When I came for my first interview at gap intelligence in October 2009 I made sure to arrive early. My friend Aidan that referred me told me that gap’s office was located on the 3rd floor in downtown San Diego at the corner of 7th and C Street. That seemed easy enough to find since I lived near downtown. After easily finding parking, I headed to my first office job interview ever.
Walking through the palatial marble lobby bustling with people was intimidating. I headed to the elevators and hit the number three. As I watched the numbers light up in the elevator indicating that I was almost to the 3rd floor I felt nervous. My fingers were crossed that my business ensemble from Forever 21 was dressy enough to make a good impression. Being greeted by a massive fish tank as I anxiously stepped out of the elevator was unexpected.
I wasn’t sure which door I was supposed to go in so I texted Aidan to let him know I was at the office. When I informed him that I was standing by a fish tank he called me right away since there was no fish tank at gap intelligence’s headquarters. Turns out the fancy fish tank filled office was the Merrill Lynch building. After further instructions from Aidan, I head across the street to the modest office building that was surrounded by homeless people. Aidan and I had a good laugh. Luckily they hired me despite being directionally challenged.
7th and C was so close to my house I didn’t even have to take the freeway to get to work. I would cruise down Park Boulevard and end up right downtown. The office was bright and airy with huge floor to ceiling windows. There was free gated parking next to our office. As far as dining options near the office, they were certainly limited. This office required planning lunch wise. Forgetting to pack a lunch meant you’d be walking several blocks to grab something edible to eat. The worlds tiniest Starbucks was around the corner. As long as you weren’t claustrophobic you’d be able to tackle getting your caffeine fix.
Our office was on the outskirts of downtown which meant that there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic. Little foot traffic meant questionable characters loitering near our front street entrance. These questionable characters loved to make nests near our front door. Luckily most gappers used the side entrance adjacent to the parking so these nests could be avoided. When our CEO announced that we were moving offices and that our new home would be at the recently renovated Liberty Station I was super duper excited. I knew this would be a game changer and a HUGE upgrade even if it meant saying farewell to free parking downtown.
After working two years at the 7th and C office with little to no amenities, Liberty Station was a luxurious breath of fresh air. This month marks our 4th year and it’s certainly a milestone I’d like to celebrate! As I walked across the grounds of Liberty Station this morning I couldn’t help but appreciate the lush perfectly manicured surroundings. Like most people, I spend more time at work than anywhere else. I feel like we upgraded to a fancy college campus. On site at Liberty Station there are two grocery stores, a yoga studio, gym, fantastic restaurants, non-tiny Starbucks, hair salon, nail spa, dry cleaners, postal annex, hardware store, and even a golf course. Having so many incredible amenities steps from my office makes my life a million times better. Running errands is a breeze and I am so grateful that gap decided to make Liberty Station our home. Going to work is an absolute joy. I look back on the days of 7th and C and never ever EVER want to go back. Cheers to our 3 year gapinversay at Liberty Station! I hope we stay together 4 EVA EVA and this is our forever home!
