The Almost Complete Guide to San Diego

Are you kidding? One could write volumes on San Diego, perhaps the city with the most resort-town-like feel of all of America’s major cities.

Let’s start with the weather. It’s so southern Californian fun-in-the-sun-like that you’ll feel as though you’re on vacation even if you aren’t. And that’s year round. San Diego, in fact, boasts an average temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit annually. What’s cool, too, is that much like other coastal cities–especially the big ones on the West Coast such as San Francisco and Seattle–you can find lots of micro climates in and around San Diego. They’re as varied and refreshing as the almost one hundred neighborhoods for which this long-established city is famous. It’s a city of villages, in fact, many of which are designated on your Discovery Map.

Located on San Diego Bay, downtown San Diego is punctuated by many stunning yet moderately tall skyscrapers. With the airport nearby and lots of military aviation doings in the area, constructing monolithic buildings was out of the question. The skyline, however, does present a glittering picture, especially when its lights flicker off the bay at night. It’s worth heading over to Coronado for this sparkling view. Be sure to visit The Ferry Landing while you’re there–it’s a must.

When there, be sure to visit the Hotel del Coronado, a National Historic Landmark built in 1888 and visited by celebrities, dignitaries, presidents and royalty from around the world. It was intended to be a seaside resort that would be “the talk of the Western world” and as you behold this famous red roofed-establishment from inside and out, one can still agree with that moniker today. Now that’s what you call a grand hotel.

Back at the bayfront, you can easily gain a sense of how San Diego’s waterfront location shaped its culture both at the water’s edge and in neighborhoods such as Old Town, Embarcadero, Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter, the Marina District and many others. There’s a pervading beach-y feel throughout, forever reminding people that the great Pacific Ocean lies within a short seagull’s flight away.

It’s no wonder San Diego has remained synonymous with the U.S. Navy for eons. (It’s the birthplace of naval aviation, in fact.) With such a naturally deep harbor, it made sense that big navy ships would make their home here. It’s also the squeaky clean look of the U.S. Navy–both of their fleet, personnel and entire operations that cast a vibe somewhere between the patriotic salute of Anchors Aweigh and the electronic dance beat of In the Navy. (C’mon, you must remember that hit from the Village People’s Live and Sleazy album of the late seventies.) In any event, it all comes across as inspiring and makes most people want to shape up, throw their shoulders back, polish their shoes and put on some super spiffy clothing.

As if to make this California city even more alluring, San Diego has become known as America’s Craft Beer Capital. Oh yeah. You can sample some of the best suds with Brewery Tours of San Diego. Don’t worry–they have it super dialed in and you’re transported around in an air conditioned shuttle for their individual and group tours that are conducted seven days a week.

It’s all so good that you might decide to move here. That’s just what more and more people are doing every day.