San Diego

Yes, absolutely, OP, but it of course depends up on a lot of variables. What time of year are you thinking of going? Do you know anyone there? What are the types of activities you enjoy when on vacation (from leisure to dining, to cultural to outdoorsy exploring)? Where are you visiting from?

Say hi to Frankie and Grace!

Stay in NYC, OP, and spend your money on Chik-fil-A.

Snooze fest. It is great if you like being surrounded by retired military.

I rented a house in one of the northern suburbs of SD for a month last summer. There's plenty to do. I got a multi-day pass that gives you admission to nearly all of the museums and attractions in Balboa Park. There's also the Zoo, of course, and the Safari Park (and Sea World and Legoland.) The USS Midway aircraft carrier is interesting. Liberty Station has a cool food hall and some nice restaurants. Point Loma National Monument is worth a visit. Beaches, of course. Some nice day trips, depending on the time of year: Anza-Borrego State Park, Julian, Laguna Beach, etc. Numerous Indian casinos. I saw a play at the Old Globe Theater, and another one at a smaller community theater.

So -- depending on what you're into and what time of year you go, you should have plenty to do.

La Jolla is stunning, so is Sunset Cliffs. With a week you can go to Catalina, Coronado, San Juan Capistrano, even Tijuana if you're up for it. Balboa Park has a bit of everything. I don't know what kind of excitement R4 was looking for, but if you enjoy the outdoors, photography, things of that nature, there is more than enough to keep busy. There are so many different kinds of landscapes just within an hour or two - mountains, desert, forest, the sea...take your pick. Palm Springs is just over 2 hours away, too.

The weather is great. The Zoo is really excellent. Coronado is definitely worth the ride over the bridge. You can even take a ferry to the Ballpark from there. If you are not traveling with kids the City is very Uber friendly. You do not really need a rental. Have fun.

The Andrew Cuananan Tour is a must do. Blacks Nude Beach the gay section can have some hotties in the warmer summer months. You can also see where that former twink porn star tricked Harlow Cuadrow into confessing. You can also go into Tijuana for the gay bordellos.

R6 is correct. La Jolla, Sunset Cliffs and Pacific Beach in SD are stunning. I always take the drive down from LA when I'm in town. It is a heavy military city and is too right-wing for my taste but it's one of the prettiest regions of the county for sure.

Yes OP go!! Went for the first time last year and loved it. La Jolla and Point Loma (including Sunset Cliffs) are atunning. Must see!

I've chatted with some very hot guys in SD on grindr and the other apps. So I'd say it is worth a visit.

Tijuana rates a day or more, it is a large metropolis.

The Zoo isn't really particularly spectacular but Balboa Park really is. Hotel del Coronado can be fun, but for beach day you might want to go to the nude beach, although the sights at Ocean, Pacific, and Mission Beach are truly spectacular (all those military bods).

I think you can tour the Salk Institute, and Carlsbad has that big flower thing going on. I think east San Diego County has an old west town too. And of course you are close enough to Orange County to zip on up to Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, etc. without much trouble.

there are gay whore houses in TJ? I thought it was just a place to get cheap oxy

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch

I've lived in San Diego for 36 years. My top recommendations are these. Everything is free except where noted:

Windansea Beach in the La Jolla neighborhood - classic southern California surfer beach. For history, read the first chapter of "The Pump House Gang" by Tom Wolfe and peruse the articles on macmedadestruction.com

La Jolla Cove and Coast Walk, the path that goes uphill from the Cove area

Mt. Soledad Park in La Jolla for sweeping views

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, rare torrey pine trees and oceanviews ($10 parking)

Black's Beach (famous nude beach, requires hike down steep trail)

Mount Helix County Park in La Mesa for sweeping views

Cabrillo National Monument in the Point Loma area ($10 per car, which is good for one week)

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (same views as Cabrillo NM, but free)

Old Town State Historic Park, and the pretty Presidio Park just up the hill

Balboa Park:

- All the gardens are free except he Japanese Garden. The Botanical Building, a huge lathhouse that appeared briefly in "CitizenKane" is filled with exotic tropical plants

