How is Downtown San Diego? (San Jose, Nice: apartment, condo, tech jobs)

[LaJollaEast]

If you want to do some shopping then check out UTC (University Towne Center). The mall has recently been updated and there are a lot of new shops and restaurants that are really nice.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by the topper

That bad? You're joking?

Sometimes it is, sometimes it's not. I've taken a four block walk in DTSD without seeing a person who is not homeless, unless you include seeing people driving by in their cars. Of course the Gaslamp at night or Little Italy any time is better, but the CBD can be pretty grim.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by LaJollaEast

If you want to do some shopping then check out UTC (University Towne Center). The mall has recently been updated and there are a lot of new shops and restaurants that are really nice.

UTC is nice for a mall but downtown La Jolla, a couple of miles farther west, has, like, streets and stuff, and views from the sidewalk cafes, and is where the pretty people hang out.

[LaJollaEast]

Most shops in downtown La Jolla close by 7 pm. Many of the shops are just stuff for the tourists, nothing really special. It is nice to take a walk there and grab a drink on the patio at Eddie V's, Georges or Dukes and take in the view.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by LaJollaEast

Most shops in downtown La Jolla close by 7 pm. Many of the shops are just stuff for the tourists, nothing really special. It is nice to take a walk there and grab a drink on the patio at Eddie V's, Georges or Dukes and take in the view.

Georges - overpriced mediocre food

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

Sometimes it is, sometimes it's not. I've taken a four block walk in DTSD without seeing a person who is not homeless, unless you include seeing people driving by in their cars. Of course the Gaslamp at night or Little Italy any time is better, but the CBD can be pretty grim.

It's all part of the Padre game cheap parking experience

Why I'll only do daytime games.

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by tstieber

Yes, lots of homeless these days, but Little Italy is booming and deserves a full day. Go on a Saturday when the huge Farmer's Market is on, and walk all the blocks down India, all the way down, turn left at El Camino restaurant, and left on Kettner to return. Browse boutiques along the way. Grab coffee at Lofty, James, Influx, Frost Me (serving Ritual), Coava (from Portland), or Extraordinary Desserts. Spend the afternoon at Waterfront Park.

Another day, hop on a dockless bike and head down the Embarcadero past Spanish Landing and spend an hour doing stand up paddleboarding in the harbor, then continue over to Liberty Public Market and check out the food vendors. Stop by Moniker General for cool stuff to buy. Bike the nature paths along the bay. Return to downtown and eat dinner at Biga (on a sketchy part of Broadway but awesome place), instead of the overcrowded places in Little Italy. But the Little Italy places are really great.

Avoid Horton Plaza like the plague. It's overrun with homeless, largely vacant, and is officially sold to a new owner fo redevelopment. They are courting Silicon Valley companies for satellite offices. Shopping wil be gone. Nobody shops downtown. If you want serious shopping, then head to Westfield UTC, which is completing massive renovations and has a really cool tenant mix now, including local and regional restaurants and cafes.

The Gaslamp is always worth a stroll for the beautifully preserved architecture, but prepare to be wall to wall with douchebags at night. I prefer off nights or quieter afternoons. Best bets are The Field, Searsucker, Nobu, or Pane e Vino. I know I'm forgetting others... Ghirardelli should have their huge renovation done by August if you crave ice cream! The old movie theater on Fifth Avenue will open later this year as a more artsy one by the owners of the Chinese Theater in LA.

If you aren't afraid of the homeless, then visit the Quartyard in East Village one day. It's a cool pop up park with food trucks and a beer garden.

Definitely hop on a bike one day to head to Balboa Park, bc it's so close. Reserve a ticket to the top of the California Tower for an epic view, then check out a museum or two. If you want to get further out of DT on bike, then continue to Hillcrest or the back way to North Park, which is sort of our version of the Mission District. Many blocks of shops, hipster bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques along University and 30th, in all directions.

You can also take the ferry to Coronado from DT. DT is a great central place to stay if you take advantage of everything within its sphere of influence in a few miles' radius. The Gaslamp alone won't cut it. But everything is close.

Have fun!

Good stuff right here!

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by the topper

Fair enough. We can go to San Pedro Sq. Market for all the food options and listen to live music. SoFA Market is a cool food hall in another part of downtown where you can eat and listen to poet writers, and they have community events where you listen to interesting people who make guests appearances at the place. We also have the Tech museum. There's the art district with galleries in one area, and they have first Friday gallery crawl every month. Basically, there are tons of art downtown. It has a lot of cafes and cool coffee places where people hang out on weekends morning or every morning basically. Cesar Chavez Park in front of Fairmont that has all kinds of activities daily where you can shoot hoops, play ping pong and etc.. Tons of beer places downtown, too. Love the cool Mission Creek beer adjacent above Whole Foods on Alameda next to SAP Center, where Sharks play and a lot of concerts are held. There are a lot Paseos/plazas and public spaces to walk around downtown . Downtown is so much fun walking everywhere. This is not bragging.

Ok, now, is Downtown San Diego is the same as described above or you can do even more there?
Can I do the same in Downtown SD and then some? Would like to know about here.

I promise that there are more place to drink, eat, relax, stroll, etc. in DTSD than what you described above. Then there is Balboa Park, which is just up the hill. I already know you have a warped vision of Downtown San Jose since you once said it was more vibrant than Paris.

[the topper]

Originally Posted by sdurbanite

I promise that there are more place to drink, eat, relax, stroll, etc. in DTSD than what you described above. Then there is Balboa Park, which is just up the hill. I already know you have a warped vision of Downtown San Jose since you once said it was more vibrant than Paris.

Ok,
I'll take your words for it.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by bloom

Georges - overpriced mediocre food

The top floor, outdoor restaurant is good.