Seedy Downtown San Diego 1978

August 5, 1978
In 1978, News 8’s Doug McAllister reported on the end of an era in Downtown San Diego. A moratorium was put in place on “adult entertainment” affecting: “massage parlors, nude model studios, adult bookstores, adult theaters, adult motels and cabarets.” The moratorium didn’t close down existing businesses but stopped any new ones from opening for six months. The City of San Diego was also considering implementing a zoning ordinance that would restrict adult entertainment to certain parts of town. Business owners in the industry didn’t go on camera but told News 8 they didn’t expect the moratorium to affect business one way or another and figured the attention would die down after the election cycle was over for the year.

[akent]

Navy town in the late 70’s, what do you expect? Nowadays, I hate to say there’s a part of me that looks back and wishes we had those problems back instead of today’s.

[TheSwabbie]

That was the Broadway I remember in 1976 when I was in the US Navy and attending Communication School over at NTC San Diego.

[sturgillcobb]

It was seedy in the 70's and it's still seedy today just modern seedy.

[RAJCZAGS]

Looks pleasantly mild compared to all of the BS we must endure today.

[robparadise]

Sailors liked this area in the 60's

[l.k.]

Now San Diego is all overpriced generic restaurants with the same $30 plate of angel hair and $55 plate of dead beef with the same bad and narcissistic servers who expect atrocious tips.

[mitchellbast]

Joined the navy in the late 70's, and when basic was done, they turned us loose .
We hit Broadway, and fun fun fun.
I miss the way S.D. used to be. I have a healthy appreciation for red light districts, and the wretched street urchins that walk those streets

[NEVERHAVEHIGHEXPECTATIONS]

Given what we have right now, homeless living on the streets, drugs being done in open, trash, feces, urine on the sidewalks- 1978 wasn't looking so bad.

[TheThemattyo]

DOUG MCALLISTER goodness Forgot about him . I'm a fourth generation san diego native and in 1978 I was 11 . Me and my friends used terrorize that place . We still have our house that I grew up in on 22nd and some. We were young and we were the seventies version of the little rascals .

[RegenerativeHomes]

Interesting that not one word about center city revitalization plans which led to the moratorium, eventual purchase of the blocks south of Broadway between 1st and notably 4th Avenue by the city using the power of eminent domain, study and planning of Horton Plaza Shopping Center, and the center's design, construction and August 1985 grand opening. At the time of this broadcast revitalization goals of this area were not a secret. In fact, the shopping center was proposed in 1972. In the summer of 1978 I worked in the SDGE engineering department and we would walk downtown during lunch knowing everything was about to change. Following the success of the mall, adult businesses along Broadway and elsewhere sold to large developers such as 1990s Emerald-Shapery development (Emerald Plaza).

[davidbrown]

those were the "good old days", wish it was still like this not the way it is now.

[neroleblanc]

Transfering busses downtown in the early 80s was interesting. San Diego High '82 weditched and went to a strip club on Broadway, it was upstairs, the place smelled like mold and the dancer looked older than my mom.

[ll]

My dad worked in downtown in the 70s and he said after 5pm you got the F outta there 😂

[robertthomas]

The San Diego that Tom Waits sang about.

[diosdadocamiloza]

I was looking for Pussy Cat Theatre, couldn’t find it in the video..😄😄

[iamkarlwithak]

There was a theatre downtown that would show adult videos during the day and family movies at night. It cost $.50. I took my kids there once and the stench of sex and used condoms was too much as well as the worn seats were too much to bear so we left. Those were the days. 1986? Thank goodness for VHS, DVDs and internet porn. 🙏💪🌍🌏🌎❤️🇺🇸🖖

[dlobelow]

Part of me is glad this isn't here anymore.

However, I want to get rid of the gentrification of San Diego as well so

[malcorub]

"Anti Porno" politics. New York City's Time Square was like this too.

[donspringstead]

Just a few years til the aids epidemic hit. I remember that well...all my friends struck down way before their time. It was awful.

[armandtoledo]

Downtown was real and had character then. Now, far too gentrified but the huge homeless population seems to like it.