- All the museums have an admission charge except the Timken Art Gallery is free

- San Diego Zoo (admission charge) Be at the zoo in the morning when it opens as the animals are more active then

- Concerts and theater (free organ concerts and other live music at the Spreckles Organ Pavilion; theater in the Old Globe complex

Mission San Diego de Alcalá (free)

Viejas Indian Casino, outlet mall, performance venues, etc

Julian (historic gold mining mountain town, now an apple growing area)

Laguna Mountain Recreation Area (drive along Sunrise Highway) $5 parking fee

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (wildflowers in the spring, but too hot in the summer) - free

Palomar Mountain State Park (entry fee)

USS Midway, Maritime Museum, Star of India (oldest working ship in the world)

Just returned from SD today. Torrey Pines State Park one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Saw pods of dolphins frolicking. La Jolla coast is terrific. You can swim with seals there!

I thought San Diego had turned reliably blue in the last 3 or 4 nat'l elections?

[quote] The Zoo isn't really particularly spectacular

What zoos do you think are better?

Club San Diego in the gay neighborhood of Hillcrest

The city of San Diego is generally blue but the rest of San Diego County is still red, particularly the eastern and northern suburbs; places like Lakeside are deep red country and deplorables. But the central part of the city is blue and gay-friendly. Hillcrest is traditionally the gay neighborhood but other neighborhoods around it are gay-friendly (University Heights, North Park, Normal Heights, South Park, Kensingon) and progressive. The beach areas are very mixed but tolerant. Ocean Beach is traditionally the hippie, countercultural, open-minded, progressive area.

That Club San Diego is the only bathhouse left in San Diego, as far as I know. There used to be a handful of them. In all my years here I still have never been in Club San Diego. I think there may be a few places in Tijuana which are "baños" for men only and I heard of one in Mexicali.

If San Diego proper is "blue," why does it have a Republican mayor? It's one of the only major cities with a GOP mayor.

R13, and cheap clap.

Despite the fact that it has "turned blue" as far as demographics, San Diego has a tight-knit power structure that always favors business and big money interests over the public interest. It is still very much an old-boys club which is extremely corrupt. The Republican network decides who will receive support as mayorial candidates and who won't. Anyone who isn't pro-business has a steep uphill battle. Donna Frye put in a courageous effort in 2004 as a write-in candidate and she almost won (received the most votes) but due to screwups (people spelling her name wrong or marking the ballot wrong) and a series of lawsuits over it she lost narrowly to Dick Murphy. The last elected mayor before the current one was a Democrat, Bob Filner, who was forced out after a sexual harrassment scandal. Which was sad be cause I thought besides that he was a good mayor (and congressman) and I met him a couple of times. After Filner's resignation, Todd Gloria, city council president, Democrat and openly gay, seved as acting mayor for half a year. Also, when the previous mayor, Dick Murphy, resigned over fiscal mismanagement, the then-city council president Toni Atkins, also a Democrat and also openly gay, seved as acting mayor for half a year. But neither Todd nor Toni were elected mayor. Both have gone on to be successful state-level politicians in Sacramento.

No nice hotels. Just that really old-fashioned US Grant. They changed the W into something else - not that it was very good before.

Make sure you go for great Mexican in old town and Coronado island is beautiful especially the Del. Went to some old mens bar called The Casbah, I like' em mature NOT dead. The Grant had a nice happy hour. Skip the horrible tourist trap seafood restaurant near the Midway. The Holiday Inn on the bay was nice, nothing Tres Chic, and the Del was fantastic.

Of course, if you're there in July, there's ComicCon, the largest media convention in the world, but it's probably too late to get tickets even now. It's a madhouse that eats up all lodging, traffic, and all of downtown. If you're not into that scene, best to avoid coming during that week.

R26 again. the had a really nice restaurant in Blaboa park, forgot the name, you can't miss it. plus a really cute artist village. Walking distance from Zoo.

The restaurant in Balboa Park is The Prado.

The Mexican food in Old Town is overpriced and it's considered touristy by locals. I'd recommend eating at Ortega's Mexican Bistro on University, right in the gayborhood of Hillcrest. And they have a happy hour when you can get their food and margaritas for a song.

