In searching for the iconic representation of what it means to be a Local in our region, we wanted to be inclusive of the beaches, the mountains, the city, the desert, the suburbs, the international border. We soon realized that it’s pretty impossible to fit all of that into a symbol.

But perhaps more importantly, we realized that being Local isn’t just a physical place. It’s the feeling you create within a place, together.

We create the feeling of being Local by returning time and again to the same people, to the same traditions, to the same places. We choose to become a Local and we keep showing up, nodding in recognition (or raising a pint glass) when we see each other.

In our crest, we celebrate a treasured Local by the name of Bum, San Diego’s first & only official town dog in the late 19th century. According to tradition, this St. Bernard-Spaniel mix arrived at our shores as a stowaway aboard a steamer ship in December 1886, and became very special to the people who lived here because of his good-natured personality, his inquiring mind and his unfailing sense of camaraderie.