San Diego Hotspots: See V. Skip
I always say that San Diego has a lot of life. When the weather hardly leaves the 70s and clouds rarely obstruct the skies, it’s hard to stay inside. I think it’s part of the reason why community and quality of life are so strong here.
Take the small petry dish that is Pacific Beach, for example. The boardwalk is full of characters that skate, walk, or run along the beach daily. There’s Slo Mo, the infamous 70 year old who rollerblades in slow motion up and down the strand. Locals never fail to greet him with, “Slo Mooooooo,” as he passes by. There’s the man, similarly aged, that makes the trek from Emerald Street to Mission Bay bearing a flower crown. He says hi to just about every smiling face he sees.
So while I spent much of my time in San Diego in PB, there are plenty of communities throughout the city that truly are their geography personified. Every beach has its own personality. There are the La Jolla trust fund babies who couldn’t afford to live in this ritzy area if their parents didn’t pay for their rent and yoga classes. In Pacific Beach, you’ll find plenty of college students who love to party and surfers who have nothing else to do once the sun sets. Across the bay in Ocean Beach, washed up hippies continue to play music on the streets like their careers have yet to take off. Located downtown, Hillcrest residents are just about as gay as the neighborhood’s rainbow flags and drag bars are.
Wherever you end up, San Diego is full of peculiar folks. I think that’s where the city finds its charm. It’s natural beauty is truly supplemented by the people who live amongst it. Nice beaches and tourist attractions are a dime a dozen, especially on the West Coast. Some are good, and others are hardly worth it. That’s partially why it can be so hard to find the hidden gems; the list of sites to see is simply too long.
So I, like too many others, decided to contribute to the travel blog noise and create a list of my very own; this time including the places you must see and the ones you maybe shouldn’t.
See:
Ocean Beach Farmers Market and Drum Circle (Community and Eat)
Every Wednesday evening from 4-8PM, Newport Ave hosts the Ocean Beach Farmers Market, where you can find local produce vendors, San Diego’s dedicated thrift community, and some of the best food the area has to offer. If you walk toward the ocean as the sun starts to set, the Ocean Beach Drum Circle will slowly begin. Like any other public drum circle, longhaired drummers and bare foot dancers erratically move to a beat of their own, and the people look and smell exactly as you might expect.
Ocean Beach is truly the epicenter of hippie culture here in SD. When introducing my friends from home to San Diego’s hidden gems, this was always top of my list. Not only is it a great place to find small keepsakes to bring home from San Diego, but it’s also a way to shop small and local. Notable vendor mentions include House of Bao, San Diego Crystals and Jewelry, Crepe on a Stick, and Fat Boyz Pizza (their pizzas are really as large as the name suggests).
Oscars (Eat)
Located only 30 minutes from the Mexican border and a stone’s throw away from the ocean, it makes sense that San Diego is known for their infamous fish tacos. Oscars was the the first and just so happened to be the best place I got to try when I first arrived in SD. Rubios, another local favorite, is a close second. At either place, my favorite item on the menu are the shrimp tacos.
Oscars isn’t fine dining, of which there are many other establishments to discover in SD. Here, however, you can order food to go or sit and watch the lengthy order line ebb and flow in a true SoCal environment. Surfers still wearing their wetsuits and professionals on their lunch break alike make Oscars their favorite noontime hangout.
Free Yoga in Palisades Park (Community)
Among many other things, I’m grateful to San Diego for reintroducing me to my yoga practice. More specifically, I’m grateful for Palisades Park Yoga; they never fail to host free ocean front yoga classes at 4pm each day.
Every free yoga class I’ve been to has been 1) awkward and 2) the smallest yoga class I’ve been to in my life. With 8,000 people in Palisades Park’s online Yoga Group, this class is anything but small. For beginners, it’s the perfect introduction. And for experts, it’s the perfect outdoor venue. Never have I felt judged by the beady eyes of an instructor or semi Pros constantly sizing up my lack of flexibility. There’s truly no better way to end a day on or off vacation.