Of the Mexican food in Old Town, I like Barra Barra the most. But the best food in Old Town is at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, a 200-year-old building. Wyatt Earp drank at the bar. The building is haunted by 2 ghosts, one of which is a cat that trips waiters. But the food there is not Mexican.

If you want real home-cooked Mexican "soul food" venture over to the modest Super Cocina in University in the low-rent east San Diego.

The signature food item of San Diego is arguably the fish taco, and for the best I would recommend the various taco trucks, especially Kiko's Place (2 locations). The basic fish taco is $1.75 plus tax and it's huge, the fish is always super fresh and they put it together with care. They give you a tiny cup of soup for free while you are waiting. Also shrimp, octopus, other seafood, many variations, grilled ir fried, all great. Primitive surroundings, you have to stand at a tiny table or else sit in your car to eat. But top quality at rock bottom prices.

The botanical gardens (just north of town in Encinitas) are nice. And the safari park (FKA the Wild Animal Park) is one of the more unique zoos in the US.

R26 -- are you sure you're talking about The Casbah? I haven't lived in SD for a few years, but The Casbah was always a popular music club mostly for indie / alternative bands. It probably fits 200 / 300 people tops. I saw bands like Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, The National there before they got big. Always a fun time. And just the right amount of grungy. Interestingly, San Diego actually has a really good indie music scene. At one time in the early 2000s it had three simultaneously broadcasting Indie/Alt music stations.

Possibly they meant The Caliph, which is a bar that's been there since 1960 and as a gay bar since 1979. It's one of the few piano bars remaining in San Diego. It has a mixed clientele, somewhat older but wide range of ages and both gay and lesbian, plus straight couples who come for the music. It's really fun there on Friday evenings because they have a female singer and male keyboardist who do a lot of great songs (with an emphasis on the 1970s, of all things) and they have a list of songs they will take requests from. Most people sing along and a few people dance. On Saturdays they have karaoke.

The nude beach is fabulous.

For those familiar with San Diego, what's the nicest areas for those who are upper middle class and over 40?

While you are there, OP, there is a excellent Goodwill store in La Jolla. Posh!

To live in? My first choice would be the Kensington neighborhood, where I live, but it's gotten to be too expensive. My second choice would be University Heights, more modest but less expensive and closer to th gayborhood of Hillcrest.

R36, thanks. I'll check it out.

[quote]I've chatted with some very hot guys in SD on grindr and the other apps. So I'd say it is worth a visit.

Because that reason and that reason alone trumps real logical shit for visiting or moving to another tow....but wait, it's Datalounge.

A week is about the right amount of time to spend there. A day for the zoo, a day for the rest of Balboa Park and its museums and artist's village, a day to explore the coast, a day to drive up into the mountains or out to Anzo-Borrego, a day for Tiajuana (which I skipped), a day to skip up to the LA basin etc.

Yeah, in a week you can do everything the average visitor would want to do.

When would you be going, OP? That is important.

June is notoriously gloomy in San Diego. Then the heat begins and it will be 100 degrees, or close to it, every day.

November though March is best. Especially if you're coming from some place with an actual winter.

Um... what on earth are you talking about R40? Sure, it gets that hot in parts of San Diego COUNTY -- those far inland and with nothing to see or do other than strip malls and Applebee's. But as for San Diego proper -- for any of the areas a tourist would want to visit, temps that high are unusual.

[quote]But as for San Diego proper -- for any of the areas a tourist would want to visit, temps that high are unusual.

With the exception of the Safari Park.

I'm moving there in a month - any more neighborhood suggestions will be appreciated. BESIDES Hillcrest and North Park.

I wouldn't call Normal Heights all that far inland, yet my friends who live there complain loudly about the oppressive summer heat. San Diego is fine all year long, if you are right by the water.

Where did Bobby live when taped all those Marines?

Well as I typed earlier, I like University Heights and Normal Heights has some nice streets at the north end of it. And Kensington, where I live, but it's become expensive. Talmadge just to the east of Kensington. And Mission Hills, just west of Hillcrest, is very nice but expensive. Banker' Hill just north of downtown is also nice.

