses political disclosure and accountability policies for election-related spending by S&P 500 and Russell 1000 companies. 

Sempra was judged a trendsetter in the index, achieving a score at or above the 90th percentile, beyond the 58.3% average for all S&P 500 companies in 2023. 

Sempra Senior Vice President Lisa Larroque Alexander emphasized the company’s commitment to transparency, responsibility and high corporate citizenship standards. 

Sempra earned a raw score of 66 out of 70, equivalent to a 94% overall score on the CPA-Zicklin Index, outperforming the 58% average for S&P 500 companies. 

CPA President Bruce Freed praised Sempra for its dedication to political disclosure, highlighting the company’s positive impact on managing risks and enhancing shareholder value. 

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The San Diego office of digital transformation consultant CourtAvenue has been named the new direct agency of record for the U.S. Air Force‘s Rapid Sustainment Office.

The company will provide strategic thinking and digital solutions to help the RSO rapidly identify and implement essential technology, according to a news release. 

The three-year agreement will highlight CourtAvenue’s expertise “in designing digital experiences that enhance mission readiness and innovation,” the release said.

“We are incredibly proud to be selected as the RSO’s direct agency of record,” said Ben Philyaw, a spokesman for CourtAvenue. “This partnership is a testament to our team’s deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing the Air Force in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape.”

The company says its expertise in designing digital experiences will help the Air Force to better communicate its mission to the broader Air Force and Department of Defense community, the release said.

According to the news release, the agreement is a significant step forward in the Air Force’s efforts to modernize its digital infrastructure and enhance its ability to operate in the 21st century. 

CourtAvenue said its expertise “will be invaluable in helping the RSO to achieve its mission of ensuring the Air Force remains the world’s most powerful and effective fighting force.”

Tom York is a Carlsbad-based independent journalist who specializes in writing about business and the economy. If you have news tips you’d like to share, send them to tom.york@gmail.com.

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