Drove all the way over to La Jolla because of this library. I have a soft spot for libraries and an…read moreeven soter spot for libraries with unique architecture. My coworker mentioned that there was a library in San Diego that was like an inverted pyramid --- say no more! I am in! It looks a lot like a rose to me -- which made it even better. Turns out, the "Geisel" part of the "Geisel Library" is actually Dr. Seuss Geisel! Which is why they have a multi-level Dr. Seuss exhibit. Library has a great view of the Quad. Has tons and tons of study rooms and study areas, each with charging ports. Glass walls everywhere with an awesome view of Do Ho Suh's Falling Star. THIS was a very pleasant surprise!

Love UCSD's Geisel Library! Iconic building packed with great study spaces (quiet & group), amazing…read moreviews, and all the resources you need. Highly recommend it

UCSD has a series of artworks called the Stuart Collection. Various artists were commissioned to…read morecreate artwork for UCSD. I had a closeup look at the construction of Fallen Star. It was a unique experience coming to work each day and watching a construction crew building what appeared to be a Craftsman style house. I saw lots of them when I lived in North Park. When they finished construction a crane lifted the house into place near the top of the building. At the opening reception the artist Do Ho Suh appeared to talk about his latest creation. I saw him afterwards and had my picture taken with him. Fallen Star is one of my favorite works in the Stuart Collection. Looks very cool from the ground. Inside it's very disorienting as the floor isn't level and the angles are not what you are used to. This is one of the most unique and interesting artworks I've ever seen. Cool documentary about Fallen Star on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbVAv2AENfI I never saw Do Ho Suh again but he is still doing great work and his last exhibition was in New York in 2022. https://newyorkarttours.com/blog/art,artist,contemporary,critic,exhibition,gallery,newyork,photography,sculpture,tour,visualart/inverted-monument/

This is a review fo the Fallen Star in UC San Diego's Stuart Collection…read more The Fallen Star is for sure a must-do for students at UC San Diego. It is a great experience being in the house and it is super fun. It is available for everyone to go and book a tour. Beware! The spots get taken up really quickly so be sure to book far in advance. You book 30 minute slots on Wednesdays or 15 minute on Thursdays depending on whether or not you are booking with a group or not(Wed for group, Thursday for Individual). We did not book with a group as the group signups are extremely full (Backed up for 2 months) so we just booked multiple individual tours on the same day. You are supposed to arrive around 5-10 minutes before your time starts so you can spend the whole time within the house. Although our group for the tour was luckily pretty small(Only 4), sometimes they can be a bit larger. Parking can be a bit difficult as its around a 5 minute walk away from the event but I think its worth it. Its also free! Overall, I would recommend it.

I like Birch Aquarium and always enjoy exploring the exhibits, especially sitting and watching the…read morehuge main tank, it's so relaxing. They've made some nice renovations recently, and we love the outdoor touch pools, penguins, and beautiful ocean views. My biggest complaint is the price. You can easily see everything in about 2 hours MAX, so full price admission feels pretty steep. We go more often because through CalFresh/WIC you get discounted tickets, and they also have great veteran discounts. Parking can be tough, and there aren't many handicap spots close to the entrance. If you're visiting from out of town, it's definitely worth pairing with a day exploring La Jolla, but I wouldn't plan on the aquarium being a full-day activity.

This is a smaller aquarium, but it was a lovely one to visit. We picked the Birch aquarium as one…read moreof the spots to visit using our City Pass & it was quick and easy to get inside. There is a short walk from the parking lot to the aquarium, but the walk itself isn't that bad. There are two sides to the aquarium to explore, an outside area where you can see some adorable as can be small blue penguins and another outside area with touch pools. The area with the touch pools has a gorgeous view of the beach & ocean as the aquarium sits up higher so you'll have a great view for photos. We thought they had a great selection of sea life to view. They had several different types of Jelly fish & several different species of Sea horses. I absolutely loved seeing the Sea Kelp Dragons, they are so cool to see. The bathrooms were clean, the gift shop was nice, and all of the staff we interacted with were friendly. I would say we were here for 45 minutes altogether?

What a wonderful building! Rediscovering it as I came here years back for a brunch at the Sea and…read morethe horse restaurant and now come to the Exos gym via my workplace. So impressed with the design and quality. The big mural made of annual reports is amazingly cool, what a fun idea of creating art from numbers on paper. Financial fun and artsy, who would know! Super pleasant space to work while waiting for my gym class with mellow background music. Lot of effort put in the design of everything, from the lamps, to the royal blue chairs, their arts exhibition. What a privilege to be able to come here for my gym classes and enjoy the membership perks!

