San Diego – Tips From a Local
I’m an Arizona native but San Diego has been my home for 20 years.
San Diego isn’t really thought of as a big city but with a population of 1.4 million, it actually ranks as the eighth-most populous city in the US. It simply does not feel like a big city because the public transit is minimal and you have to drive everywhere.
That used to bother me a lot. Why is there no fast public transit in such a large city? It never made sense to me. I eventually found out that car companies had lobbied the city and persuaded them not to build a subway system here so they could sell more cars. After that, it bothered me less. I get it. It was about money, of course. Just know that the traffic can be downright terrible. It’s frustrating because I love a good subway system.
We have the trolley here but, don’t get me started. It’s a light rail system but it doesn’t go anywhere you want to go. They are working on that though and they are currently building an extension north into the UTC area. The new line should be open in late 2021.
There are the usual things to do here: Sea World, Legoland, and The Zoo.
But I’ll give you the ins and outs on all the beaches and the best place to grab a beer.
First things first, beaches
I’m starting south and working my way north so you have an idea of how the beaches run up the coast. I will not be giving you advice on the best surf breaks because I do not surf.
Imperial Beach (IB) — Closest to Mexico. This beach can sometimes be closed due to water pollution from across the border — a major bummer. However, IB is a great mix of people, great food, and every summer they host the Sun & Sea Festival which includes a sandcastle competition. Keep an eye out for it. It’s pretty cool.
Coronado — Touristy. Locals don’t really go here too much unless you live on the island, which most of us do not. They do have a good dog beach. There are a lot of restaurants and shopping in Coronado so you could do that and then head to the beach for a couple of hours. The beach isn’t close to a whole lot except The Hotel Del — which is beautiful and historic. It is worth a walk-through if you haven’t ever seen it. I see this area as more of a shop and eat day versus the beach but you could do it all if you are ambitious.
Ocean Beach (OB) — Quite plainly, it’s the hippie beach. Many people walk the streets without shoes and there are a lot of white people with dreadlocks. I’m not saying it’s good or bad, it just is. A hostel resides on the main drag, Newport Avenue, which always seems full. There is a farmer’s Market every Wednesday which pulls in big crowds. If you go, don’t miss Hodad’s. It’s a burger joint that is always packed but a lot of fun. Locally owned and operated. Burgers are huge, fries/onion rings are great. They play really loud hard rock/heavy metal so be aware of that. The servers are very low-key and always friendly. (A Hodad is a poser surfer so, kudos to the name of this place.) OB also has a pier that provides some great views at sunset.
Pacific Beach (PB) and Mission Beach — I am linking these two because they are really close together and they are even linked with a boardwalk. PB and Mission Beach are known as party beaches. It’s a lot of college kids, a lot of drinking, and a lot of bars. Mission Beach has a small entertainment area with a little roller coaster, games, and a wave pool where you can practice your surfing. A little bit more of a family vibe than PB but not much. PB also has a pier if you’re game for that.
La Jolla Shores– The family beach. It is mellow and fun for the whole family.There is a huge park adjacent to the beach so you could set up a picnic and wander down to check out the waves. Restaurants and delis are a few blocks away on foot so pretty easy to manage. It’s the kind of place that you can pack some food and plan to be there all day. There are a few stores for shopping but not a ton. If you are interested in ocean kayaking, La Jolla Shores is your place.
Moonlight Beach — Encinitas — This neighborhood is tiny and tight-knit. This is the local beach of this small surf community. Locals go here to surf and hang out. The beach is not very big so it’s gets crowded quickly and food/restaurants are a bit of a hike up the road. Bonfires light up the night to celebrate birthdays.
Dogs on the beach — Overall, these beaches are not dog-friendly, as in off-leash. There is a section of OB that is but it is on the northern-most side of the beach, away from most of the people. Other dog beaches include a section of Coronado and part of the Del Mar area. Fiesta Island in Mission Bay is also off-leash. Just ensure your dog has a decent recall and lots of fresh water. Go nuts! Find the full list of beaches and dog parks here.
Beer
San Diego has become home to a staggering amount of breweries. There are more than 150 here. The signature style out here is the IPA but you can find a great beer, no matter what your favorite is. Some breweries even sneak up on you like Pizza Port — good pizza and also, surprise, a brewery as well.
30th Street in North Park — 30th Street is beer street! That’s the headline of that web page I linked you to, and it is. North Park is fun. There are a lot of restaurants, bars, cafes, and some cute shops. You can walk around and find many, many breweries. Fall is one of my favorites. They converted an old mechanics shop so their space is pretty big. They have extended their patio out front too. They don’t sell food but they host a food truck most nights. You can also walk down the street, get food to go, and take it back to the brewery. They partnered with a local coffee roaster, Dark Horse, and made a coffee-bean, vanilla stout. C’mon! It is really good.
Explore those lists of breweries and map out where you want to go. Some places also do tours of their facilities. San Diego also has full-on brewery tours so you can check out multiple places in one day. Your options for beer are pretty much endless.
Where to stay
You can reference the beach section and get a good idea about where you may want to stay. In addition to that:
- Downtown — The downtown/Gaslamp area is not ideal to stay in unless you are doing something at the convention center down there. It’s not easy to navigate and parking is expensive. At night it is where the club scene is.
- Old Town — Central, walkable, kinda gimmicky. This is close to a lot with good freeway access.
- Mission Valley/Hotel Circle — This is all just hotels and malls. It is very central and has easy freeway access. Not much about it is walkable but if you plan on seeing a new place each day, you will have to drive.
All in all
There are endless things to do including the museums at Balboa Park, going to see a Padres game, hiking along the coast, or playing golf. There is truly something for everyone. The weather is mild so you can be outside almost always. The locals like to complain about the weather, a lot. It’s pretty funny.
Pro-tip — just know that most people that live here don’t call it “Cali.” Ever.
Get to know the beaches, know your beer, bring your dog (maybe), and have a great time. Come explore this big city disguised as a small beach town. Oh, and make sure you have access to a car. You’ll need it.
About Kit
Kit Campoy is a former retail professional turned freelance writer. She writes about Leadership, Retail, and Web3. Contact Kit for your content needs.