San Diego Neighborhoods
San
Diego has quite a significant number of
neighborhoods, each with its own unique composition
of history, culture and attractions. Listed here are
some of the more prominent and popular neighborhoods
with an indication of their boundaries, a brief
description and a link to a resource with additional
information about the neighborhood.
Balboa Park
Boundaries: North - Hillcrest & North Park;
Southwest - Downtown San Diego; East - Park
Boulevard ; West - Uptown.
Balboa Park is the nation's largest urban cultural
park. Due to its sheer size (1,200 acres), we have
included it here as its own neighborhood. Balboa
Park is home to museums, performing arts venues,
beautiful gardens, the San Diego Zoo, recreational
facilities, restaurants and more. Balboa Park was
declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977.
Coronado
Boundaries: North and East - San Diego Bay;
South - Imperial Beach community; West - Pacific
Ocean.
While Coronado is often referred to as "Coronado
Island", it is actually a peninsula, connected to
the mainland at the south. The northern part of
Coronado is the U.S. Naval Air Station. A famous
attraction at Coronado is the Hotel del Coronado,
which was declared a national historic landmark in
1977. Coronado is also home to two beaches, the
Silver Strand State Beach and the Coronado City
Beach. The Coronado Ferry takes passengers between
Coronado and San Diego's Broadway Pier throughout
each day.
Downtown
Boundaries: North - Bankers Hill, Middletown
& Balboa Park; South/Southwest - San Diego Bay;
Southeast - Barrio Logan and Logan Heights; East -
Sherman Heights & Golden Hill; West - Pacific Ocean.
Downtown San Diego is full of attractions for
visitors. Its west border abuts the San Diego Bay,
and here you'll find the Seaport Village shopping
and entertainment plaza and, slightly north, the
Coronado Ferry and a variety of sightseeing tours
from the harbor. A major shopping destination is
Horton Plaza and there are a number of cultural
attractions within the downtown area. Little Italy
is located in the northwest section of downtown, and
the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District is located at
the east side of downtown.
Hillcrest
Boundaries: Northwest - Mission Hills; South
- Bankers Hill & Balboa Park; East - University
Heights & North Park; West - A large ridge
overlooking San Diego Bay.
Hillcrest is located north of Balboa Parks west
side. It offers a blend of restaurants, bars, clubs
and speciality stores. Hillcrest is the center of
San Diego's gay and lesbian community and hosts the
annual LGBT Pride Parade & Festival each July.
La
Jolla
Boundaries: North - University of California;
South - Pacific Beach community; East - Gilman Drive
& Interstate 5; West - Pacific Ocean.
La Jolla is a pictureque upscale community just a
few miles north of San Diego's Mission Beach area.
In La Jolla, you'll find expensive shops, art
galleries and fine dining. La Jolla boasts several
nice beach areas, including La Jolla Cove, La Jolla
Shores, Windansea Beach and the San Diego Children's
Pool (actually a kid-friendly beach area, not a
pool). You can enjoy cultural attractions in La
Jolla, as well as the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
This area is home to one of the finest municipal
golf courses, Torrey Pines.
Mission Beach
Boundaries: North - Pacific Beach community;
South - San Diego River; East - Mission Bay; West -
Pacific Ocean.
Mission Beach is the most popular tourist beach area
in the San Diego region, comprising about 2 miles of
ocean and beach, with a busy boardwalk all along it.
Here you'll find typical beachside retail (including
surf shops), restaurants and night clubs. Mission
Beach features the Belmont Park amusement park, and
just a bit inland on the bay, SeaWorld.
Old Town
Boundaries: North - I-8 & Mission Valley;
South and East - Uptown & Mission Hills hillsides;
West - I-5 & Midway.
Just a few miles north of downtown San Diego, Old
Town is an historic area, once the first permanent
European settlement in California. Here you can
experience Plaza del Pasado, with unique shops,
restaurants and strolling entertainment in an
historical setting.
Point Loma
Boundaries: North - San Diego River; South &
West - Pacific Ocean; East - San Diego Bay & Old
Town.
Point Loma is a peninsula that separates the San
Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean; it sits west of
Coronado. Accordingly, it offers great views of San
Diego and the bay. Points of interest include the
Cabrillo National Monument and the Point Loma
Lighthouse. The San Diego Sports Arena is a large
concert venue here and holds a large open-air market
(Kobey's Swap Meet) each weekend.
