Time for an in-depth look

Our front-page story on the state of vacancies in Del Mar’s central business district is the first in a series of articles the Del Mar Times plans that will take an in-depth look at Del Mar and compare it to other communities in the area. The Del Mar Times is in a unique position to do this in that our company also publishes local community newspapers in La Jolla, Solana Beach, Carmel Valley and Rancho Santa Fe.

These five communities have much in common, particularly that they are the most affluent in San Diego County. While some residents of these five communities choose to live at the beach and others have elected more land and greater privacy inland, the demographics and lifestyles are quite similar. What is different, however, is that two of the communities are incorporated cities, two are within the boundaries of the City of San Diego, and one has a homeowners association that supplements county services.

In looking at issues that affect our communities, our goal is to put them in context and to explore how residents and communities fare under different forms of government. In addition to business, we plan to look at schools, safety, infrastructure and lifestyles. We welcome your ideas on subjects we should tackle — write to us at talkback@delmartimes.net.