Beach Bungalow (Stay)
Located right on Pacific Beach, the Beach Bungalow offers private rooms and shared dorms, surf board rentals, breakfast, daily activities, and plenty of local hotspots within walking distance. I worked and lived on this property for 6 months. And while, no, this is in no way shape or form a luxury stay, it is going to be a fun one.
While each of the bungalows on the property are particularly run down, the atmosphere makes up for the lack luster conditions. Expect to see impressively beautiful pieces of artwork painted onto crumbling concrete walls or remnants of yellow paint that haven’t seen the light of day in 20 years. The good and the bad here are emblematic of a cultural hub for global travelers that has existed on Reed Ave for nearly three decades.
It was here that I got to meet guests and staff from all over the world. Some of them came to be my best friends. One of them became my boyfriend. Some of them became my greatest sources of inspiration. From digital nomads and serial travelers to recent grads and somebody’s random dad(?), everyone is welcome in the Bungalow.
Dorms typically go for $55 and private rooms are obviously pricier at $180-$200. Here you can rent longboards and wetsuits for $25 and use them the whole day. Most surf shop rentals in the area are double or triple that price for a mere few hours, so it really is a great deal.
Surf
Out of the three SoCal cities (San Diego, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara) I’ve lived in over the past two years, San Diego has the most consistent surf year round. Los Angeles is practically flat for most of the year. I was staying in Manhattan Beach last summer and spring and didn’t see one wave break the entire time. Likewise, Santa Barbara is located on more of a South-facing bay than an ocean.
So, if you intend to travel to the West Coast to learn to surf like a local, SD is going to be your best bet. Nearly every beach is any surfer’s paradise. For those of you who are like I was and have never seen a surf board let alone ridden one, I’ve listed some of the best beginner spots to test out the infamous water sport.
Tourmaline (Beginner)
Windansea (Beginner; this is also one of the most beautiful beaches to chill and relax on. I also find that it’s often the most crowded with tourists.)
Pacific Beach Pier (Beginner)
Ocean Beach (Beginner)
Scripps Pier (Intermediate)
Blacks Beach (Intermediate)
Church of Music (Community)
Church of Music is a weekly service where locals find music and dance to be a religious practice. Each Sunday, Church of Music will disclose the location and time of the weekly set via text. You can sign up to receive these messages on their website or find them via Instagram. I’ve been to events on the cliffs of Blacks Beach, Kate Sessions Park, in abandoned warehouses, etc.
People come from all over SD to experience love in each others’ presence. From children blowing bubbles and young adults dancing in costumes to old couples sitting in lawn chairs and parties-of-one enjoying the atmosphere, anyone is welcome.
Because most events take place outdoors, they tend to be more popular on sunny days when the wind doesn’t rip right through you. This event is donation based to help support the DJs and artists that make Sundays here so special.
Blacks Beach (Surf and Hike)
My favorite San Diego beach and hike is Blacks Beach. A nudist beach and surfer’s paradise, you really can find all walks of life here. I’ve seen a man wearing nothing but tinfoil on his head (?), pro surfers going for a 2 minute ride, paragliders jumping off cliffs and landing on the sand, and Alicia Keys listening to music on the balcony of her La Jolla Home.
To get down to this paradise, you can take the steps (boring) or you can cascade down the rocks and get some cool pictures (fun). Both take roughly the same time. Upon reaching the stairs’ exit though, the beach tends to be more crowded than it is where the hike finishes. After the climb down, I always find myself wondering why this hidden gem is so vacant.
It’s only upon returning to the top that I remember how big of a pain in the ass it is to reach. The beach’s vacancy makes a lot more sense now. Because hiking back up or climbing 1000 steps is an intense workout in and of itself, I recommend spending some time here.
La Jolla Cove (Swim and Sightsee)
I love La Jolla Cove, but here I’ve seen some of the worst parents and most obnoxious people in my life. Yes, this is the infamous spot in San Diego where sea lions bask in the sun and get seemingly attacked by tourists. Parents have their kids pose idiotically close to the animals and get pissed when a sea lion growls back.
