MY PHILOSOPHY ON CHOOSING A LOCATION
Life is too short to live somewhere that creates stress, stifles personal growth, and in general is incompatiable with an individual's personality and lifestyle. We live in a free country that permits a choice of where we live. America has been blessed with a wide variety of different climates and cities to choose from; there is a special place in this great country for everyone. Sadly, many people continue to live in cities or towns where they are not happy. I lived in several cities before finding the one that was just right for me.
When deciding where to live, 3 things are important to me:
Other things I look for are good health care facilities, good public transportaion, and proximity to other major cities.
San Diego rates very high on all of the above factors. The only disadvantage is the high cost of housing in San Diego. But I believe that sometimes sacrafices in one area is necessary to gain other advantages.
The Walking Tour
I live in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. We are going to take a quick walking tour of North Park, the adjoining neighborhood of Hillcrest, Balboa Park, and downtown. Afterwards we will climb aboard our tour bus and see some world famous sights around the city.
First I want to give you some general information about our city. Our city motto is "America's Finest City". Apparently a lot of people agree because they keep moving here in droves. Maybe after taking this tour you too will want to come live here. However, we now have a housing shortage. We still have lots of hotel rooms so come and enjoy but for heaven's sake please go home after you spend all of your money.
Places Rated Almanac rated the San Diego climate as # 3 out of 333 metropolitan areas ranked and compared. For the current conditions, click on the weather banner below
San Diego is America's sixth largest city with about 1.3 million in the city and over 2 million in the metropolitan area. For details click here: Go to"San Diego Population"
San Diego has many attractions and a smorgasbord of activities for both the tourist and permanent resident. To learn more about what San Diego go to the San Diego homepage, just click here: Go to "San Diego"
Let's begin our walking tour. First we go to North Park.
North Park is a funky, older, "pot luck" neighborhood. There is a wide variety of people here. About 25% of North Park residents are gay and this figure is increasing due to a shortage of affordable housing in Hillcrest(the largest gay neighborhood).
North Park has 4 gay bars, several
coffee shops, a gay bath house, a MCC church, a cruisy
park, and many gay owned businesses. The best feature of
North Park is that it is within walking distance of
Hillcrest, the gay ghetto of San Diego. Let's walk over to
Hillcrest now. But for more infor on North Park click on
the North Park picture above.
Hillcrest is the gay district of San Diego. Most of the gay bars,businesses, etc are located here. There are about 12 gay bars in Hillcrest, something for every taste. To learn more about Hillcrest, click on the picture above.
BALBOA PARK
Balboa Park is within walking distance of
Hillcrest, North Park and Downtown. This park is very large
(1400 acres). Balboa Park was the site of the 1935 world
expo. Balboa Park contains l4 museums, 4 theaters, a pipe
organ, many gardens and a world famous Zoo. Click on the
fountain above for more information on Balboa Park.
Balboa Park has a treat for music lovers. Every Sunday afternoon at 2 PM there is an organ recital at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. In the summer there is a 10 week series of concerts on Monday night. Click on the organ pavilion above for more information.
SAN DIEGO ZOO 
The world famous San Diego Zoo is located within Balboa Park. The zoo covers 100 acres. 3800 animals and 800 different species live here. They are cared for by 115 animal caretakers. The zoo has a staff of over 1000 people. If you are an animal lover you can buy an annual pass which entitles you to unlimited visits. I did this when I first moved to San Diego and got to know the animals on a first name basis. Click on the bears above to find out more information on the zoo.
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO
San Diego was once known as a quiet little seaside community located in the Southwestern corner of the United States. Today it has grown to become America's sixth largest city. Less than 20 years ago the downtown area was a shabby, decaying neighborhood; definitely not a place you would want to be after dark.
Today San Diego's downtown is gradually evolving toward a very exciting 24 hour neighborhood. During the past 20 years over 1.8 billion dollars have been invested in new developments downtown. This new development includes an exciting urban shopping center, gleaming hotels, office skyscrapers, apartments, condos, theaters, a new world class convention center, fountains, outdoor art, and parks.
A long recession temporarily halted new construction in the mid 90s but now downtown San Diego is poised to resume growth in the months just ahead. Come along with me on a walking tour as I show you our downtown.
HORTON PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER
Horton Plaza opened in 1985 and was the catalyst for most of the other developments that followed. Horton Plaza covers 6-1/2 city blocks. It has 140 stores and shops including three department stores.
Horton Plaza is a fun place to go. It does not resemble the typical big urban shopping mall. The shops are arranged on 7 different levels in a zig zag pattern that resembles the winding streets and alleys of some small European towns. It is a place to explore; adventure awaits you on every level and turn of the sidewalk. Click here to learn more about Horton Plaza.Horton Plaza
GASLAMP DISTRICT
The Gaslamp District has over 70 resturants, nightclubs, watering holes and theaters. This is San Diego's play room and it is filled with much colorful history. The Gaslamp District covers an area of 16-1/2 blocks along 4th and 5th Avenues, from Broadway to Harbor Drive. This area has many restored victorian styled commercial buildings and a victorian house that were built between the Civil War and World War I.
In the late 1800s this area was San Diego's main business district. But around the turn of the century many companies moved to another neighborhood to the North and the Gaslamp District was taken over by brothels, bars, and other establishments of ill repute.
Today the area has made a comeback and millions of dollars are pouring into restoration of this area. The recent voter approval of the Convention Center expansion and plans to construct several new hotels in the adjacent areas will accelerate Gaslamp development. Click on the building below to learn more about the Gaslamp District.
SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER
The San Diego Convention Center
was completed in 1989. It is located on the bayfront
downtown, adjacent to the Gaslamp District. San Diego's
mild climate and many area attractions make our city a
popular convention location. The 1996 Republican National
Convention was held here.
Construction has begun on the new expansion of the convention center, which will double its size from 941,919 sq ft to 1.8 million square feet. The new expansion is expected to cost $216 million.
San Diego residents enjoy a wide variety of restaurants and entertainment venues that would not exist without the large tourist population. The Convention Center contributes greatly to the economy and quality of life in San Diego. To find our more about the Convention Center or to make reservations for your convention, click here:
DOWNTOWN TOUR WILL RESUME SOON
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