Why Big Talent Leaves San Diego
Jay Porter operated
The Linkery and El Take It Easy, two restaurants in North Park, until he
recently closed both and moved to the Bay Area. Jed Sundwall got to wondering
what it takes to drive entrepreneurs like Porter out of San Diego, and Porter
had answers. We reprinted some of the
highlights from their conversation.
“There isn’t much political
will to do simple things to make San Diego a good place to live,” Porter said.
“I want to live in a place that supports the things that city dwellers value.” For
Porter, the city’s direction (or lack thereof) wasn’t the only issue. Another
big issue was costs. “The sun tax has gotten pretty steep,” he said. “The
relative cost of living in San Diego has gone way up compared to competitive
towns, but without keeping up with infrastructure.”
