Welcome to San Diego!
I had a wonderful tie in San Diego!
During this past summer I have visited San Diego and loved it. It is a great city.
I arrived at the San Diego Airport and took an Uber to our hotel. Our driver was an African American who moved here from the Midwest. He had lost his job there and his wife told him to move to San Diego. They were not the only ones who wanted to move to San Diego. A lot of people want to live in San Diego. I have read about this online.
We went to our hotel, the Sofia Hotel. Our driver even showed us where to take the streetcar. We stayed at our hotel. NBC was right across from our hotel.
After walking along Broadway and a park with palm trees near the Westfield Horton Plaza, I went to the Gaslamp District along Fifth Avenue. It was a really nice area and we stopped at a souvenir shop. The downtown area feels touristy and not as corporate as other downtown areas in other major cities. The downtown area in some areas looks like a standard downtown USA the buildings are newer and there are some buildings that look like condominiums. The buildings here were painted the right colors, they weren’t tacky. After I ended my tour of Fifth Avenue, I saw on Google maps how the area had a Turkish restaurant, and a Brazilian BBQ place, a typical tourist area. Before I went here I read about how this part of town was a shady run down area. Now it is a tourist attraction I wonder how they cleaned that area up. I read on Wikipedia that residents were concerned about the preservation of historic architecture and they preserved it as a historic district.
I also enjoyed the waterfront area. I saw the Convention Center. I then went to Seaport Village. This area is beautiful and I am glad that San Diego did something with this area. Seaport Village seemed a bit 1960’s themed. I do not know why though. After that, I saw the marina and walked along the walkway near the water.
The layout of California cities is just different than in the northeast. San Diego, at least downtown San Diego gets an A for smart city planning and smart growth. There are streetcars, beautiful shopping centers, nice restaurants, and skyscrapers. I also noticed that there was a large shopping mall in downtown San Diego. In New Jersey you don’t see large shopping malls in the downtown areas. They are separate from one another.
I took a bus to Coronado beach. It looked like a wealthy and white area. The water was cold but the area was nice. The beach and the houses were beautiful, The residential area almost reminded me of Latin America. The main street was nice too but I didn’t explore it that much because I was hungry and I was waiting for the bus to get to Little Italy. On the bus from Coronado, I saw Barrio Logan. The neighborhood did not look that pretty but I was impressed by all the street art they had there. Chicano Park had murals as well. I wish our lower income neighborhoods had street art like this. But I know there Southern California has a strong history of Chicano activism so that probably in part explains why there is so much street art around here. I also read how Barrio Logan in the past had issues with environmental justice, a very common problem in low income neighborhoods.
Little Italy was nice. I don’t know much about Italian immigration to California other than that the Italians that came to California were more prosperous than in the Northeast and that many came to work in the vineyards. The food I had at one restaurant was really good. I had callenolli. The Italian food I had here was surprisingly better than a lot of the Italian food I had here in the Northeast. I also saw that they were trying to build something here in Little Italy. I think it is a plaza or something. I think San Diego is on the upswing in terms of real estate.
I went to Balboa Park. It was a very beautiful and hilly park. There were joggers and dog walkers there. It was a huge park. It was such a big park that as I walked here from my hotel I had to take a bus then a streetcar home. I took a bus to Jack in the Box. We really don’t have much of these in the New Jersey. I like Jack in the Box better than Burger King or McDonalds. When I was in there I remember a woman working there asking the security guard there if there is a lot of work for him to do. He replied “right now there isn’t.” It seems odd that there would be a security guard in a fast food restaurant in what seems to be a safe neighborhood. It was south of Balboa Park but north of the downtown area. And according to FBI Statistics, San Diego is a pretty safe town for a big city. However I have noticed that there is a large police presence in San Diego so that might play a factor.
The last full day I was in San Diego I went to Fashion Valley Mall then Old Town. I wanted to go to a Southern California mall plus the tour guide I read prior to coming to this trip recommended this mall. Coming from the Northeast, I am used to seeing large indoor shopping malls. However it is like all the malls I have seen in Southern California well with the exception of one In LA were outdoor malls. I even saw palm trees in the mall! Very different from the Northeast. I liked the mall. I think the malls here in San Diego are better designed than in New Jersey. I also noticed how the northern part of San Diego is more hilly than the downtown area.
