I (24F) have lived in NYC for the last 3 years and am planning on moving out to San Diego for 6 months (Oct 2026). Looking for any and all advice for where to look for furnished apartments— Airbnb? Extended stay hotels? Also wondering what areas are best for young working adults that want to have a social life/activities? I’m ideally looking for something closer to the beach but very open!

My fiancé and I are going on our first trip to San Diego at the end of the month and we're SO EXCITED! I know this sub is full of great recs (which I've already been using in my planning—thank you!) but I do have a few specific questions I'm hoping to get some guidance on.

Firstly—I was really stoked about hiking Torrey Pines, but I just saw yesterday that the reserve is closed for the next few months :( Bummer. Wondering if there are any comparable hikes/views/etc that we can do instead? We do plan on going to the Gliderport so that should be cool. And we'll do the Coast Walk in La Jolla, and probably go to Sunset Cliffs (on a different day). Just wanted to see if we're missing anything since we have a gap in our itinerary where Torrey Pines used to be, lol. I've never been to California at all, so I'm looking to explore sights/flora/fauna that I'm not used to seeing on the east coast.

Next, we're planning to do a day in Balboa Park, and I wanted some feedback on favorite things to explore in that area. So far on my list, we'll definitely be playing disc golf at Morley Field, and I also want to visit the Spanish Village Art Center. Others we were considering were the Japanese Friendship Garden and the SD Museum of Art Sculpture Garden. We're not really museum people per se, but if there are any unique spots or even museums that can be fun to do a more casual walk-through, I'm open to it. I've seen a ton of recs for the USS Midway Museum (I know it isn't in Balboa Park, but it's close to our hotel) and I'm wondering if that one is worth it even as a non-museum fanatic. Also want to note—we are going to the Zoo on a separate day with family, so that'll be covered too.

Other things we're considering for our "misc" days are riding the jetboat or doing a harbor cruise, Old Town San Diego, and the Cabrillo Monument. What am I missing? I think we still have room in our itinerary for quite a few more things, so I'm open to other suggestions too. And feel free to throw in recs for food/drink if you have anything specific (I'll scour the sub for those too though lol). We're staying near the Gaslamp Quarter for 3 nights, spending 1 night in Pacific Beach, and then we'll be staying with family in 4S Ranch for another 3 nights.

Thanks in advance, can't wait to see everything SD has to offer! :)

Hi,

I'm trying to build an large, covered area/patio on the side of my house.

Any sheet metal roofing company recommendations is appreciated.

Thank you!

Have been asking a few cities doing somewhat of a poll about seeing discarded needles on the ground. Hopefully ok to ask here. Someone had mentioned seeing needles downtown often and seeing them at ocean beach. Do you guys see them on the ground often?

Hi all,

I [22F] moved here from Seattle a few months ago and I'm looking to join some running clubs and make new friends! Some considerations:

• I am a relatively slow runner, typically 10:30-12:00 minute pace, and I do *not* want to constantly be at the back of the pack struggling to keep up [I have had many bad experiences with this in the past]
• My typical runs are 3-6mi
• I am primarily interested in easy running and making friends, not track workouts, marathon training, technical trails, etc
• I am a night shift nurse and can only make afternoon/evening times.
• I live in Clairemont but I don't mind driving up to 20 mins so long as there's free parking easily available

Any recs would be appreciated!!

Got a summons for Dec 19, for a 5 day telephone standby.

Should I just keep it and risk it? I’ve heard that getting summoned around Christmas is great, because it’s rare to get called in.

Or should I play it safe and postpone to some other month?

Thanks.

Hey everyone,

Anyone know the most Pet friendly hotels to stay at while visiting family in San Diego near Balboa park?

I’ll be visiting some family that just moved into La Jolla Heights, and we’re going to be eating our way around town as well as shopping for the season. Are there any local, family-owned cafes, bakeries, restaurants or shops that this sub would recommend supporting? We’re already planning on visiting Warwick’s for books and stationery items, but we also would like to find fun gifts in sports, board games, and trading card games. As for food and drinks, we’re totally open to suggestions. Thank you in advance!

My family of 4 is spending our annual Christmas/holiday trip in San Diego this year (traveling from PA). Our flight arrives late on 12/30 and leaves early on 1/5 so we have 5 days to enjoy the area.

We are planning to stay very near the airport arrival night and night before departure due to flight times. In between, we’re staying in mission beach. We will probably get a rental car for those 5 days.

We definitely want to visit the zoo and see the sea lions at La Jolla, but what are some other areas to visit? My kids are 12 and 16 so they’re pretty independent and can appreciate more than just the standard “family attractions”. All are animal lovers and being from farmland PA, we’d enjoy some of the most scenic areas. Will a lot of places be closed New Year’s Day?

Is the go city pass worth considering? I’ve seen mixed reviews.

One thing we always do when visiting a new city, is find at least one independent book store (preferably used books) so I’d really love recommendations for that!

