‘Merica 25:San Diego, CA
When our corporate office mentioned that I had to go to San Diego from Los Angeles to help open a restaurant, I was delighted! After nine or ten years being away, it feels amazing to come back to something familiar. Now that I am more established and capable, I promised myself to make the most out of my tentative stay here, going to places that I didn’t get the chance to visit before.
I didn’t disappoint myself as I have discovered another side of San Diego that I was once a mystery to me. At the end of this article, I’m going to share some memorable photos from 2016.
San Diego is still arguably, “The Finest City in America.”
View from my hotel room. Plenty of new residential and office buildings.
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The Weather and Climate
San Diego has the perfect weather, period. During the summertime, it gets to the high 80’ to 90’s and the rest of the year trickles between 60 to 75. You know what this means? You can wear shorts all year long, and a light jacket just in case it gets chilly. Upon the time of writing, October 5, high 70F’s is the most that I have been experiencing and 60F’s at night. It’s always sunny and rain is scarce, plenty of time to do outdoors activities. Well, SD is known for that. It’s a city that is gifted with the perfect coastline, where watching sunset, is just pure magic.
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Culture and Lifestyle
I do appreciate the harmony between being a small city and a tourist attraction. There’s a balance between the craziness and serenity of life in this town. With all the “California had gone south” news, I didn’t expect San Diego to be what it is now. It’s in no where in any bad situation, at all. There’s still hope for California.
The party scene is not big here, high-end nightclubs are scarce compared to Vegas and Miami, but boy do they love supporting their Baseball team, The Padres. This is a good city to live in if you are looking for a more laid-back, unpretentious place. I can see myself raising a family here and not worry too much.
SD crowd is a good break from Miami crowd—there’s nobody that’s too obnoxious and craving for your attention by wearing neon color mesh clothes, bikinis or whatever skin-revealing outfit there is in existence… or the lack of wearing anything at all. Everyone here is pretty chill and relaxed, civilized enough to be presentable. You’ll not hear any sportscar rev the engine and cause irreparable damage to one’s hearing, and nobody playing atrociously loud music. That’s why I love the unpretentious crowd here—they just want to live and enjoy.
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Where To Go And What To Do
California has everything that you need to get your outdoors activity fix in check. Northern California brings the magic of vineyards, wineries, uphill roads and forests that are older than time. While the south, shares the blessing of the perfect weather, enabling you to stroll, swim, surf, hike and climb. That means, there’s something for everybody!
You’re in luck because San Diego is a family-friendly destination. See my recommendations below.
The Gaslamp Quarter
For people who want to have a fun night out, head down to the Historic Gaslamp Quarter, located in the heart of downtown SD. This are is where all the parties happen at night with countless restaurants, sports bars, arcades and anything you can think of. Unfortunately, compared to ten years ago, this place has degraded, it used to be cleaner and livelier. But like they say, when one door closes, a new one opens for new opportunities. Don’t fret, you’ll still enjoy friday and saturday evenings here as the area becomes electrifying and energetic.
The Westgate Hotel. I used to work here back in 2015 as an intern.
So when I arrived at the Gaslamp Quarter… guess what I had in mind? To try new restaurants. Some of my go-to places like Brian’s 24/7, Ramen Yamadaya and a Turkish restaurant I can’t remember the name anymore are no longer in operation. Luckily for me, I found a few brand new restaurants that caught my eyes. Try the Noodle & Bun restaurant, the food tastes amazing and legit. They really pull and cook the noodles to order.
Beef noodles with soup. This bowl didn’t last too long. It was that good. I’m proud of my uncle who pulled the noodles. The chewy texture of the noodles complimented the earthy yet umami broth.
Interestingly, there’s a Filipino Lumpia spot that set shop here. I tried it, but was disappointed. They didn’t cater to authentic Filipino flavors.
Little Italy
A tiny festive area, that celebrates being… well, Italian. Little Italy occupies about three to four blocks, with plenty of restaurants, gelato shops and sandwich spots. This is where I consider cultured people go to that want to avoid the party and being drunk vibes. This is a sit down, sip your wine, twirl and slurp your pasta, laugh with friends and talk about first-world problems type of vibe. It has gone through a positive, delicate change since the last time I’ve been here, some places just have to be left the way it is to preserve the heritage and integrity. High-rise luxury apartments, high-end restaurants and chic shops sprouted out of nowhere, contributing to a truly unique micro-community of diners and Italian culture-loving people. I must confess that I did spent a lot of time here, as our hotel in close-proximity to the area.
There’s a community plaza where you can sit down and people-watch, plenty of chairs and table to occupy. I love how they utilized the apartment buildings and integrated them as part of the attraction by hanging lights that illuminate and dazzle in the evening. There had been a couple of nights where I just sat down while enjoying a nice scoop of pistachio or vanilla gelato. I have a good life.
The night time brings the festive vibes to Little Italy and is something that you must not miss. Prego!
I’ve sampled multiple restaurants here like Juniper and Ivy (still disappointing after ten years) and other places. But the Mona Lisa Deli Shop is my favorite. It transported me back to when I visited Florence in 2021—a no frills deli and grocery shop with an adjacent sit down restaurant serving Italian classics. Their sandwiches are decent enough to satisfy you for lunch for a good price.