I was told to go to Old Town by the Uber Driver but I did some research on San Diego before coming and I already wanted to go here. I also believe I read somewhere that this is the number one recommended place to visit in San Diego so why not come here? Even though this area is supposed to Mexican themed I definitely cannot confuse it for a street in Tijuana. Old Town is not even in a predominately Latino neighborhood. However the food is cheap and Old Town is still a colorful place to witness Mexican culture. We first stopped at a Mexican restaurant. My mom liked her food, I forget what my sister had, and I ordered a chimi changa. There was a singer with a guitar who was able to sing any song we asked him to sing. I asked him to play “La Bamba”, (it seems fitting right? Since we are in California) and he played it. Old Town was very touristy with many souvenir shops, restaurants, and cantinas. I went to the park which I believe is the main tourist spot in Old Town. They even sold paraphernalia for “Las Dias de los Muertos” which is a big thing in California. They sold panchos, handicrafts, and Mexican purses. It felt like you were in the 1800s with the small adobe buildings and the lettering of the buildings that read “General Store” I think Old Town was supposed to make you feel like you are in California in the 1800s. I was impressed with how San Diego integrates history and tourism so well. In some New Jersey cities we really can’t do that even though New Jersey is very historical.
Even though San Diego has a conservative reputation, it seemed kind of liberal to me. At Fashion Center Mall, I saw young people with tattoos who had a hippie flow. San Diego just seems laid back and chill which is why I am surprised to see people on CD say it is conservative.
I liked how I didn’t have to drive in San Diego. I just took either a bus or the streetcar. The light rail system is not as complex as New York City but it is efficient nonetheless. The good thing about public transportation in San Diego is that it is not just for poor people but I think this is true for most major cities. I noticed that there weren’t that many cars in San Diego. However I then did some research and according to the Census, most people in San Diego drove to work. This did not make sense but then I saw a map of San Diego and noticed that the northern part is sprawling while the downtown area is the opposite. And since I was in the downtown area a lot of the time this explains why I was so surprised.
Other random facts. It is interesting how some buildings that looked like they were once churches serve other purposes like the San Diego Train Station and the Museum of Man. Something I also noticed that in California every toilet I could remember had toilet covers. Is there a law in California that requires there to be toilet seat covers? You usually don’t see that in New Jersey.
I arrived at the San Diego Airport and took an Uber to our hotel. Our driver was an African American who moved here from the Midwest. He had lost his job there and his wife told him to move to San Diego. They were not the only ones who wanted to move to San Diego. A lot of people want to live in San Diego. I have read about this online.
We went to our hotel, the Sofia Hotel. Our driver even showed us where to take the streetcar. We stayed at our hotel. NBC was right across from our hotel.
After walking along Broadway and a park with palm trees near the Westfield Horton Plaza, I went to the Gaslamp District along Fifth Avenue. It was a really nice area and we stopped at a souvenir shop. The downtown area feels touristy and not as corporate as other downtown areas in other major cities. The downtown area in some areas looks like a standard downtown USA the buildings are newer and there are some buildings that look like condominiums. The buildings here were painted the right colors, they weren’t tacky. After I ended my tour of Fifth Avenue, I saw on Google maps how the area had a Turkish restaurant, and a Brazilian BBQ place, a typical tourist area. Before I went here I read about how this part of town was a shady run down area. Now it is a tourist attraction I wonder how they cleaned that area up. I read on Wikipedia that residents were concerned about the preservation of historic architecture and they preserved it as a historic district.
I also enjoyed the waterfront area. I saw the Convention Center. I then went to Seaport Village. This area is beautiful and I am glad that San Diego did something with this area. Seaport Village seemed a bit 1960’s themed. I do not know why though. After that, I saw the marina and walked along the walkway near the water.
The layout of California cities is just different than in the northeast. San Diego, at least downtown San Diego gets an A for smart city planning and smart growth. There are streetcars, beautiful shopping centers, nice restaurants, and skyscrapers. I also noticed that there was a large shopping mall in downtown San Diego. In New Jersey you don’t see large shopping malls in the downtown areas. They are separate from one another.
