The Best Places to Stay in San Diego

The landmark US Grant in the Gaslamp Quarter is the best hotel in San Diego.

Best Areas in San Diego for…

• Best Neighborhood in San Diego to Stay for First Timers: Downtown
  With easy access to the airport and city public transportation, the Zoo, museums of Balboa Park, Little Italy, harbor cruises, and the attractions of the waterfront, staying Downtown is the best introduction to San Diego. Both the Gaslamp District and Embarcadero are located here, each brimming with dining and shopping. Historic Gaslamp Quarter, locally known as “The Gaslamp,” is particularly great for exploring nightlife, dining, and entertainment, while Embarcadero is home to quaint Seaport Village, the Coronado ferry, and waterfront attractions, including the Midway Museum and the Maritime Museum. Downtown’s choice of accommodation is broad with plenty of midrange and budget options in addition to the usual business and luxury chains.

• Best Neighborhood in San Diego for Families: Mission Beach, Mission Bay, Coronado, and La Jolla
  Mission Beach and adjacent Mission Bay offer several resort hotels, fun water sports, SeaWorld, and of course the uber fun Belmont Park, San Diego’s historic, oceanfront amusement park. For a combination of beach, bay, and rollercoaster fun, Mission Beach is a great spot for families. Across the bay from Downtown, Coronado is a bit more remote but about as beautiful as you can get in San Diego. If you are looking for a picture-perfect beach vacation, look no further than the Hotel del Coronado. Head north along the coast to La Jolla for another kid-friendly area: you’ll find beautiful beaches, kayak rentals to visit the caves and the sea lions, and hiking and biking paths here. There is an abundance of things to keep the whole family happy in La Jolla.

• Most Romantic Neighborhoods in San Diego: Coronado, La Jolla, and Del Mar
  While both Coronado and La Jolla are family-friendly, they also offer prime atmospheres for couples’ vacations. Both areas offer a variety of romantic things to do including strolling on the beach at sunset and enjoying candlelit waterfront dinners and upscale wine bars. La Jolla, in particular, boasts some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Southern California, with La Jolla Cove the perfect place for a romantic stroll. There are plenty of romantic places to stay, too: from the historic ambiance at La Valencia Hotel to the gorgeous ocean views at Scripps Hotel. At La Jolla’s north end, Torrey Pines State Reserve contains a wilder shoreline, wooded trails, and deserted beaches. If you want an intimate, luxury boutique hotel, The Lodge at Torrey Pines offers ocean views and excellent service. In Coronado, it must be the 1888 Victorian Hotel Del Coronado – there is simply nothing more romantic than this upscale beach hotel. Farther north along the coast, Del Mar is home to sandy beaches, hiking trails, and an exciting culinary scene. L’Auberge Del Mar and the Fairmont Grand Del Mar here are considered two of the best luxury, romantic hotels in San Diego.

• Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for the Beach: Coronado and Pacific Beach
  San Diego’s beaches are a huge draw, with enticing strips of sand, as well as historic piers, diners, beach bars, and surf breaks lacing the coast all the way to LA. One of our favorite beach neighborhoods is Coronado, south of Downtown San Diego, with its swathe of sparkling sand (thanks to specks of mica, the sand literally glitters in the sun). The beach here is big and family-friendly, with good swimming, and never feels crowded. The elegant Hotel del Coronado (made famous by Marilyn Monroe in “Some Like it Hot”) is a fun place to eat and drink, as well as a luxurious place to stay, though there are several more affordable options nearby. Further north, Pacific Beach is a livelier option, the neighborhood crammed with raucous bars and restaurants. The 3.5-mile Pacific Beach Boardwalk is always thick with skaters, cyclists, and surfers.

• Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for Sightseeing: Downtown and Balboa Park
  When it comes to sightseeing, Downtown and Balboa Park are the top choices. Downtown is home to the historic Gaslamp Quarter, filled with late 19th-century buildings in a range of architectural styles: Baroque Revival, Mission-style, and even New England saltbox houses, along with a plethora of dining and lodging choices and Petco Park baseball field. The neighboring Embarcadero area is a great central location on the San Diego Bay and offers beautiful, harbor views and popular sights, including Seaport Village, Midway Museum, and Maritime Museum which includes a B-39 Submarine, the Star of India, and Steam Ferry, to name just a few. Seaport Village has its own harbor with beautiful sailboats, restaurants, and shopping. There are a variety of tours that take off from the village such as the San Diego Trolley Ride and the Seal Sea and Land Tour. The New Children’s Museum is in between the Embarcadero and the Gaslamp in Downtown. Northeast of Downtown, just on the other side of I-5, Balboa Park is an enormous, outdoor space, home to the beloved San Diego Zoo, along with botanical gardens, 17 outstanding museums, and a historic carousel from 1910, one of the last in the world that still offers the brass ring game. With the city’s enviable weather, the outdoor attractions of Balboa Park are ideal for visits any time of year.

• Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for Nightlife: Downtown
  Downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter is the city’s nightlife hub, with its pedestrian-friendly blocks packed with hundreds of trendy restaurants, stylish bars, secret speakeasies, and nightclubs boasting everything from celebrity guest DJs to live rock and jazz. One of the best things to do is to visit one of the rooftop bars at sunset for happy hours and views of the bay and skyline. Check out family-friendly Trailer Park After Dark and Metl Bar. Onyx Room and Side Bar are dance club staples. Another great area for nightlife is Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach with a variety of unpretentious bars, open-air restaurants, and beach parties. The crowd in Pacific Beach tends to be in their 20s to early 30s.