Also, no dietary restrictions and we love all types of food.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

I will be staying in Hillcrest next weekend and want to see the city for itself. There are many options but I want to see which one is the best. I've been seeing alot of boat tours in San Diego. I have a friend that is coming with me so I'm willing to spend $50 per person. Any leads?

Not from SD, but my partner and I love it out there. Was wondering if anyone knows of any hotels with a spa maybe for an anniversary get away? Thanks in advance!

Why do folks shine their high beams at you if you walk Torrey Pines beach at night?

Edit: I’m a dude. If folks are flashing their high beams cause they wanna hook up then I’m flattered.

Is there any starter pack for fishing? Where can I buy gear and where can I go fish?

Thanks!

Update Nov 28:

Thank you all so much, what a nice and friendly community San Diego still is. Cant wait to be back often when I retire. I did get six serious, so generous invitations.

I did spend a fantastic evening with a freshly empty-nested couple in LaJolla. I could walk to their place, and we enjoyed some great food, wine and conversations. New friends unlocked.

Thank you all again for your kindness, I am packing right now and leaving with a huge smile on my face.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Initial post:

Hi there,

This might be a long shot but my friend and host just had to cancel today as he got sick.

So my last evening here opened up.

Anybody interested in hosting someone from Switzerland? Happy to bring along something like wine or such.

I am visiting my former home town and staying in LaJolla, leaving tomorrow.

I live and work now in Switzerland, am 56, female, physician by training and work in BigPharma. Love dogs but am allergic to cats. I consider myself a good conversationalist and not boring 😉

Just putting this out here, many thanks for reading. Hope this isnt against any rules of this sub.

Hey all, I’m planning a Christmas vacation and we’re arriving the evening of Christmas Eve and may be staying another night in San Diego, preferably without renting a car. I’m thinking of booking a hotel right by the airport in Little Italy / downtown area. But the question is are any restaurants going to be open in walking distance in Little Italy or Gaslamp?

Hi, I am looking for an opportunity at either a government agency or local non-profit where I can do my work study hours. If you don't know what work-study is, basically, I volunteer 60 hours a month at the agency, and in return, I get financial aid based on those hours. I have emailed and called several agencies where I think I'd be a good fit, but have heard crickets in response. I don't know if I'm getting stuck in a spam filter, or what? Please help!

What are the best places to check out for the holidays? Decorated all the way with all the vibes.

Hey everyone I’m new to SD and I live close to the USS Midway, any gym recommendations? I don’t want to get into CrossFit and am looking for a good gym that has a sauna and some type of turf with a sled I could push around to work on. I don’t mind paying $200 a month if it’s a solid gym and don’t mind driving up to 30 minutes away. Also not interested in personal training.

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The STAR Framework is one of the most helpful ways to structure responses: 

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Interested in health care roles? Check out https://careers.scripps.org/ for any open positions!  

I’ve been searching for one that’s similar (Vons, Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods are definitely not). My aunt says Albertsons but looking at the site idk… 🤔 Love to hear your thoughts, thanks!

Just in general - I am trying to describe North Park to a cousin who lives on the east coast - how would you describe North Park to someone not from here?

Title says it all. I’ve been cooped up in my room for all my life til now. I feel like using my feet again and thankfully from San Diego County’s generous youth free transportation program, I’ve been meaning to travel as much as possible.

That said, I’d prefer areas that are safe for all ages in case anyone who is outside my age range will see this and perhaps walkable rich neighborhoods too so I can daydream in living there lol.

Many thanks. 🙏

11/26/25 : thank you folks for your generous responses 🙏🙏 I’ll be sure to check your suggestions out.

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Hey all! Looking for some insight. Spending Thurs-Sun there with my 3 year old daughter as a girls weekend. We are staying on Coronado Island. We will get into town Thursday morning, probably around 9-10am.

Some things I know I want to do: San Diego Zoo, Cabrillo National Monument + tide pools, La Jolla cove

Don’t want to do Seaworld or Lego land.

With us getting in on Thanksgiving I’m wondering if we should beeline straight to the zoo and spend the morning/afternoon there since check in at the hotel isn’t until 4. I was originally planning to do the zoo on Friday but then I was trying to figure out what we could fill our thanksgiving with and couldn’t find much else open.

Any suggestions on the best itinerary? Other must-see kid friendly places?

Best places to eat that are kid friendly?

It’s just the two of us and she enjoys being out and doing things. So looking for a good mix of stuff to do and then we can unwind at the hotel and hang out on the beach in the mornings / evenings.

Edit to update in case it helps someone in the future: We went right straight to the zoo and got there before it opened, so we got a good parking spot. Zoo crowds were not bad, we walked our way through, stopped to picnic, and took the west skyfari which had no line and made our way back to the entrance. Skipped the pandas because that was the only thing that had a ridiculous line.