These two luxury high rise condo buildings are two latest new additions to the Downtown San Diego skyline and built by one of the premier developers on the west coast, BOSA Development.
Pacific Gate introduced in 2018 as a new and unique product, categorized in the “super prime” category. What is meant as super prime is that the building offers a level of amenities, services and finishes that no other building can match.
Savina was introduced in 2019, also as a luxury product but not quite a “super prime” product. Savina’s main attractive is the location, right at the edge of the Columbia District and Little Italy District.
In this comparison we’ll evaluate location, amenities, lifestyle, residences and views for each building.
As top selling brokerage at Savina and also combining Savina and Pacific Gate together our goal is to offer you the most comprehensive guide and insight into these two amazing buildings.
Location
Location is one of the most important factors when buying real estate, so it is appropriate to start this comparison by addressing the location for both Savina and Pacific Gate.
Pacific Gate sits on the southern part of the Columbia District, right at the intersection of Pacific Hwy and Broadway (across from where the cruise ships arrive in San Diego). At the moment this part of the Columbia District is under construction with the 8 city blocks project Pacific Gateway that will enhance the area immediately west of Pacific Gate.
Savina enjoys a privileged location on the edge of the Columbia District and Little Italy district. This makes this the only building in downtown San Diego that offers luxury living and extremely close proximity to Little Italy lifestyle (restaurants, shops, etc). Since Little Italy has no luxury condo buildings this makes Savina the only option for those that want luxury and being just a block away to all the action on India street.
Savina wins the location category, but just for now, once the Pacific Gateway project is completed, Pacific Gate’s location will be as good or even better than Savina’s.
AMENITIES
I have been a downtown San Diego resident since 2004, I live in a BOSA building (The Grande North) and been selling luxury real estate since 2008. I have to say that Pacific Gate amenities are indeed “different” and more sophisticated than any other building in downtown San Diego. These include 24 hr security, a true concierge service (yes, they will book restaurant reservations for you), a fitness center, community lounge room, business center, screening room, pool deck, BBQ deck, sauna & steam room, a guest suite, a pet retreat, a car fleet and a yacht share program.
I would say the three amenity/service that make this building standout is the true concierge service, the car fleet for resident’s use (include 2 Mercedes Benz AMG C63 and two Mercedes Benz GLC 300 SUV’s) and of course, the yacht. Called “Pacific Dream” and is a 45 foot yacht value at approximately $1.5 million. Residents can book this yacht for a small fee (at time of writing was $300 plus fuel charge) for a 4 hour time slot. This are undoubtedly Pacific Gate’s main attractions, especially for out of state or international buyers that have no car and want to arrive home and have all services tendered to them.
Savina offers the typical amenities of any BOSA high rise which include 24 hr security, front desk attendant, pool deck, BBQ deck, sauna & steam room and community lounge room. Savina also has a business center and an incredible yoga deck next to the fitness center which no other building in downtown San Diego offers. Savina takes it to the next level with a pet retreat and pet and bike washing stations. There is no guest suite at Savina which is surprising as it tends to be a popular amenity in other buildings that offer it.
I would say this category is a tie, Pacific Gate offers extravagant amenities and incredible service but Savina offers amenities that are very useful in today’s lifestyle like the pet washing station or the incredible community lounge room (with capacity for 120 people) and fitness center / yoga deck that face the pool deck and are truly exceptional. Savina also offers an hammock lounge for relaxation and an outdoor ping-pong table.
Lifestyle
Pacific Gate is a very quiet building, mostly second or third home buyers that are rarely there. There is not much activity during the day, little traffic in lobby and as such, it offers much privacy as one might want. The entry to Pacific Gate is in a motor court setting, meaning that you can drive up to the lobby, drop your groceries, pick up passengers, etc. It truly feels like arriving into a 5 star resort.
Savina is not so quiet. Catering to a different demographic at Savina you will feel more of a community lifestyle where there is activity all day long with people going in and out of the building. Catering more to full time residents with suitable amenities and those interested in the Little Italy lifestyle with proximity to India street within a block. Savina does not offer a motor court entry like at Pacific Gate or other neighboring buildings like the The Grande, Bayside or Electra. Savina’s entry is on a busy street and the main entry door to lobby is in a red parking zone so there is no sense of grand arrival into Savina to drop of passengers, groceries, etc.
This category is also a tie. This one really comes down to a matter of personal preference and lifestyle choices.
RESIDENCES
Pacific Gate offers a limited amount of 2 and 3 bedroom floor plans with 6 floor plans per level (4 per level on penthouse floors). Savina offers more than 90 different floor plans including 1, 2 and 3 bedroom floor plans!
Pacific Gate finishes are truly amazing, with custom cabinetry by Hirsch Bender, Wolf ranges, Miele appliances, Graff kitchen and bathroom fixtures and smart home with electronic shades. Because of the type of construction, shape and orientation of the building there no outside walls in Pacific Gate residences, it is all glass. This is the only building in downtown San Diego that offers such style.
Savina finishes are high end but a bit more toned down from what you find at Pacific Gate. These include quartz countertops, wood veneer cabinetry, Thermador appliances and Grohe fixtures, porcelain flooring in bathrooms.
From a floor plan perspective Pacific Gate offer more spacious floor plans on average while at Savina there is more variety of sizes and they even have a handful of 1 bedroom condos. Pacific Gate wins this category.
VIEWS
Pacific Gate offers incredible views at the moment. But with the construction of the Pacific Gateway project west of the building and the future Pacific Gate II tower north of the building will impact the views of many of Pacific Gate residences. Only those residences facing NW above the 20th floor (clearing the Intercontinental Hotel across the street) will keep those panoramic bay views in the long run.
Savina being on a more established location with not much construction around it and closer to the airport offers more protected views, especially on the NW facing units, pretty much any floor will get a bay view on that NW orientation.
Savina wins this category.
Overall these are two incredible buildings, each offering its own charm and distinct lifestyle. These are also the only two options for downtown San Diego condo living if you are looking for newer construction as the last building completed before these two was Bayside but that was in 2009.
I would say if I was a second or third home buyer looking for a retreat in San Diego I would go towards Pacific Gate. For someone that lives here, wants to stay away from being close to a construction site and is looking for more walkability then I would recommend Savina. But keep in mind, once Pacific Gateway project is completed in 2024 (scheduled) this will all change. This comparison is taking into consideration things as they are today in 2020.
I hope this helped in your search for downtown San Diego condos at Savina or at Pacific Gate.
DID YOU KNOW?
We are the top selling brokerage at Savina and also combining Savina and Pacific Gate together with over 15 residences sold. Two of our team members worked for the original BOSA sales team at both Savina and Pacific Gate and are now part of our team. Combined we have sold over $100 million in real estate in these two towers alone. Please contact us if you need any assistance either looking to purchase or sell at Pacific Gate or at Savina.