Prestige, Access, Lifestyle

Industry clusters are concentrations of companies operating in the same or complementary sectors within a relatively small area. Locating your company within a cluster of similar companies can give your business the right image, provide you with access to essential business services, and open up rich networking opportunities. Locating your business in a cluster that is your target market gives you ready access to clients.

In general, companies within industry clusters experience an increased rate of knowledge exchange, exhibit a higher level of energy, and, through their elevated profile, can be more effective at attracting capital and a skilled workforce. In short, clusters are directly related to your competitiveness.

Downtown San Diego's industry clusters include:

Legal Services

Downtown San Diego is the center of the region's legal community. It is home to Municipal Court, Family Court, the California Civil and Criminal Courts, City and County governmental facilities, legal associations including the San Diego County Bar Association, and numerous prestigious law firms. Search for available commercial space.

Banking and Financial Services

Downtown San Diego is a regional hub for national and international banks, venture capital firms, and specialized lending institutions. If your business provides financial services, take advantage of the power and prestige of a downtown address. Search for available commercial space.

Architecture and Engineering

With a one-of-a-kind urban lifestyle and several engaging redevelopment projects underway, Downtown San Diego is the location of choice for many of the region's leading architecture, design, urban planning and engineering firms. Ready access to government agencies and the financial community add to the area's appeal to this industry cluster. Neighborhoods that have seen an increase in these firms over the past decade include Little Italy and the East Village. Search for available commercial space.

Creative Services

As with the community's architectural and engineering firms, Downtown San Diego's high energy, beauty and lifestyle has attracted top tier advertising, marketing, graphic design, web design, and public relations firms. Many of the employees in these industries have followed their companies downtown and now call Downtown San Diego's exciting lofts and condominiums home. Search for available commercial space.

Information Technology

With more than 70,000 strand miles of fiber optic cable stretching beneath its city streets, downtown San Diego is one of the most wired cities in the country. Buildings wired with broadband access and public Wi-Fi hot spots extend this network with unprecedented access options. With an advanced communications infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce, extensive training resources, and access to capital and essential business services, Downtown San Diego's high technology sector continues to grow and flourish. Search for available commercial space.

Defense and Space Technologies

San Diego, a Navy national "megaport" designation, is home to a large concentration of military contractors and received $7.1 billion in Pentagon spending in 1998, the second-highest amount in the country. With an advanced communications infrastructure, easy access to military bases and important agencies such as the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR), Downtown San Diego provides the ideal location for leading defense and space industry companies, such as Teledyne Ryan and Solar Turbines, Inc. Search for available commercial space (* See US Defense Firms Revel in Spending Spree.")