But none of those neighborhoods are at the beach. If you want to be in a beachfront neighborhood within the city of San Diego, the only choices are Sunset Cliffs, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach or La Jolla. All other neighborhoods of the city San Diego are not within walking distance of the ocean.

The climate varies dramatically depending on how close or far you are to the ocean and what elevation you are at. Right at the beach the temperatures rarely, if ever, hit 100. And there are some beachfront weather stations that have never recorded a freezing temperature. The ocean has the effect of moderating the temperatures.

The further you are inland, the less of an effect the ocean has, so you see hotter and colder temperatures. Inland areas like Lakeside and El Cajon can routinely hit 100 during heat spells in the summer. The infamous "June Gloom" (and also "May Gray") is an atmospheric phenomenon where a thick blanket of clouds can hang over the city part or all of the day. It is from the "marine layer" that forms offshore and moves inland. It may "burn off" or it may linger all day, especially at the beaches.

Mountain areas like Palomar, Julian and Mount Laguna can routinely hit freezing and have snow in the winter. The deserts such as Anza-Borrego are consistently hot all summer long. The Safari Park is pretty far inland, in San Pasqual east of Escondido, and is quite hot in the summer. By contrast the Zoo is much closer to the ocean and benefits from cooling ocean breezes.

For just visiing San Diego, I think 3-4 days is enough to cover the highlights of San Diego. I would dedicate one day to the Zoo in the morning to early afternoon, then the rest of the day to Balboa Park which surrounds the zoo. There are museums, gardens, concerts, etc. Balboa Park is especially pleasant in the evenings when most people are gone, but most museums are closed.

One day for Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument (and maybe Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery) with the rest of the day at either Old Town or else the waterfron area and ships (USS Midway aircraft carrier, Star of India, the world's oldest working ship, etc.).

One day for the La Jolla area - Windansea Beach, La Jolla Cove, Coast Walk, Soledad Mountain Park, Torrey Pines State Reserve or Torrey Pines Gilder Port, and maybe the hike down to the nude Black's Beach if you are adventurous.

Another day could be spent on a road trip up to Mount Laguna and Sunrise Highway, through a forest with views of the desert far below, stopping for lunch, apple pie or shopping at Julian, a side trip down to Anza-Borrego if it is the right time of year, returning to San Diego by driving through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and possibly stopping at the Viejas Indian Reservation on the way back for the casino, outlet mall, restaurants or free entertainment.

Another possible road trip could be up the coast on Pacific Coast Highway, from La Jolla through Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas, Leucadia, Carlsbad and Oceanside. At some points the highway is right next to the sea.

Some people do a day trip down to Tijuana, using the San Diego Trolley light rail system to the border and then just walking across the border into Tijuana. This is feasible but you must have a passport and study the U.S. customs regulations about what you can bring back with you.

There are many other choices: harbor cruises, whale watching cruises, golf and surfing, Sea World, the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown for restaurants, bars and nightclubs. And of course Hillcrest, the gayborhood, for gay nightlife.

Is the Caliph still open? What about Club West Coast and Peacock Alley? Haven't been since the 90s.

I would recommend Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and National City.

No, OP. Do us all a favor and stay at home.

I was there a few years ago in the middle of really bad wild fires. It was difficult to see much and was pretty much confined to the hotel. It was a hoot seeing some of the farmers bringing their livestock to stay in the hotel parking lot.

I've loved my visits to SD, OP.

My favorite hotel is in LaJolla. It's the Empress Hotel, and it's a bit of a hidden gem, because it's a small hotel in a charming part of LaJolla near all the shops (including the very posh Goodwill R35 mentions). I love it because there's a fantastic place for breakfast literally a few hundred yards down the street (Cottage Cafe) and then an AMAZING bakery across from that, Sugar & Scribe, which makes phenomenal stuff (and also has a good breakfast, too.) It's not oceanside but it's a short walk down the hill to get to the ocean.

I didn't care for our stay in the "hotel circle" and liked staying in LaJolla, because downtown didn't feel like there anything worth being situated THERE for, and also because the airport leaves out of near downtown and you hear EVERY plane. People thought we were crazy for staying in LaJolla, but SD is a city you have to drive 15 minutes to get ANYWHERE anyway, and it worked fantastically for us.