I love the food at the Breakfast Company in the Gaslamp. Nearby hotels:

Pendry • Andaz • Hard Rock Hotel • Margaritaville Hotel • Omni • Best Western Plus Bayside Inn • Bristol • Hotel Z Staypineapple • Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown/Gaslamp Quarter

• Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for Food & Restaurants: Little Italy, Downtown, La Jolla, and Oceanside

San Diego’s best restaurants are scattered throughout the city, but a handful of neighborhoods stand out. Little Italy, on the northern edge of Downtown San Diego, is one of the city’s restaurant hotspots. Of course, you’ll find Italian stalwarts here such as Caffè Italia, Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, the delicious stalls of the Little Italy Food Hall, along with the oldest tavern in town, The Waterfront, the lauded Ironside Fish & Oyster , and Kettner Exchange, known for its rooftop deck with sunset views over the harbor. San Diego has become known for its celebrity chefs of late, with many running their kitchens out of Little Italy, including Top Chef All-Stars winner and TV personality, Richard Blais, whose Crack Shack and Juniper & Ivy share the same city block as Top Chef Brian Malarkey’s Herb & Wood. Malarkey also operates Herringbone in La Jolla. Also in La Jolla, check out French beachside bistro The Marine Room and La Dolce Vita. Downtown, especially the Gaslamp, overflows with cosmopolitan restaurants, from steak houses to oyster bars to myriad international bites. Enjoy a meal at Huntress (steak and Japanese whisky), Werewolf (casual, cool, and delicious brunch, pub grub, and late-night menus), and La Puerta (high-quality Mexican cuisine with top notch cocktails. Further up the North County coast, Oceanside has also developed a hot culinary scene in recent years. Old school diners, such as the 101 Café, have been joined by hip restaurants like 333 Pacific, Davin Waite’s innovative sushi at Wrench and Rodent, former auto repair shop Masters Kitchen & Cocktail, Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen, and lauded chef Willy Eick’s creations at Mission Ave Bar and Grill.

Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for Walking: Coronado, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach

Coronado is very popular with visitors for walking and biking. Head to Orange Avenue, stroll by the restaurants, bars, and shops, and take in the vacation vibe of the town. Coronado also has a 6-mile walking path that takes you all around the island and brings you to the beach, golf course, and harbor. Both Mission Beach and Pacific Beach have walking paths. In fact, in Mission Beach you have two choices: you can walk from South Mission Beach heading north on the bayside, which is tranquil and calm, or you can walk on the path on the beachside. The beachside path takes you to Pacific Beach and all the way into La Jolla. On both the bay and beachside walkways in Mission Beach, you can wander on the little streets lined with adorable and sometimes massive beach houses.

Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for Shopping: Mission Valley, Old Town, and La Jolla

Mission Valley, anchored by I-8 north of Downtown in the heart of Greater San Diego, is a smart place to be based for shopping. There’s a large selection of mid-range hotel and motel accommodation, and two major shopping malls. Among the 200 plus stores at Fashion Valley are Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and Hugo Boss. Less than a mile away is Westfield Mission Valley, another huge mall complex. The adjacent Old Town neighborhood is also prime shopping territory, with a colorful array of Mexican-themed souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry at the Fiesta de Reyes Mall and Bazaar Del Mundo. Further north, Downtown La Jolla (aka “Village of La Jolla”) is crammed with high-end stores and boutiques (especially along Girard Avenue and Prospect Street), while malls such nearby Westfield UTC offer all the usual fashion brands and department stores.

• Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for a Local Vibe: North Park, Point Loma, Ocean Beach, and Encinitas
  Ocean Beach has its own distinct charm and is the most ‘local’ you’ll get for the beach communities inside the city limits. Ignore the riff-raff around the pier and head to Newport Avenue for the shopping, restaurants, bars, and a few breweries. It’s also considered the best spot to surf in San Diego. North Park, with its pedestrian-friendly streets, is one of the epicenters of San Diego’s up-and-coming culinary finds, progressive art scene, and craft beer boom. This is a great neighborhood filled with charming craftsman houses and also where the locals like to take a stroll and hang out. Point Loma, with a visit to Liberty Public Market especially, is a great spot for local flavor. They have a variety of restaurants, local artists, shops, and festivals throughout the year. All of this is housed in what once were army barracks. North of the city, along an old stretch of scenic Highway 101, Encinitas offers an eclectic array of surf history, a historic theater, art galleries, a famed ashram, and primo taco shops. A one-of-a-kind town that feels worlds away from the tourist crowds of San Diego.

• Safest Areas of San Diego
  San Diego’s safest neighborhoods tend to be the most affluent ones. La Jolla, Coronado, Shelter Island, and further north, Del Mar and Carlsbad are all largely safe to walk around any time of day. Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, and Little Italy are also very safe but standard precautions apply at night. It’s also worth noting that there are sections in the beach cities that can bring some interesting characters.

• Unsafe Areas of San Diego
  As a whole, San Diego is a safe city and boasts a crime rate that is 15 percent lower than the national average. But, as with any city, there are a few areas that you may want to avoid. University Heights, City Heights, National City, as well as parts of downtown, can be a bit seedy, especially at night. Imperial Beach, which is the town in San Diego next to the Mexican border, can also be sketchy. It’s best not to wander around after dark in these areas.