A 126-year-old Victorian inside a gated, Parisian-inspired tropical compound — two minutes
from Petco Park, and somehow still quiet once the gate shuts behind you.
A note from us
We're a small business — not a management company, and not a portfolio someone
bought. The Jade Manor is ours, and we pride ourselves on running the best stays in San Diego.
That only counts for anything if yours actually is the best one. So if there's
something you need, or something isn't right, please just ask — we would far rather hear from
you while you're here than read about it afterwards. No question is too small.
And if you love it, come find us. We want to see your San Diego — tag
@the_carmine_collection in your photos and we'll share them.
Step through the gate and the city drops away. What's behind it is a Victorian mansion
restored into something sun-soaked and celebration-ready, set in a tropical compound that
belongs more to Paris than to a block two minutes off Petco Park.
The Space
Victorian bones, modern comfort
Nineteen hundred square feet of it: high ceilings, elegant detailing, a carved marble
fireplace, designer interiors and a fully stocked kitchen. The common areas are
generous enough that twelve people can be together without being on top of each
other — which is the whole trick with a group house.
The Compound
Parisian tropical, behind a gate
Fully gated and entirely yours: an outdoor hot tub, a hammock, sun loungers, alfresco
dining and a second TV outside. Downtown is two minutes away and you would never know
it from the patio.
Respectful celebrations welcome — see the note on
gatherings in How Things Work.
01 — Arrival
Getting in
Self check-in, keyless at both the front gate and the house.
No key handoff, no waiting around — we text your codes the day you arrive.
Address
443 21st Street San Diego, CA 92102
Check-in
3:00 PM
Check-out
10:00 AM
Gate codes
Texted the day you arrive
Front door code
Texted the day you arrive
Wi-Fi network
The Jade Manor
Wi-Fi password
5stars443
Parking
Two tandem spots, behind the gate
Two spaces on the premises, one behind the
other — so whoever's leaving first should park nearest the gate. We'll give you the
driveway gate openers. Street parking out front is free if you've brought more cars
than that.
The gates
Three codes, a few quirks
You'll get a code for the front gate, one for the driveway gate, and one
for the front door. A few things nobody guesses:
Press the tick. On the gate keypad, enter your code and then press the tick
(✓) button — nothing happens until you do. This is the one that catches everybody.
The driveway gate is slow. Enter the code and wait at least five seconds before
you decide it hasn't worked. It also closes itself about thirty seconds after opening.
To get out of the driveway, press the "Push to Exit" button by the decorative
street light on the corner of the house.
The front door is a Yale keypad — press "Yale", then your code. To lock it
again, press the Yale button on top.
02 — The House
Where everyone sleeps
Twelve people across four bedrooms, plus a rollaway. Room-darkening
shades throughout, and extra pillows and blankets in the closet.
Bedroom one — The Green Room · One queenBedroom two — Two queens, with an ensuiteBedroom three — The Loft · Twin bedsBedroom four — Twin beds
The Green Room
One queen. The one everybody photographs — palm panels, a brass chandelier and a
green so deep the ceiling disappears into it.
Bedroom two
Two queen beds, with its own bathroom through the door. The obvious room for two
couples, or for anyone who'd rather not queue in the morning.
The Loft
Twin beds, down both sides of a long room up under the eaves, with two armchairs
between them and a skylight overhead. Best room in the house if you're travelling with
the friends you don't mind sharing with.
Bedroom four
Twin beds, tucked under the roofline with coral palm-print wallpaper and its own
skylight.
Rollaway
One twin rollaway with a foam mattress, for guest number twelve.
Stored in the closet of the Green Room — ask before you arrive and we'll have it made up.
Little ones
There's a high chair here, and a travel crib on request. Ask before arrival and
we'll have it set up.
Bathrooms
Three of them. One has a vintage claw-foot tub with a chandelier above it; another
has a spacious walk-in shower with dual rain heads. Both are worth a detour.
Hot tubHammockSun loungersAlfresco diningOutdoor TVPatio & gardenFully gated
Also here
Air conditioningCentral heatingWasher & dryerIronHair dryerDedicated workspaceKaraoke — 14,000 songs, two micsSonos throughoutGames consoleBoard games & booksShampoo, conditioner, body soapHigh chair & travel crib
03 — House Manual
How things work
The short version of everything guests usually text us about.
If something here doesn't match what you're looking at, message us — don't wrestle with it.
Hot tub
Lid off, then on again
The controls are on the side of the tub — set it to whatever suits you.
No glass anywhere near it, and rinse off before you get in — lotions and sunscreen are
what wreck the water. Cover back on when you're done.
Our spa technician services it on Mondays. He works from outside and never needs to come
through the house, so you don't need to be in or let anyone in.