This is the end Beautiful friend…read more This is the end My only friend, the end The Doors - The End It is with great sadness I post this. I was not there at the beginning but I will be there at the end. June 2, 2016 the gallery will permanently close. There is a change.org petition: https://www.change.org/p/chancellor-khosla-stop-the-closure-of-the-university-art-gallery

The University Art gallery is located in the middle of UCSD's campus. I know because I skateboarded…read moreby it many times. The space is small, but the interior is as chic as any La Jolla gallery. The gallery features hardwood floor and it often times has exciting exhibits from up and coming artists. A lot of faculty and graduate students have their art work on display here, but artists don't have to be associated with the university to be featured at the gallery. The staff is friendly and the gallery has a lot of exhibit openings with free food and drinks and the receptions are always to the public. For a gallery, the University Art Gallery has a pretty relaxed atmosphere, but a lot of pretentious UCSD art students hang out here, but hell even they have to dig scoring the free food and drinks at the openings.

Found this gem in August 2021 when my 8-yo twins wanted to learn how to play violin and guitar. I…read moresit in classes with my kids during lessons and I'm super impressed on how patient the teachers are with beginners. At the end of 10 weeks lessons, my son is able to play Ode to Joy on guitar and my daughter plays 4 different pieces at the recital. I'm very happy with their progresses and will continue to sign them up for lessons. So very glad to find this place. The place is very clean and adhere to covid protocols. Staff and kids wear masks the whole time they're inside. Staff are friendly and approachable. They're responsive to email inquiries. Overall, I give Villa Musica a perfect score!

We have had the pleasure to have both our girls ages 10 and 12 at Villa Musica. Both girls attended…read moretheir show choir class and really enjoyed it. My youngest practiced piano and oldest guitar also a Villa Musica with their instructors and have been excelling in their music learning. We are very happy with their learning and the care they have received there so far :)

My organization hosted a two-day event at the International House in February 2019. We had a great…read moreexperience! Barbara Ramsey, the Events Manager, made sure we had everything we needed and the rest of their events staff on site was equally helpful. We had no issues with the technology in the room and everything was set up as requested. We also used UC San Diego Catering services for lunch, coffee and refreshment breaks. The food was always on time and delicious. They made special accommodations for dietary restrictions in our group, which we really appreciated. UCSD International House is a beautiful venue with excellent service. We would happily host an event here again!

If you are going to live on UCSD's campus, I completely recommend living at the International…read moreHouse. I-House provides students with a unique living situation because UCSD students share housing with students from around the globe. There is a plethora of cultural activities for students to participate in, such as conversation tables, where they can practice their foreign language skills. I feel that students who travel across the globe tend to be more social. I have met so many people who forged great relationships when they studied abroad which is what makes I-House so great because you get a chance to really get to know so many different people from so many different cultures. I can honestly say, living at I-House was one of my most memorable experiences at UCSD.

Great service. Rooms are nice and clean. The grounds are beautiful. I had lots of problems with my…read morecellular connection in my room though. The Birria chilaquiles - 5 stars I was at a conference and the food was 5 stars and the service was great. It was great to just walk to ucsd.

Best birthday stay ever!!…read more When I first arrived, I was nervous because I haven't booked a place this fancy before and used Chase Travel to book for the first time. The staff immediately put me at ease and made me feel welcome. Lorenzo greeted me at the front desk and said happy birthday. He also gave me some free drink vouchers to use at the hotel restaurants and upgraded my room! The room was so big and clean and relaxing. My boyfriend has really bad insomnia but he said he actually slept great! I let him sleep in while I explored the hotel cafe and lounged on the balcony. There was a few parties and events going on that day (June 25th) but we couldn't hear a thing, at all. Our suite had a huge soaker tub and a huge shower that came in clutch, they even have complimentary bath salts and all the soaps! If you want more, they sell nice stuff in the gift shop, too. We also went to the cafe for breakfast burritos and coffee and both were a great way to start our day. Highly recommend staying here for a celebration. I felt like royalty and would love to come back. Shout out to Lorenzo and the team!

This place is trippy! I came to film to be an extra in a Sci-Fi thriller feature film. Russian…read morefeature film. Wow! The floor I was on looked totally like a Futuristic lab. Almost like the entire building is one huge computer. There's row after row of big machinery with little lights. I'm assuming all of this is parts of a server? It's very impressive. Since we were shooting a film w/lab coats it was a perfect setting to play scientist. Obviously the place was locked secured during our shoot so I don't really know what goes on here on a regular day. Nonetheless, I'm very grateful for the opportunity and a sneak peak into a world I would of been oblivious too. Where you suppose the kill switch is in this maze of technology? Would be awesome to flip the switch and hear the whole place shut down lol. Ok beam me up Scotty! Melly Mel out!