Thinking of living in Downtown San Diego? It's one of those places you'll either fall in love with…read moreor complain about while sipping a $8 matcha on a rooftop. I live in the neighboring area, but for me it's mostly love. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly version (in my perspective). Pros: *Everything is within walking distance so you save gas! Get those 10,000 daily steps in! *Tons of restaurant, cafes, breweries, rooftop bars, and nightlife *Always something going on - festivals, concerts, Padres games, waterfront events, and people-watching! *Multiple neighborhoods to explore, including Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, East Village, and the Embarcadero. *Close to the airport, making travel quick and convenient *Easy access to the trolley, buses, rideshare, and the waterfront *Beautiful bay views, parks, and attractions like the USS Midway Museum. *Great food scene with plenty of local and international options. *Mild weather year-round means you can make plans throughout your day with no issues because we spoiled out here! *Diverse community with people from many different cultures and backgrounds. *Easy drive to beaches, mountains, and other San Diego attractions. Cons: *Cost of living is very high, especially rent. *Parking is expensive, limited, and sometimes feel like winning the lottery. *Homelessness and transient activity are noticeable in parts of downtown. *Some areas can be rundown and may have unpleasant odors. *Certain blocks feel less safe late at night so staying aware of your surroundings is important. *Traffic can still be frustrating if you need to drive regularly. *Noise from nightlife, events, and city traffic isn't for everyone. *Some areas have visible issues with addiction and it seems to be getting worse each year. Very sad to see. Overall: Downtown San Diego is one of the most convenient and exciting places to live if you enjoy an active, walkable lifestyle. Like any major city, it has its rough spots, but the pros generally outweigh the cons. It's a bit of a love-hate relationship, but mostly love. Once you get used to city life, it's hard to be bored.

We drove through this District to get to our designated parking for the event being held at Petco…read morePark. A few homeless in view. No restaurants calling our name afterwards so we drove to Convoy. Gen's waitlist was closed. Being a Saturday evening it was understandable and we missed the 5:50 pm cut off by 5 minutes.

" Good But Needs A Little Makeover "…read more We went to the Digital Media Arts Center in the North Park area of San Diego today and had a nice experience. Marco the attendant helped us and does a lot of work at this location. The Theater is very small with only 50 seats. But it is like watching a private up close movie. It was very different but cool. The seats were nicely cushioned and lean back making it very comfortable. The part of the Arts Center that needs a little make over is the front seating area. The furniture is very old and worn out, and is covered up with sheets and blankets. They need to be replaced !

Tiny local theatre that offers that old school movie experience and screens rare or indie films…read more There are only 46 seats and you can buy advance tickets ($11 for adults) for popular shows. I love the ma and pa feel and the staff's friendliness and flexibility to make your moviegoing experience the best! It's almost like being in the comfort of your own home theater! I went there recently to view a film that all the major theatres had decided not to screen and the experience was terrific. The exhibitions director, Phil, comes in at the beginning and introduces the film and gives you quick food for thought before you dive into the actual flick. There is also a cool gift shop in the lobby with art for sale by local artists and a lot of cool things to check out. They are currently in the process of getting their alcohol license, so soon you will be able to buy beer there. After the movie, my movie companion and I talked with Phil and had an extended conversation about upcoming programming. Love the passion of Phil and the staff for fine art and film! I will definitely be back!

Not sure why I hadn't come here sooner! We used to live just 3 minutes away and now we're a few…read moreexits out, but it was still well worth the trip. This thrift store has such a cute vibe with a great variety of items. I found a Judy Moody book that was on my daughter's Christmas wishlist and an authentic DC Batmobile toy for one of my twins who's into superheroes, both a win! The store is clean, well-organized into sections, and easy to browse. I'll definitely be back, especially to hunt for kitchen finds!

I almost don't want to write this review.. because I don't want my secret out!…read more So pleased by this little gem of a thrift store. The staff is super friendly, inventory is organized well and prices are unbelievably low with amazing discounts! And it's all for a very good cause! I found some great boots, 6 tops and a few home decor items and left with money still in my pocket. Only downer is the street parking situation. But totally worth it! GO

My husband got a groupon for this place for our anniversary to try out, and I was super stoked they…read moreoffered a class for thai dinner! 06/20/2026 1:00PM-2:30PM For our thai menu: -Mango Salad -Tom Yum Soup (Hot & Sour Soup) -Phat Woon Sen- Stir-fried glass noodles -Dipping sauces Every weekend they have new different dishes so this is the PERFECT activity for date night or for a 2 hour lunch date. You cook your dishes then get to eat it afterwards and have some leftover to take home :) We were met by Chef Therese, she is EXTREMELY knowledgeable, friendly, and super fun to be taught by. I was a bit nervous as this was my first cooking class, but It's a quick class, so the dishes were easy to learn and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This place is non-profit, and your business helps out those in underserved communities and people who are interested in apprenticeships for culinary, so it's all for a good cause, I'd definitely come back to bring my family so we can all learn new dishes because the cost is affordable. Will be back w/ my family, it is really such a fun place to learn culinary skills, and make flavorful dishes and baked goods!!