I loved Hillcrest and all the quirky, arty shops. I too would live in Kensington or University Heights. Kensington has a fabulous French restaurant, Bleu Boheme.

R46 covered most of the high points. Lots to see visually. We visited Julian on our way out of Palm Springs and it was cute (if a little small).

But the "SD is sunny and 72 every day of the year" is a bit of a misleading notion. It is oceanside and any oceanside town can be susceptible to batches of rain. We went in January a few years ago, hoping to escape the snow in the Midwest, and it rained EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. moment we were there. You may have drizzly mornings and sunny times later in the day. So plan both indoor and outdoor excursions, and bring a jacket (preferably a light rain poncho style one).

I think I would get really bored in SD after 3 days. Not a zoo person. Like the beaches, some good food, a night or two in Hillcrest. But if I had a week, I would definitely do LA. Unless you want a really relaxing, unstressed/boring vacation without pressure to do anything - then SD is quieter and less frantic.

Filner was an excellent Democrat.

Too bad he suffered from Jewish sex weirdo syndrome.

But that didn't come out until he took on BofA...

If you're an arts fan, SD has a very good regional theatre scene (The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep, Ion, Cygnet etc..), a very good symphony orchestra, a pretty active pop/jazz/rock/alternative/indie music scene. I wouldn't go there especially for that, but definitely worth checking out if it interests you. They also have -- I believe -- the largest craft beer scene in the nation, so if you're into beer, it's certainly the place to be.

We have winter here in San Diego. Granted, it's not winter as I knew it being from Boston, but it's winter nonetheless. Yes, we can have some warm, sunny days Nov-Mar. However, we can also have cold, cool, cloudy, rainy days and nights in the 40s-50s-60s; or sunny or partly sunny/cloudy, cool days that you would never think of as beach days.

Don't come here thinking you're going to the beach in the winter. You might, but you're more apt to be wearing a long pants, a jacket and putting the heat on when you wake up in the morning and come home at night. San Diego and Southern California in general are not South Florida. May gray/June gloom that often bleeds into July. It's annoying--and the gray is best kept secret in the country. I've grown to like the June gloom; it's peaceful and calms everything down, and it makes you feel like you don't have to be friggin out enjoying the goddamn cheery "beautiful" sun all the time, which isn't always happening anyway.

We have a mild climate, and it's surely easier to to take than colder parts of the country. The quality of life in San Diego is good if you can overlook the burdensome traffic. But we do have weather, and it's often not warm and sunny. Just so you know.

What I like about the June Gloom is that it keeps temperatures cooler. Without that coolikng blanket of clouds it could get hot in June, when the days are long and the sun is almost overhead.

R47 - the Caliph is still there and is fun on Friday evenings, with a woman who sings and a man who plays the keyboard. They take requests and most people sing along. One of the very few piano bars remaining in San Diego. On Saturdays they have karaoke.

What was Peacock Alley is now a straight bar with live music. I think it's called The Merrow.

West Coast Production Company is long gone and I don't think there is anything there to take its place, but I don't go to bars much. It was in an awkward location in a warehouse district.

They just renovated the Nordstrom in La Jolla if you want to get your shop on.

[20] You really call other people deplorable??

[R47]

If you have to go to san diego, go to the beach. If you want to go to a beach, i would not choose san diego.

Take the 5 to the 101 and head to Santa Barbara instead.

Where does one go for cock in the Diego of San?

OP, if flights are cheaper out of LAX, fly in and out of there and rent a car. Spend a day in Santa Monica/Long Beach, or Newport Beach, and then go farther south. Explore the coast on your way down and way back.

Everything is pretty much hookups and apps now, though there still are gay bars, and one bathhouse (Club San Diego, on 4th in Hillcrest). Plus cruisy areas. Some areas of Balboa Park are still cruisy and the north end of Blacks Beach was very cruisy; don't know if it still is.

But the best place to meet guys is always church.

Where do the Sean Cody guys hang out?