Claw-foot tub
Under the chandelier
The vintage claw-foot has a chandelier hanging over it. Run it like any bath and take
your time. The other bathroom's walk-in shower has dual rain heads if you'd rather
stand up.
Karaoke & Sonos
Fourteen thousand songs
The machine lives in the bottom cabinet of the coffee bar in the kitchen. Two
wireless mics, fourteen thousand songs.
Sonos: get on the house Wi-Fi first — nothing works until you do. Then either
open the Sonos app and pick a room, or cast straight from Spotify by tapping the
devices icon and choosing the Sonos speaker.
Sing as late as you like — just keep it inside with the doors shut. No loud noise
outside after 9 PM.
Heating & cooling
One thermostat per floor
Downstairs: the thermostat is at the bottom of the stairs. It isn't the most
obvious panel in the world, so there's a short walkthrough —
watch it here.
Upstairs: a wall thermostat that runs both heat and air — it's on the hallway
wall, about halfway down. There's also a window AC unit up there if you want the
bedrooms colder than the rest of the floor.
It's a 126-year-old house, so rooms warm and
cool at different rates — the room-darkening shades help more than you'd think.
Laundry
Washer & dryer
In the laundry room right next to the kitchen. Both are complimentary — run a load
whenever suits you. Detergent is in there too, by the window sill.
Trash
We handle the bins
The cans are in the driveway — just put your bags in. You don't need to track collection
day or roll anything to the curb; we take care of that.
Gatherings — read this one
Small, tasteful celebrations are exactly what this house is for: bachelorettes,
birthdays, reunions, a proper dinner. Large-scale gatherings and parties are strictly
prohibited, and there are active security cameras on the exterior for safety and
compliance. Keep it to your booked group and we'll never have this conversation.
There are three exterior cameras — see below for exactly where.
Outside quiet hours — 9 PM to 7 AM
This is a real neighbourhood with real neighbours, and it's the one rule we can't be
flexible on. By nine, music off outside and voices down in the compound and the hot tub.
Inside you're fine — and the karaoke stays inside with the doors shut. It's the open air
that carries.
Decorations & balloons — $150
Bring them, celebrate properly. Just use something that comes off the wall cleanly and
take it with you — any wall damage caused by decorations, balloons or similar items
incurs a $150 repair fee. In a 126-year-old house this matters more than most.
Strictly non-smoking — anywhere on the property
That includes cigarettes, cigars, cannabis and vapes, indoors and out in the compound.
If you smoke, the sidewalk out front is all yours. Any evidence of smoking, or the odour
of it, is a $250 cleaning fee.
Safety
Where things are
Fire extinguisher and first aid kit are both under the kitchen sink. Smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors throughout the house.
Cameras
Three, all outside
Front gate, facing the street. Front patio. And one overlooking the
hot tub, which our insurer requires.
There are curtains at the hot tub — draw them and you have complete privacy.
Nothing is recorded anywhere inside the house.
Pets
No pets, sorry
We're not able to host animals here. Service animals excepted where the law
requires it.
You may hear a neighbour
The chickens
One of the neighbours keeps chickens. You'll hear them in the morning. It's a genuinely
nice thing to wake up to two minutes from a baseball stadium, and it's very much part
of this block.
04 — Add-Ons
Things you can add to your stay
The karaoke, the hot tub and the compound are all included —
nothing to arrange. These are the extras. Where someone's named below, book them directly;
for anything else, text Joe on
928‑300‑7802.
In the compound
Private Yoga with Nicole
Vinyasa or restorative, out in the tropical courtyard, for your group. Mats provided.
Dinner for twelve, cooked here and served outside. With this much table space it's the
easiest win in the house — message Jason directly about menus and numbers.
A bartender for the night, a photographer, early check-in, a mid-stay clean — if it would
make the stay better, ask. Text Joe on
928‑300‑7802
and he'll tell you straight away whether we can do it.
05 — Choose Your Adventure
What kind of weekend is this?
Six two-day plans, built out hour by hour. Take one whole, or
steal from all of them — nobody’s checking. Every stop links to its Instagram and to Maps,
where you’ll get directions, hours and reviews. The marked stops are the ones worth having
your camera out for.
For the bride, the groom, the whole loud lot
The Bach Weekend
The house was built for this. Front-load the big night, then give Saturday somewhere soft to land.
Day One — Brunch, boats & a big night out
9:00 am
Morning GloryWorth a photo
An over-the-top brunch in Little Italy. No reservations — arrive early and expect a wait.
Love seafood? Swap a dinner for Mabel’s Gone Fishing in North Park — Iberian-inspired plates and gin cocktails. After pizza and pasta instead? Buona Forchetta is the warm South Park alternative.
Planning notes
Check current opening hours before you set out — especially Las Cuatro Milpas.
Reserve both dinners ahead of time.
Times are loose. The point is to leave room between stops.