I've gone to two different cooking classes here now, the cupcake decorating and Lunar New Year…read more(wontons, stir fried noodles, and fortune cookies). Both were excellent! The kitchen is spacious and has everything you need. The classes are fun and you get to learn something new. Not to mention the food you make is delicious and they definitely don't skimp on the portions. Only thing to note is that these cooking classes just started and they're still fine tuning the classes so they're a bit long and could be more organized.

This is a very tiny AL location. If you are used to the larger locations you might be in for a…read moresurprise. Overall, I had a nice experience here. The ladies working were very polite and helpful. I didn't come across too many things that resonated with me. BUT I was very excited to find a brown leather button down - something I have been looking out for - in my size by Revue. Great quality for $15. They don't have so many items as the location is small but there is quite a bit of jewelry and furniture to scout. Lots of business outfits and for a more mature shopper audience.

This is a very well organized and clean thrift shop. Prices are very reasonable too. Very nice…read morevolunteers staff this place and always very helpful. Mostly stocked with clothing but they do have a few other items for.your home. I always enjoy their window display. Someone must have worked as a window dresser in a previous job.

From out of town and was excited to be in Coronado. I found a book about sewing that I wanted to…read morepurchase. The book was .50 cents and right in front of me, the lady removed the price tag and told me the book was $2. She gave me no reason for why she took the tag off and changed it. The price was rude. She looked at me and said, "Are you going to buy it or not?" I said no and walked out.

Every time I visit Coronado I visit this lovely, friendly shop. And every time I find something to…read morebuy that turns out to be really useful or entertaining. Treasures await!

This review is for the Flavors of San Diego Liver Foundation Gala of 2017 only. What the Liver…read moreFoundation does on a daily basis has nothing to do with my review. Three stars for the food served. This was the first Flavors of San Diego Gala we've been to put on by the Liver Foundation and I was proud to have attended however it was extremely disorganized. We got there early, about 5pm for cocktails and shocked to see the Gala was to be held inside large outdoor tents. We were not allowed inside because they were setting up the event. Everyone checked in outdoors, the auction table was outdoors, No Host bars set up outdoors, (no host?) everything was happening outdoors while we were not allowed inside the tented area for two hours! It was freezing outside. We were right next to the water on Harbor Island and there was a cold breeze. There were no outdoor heaters, no seating for all women who were in dresses and heels and three 2' round tables only for several hundred people to share. The staff came around with tiny appetizers and soon these three tables became a haven for trash and empty drink bottles and cups. They were highly understaffed and nobody was picking up trash. I guess at this point I expected more for $400 per ticket. I had looked at pictures of previous years showing people inside buildings for cocktail hour. That is what I expected. I realize it's a fundraiser but when we asked where the restrooms were, we were told "down the street to next building, upstairs and through the hall to the main entrance of hotel" Are you kidding me? Hundreds of people had to walk clear to main hotel from this tent to use the restroom?!!! Oh boy!!! Once let inside at 7pm, we were cold, windblown and ready to take our stilettos off. The inside was very pretty. Decorated tables, wine bottles and chairs were a happy sight. Once you find your table number, the wait for food was awhile as each chef prepared your food at another long table next to your seating. This was interesting to watch but time consuming. Each main table had their own chef and different food served. We were hungry and the food was good (not great) our chef was pleasant and we were grateful to be sitting down out of the cold. Wine was poured with each 5 courses served. We were told it was wine pairing with each course however there was only two wines. The same one Chardonnay poured with each course and a cab poured once. Our group was fun which made the evening smoother. We had a bag on our chair to bring home that had some flavored water and a few inexpensive treats from sponsors. (Hydration tablets, cookie crunch and water) We have had better goodie bags from $50 marathons. All in all, once was enough for this fundraiser gala. They didn't put much thought or aloha into this one and for $800.00 we do not like freezing like cattle outside and be told "you can't come in for another hour and a half"

This is the organization that brings San Diego the annual Orchids and Onions architectural awards,…read moreand the annual OH! Architectural Open House, the latter of which is free and open to the public. OH! is a global movement, with dozens of locations around the globe participating, tho' not on the same weekend, so it would be possible to jet around the globe to catch them all. SDAF also sponsors the very interesting Pechakucha nights, occurring every few months, where artists and designers of every stripe show and tell what they are or have been working on. It's always fun, and a great way to meet and network with other creatives.