Downtown San Diego
Downtown San Diego is the heart of San Diego. With the city of San Diego being spread out over a large area, the downtown section of the city becomes the focal point for a great deal of the action. Great shopping, fantastic dining, and plenty of wonderful places to enjoy can be found within downtown San Diego.
Downtown San Diego Directions and Information
Getting to Downtown San Diego is easy, take the Interstate 5 to any of several of the San Diego exits such as Market Street and head west off of the exit ramp. The I-5 is located only a few blocks away from downtown. Parking downtown can be a bit of a challenge as spaces are limited especially during sporting events, concerts, and Friday and Saturday nights. Your parking options are either find a spot on the street, find a pay parking lot, or you can pay to park in the Horton Plaza Mall where you can validate your parking ticket by shopping or seeing a movie.
Downtown San Diego Attractions
Downtown San Diego is home to the state of the art San Diego Convention Center which sits on the San Diego Bay. The Gaslamp Quarter is the main shopping and dining area located downtown only a block from the San Diego Convention Center. The San Diego Padres play at PetCo Park, which is located in Downtown San Diego near the Gaslamp Quarter. Downtown San Diego also has the shopping and dining and sightseeing hotspot of Seaport Village located on the San Diego Bay. A few blocks away is the world famous San Diego Maritime Museum.
With bus stops and trolley stops conveniently located downtown, public transportation is recommended over the expensive downtown parking. Though expensive, bicycle carriage rides are also a popular means of getting around Downtown San Diego for tourists looking to relax their feet for awhile.
Downtown San Diego Shopping
Downtown shopping is one of the main reasons many visitors head downtown in the first place. Horton Plaza Mall is one of the most architecturally unique outdoor malls in the United States and offers a great selection of stores and a movie theater. Seaport Village is the perfect place to eat lunch, enjoy the view of the sailboats on the San Diego Bay, and eat a delicious, casual lunch. On the streets in downtown you will find many upscale clothing stores mixed between restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world.
San Diego Downtown Insider Secrets
Downtown San Diego is extremely clean and safe, even at night. There are plenty of options for visitors in terms of shopping, dining, and entertainment. Basically, if you know what you like to do, then you should not have a problem finding out where and when to do it. Dining along one of the many restaurants in the Gaslamp District of Downtown San Diego while people watching along the busy sidewalk is an excellent way to spend an afternoon or a casual dinner. Check out the Horton Plaza Shopping Mall Downtown as well, it bosts a fascinating architectural design and a Movie Theater. You can park you car here and get your parking validated inside the mall saving you time and money parking your car.
