When our newspaper office officially relocated from Pacific Beach to the greater downtown area earlier this summer, change was in the air.

Moving from a small community office that had been there for more than a decade to an office that would be new to all of us was a notable difference.

Living only about five minutes from the old office, I was sad that my drive to work would change, among other things.

The drive to the PB office was simple. 

I crossed the bridge by Sea World and headed down Ingraham directly to the office located at the corner of Grand and Ingraham. It did not get much simpler than that.

I remember a time when a portion of Ingraham in Crown Point wasn’t fun to drive on. I also remember blowing a tire and cracking a wheel rim a couple of years earlier due to a sizable pothole I hit one evening by Mission Bay High School.

That said, the city ultimately repaired a portion of Ingraham in Crown Point that was bad. They also did some patching over near Mission Bay High, where my car hitting that pothole ultimately cost me several hundred dollars.

Fast-forward to now, and I spend a couple of days a week driving to the new office on First Avenue.

The building itself is nice. There is plenty of room to do my work. The people are nice, too.

The one downside would be the street in front of the office. Quite frankly, it looks in some areas like a war zone. 

Having an older vehicle that moans occasionally on even smooth surfaces, the ride up the hill on First Avenue for a couple of blocks is like a symphony of clanking. I am also laser-focused on dodging as many of the bumps as possible.

I know from reading many stories about San Diego roads that Mayor Todd Gloria has emphasized a priority on fixing our roads – despite budget challenges.

I applaud Gloria for focusing on such an important aspect of our lives, especially those of us who drive regularly around San Diego. There is still much work to be done.

Here’s hoping for smoother days ahead, not only for my drive but for countless other commuters.

San Diego is a first-rate city with much to offer both locals and visitors.

It certainly deserves and should have first-rate roads to drive on.

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