Where is the best area to stay in San Diego?
Though San Francisco and Los Angeles are two of California’s most visited cities, the southernmost city of California, San Diego, offers some of the most beautiful beaches, delicious food, and rich culture in California. With beautiful Spanish style architecture, quaint craftsman homes, wide beaches, and the most delicious Mexican food one can find outside of Mexico itself, this city is one of the most need-to-see places in Southern California. With a population of 1.4 million, San Diego is a much smaller city than its northbound cousin and popular tourist destination, Los Angeles. However, it has plenty to offer in outdoor activities, beachside relaxing, and dining out.
In order to best enjoy all that San Diego has to offer, the best area to stay in is the Gaslamp Quarter. This area is just south of the beautiful Balboa Park, and lies right on the ocean harbor. Here you will find incredible views of Coronado Island, delicious food, the best nightlife this city has to offer, and a walkable area with all the conveniences you will need for your stay in sunny San Diego. The Gaslamp Quarter also offers good public transportation access to reach all of your desired attractions, and even a ferry ride that will take you directly to Coronado.
The Gaslamp quarter is the main downtown area of San Diego. This area offers the city’s best nightlife, views and food. Full of clubs, bars, and lounges, this area has a young and upscale feel. Live music and comedy shows are also abundant in this area, making it a great place for nighttime entertainment. Restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries also fill this area, making it perfect for grabbing a bite to eat.
Twenty minutes north of Downtown San Diego lies the city of 
If you are looking for fun sports bars, breakfast joints, and miles of beaches, Pacific Beach is the ideal area to stay. This young and fun neighborhood is full of life and can be found full of surfers and sunbathers year round. This area has a long boardwalk that is perfect for biking, skating, running, or taking a stroll. Along this boardwalk you can also find various trendy bars and restaurants to suit your liking.
South of Pacific Beach lies Mission Beach, another coastal neighborhood in San Diego. This laid back neighborhood attracts surfers and sunbathers to its wide beaches. This area is a piece of land that curves around Mission Bay, which is a popular area for water sports. You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, or jet skis and spend a day on the bay here. Alternatively if you are interested in fishing, the Mission Bay jetty is a great area for this.
Point Loma is a peninsula on the northern side of the San Diego Bay and a short 5-minute drive from the airport. This area is known for Cabrillo National Monument, which is a large park with trails atop cliffs with wonderful views of Coronado Island and downtown San Diego. Liberty Station is a former naval training center full of cute restaurants and shops and is a must-see spot while staying in this area.
Named for San Diego’s first Spanish mission, San Diego de Acalá established in 1769, Mission Valley lies 20 minutes north of downtown San Diego. This area is home to several malls and big box stores. This area lies between several highways and is centrally located, making it a very easy area to access all other parts of San Diego. In the heart of this area, you can visit the San Diego mission for a taste of San Diego History.
If you are looking for an alternate area other than Gaslamp that still has a downtown feel, Little Italy is the perfect place to stay. This area is full of restaurants with large patios, live music venues, cocktail bars and trendy clothing boutiques. Little Italy is also one of the most pedestrian friendly areas in San Diego and boasts beautiful views of the San Diego harbor, making it a wonderful place to wander.
Ocean Beach is one of the most unique to California places you can visit in the state. Full of surfers, unique and eclectic shops, and organic eateries, this area screams classic Bohemian Southern California to the max. This area also has a large pier where you can fish, stroll, and view the sunset. Other activities in this area you can take part in during your visit are viewing the murals and art in the area, visit the local dog beach, or check out the Wednesday night farmers market. A short five minute drive away lies Sunset Cliffs.
Across the landmark Coronado Bridge from downtown San Diego, lies Coronado Island. This is a great area for anyone who loves aquatic activities or golfing. Home to the famous Victorian Hotel del Coronado as well as the US naval base, this area is beautiful and great to stay in. Coronado also offers a calm bay where you can paddleboard, kayak, or swim. You can enjoy beautiful views of downtown in this bay, one of the highlights of Coronado Island. There is also a bike path that you can take down the strand, as well as a large golf course.
Hillcrest, the LGBT+ center of San Diego is one of the most vibrant and lively neighborhoods in the city. This area has numerous bars and restaurants, and is notably home to one of the widest arrays of cuisines in the area as well as numerous brunch spots for a weekend outing. This area is also interestingly cut through with canyons. You can make your way to the Spruce Street suspension bridge to see a nice view of the canyon. For a fun nightlife scene, check out Hillcrest Brewing Co. or Urban MO’s Bar and Grill, voted one of the best gay bars in the world boasting some of the best drag shows that you can find.
Old town San Diego is home to the first European settlement in California, and is the oldest neighborhood in San Diego. Conveniently located just walking distance from major local and long distance bus stations, this is an easy area to access. There are three main parks in Old Town, all of which host historic sites that are operated as museums.
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