Mission Beach is a sandbar: the Pacific to the west, Mission Bay to the east, and a flat paved boardwalk running the length of it. Day one never leaves it. Day two starts on the bay at high tide and then keeps going north as far as the cliffs. This is the one we do ourselves.
Day One — Out the door and onto the sand
7:30 am
Lazy Eye CoffeeMission Beach
Small, good, and right on the boardwalk. If you are driving over for the day this is where you park up and start.
Three flat paved miles of it, ocean on your right. Walk south to the jetty and back before the day warms up — it is the single best thing about being here and it costs nothing.
Stand-up paddleboards on the bay side, plus kayaks, sailing and windsurfing if anyone is ambitious. The largest instructional waterfront centre in the country, and the water is flat calm.
Book the SUP rental ahead in summer — weekends go.
Ride the rides. The Giant Dipper is a wooden roller coaster from 1925 and it still runs — go on it once even if you think you are too old for it. Arcade, tilt-a-whirl and a zip line over the sand.
Rooftop, straight over the sand, facing due west. Sunset drinks without moving the car — you are already there. Get up before the light goes and stay for it.
Sandbar Sports Grill for the upstairs deck, or Guava Beach if you want a fire pit and a patio. Coaster Saloon, a dive under the roller coaster since 1949, is the nightcap.
Time it with a high tide and the water on the bay side turns genuinely clear — flat, warm, and empty compared to the ocean beach a hundred yards away. The best swim in the city when it lines up.
Check a tide chart the night before and move this stop to match it. It is worth rearranging the day for.
Sandstone reef, serious surfers, and the palm-thatched shack that has stood on the sand since 1946. The most photographed stretch of coast in the county.
Pasta made by hand in the window by a family who moved here from Rome. One of the best Italian rooms in the city, ten minutes from the cliffs. Book well ahead.
Swap the paddleboards for jet skis or a Duffy boat if nobody wants to stand up, and swap Cesarina for George’s at the Cove if you would rather stay in La Jolla and eat on a roof. If the marine layer has not burned off by eleven, flip the days — La Jolla clears earlier than the beaches do.
Planning notes
Everything on day one sits inside a few blocks of Mission Beach, about eighteen minutes from the house. Drive over once in the morning, park, and leave the car where it is — every stop on day one is walkable from the last, and circling for a space is the only genuinely unpleasant thing about this neighbourhood in summer.
Day two needs the car from Crystal Pier onward.
The bay-side swim on day two is the stop worth planning around — check a tide chart and move it to whenever high tide falls.
For everything that didn’t fit a plan
Honourable Mentions
Not an itinerary. Pick one or two, slot them into any of the days above, or ignore all of it and go to the beach. Everything here links to Maps for directions, hours and reviews.
Beaches — the ones we actually go to
La Jolla
Windansea
Rocky, photogenic and a proper surf break. The palm-thatched shack on the sand has stood there since 1946 — you can see it in the middle of the beach.
Seasonal: the Carlsbad Flower Fields run March to May, and the Del Mar racetrack season is July to September.
Tijuana and Valle de Guadalupe need a passport — the queue coming back north is the part to plan around.
These link to Maps rather than Instagram. Send us handles for any you’d like added.
06 — The Neighborhood
What's nearby
You're in downtown San Diego — Petco Park is a two-minute drive, the airport
seven, and Balboa Park, the Zoo and the beaches about eight. Almost nothing on this list is
more than a quarter of an hour away.
Coffee & morning
Ryan Bros. Coffee
~5 min
Barrio Logan — A family roastery that's been at it since before
the neighborhood was a destination. Straightforward, excellent, open early.
Café Moto
~6 min
Barrio Logan — Solar-powered roastery, fair-trade organic,
roasting since 1990. The patio is the move.
El Carrito
~5 min
Barrio Logan — Chilaquiles served out of a converted 1930s cable car.
Go hungry, go early, expect a line on weekends.
Dark Horse Coffee Roasters
~7 min
South Park — Neighborhood coffee bar. The salted maple latte has
a following for a reason.
Secret Sister
~7 min
South Park — Sourdough bakery working from a 150-year-old starter.
Bread and donuts. They sell out.
Tacos & Mexican
Las Cuatro Milpas
~5 min
Barrio Logan — Family-run since 1933 and the reason people drive
across the county. Cash, a line down the block, tortillas made in front of you. Lunch only.
This is the single most San Diego thing on this list.
Salud! Tacos
~5 min
Barrio Logan — Street-style tacos under tattoo-inspired murals.
Good late, good with a group.
Barrio Dogg
~5 min
Barrio Logan — Gourmet Tijuana-style hot dogs with a rotating
monthly special. Odd, and very good.
Dinner
Carbón
~7 min
South Park — Everything over charcoal: steaks, whole fish,
global sauces. The nicest dinner within ten minutes of the house.