I took a bus to Coronado beach. It looked like a wealthy and white area. The water was cold but the area was nice. The beach and the houses were beautiful, The residential area almost reminded me of Latin America. The main street was nice too but I didn’t explore it that much because I was hungry and I was waiting for the bus to get to Little Italy. On the bus from Coronado, I saw Barrio Logan. The neighborhood did not look that pretty but I was impressed by all the street art they had there. Chicano Park had murals as well. I wish our lower income neighborhoods had street art like this. But I know there Southern California has a strong history of Chicano activism so that probably in part explains why there is so much street art around here. I also read how Barrio Logan in the past had issues with environmental justice, a very common problem in low income neighborhoods.
Little Italy was nice. I don’t know much about Italian immigration to California other than that the Italians that came to California were more prosperous than in the Northeast and that many came to work in the vineyards. The food I had at one restaurant was really good. I had callenolli. The Italian food I had here was surprisingly better than a lot of the Italian food I had here in the Northeast. I also saw that they were trying to build something here in Little Italy. I think it is a plaza or something. I think San Diego is on the upswing in terms of real estate.
I went to Balboa Park. It was a very beautiful and hilly park. There were joggers and dog walkers there. It was a huge park. It was such a big park that as I walked here from my hotel I had to take a bus then a streetcar home. I took a bus to Jack in the Box. We really don’t have much of these in the New Jersey. I like Jack in the Box better than Burger King or McDonalds. When I was in there I remember a woman working there asking the security guard there if there is a lot of work for him to do. He replied “right now there isn’t.” It seems odd that there would be a security guard in a fast food restaurant in what seems to be a safe neighborhood. It was south of Balboa Park but north of the downtown area. And according to FBI Statistics, San Diego is a pretty safe town for a big city. However I have noticed that there is a large police presence in San Diego so that might play a factor.
The last full day I was in San Diego I went to Fashion Valley Mall then Old Town. I wanted to go to a Southern California mall plus the tour guide I read prior to coming to this trip recommended this mall. Coming from the Northeast, I am used to seeing large indoor shopping malls. However it is like all the malls I have seen in Southern California well with the exception of one In LA were outdoor malls. I even saw palm trees in the mall! Very different from the Northeast. I liked the mall. I think the malls here in San Diego are better designed than in New Jersey. I also noticed how the northern part of San Diego is more hilly than the downtown area.
I was told to go to Old Town by the Uber Driver but I did some research on San Diego before coming and I already wanted to go here. I also believe I read somewhere that this is the number one recommended place to visit in San Diego so why not come here? Even though this area is supposed to Mexican themed I definitely cannot confuse it for a street in Tijuana. Old Town is not even in a predominately Latino neighborhood. However the food is cheap and Old Town is still a colorful place to witness Mexican culture. We first stopped at a Mexican restaurant. My mom liked her food, I forget what my sister had, and I ordered a chimi changa. There was a singer with a guitar who was able to sing any song we asked him to sing. I asked him to play “La Bamba”, (it seems fitting right? Since we are in California) and he played it. Old Town was very touristy with many souvenir shops, restaurants, and cantinas. I went to the park which I believe is the main tourist spot in Old Town. They even sold paraphernalia for “Las Dias de los Muertos” which is a big thing in California. They sold panchos, handicrafts, and Mexican purses. It felt like you were in the 1800s with the small adobe buildings and the lettering of the buildings that read “General Store” I think Old Town was supposed to make you feel like you are in California in the 1800s. I was impressed with how San Diego integrates history and tourism so well. In some New Jersey cities we really can’t do that even though New Jersey is very historical.
Even though San Diego has a conservative reputation, it seemed kind of liberal to me. At Fashion Center Mall, I saw young people with tattoos who had a hippie flow. San Diego just seems laid back and chill which is why I am surprised to see people on CD say it is conservative.
I liked how I didn’t have to drive in San Diego. I just took either a bus or the streetcar. The light rail system is not as complex as New York City but it is efficient nonetheless. The good thing about public transportation in San Diego is that it is not just for poor people but I think this is true for most major cities. I noticed that there weren’t that many cars in San Diego. However I then did some research and according to the Census, most people in San Diego drove to work. This did not make sense but then I saw a map of San Diego and noticed that the northern part is sprawling while the downtown area is the opposite. And since I was in the downtown area a lot of the time this explains why I was so surprised.
Other random facts. It is interesting how some buildings that looked like they were once churches serve other purposes like the San Diego Train Station and the Museum of Man. Something I also noticed that in California every toilet I could remember had toilet covers. Is there a law in California that requires there to be toilet seat covers? You usually don’t see that in New Jersey.
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