[Updated Oct 2020] A guide to serviced offices and office space for rent in San Diego as well as general information that may be useful if you are thinking of renting offices in San Diego.
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History & Geography
The second-largest city in California lies on the coast of the Pacific Ocean near the border with Mexico 15 miles to the west of the Laguna Mountains. The city has a deep water harbor and is bordered by miles of beaches. San Diego is the birthplace of the state of California, in that it was the first true settlement in the region. Prior to European discovery, the area around San Diego was inhabited by the Kumeyaay tribe. In 1602 Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino was sent to map the area and named the bay after Saint Didacus, more commonly known as San Diego de Alcala. In 1769 the Spaniards built a fort on a site near the San Diego River and later that year a mission was founded by Franciscan Friar Junipero Serra. When Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821 San Diego became part of the Mexican province of Alta California and continued to grow in size and population. California was then given to the US after the Mexican American War, which ended in 1848. In 1850 California became a state and San Diego was incorporated as a city and designated the seat of San Diego County. In the later 19th century San Diego expanded to reach San Diego Bay, and this area quickly became the main hub of the city. In the early 20th century San Diego became a significant base for the US Navy, and to this day is the location of several naval and air bases. During WWII the city’s population increased dramatically due to the number of bases and defense-related organizations there. However, after the Cold War much of the defense industry had its budget cut and this severely affected the city. Since then San Diego has managed to diversify its economy and today is once again a thriving regional hub.
Economy
While San Diego has a very diversified economy today there are several industries that remain the bulwark of the city’s economy. These are defense, international trade, tourism and research and manufacturing. Due to its deepwater port, San Diego is home to the only submarine and shipbuilding yards on the West Coast of America. Several major defense contractors also have their headquarters in the city, including General Atomics, Cubic and NASSCO. The largest naval fleet in the world is anchored in San Diego, with 53 ships and 35,000 sailors. More than 15,000 businesses in the city rely on defense contracts. Among the bases in San Diego are Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Bob Wilson Naval Hospital and Silver Strand Training Complex. Due to the amount of naval air bases in the city San Diego is known as ‘the birthplace of naval aviation’. Tourism is another major industry in San Diego, mostly due to its ideal weather and many tourist attractions. International trade is another driver of San Diego’s economy, mostly due to its thriving port and its proximity to the Mexican border. Lately, manufacturing and research have also made strides in the local economy, especially since San Diego was dubbed an iHub Innovation Center.
Tourism & Culture
Because of its mild climate and plethora of attractions San Diego has a thriving tourist industry. Recently The Weather Channel named San Diego as having one of the two best summer climates in America. The city’s Mediterranean climate has long dry summers and mild winters. Surfing, windsurfing and sailing are popular in San Diego, as well as hiking and mountain biking in the area around the city. San Diego itself has a number of attractions that bring in thousands of visitors every year. Among the most popular are SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego Zoo and Mission San Diego de Alcala. Among the annual events held in the city are Comic-Con, the San Diego Black Film Festival, and the Street Scene Music Festival. San Diego has also recently become a popular destination to hold conventions, and the San Diego Convention Center usually hosts over 70 conventions per year. The city is also often visited by cruise ships and has one of the largest cruise ship industries in the country. Among the cruise lines that operate out of San Diego are Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal and Holland America.
Transportation
Most of San Diego’s residents travel by car and San Diego boasts an intricate network of highways and surface streets. It also has a parallel network of cycle lanes. Due to its mild climate and fairly topography cycling is a popular form of transport in San Diego. The city is also served by an extensive bus network, trolley and Amtrak. San Diego’s main airport is the San Diego International Airport, which is the busiest single-runway airport in the US. It serves close to 20 million passengers every year and is located approximately three miles from downtown San Diego.
Office space for rent in San Diego
Currently, San Diego has a vacancy rate of approximately 13 percent. This is a drop from the previous year, with the absorption of over 300,000 square feet. The average rental rate is USD 25.52 per square foot, which is an increase on the previous year. In 2012 there were several large transactions, including Illumina moving into 159,000 square feet and United Health Care Services moving into 140,000 square feet. The forecast for the local economy is positive as the country starts to move out of the recession, however, growth has been slower than predicted.
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