Buona Forchetta
~7 min
South Park — Neapolitan pizza from a wood oven, thirty-plus
varieties, patio always full. Book ahead or eat early.
South Park — A food truck that got on Diners, Drive-Ins and
Dives and deserved it. Cheap, enormous, delicious.
Station Tavern
~6 min
South Park — Burgers in a converted 1929 trolley stop, big
outdoor yard. The easy answer with kids or a crowd.
Kindred
~7 min
South Park — Fully plant-based, heavy-metal-meets-art-nouveau
interior, excellent cocktails. Worth it even if you eat meat.
Drinks
Border X Brewing
~5 min
Barrio Logan — Mexican craft beer built on Baja traditions.
The hibiscus ale is the one to order.
Mujeres Brew House
~5 min
Barrio Logan — Women-owned brewery with a weekend taco bar
and a genuinely good room.
The Rose Wine Bar
~7 min
South Park — Woman-owned natural wine bar, small plates,
and a "salad pie" that shouldn't work but does.
Whistle Stop Bar
~7 min
South Park — Divey in the best way. Live music, DJs,
no pretension whatsoever.
Outside
Chicano Park
~5 min
Barrio Logan — The largest collection of outdoor murals in the
country, painted across the freeway pylons. A National Historic Landmark and a ten-minute
walk you'll remember.
Balboa Park & the San Diego Zoo
~6 min
Balboa Park — 1,200 acres, seventeen museums, botanical gardens,
and the zoo. You cannot do it in one day. The Botanical Building and the Spanish Village
are free and take an hour.
Coronado Beach
~13 min
Coronado — Wide, flat, golden, with the Hotel del at one end.
Over the bridge, which is itself worth the drive.
Ocean Beach & the pier
~13 min
Ocean Beach — Scruffier, friendlier, better sunsets.
Wednesday farmers market on Newport Ave is the local institution.
Torrey Pines State Reserve
~23 min
La Jolla — Cliff trails down to the beach through the rarest
pine in North America. Book parking ahead on weekends.
Cowles Mountain
~18 min
San Carlos — The highest point in the city. Steep, 1.5 miles up,
and the whole county at the top. Go at sunrise.
If you have a whole day
La Jolla Cove
~18 min
Sea lions, snorkeling, tide pools, and the cliff walk. There are snorkel sets and beach
towels at the house — take them.
Julian
~1 hr
Old gold-mining town in the mountains. Apple pie is the entire economy. Best in autumn,
occasionally snowed on in winter.
Little Italy Mercato
~4 min
Saturday morning farmers market, and one of the best walkable eating strips in the city
any day of the week.
Everything above is a list to browse. If you'd rather just be handed a plan, the seven
two-day itineraries further up the page are the ones we actually send people — hour by
hour, with the bookings marked.
07 — Departure
Before you go
No stripping beds, no bagging trash, no list of chores.
Three things:
✓Turn the AC and the heat off.
✓Pull the front door shut.
It locks itself — no key to leave, nothing to hand back.
✓Make sure the gate latches behind you.
Leave the openers on the kitchen counter.
That's it. We'll take care of the rest.
Checkout is 10:00 AM. If you're in a bind, text us the night
before — we'll tell you straight away whether the calendar allows a later start.
One last thing
If the stay was good, a review helps us more than almost anything else — we're two
people running seven houses, not a company with a marketing budget. And if it wasn't,
please tell us before you tell the internet. We'll fix it.
08 — Contact
If you need us
Text is fastest. There's no such thing as a question too small —
we would much rather hear from you at 9 PM than read about it in a review.
Your hostJosh Taylor760‑704‑3820Text is best — anything about the house.
Your hostJoe Rossi928‑300‑7802Yoga, sound baths, a chef, and anything else you'd like added.
EmergencyPolice, fire, medical911From anywhere in the house.
Nearest emergency room
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego — 4077 Fifth Ave, Hillcrest, about 6 minutes
north and open 24 hours. For major trauma, UC San Diego Health Hillcrest at 200 W
Arbor Dr is the region's Level 1 trauma centre, a couple of minutes further.
Boutique stays, not rentals
We don't just host guests — we craft experiences. Welcome home, only better.
The Carmine Collection was founded by Joe Rossi and Josh Taylor — real estate entrepreneurs
and lifestyle curators — out of a shared obsession with design, travel and the kind of
hospitality that actually remembers you.
It's a handpicked portfolio, not a management company. Every house is chosen and finished
to the same standard: luxurious but genuinely livable, thoughtfully appointed, always in a
location worth waking up in. The Jade Manor is one of seven.
Whether it's a weekend, a work-from-anywhere month, or something you're celebrating, the
job is the same — make it seamless, memorable, and a little bit magical.