Despite what the viral sea lion v. tourist videos filmed here might suggest, a tightknit group of locals in their 60s have been peacefully swimming side by side with the sea lions for years. An increase in tourism might soon make that impossible. It’s a sad thought that these people clad in flippers and goggles might have to give up their routine. These champions of longevity swim out of sight and return to La Jolla Cove thirty minutes later, moving just as fast.
On days when the tide is strong or the sea lions violent, the watchful lifeguards prevent anyone from entering the water. These regulars simply give the lifeguards a wave and head right in; they’re the only exception I’ve seen.
Regardless, La Jolla Cove has historically served as a spot where people and wild life alike can coexist. With that being said, that time might soon be over as a result of human stupidity and arrogance. So if you decide to go, please, don’t be an asshole.
Sunset Cliffs (Swim and Sightsee)
As the name suggests, Sunset Cliffs is best visited when the sun meets the sea. Friends, family, and partners alike come to rejoice in another day’s passing. Each time I’ve come here to celebrate the sky and its symbolism, I’ve shared intimate moments of gratitude with loved ones and strangers alike. There’s something about the way the light reflects off the ocean to illuminate the vibrant colors of the rocks and water.
Located in the middle of a neighborhood, finding a spot to park can be tough. You can park on the side of the road for free, however in Summer I find that it takes me years to find an open spot to squeeze into.
Skip:
Downtown San Diego
There’s really no reason one should need to go to Downtown San Diego when the sun is up. If you’re going downtown to do anything but go to a bar or club, you're wasting your time. Other than Balboa Park, their most well known tourist attractions celebrate nothing but American militarism. Here you can find a massive statue of the famous VJ Day Kiss that has been grossly romanticized in the media and a behemoth of an American naval ship, the U.S.S. Midway. Etc. etc. Skip.
San Diego Zoo
As a pretty renowned zoo in the United States, it’s high on the list for many travel bloggers checking out the city. For one thing, it’s important to note that one-day entrance tickets sell for over $100. I know California is expensive and that the zoo I’ve gone to in D.C. is free, but it seems crazy to pay such a hefty price just to see animals locked in cages. And while yes, San Diego Zoo is known for doing their best to recreate luscious habitats and for making considerable efforts in conservation, it’s hard to justify it as a tourist attraction worthy of seeing outside your hometown. So, yeah. Skip.
Sea World
You can essentially copy the above reasons against visiting the San Diego Zoo and paste them in upper case right here. The price is the same, and seeing animals live in a glass box simply doesn’t sit right with me. Worse than the zoo, Sea World holds Orcas and other intelligent mammals captive for the sole purpose of entertaining tourists with monotonous tricks. It’s no wonder mammals, whales, and other aquatic animals held in captivity live a fraction of a lifetime in comparison to their wild counterparts. Needless to say, SKIP.
Coronado Island and Hotel del Coronado
Famous for hosting many an American President and the likes of Marilyn Monroe, this resort island is located off the coast of Downtown San Diego. Tourists take a ferry ride across the bay to take in the views of vast, flat beaches and enjoy an afternoon basking in the sun at the iconic Hotel del Coronado. With such a grocery list of famous guests and visitors, I was surprised upon arriving to the hotel to find it look so mediocre. Looking like any other all-inclusive resort the U.S. has to offer, I found the property and the island’s architecture in general reminded me eerily of the East Coast. Besides biking around and checking out the renowned hospitality space, the trip across the pond isn’t worth the $14 ferry ticket. It’s alright, but nevertheless, skip.
By the end of your trip, you’ll find yourself looking up properties for sale or checking out the area’s rent prices, only to find that this is sadly the most expensive place to live in the country. And for good reason. So whether you’re in town for a quick visit or the longterm, wherever you end up in San Diego, each little nook and cranny has a place for everyone.