Civico was one of the restaurants that I’ve tried. I wasn’t impressed by what I had though. Italian food is really difficult to get right.
Bobboi is a gelato shop, nothing out of the ordinary.
The Deluxe Sub was the perfect companion for that day’s lunch.
Allegro
Juniper and Ivy is celebrity chef Richard Blais’ restaurant. It’s a long standing icon of San Diego for the most modern restaurant. I gave it a try before with my family and was not impressed, for it lacked the love and proper seasoning. I gave it a chance again, but still underwhelming. This can easily be an amazing restaurant if they find the missing piece to the puzzle.
Try Pappalecco, a gelato shop that started in SD and now, famous nationwide.
Underbelly Ramen
Now this ramen spot got my eyes burning. Talk about not having enough neon lights. The ramen was decent. I like how they open the windows when it is cool enough at night and comfortably sit by the walls, facing the road.
Harumama focuses on japanese staples with some asian fusion. They are famous for their decorative buns.
Embarcadero, Seaport Village, The Perfect Afternoon & Evening Stroll
After work, I made sure to put my steps in to at least 13,000 a day.
There’s no better way to lock in your steps than to head down to the harbour from Cedar St and walk the entirety of the embarcadero, turning left, and head to the Seaport Village, a charming open-door, spanish architecture inspired mall with lots of restaurants and shops next to the water, showcasing the Coronado Island as you watch the sunset. This is the best viewing spot in the city. You will pass by a famous medieval ship called the Star of India, restaurants sitting on the water and the decommissioned USS Midway. This is where you grab a slice of pizza, a glass of beer and just sit down with your friends or loved ones to enjoy a beautiful sundown.
Once you reach the Hilton Hotel, this is the end of the trail. I’m guessing that the walk from the hotel to here is about 2 to 2.5 miles, not bad for an exercise.
Balboa Park
Aside from being a park, Balboa Park is a culture, history and educational center. I consider it as my morning jogging route. There’s plenty of activities to do here that I really didn’t explore, mostly for families. You have the Museum of Art, Air and Space Museum, Veterans Museum, Japanese Friendship Garden and a lot more. Be aware that the San Diego Zoo is close. This place can be a whole day affair, filled with education and learning.
National City
Oh Manila, Manila, Manila. I keep coming back to Manila- lyrics to a real song.
National City is my place to be! Mabuhay to my fellow Filipinos who have thrived and are living amazing lives in California. This is the nest for everything Filipino—grocery stores, shops, freight services and restaurants. It was amazing to buy stuff from 85 Degrees Bakery, Chowking, Seafood City, Red Ribbon and more. If you are into Filipino culture and food, you got to go here.
I’ll give you a tip. You’ll know that you are arriving in Filipino territory if the area is foggy, because Filipino households are busy cooking rice, and the steam is coming out of their houses. Ha!
La Jolla
La Jolla is a magnificent town to visit. If you’re biophilic, meaning, that you have an urge to associate yourself with nature and wildlife, then La Jolla is for you. Coming here makes you feel closer to nature. Every angle of this place is just pure magic. There’s a trove of activities such as swimming with sea lions, kayaking and many more. This is also where the old rich lives. La Jolla has some amazing residential properties if you know where to find them. This is a good retirement place if you have plenty of money set aside.
Old Town
Well, Old Town is where San Diego was born. Rich in heritage and history, this area is stellar both in the day time and night time. You go here for Mexican food and giant frosted margaritas. As for me, I like mine with Mezcal. Old Town is highly festive and merry with plenty of shops selling local merchandise, restaurants and other attractions. Don’t forget to pick up a decorated tile for your refrigerator or watch a Mariachi band play live.
Point Loma & Cabrillo National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument is the highest point in San Diego. Please fact check me. When I drove up here, I was trying to take videos of the picturesque scenes on both sides, and I almost died. Ha! From this vantage, you can see giant military planes landing on the runway.
There’s a decommissioned lighthouse that you can visit. I was expecting that you can watch sunsets here but they close at 5:30pm.
Sunset Cliffs
One of the most charming places that you must go to in California. The Sunset Cliffs is a gift from God, showing his greatness and love for his creation. If I can only buy a house next to this place, I will. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of watching sunsets, they’re just so mystical. The sky changes as the sun goes down and it’s been a habit of mine to pay attention to the gradual changes in hue.
Torrey Pines Natural Park
I was driving along 5 coming from Oceanside when I stumbled on Torrey Pines Natural Park. This a cool place to hike and trek. They have plenty of paths for you to choose from, depending on your preference. I enjoyed hiking the trails and took countless photos. The views were worth the sweat under the 90-degree weather.
Nighttime Shots of Downtown San Diego
It was a bitter-sweet feeling towards the last days of my stay in San Diego. I miss my bed in Miami, but I also didn’t want to leave. I feel at home in San Diego. One day, while making the most out of my remaining time, I took some night photos of the city. Some of the buildings in the photos are pretty new. Just gorgeous.
Memories Back in 2016
I didn’t include some places that I’ve been to before in this article, like the Coronado Hotel / Island and many more. Now, I want to share some amazing experiences that I’ve had with my colleagues ten years ago. These people are some of the best people that I’ve worked with and the memories are still vivid in my head.
This sums up my time in San Diego.
