San Diego, December 3, 2025

San Diego is witnessing dynamic changes with the opening of the Library Shop Mission Hills, focusing on literature and supporting local libraries. Housing market trends reveal low turnover rates affecting home sales, while beaches recover from El Niño impacts. Additionally, San Diego FC wraps up a historic inaugural season in Major League Soccer, and city council elections are on the horizon, highlighting community engagement. These responses emphasize the resilience and unity of San Diego’s community in the face of challenges.

San Diego’s Recent Developments: A Bookstore, Housing Market Trends, and Beach Recovery

Supporting Local Libraries and Economic Growth

San Diego is continuously evolving, with recent initiatives aimed at boosting community support and fostering local businesses. A shining example of this is the new independent bookstore, Library Shop Mission Hills, which opened its doors on December 1, 2025. Operated by the San Diego Library Foundation, this bookstore not only provides a venue for local literature but also addresses the pressing funding issues faced by San Diego’s libraries amid budget cuts. This blend of public and private investment showcases the resilience and innovation of our local entrepreneurs, exemplifying how limited regulation can catalyze community-oriented business ventures.

In addition to the bookstore, San Diego’s housing market is also under scrutiny, with low turnover rates persistently shaping the landscape. A recent analysis illustrates the reluctance of current homeowners to sell, largely due to rising housing costs and interest rates. The local economy reflects broader national trends but presents unique challenges that demand innovative solutions to foster growth and accessibility in housing.

New Bookstore Opens in Mission Hills to Support Local Libraries

San Diego’s Mission Hills neighborhood now hosts an independent bookstore aimed at supporting local libraries. Operated by the San Diego Library Foundation, the Library Shop Mission Hills opened on December 1, 2025, in the former Mission Hills library building, which had been vacant since 2018. The bookstore offers books by local authors, literature focused on LGBTQ+ and immigration topics, staff recommendations, and themed merchandise like tote bags and knickknacks. This initiative responds to funding threats to library branches from local and federal budget cuts. The space was previously considered for affordable housing but faced community resistance. The bookstore is modeled after the successful shop at the Central Library downtown, which saw sales grow from $153,000 in fiscal year 2022 to $300,000 by 2024. The new location is at 925 W. Washington St., near the Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Library. CEO Patrick Stewart emphasized the model as a blend of public and private investment that benefits the broader community.

San Diego’s Housing Market Shows Low Turnover Rates

San Diego’s housing market continues to experience low turnover rates. A recent Redfin analysis revealed that only 1.6% of San Diego homes changed ownership in the first nine months of 2025, maintaining the low turnover trend from 2023 and 2024. This rate is among the lowest in the country and aligns with national data, where only 2.8% of U.S. homes changed hands through September 2025, marking the lowest turnover rate in at least three decades. Factors contributing to this stagnation include elevated housing costs, homeowners’ reluctance to give up lower mortgage rates secured in previous years, and ongoing economic uncertainty. Redfin’s head of economics research, Chen Zhao, attributes this trend to widespread hesitation among both buyers and sellers.

San Diego Beaches Recovering After El Niño

San Diego County beaches are showing signs of recovery after being impacted by last year’s El Niño. A report by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, released in November, indicates that most of the nine state beaches studied have increased in width over the past year. This recovery is crucial for coastal health, as broader beaches help protect against erosion and flooding while enhancing recreational value. El Niño typically intensifies extreme weather, including storms and powerful waves that erode coastlines. However, researchers found that the sand loss wasn’t as severe as expected, partly due to milder winter wave activity. These findings may influence long-term coastal planning strategies. Scripps researchers employed advanced technologies such as LiDAR-equipped drones and satellite imaging to monitor beach changes. In response to ongoing coastal challenges, San Diego County is preparing to launch its largest-ever regional beach restoration project, a $260 million effort to distribute sand across the coastline, tripling the scale of past projects.

San Diego FC Concludes Historic Inaugural Season

San Diego FC has concluded its inaugural season in Major League Soccer (MLS) with a historic run. The team finished first in the Western Conference, recording 63 points, breaking a record for expansion teams in MLS. In their first playoff game, San Diego FC defeated the Portland Timbers 2–1 at Snapdragon Stadium on October 26, with goals from Onni Valakari and Anders Dreyer. The team then lost their second match and won 4–0 in the third to clinch the best-of-three series against Portland. San Diego FC was ultimately eliminated in the Western Conference final in a 3–1 home loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The team’s first match was on February 23, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park against defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy, where they won 2–0 with two goals from Anders Dreyer. The first home match at Snapdragon Stadium was March 1, 2025, against St. Louis City SC; a 0–0 tie in front of 34,506 fans, marking the largest crowd for a sporting event in the stadium’s history. However, the match was marred by instances of the homophobic “puto” chant throughout, leading to a joint campaign by the club and the San Diego Independent Supporters Union to prevent the chant at future home games – adopting the phrase “Not here.” In February 2025, the club announced that Tems has joined the ownership group. San Diego FC’s first head coach is Mikey Varas, who was appointed in September 2024. He had been the interim coach of the United States men’s national team for two matches and had previously coached the United States under-20 team. Tom Penn was named the club’s chief executive officer on May 18, 2023; he was previously president of Los Angeles FC during their launch. By late 2024, San Diego FC had 70 employees at their headquarters.

Upcoming San Diego City Council Elections

The 2026 San Diego City Council election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, with a primary election on June 2, 2026. Four of the nine seats on the San Diego City Council are contested. Seats in Districts 2, 4, 6, and 8 are up for election. Incumbents Henry Foster III (District 4) and Kent Lee (District 6) are seeking re-election, while Jennifer Campbell (District 2) and Vivian Moreno (District 8) are ineligible for re-election due to term limits. Top election issues include cost of living, homelessness, and housing affordability, part of a broader housing crisis statewide. Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, although most members do identify a party preference. A two-round system is used for the elections, starting with primaries in June followed by runoff elections in November between the top-two candidates in each race.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors Special Election Results

Paloma Aguirre won the special election for the 1st Supervisorial District seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, defeating John McCann. Aguirre received 53.90% of the vote in the runoff election held on July 1, 2025. The primary election was held on April 8, 2025, in which Chula Vista mayor John McCann and Imperial Beach mayor Paloma Aguirre advanced to the runoff election. Aguirre is expected to be sworn in on July 22, 2025. Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, and although most candidates do identify a party preference, their party affiliations do not appear on the ballot. As no candidate won a majority of votes in the primary, a runoff election was held between the top two vote-getting candidates. Top election issues included the Tijuana River sewage crisis, homelessness, immigration, and housing affordability, part of a broader housing crisis statewide.

Supporting San Diego’s Economic Future

As we witness these developments unfold in San Diego, it’s vital for community members to support local initiatives, whether through visits to the new bookstore or participating in civic engagement ahead of the upcoming elections. Strengthening community ties can empower local businesses and contribute to sustaining San Diego’s vibrant economy.

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Author: STAFF HERE SAN DIEGO WRITER

The SAN DIEGO STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERESanDiego.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in San Diego, San Diego County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Comic-Con International, San Diego County Fair, and San Diego Pride Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and United Way of San Diego County, plus leading businesses in biotechnology, healthcare, and technology that power the local economy such as Qualcomm, Illumina, and Scripps Health. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAnaheim.com, HEREBeverlyHills.com, HERECostaMesa.com, HERECoronado.com, HEREHollywood.com, HEREHuntingtonBeach.com, HERELongBeach.com, HERELosAngeles.com, HEREMissionViejo.com, and HERESantaAna.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into California's dynamic landscape.