In a good week, San Diego can be interesting to a newcomer for about 4 days. Local food is more authentic, if Mexican cuisine is your thing. Otherwise, it quickly becomes same-old same-old. North County has prettier and more expensive offerings. San Diego's best feature is being a short flight to other places along the coast in CA up to Seattle. Or a trip into TJ -- hurry before they build that wall, haha.

Ocean views along the 5 are nice, but as soon as you hit Orange County, blech.

[quote]Where do the Sean Cody guys hang out?

Their pants, Rose.

Terrible escort scene.

The national scene is basically dead unless you’re in a larger city, R69.

There are lots of hot guys in San Diego. It's a big coty. Why would you need an escort?

[quote] There are lots of hot guys in San Diego. It's a big city. Why would you need an escort?

Only if one was a total fuggo.

It seems like a sleepy, forgotten little nook at the end of the country, the perfect place to retire from a life in the military or recover from a nervous breakdown. What are the surrounding areas like? Laguna Beach? Del Mar? La Jolla?

R73 Seconding that and there's a reason: it's the end of the line. Go west and you'll get wet: it's the Pacific. Go east and you'll get bored before you get to Palm Springs and then it's, like, four more hours drive time to Phoenix - and there ain't much in between. Go south and you're in Mexico so the rules and the culture change. Go north and you'll see more life there but after San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano it's all Orange County and Irvine and Anaheim which are satellites of LA, not SD. It's the second largest city in California but it's all by itself.

I suppose it's all relative. I don't find San Diego "sleepy" or isolated at all, but then I live in Phoenix which is a vast wasteland by comparison, and grew up in Omaha. The nightlife may not be great, but there is plenty to do if you like the outdoors and it's not like LA is so difficult to get to when you need more excitement. California is full of legitimately podunk cities and towns that make SD look world class by comparison.

I love San Diego, the best Marine cock you'll ever have. Growing up, I always thought it was a myth that cock-starving Marines were always on the prowl in San Diego, but it was all true!!!

I remember going for a run very early in the morning, I went to a public restroom to take a piss and this guy just shoved me into a stall and blew me. He was a Marine.

I will never understand why he thought I was cruising him. When I told my friend he freaked out and said we should go to the police because I had been raped. *rolleyes* It took me all morning to convince him that I was not sexually attacked.

R76 - I grew up in North County and spent some of my 20s there, too -- in the waning years of Don't Ask Don't Tell -- and it was not challenging to find insanely hot marines who wanted to get horizontal.

Is it London or NYC, OP?

No. But you knew that.

Set your expectations.

I once spent a long weekend at a hotel in Carlsbad (North County) that was on the beach. I'd had meetings in LA the prior week and meetings in SD the following week and didn't want the hassle of flying back and forth. Spent days on the beach reading, running and swimming, evenings walking around the small town of Carlsbad. Even had two hot Grindr hookups.

Relaxing weekend all around.

Well, California is pretty laid back when you think about it. Only Los Angeles area, San Bernardino, and San Francisco could be called chaotic. The rest of California is pretty laid back, even boring if you come from a big city in the East like Chicago, New York City, or Boston.

r73 Laguna Beach is in Orange County, well north of San Diego. Camp Pendleton (Marine base) is a huge buffer zone along the coast that divides the San Diego area (northernmost part = Oceanside) from Orange County and the LA area (southernmost part: San Clemente.)

R25 - Well, I guess that I am not all that picky outside of a room being clean, bug-free and next to exciting things to do - but I stayed at The Bristol for a week and loved it. It was chic enough for me and I loved my stay. I walked to dinner every night in the Gaslamp Quarter and could Uber anywhere easily. La Jolla is gorgeous but pricey and there is not enough to do at night to bother getting a hotel there. I would recommend staying near the Gaslamp (excellent dining, fun bars, etc.) and commuting during the day to any scenic beaches, parks, etc. Hillcrest is a bit boring in comparison to WEHO or The Castro - visit, but do not bother staying there.

La Jolla is a neighborhood within the city of San Diego. La Jolla, Del Mar and Laguna Beach are all very expensive to buy or rent in.

[quote] I love San Diego, the best Marine cock you'll ever have. Growing up, I always thought it was a myth that cock-starving Marines were always on the prowl in San Diego, but it was all true!!!

I had no idea!