San Diego mini vaca. Getting around certain places (Corona, Coronado: apartments, to rent)

[rickyd]

Hi,

I and another person will be visiting San Diego from Florida soon and will be staying at the downtown Motel 6 near the Gaslamp quarter. Debating on rather to rent a car or not because our bugdets will be tight, so i'm looking at the public transportation systems. I read that a bus and trolley station is near that motel 6 and just wanted to know if either would take us to and from the following places and how easy they are to catch back...

• San Diego Zoo/Balboa park
• Cruise terminal (We will be getting on a cruise at 5pm and getting off at 8pm, so don't know if we could catch a bus back to the motel at that time.)
• Airport

I read that the Gaslamp quarter is within walking distance from the motel, so I guess that means we can just walk there if we want to shop and eat; however, I'm wondering how easy of a walk it is and how safe the area is. As stated before, we will be coming from Florida and we have never been here before, so please bear with me if I seem to be asking too much. I just need to gather as much info as possible on getting around in the area. Thanks in advance.

PS: Please focus response only on the surrounding areas mentioned and not all of the city of San Diego, because we are not going to explore a whole lot other than the places I mentioned. Thanks.

[bouncethelight]

Do you mean the Motel 6 right on Pacific Highway? If so, that's right between the airport and the Gaslamp District, so you're close to both.

And yes, there are plenty of busses downtown that will take you to the Zoo and Balboa Park. In fact, there used to be a bus that ran from the airport, right by your hotel, right in to downtown - I have no idea if it's still around, but it might be worth looking into!

And it is possible to walk into downtown from that Motel 6, but there may be times when a cab would be a better idea. There are always lots of taxis at all times of the day - but it's not always possible to rely on flagging one down, so I'd suggest having the phone number of your favorite cab service on hand at all times, so you can call and request a cab be sent to you - that's the quickest way to get around in that area.

That said, it is possible to walk. Pacific Highway itself is pretty busy, and not all that exciting to walk along, but if you go west one block, you can walk along North Harbor Drive, right on the ocean - which is worth doing to see the Star of India, which is the oldest sailing ship in the world that still sails regularly. It's very pretty! And right next door is Anthony's Fish Grotto, which is an old-time San Diego restaurant - right on the water and really inexpensive, and it's part of the San Diego culture. And if your budget is super-tight, they have an outdoor seating area with an ordering window, which is even cheaper.

You can also go east a couple of blocks and walk through Little Italy, and get a totally different experience. Either way it's about mile from that Motel 6 to downtown and the Gaslamp District.

I used to live in Banker's Hill, which is about seven blocks east of your hotel, on the other side of the freeway - and even though I had a car, I walked downtown all the time - it's a great walk! But late at night, after the fun, a taxi is really nice thing!

[moved]

Before you come, make sure and check the bedbug registry for any problems with that particular Motel 6. Bedbug Registry - Check Apartments and Hotels Across North America

[rickyd]

Hi, thanks for the info. The motel 6 is not on pacific street though. It is on 1546 2nd Ave. I was looking at it on Google Earth and the walk to the Gaslamp quarter is more than just a few blocks down. I guess it's not so bad though according to reviewers from those staying at Motel 6.

Good to know that there are busses that will get us to the zoo and park. Hopefully it's the case getting to and from the cruise terminal too. I guess like you said, it would be best just to have a taxi cab service on hand if all else fails.

So, walking through the Gaslamp district at night, what is it like? Is it good for like romantic walks and stuff like that? Nice scenery, etc..?

@ moved. Thanks for the bedbug info. I went to the site and so far there are no registries of any bed bug encounters at this motel, which I don't know if one can always count on this, because some encounters may not even be reported.

[BRinSM]

the gaslamp quarter at night is party central on the weekends. there are lots of clubs and bars in the area, so i wouldn't exactly call it romantic. also, the airport is a short cab ride away and you could walk to the cruise terminal if you really wanted to. the park/zoo would probably also require a cab ride unless you wanted to rent bikes and cycle up there or walk up hill the whole way.

[oddstray]

Here's an on-line site for public transportation routes and timetables for San Diego:

:: Transit.511sd.com ::

[rickyd]

@BRinSM. Thanks for the info. Well, Gaslamp may be party central, but that is cool. It would give me and my guest stuff to do at night within walking distance. I guess a walk along the bay would be romantic enough.

I would definitely try to take a cab or bus to the park/zoo. No cycling or walking that distance for us.


@oddstray. Thanks for the San Diego transit site. Very useful information and much needed!

[kettlepot]

The airport bus is Route 992. The Motel 6 is near where 2nd Avenue crosses over Interstate 5. If you are young and not heavily burdened with luggage, you can easily walk it. It would only be about 5 blocks away from one of your bus stops.

Walking around downtown anywhere between the bay (it's the bay not the ocean), and about 6th Avenue is fine. It's pretty decent around 7th - 11th Avenue near the southern end near the bay, but say along Broadway past about 7th Avenue it becomes more and more homeless central.

As others have mentioned getting to the cruise terminal will be easy. And getting up to Little Italy on foot is easily done too. And finally, you might consider taking the ferry across the bay to Coronado.

You will definitely need to take a bus to the Zoo, because the Zoo is just one giant walk. You would wear yourself out just getting there, much less walking around that place for 2 or 3 hours more. Frankly, I think the other parts of Balboa Park might be more interesting, say for a concert at the organ pavilion or enjoying the scenery of the old buildings or the Imax theater. But then, I only went to the zoo once, and the only thing I remember was how sore my feet got.

[rickyd]

Thanks kettlepot. I am young and don't plan on carrying a lot of luggage along during the walks anyway. lol.

Thanks for the info on the decency of the area I will be walking in. I was kinda concerned about that.