OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Oceanside is known for being an affordable city in San Diego County. Still, as it's gotten more popular the area has been hit with higher rent, chain businesses and vacation rentals.
"Just because it's so close to the ocean doesn't mean it needs to be gobbled up and turned into something else," Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez said. "This is part of the charm of Oceanside, and we want to keep it that way."
Diego's Mexican Food is a family-owned business that's been in Oceanside since the 1980's. The owner's son said downtown Oceanside hasn't looked the same since the COVID 19 pandemic.
"You see so many of the local spots, they’re just slowly dying off, lot of the new ones coming in," he said.
The Taco Stand is opening a new location on South Coast Highway down the street from Diego's.
"We have a good set of our loyal customers but at the same time bigger names are coming," George said. "Taco Stand is popular, they’re more known on social media."
While big businesses and expensive rentals make their way into the city, Sanchez doesn't blame them for the impact on the community.
"It's not their job to to say, 'Oh wow, there's a really cool culture here, I don't want to mess with that'," she said. "No, that's not their job. It's our job, really the representatives and also the community that lives here."
Sanchez and local leaders are working on housing initiatives, financing programs, food programs and more. Another idea is to declare the East Side community as a historic district.
"We just really want to ensure that we continue to have a presence for the Latino community," Sanchez said. "Then, ensure that families hear about that and understand that you know that would mean getting, you know, more help financially and preserving this area."
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