San Diego warmly welcomes LGBT travelers throughout the year with a vibrant LGBT community and a wide array of activities and attractions.
Guests to the region can enjoy year-round, near-perfect weather; 70 miles of beautiful coastline, including the well-known, gay-friendly Black's Beach, and the spirit of a city where people from all walks of life come together to meet, shop, dine and enjoy the area's eclectic arts, culture and nightlife.
WELCOMING NEIGHBORHOODS
San Diego is comprised of 100 colorful and unique neighborhoods, including the welcoming uptown district of Hillcrest, the heart of San Diego's LGBT community.
- Hillcrest is home to San Diego's LGBT Community Center and the setting for many LGBT events and activities throughout the year. Located next to Balboa Park, the nation's largest urban cultural park, the neighborhood is well-known for its openness, hospitality and quaint, easy appeal. Hillcrest celebrates diversity year-round with a unique mix of comfortable accommodations, casual eateries, exotic bistros, chic boutiques, vintage clothing stores, record shops, used bookstores, kitschy novelty shops and more. The neighborhood is also the epicenter of San Diego's dynamic LGBT nightlife scene and plays host to exciting annual LGBT events like San Diego Pride every July and Mardi Gras in Hillcrest every February.
- North Park, a charming, eclectic neighborhood, is adjacent to Hillcrest and offers a dynamic mix of coffee houses, cafes, retail shops, art galleries and the historic Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre, home to San Diego's Lyric Opera. This LGBT-friendly neighborhood also boasts the city's most up-and-coming restaurant row and a popular gallery hop, Ray at Night, on the second Saturday of each month. North Park is also home to a variety of neighborhood bars and clubs that appeal to many lifestyles and interests.
- Downtown San Diego is home to the historic Gaslamp Quarter, the revitalized East Village and charming Little Italy neighborhoods. Visitors can find many LGBT-friendly hotels in downtown like the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, Hotel Solamar, Hotel Palomar, Machester Grand Hyatt San Diego and Courtyard by Marriot San Diego Downtown. Downtown is home to a wide range of chic restaurants and nightclubs as well as casual eateries and bars. Here, the area's trendiest nightlife includes swanky rooftop lounges where everyone is welcome. Art galleries and unique retail shops can also be found in the Gaslamp Quarter, East Village and Little Italy.
ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS
San Diego offers LGBT visitors a wide variety of Southern California experiences. Days can be filled with exciting outdoor pursuits, visits to world-class museums and diverse shopping opportunities. In the evenings, Tony Award®-winning theater and enticing dining and nightlife options abound. For LGBT visitors traveling with a family, San Diego is a dream getaway for kids of all ages.
Dining and Nightlife
San Diego's exciting dining and nightlife scenes offer diversions for a myriad of tastes and cravings. Restaurants boast exotic cuisines from around the globe, creative comfort foods and the best of local, farm-fresh ingredients. Similarly, nightlife options encompass everything from chic supper clubs, to high energy dance clubs, to unpretentious and friendly neighborhood bars.
- Hillcrest's notable restaurants include Hash House a Go-Go for gigantic portions of playful American comfort food, the popular Crest Café, Hillcrest Brewing Company for a variety of craft brews, pizzas and salads and the fun food creations of acclaimed Chef Rich Sweeney (Top Chef Season 5) at R-Gang Eatery.
- North Park restaurant highlights include sustainably minded restaurants like The Linkery for house made, fresh sausages and house-cured meats, Urban Solace for new American comfort food and Sea Rocket Bistro for locally sourced seafood.
- With hundreds of eateries to choose from, downtown San Diego's restaurant highlights include Cowboy Star for American cuisine with a Western flair, Currant American Brasserie, whose mantra is "fresh seasonal food with uncompromising quality," and Candelas serving progressive Mexican dishes in an intimate candle-lit setting.
- For nightlife, Hillcrest is the LGBT after-dark headquarters with something for practically every taste and interest. Inn at the Park's weekly Top of the Park party is a Friday evening tradition, as guys gather on the hotel roof to soak up the sunset, take in spectacular views of Balboa Park, San Diego Bay and downtown and kick-off the weekend with cocktails and laughter galore. Rich's caters to mostly men with house music and sexy go-go boys; Martini's Above Fourth offers an upscale cabaret experience, and Urban Mo's draws a boisterous nighttime crowd and is especially popular on Saturday for line dancing.
- North Park's LGBT nightspots include the San Diego Eagle for leather lovers; Pecs, a speakeasy-style, neighborhood dive bar; Bourbon Street, an eclectic bar with a popular outdoor patio, and Redwing Bar & Grill, an understated sports bar offering karaoke and trivia game nights throughout the week.
- Downtown San Diego's nightlife caters to a mixed clientele with chic, upscale nightclubs and rooftop lounges, the hottest trend in downtown's after-dark scene. Beautiful people party under the stars at Ivy in the Andaz Hotel, Stingaree, Altitude on the 22nd floor of the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter, LOUNGEsix at Hotel Solamar and Rooftop at the W San Diego.
Arts & Culture
San Diego is well-known for its award-winning and sophisticated arts and culture. Numerous Broadway productions were first seen on San Diego stages before making it to the Great White Way, and a kaleidoscope of arts and cultural offerings provide year-round entertainment throughout the region.
A complete guide to San Diego's arts and cultural offerings can be found at www.sandiego.org/arts.
- Balboa Park is the crown jewel of San Diego's arts and culture community. Spanning 1,200 acres, it is the largest urban cultural park in the nation and often referred to as the "Smithsonian of the West" for its impressive collection of cultural offerings. Here, guests can find a vast concentration of cultural institutions including 17 museums, numerous art galleries and the Tony Award®-winning Old Globe theatre. The park also features magnificent Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, 19 beautiful gardens and the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
- The Diversionary Theatre, one of the oldest gay and lesbian theatres in the country, produces edgy dramas and playful musicals with LGBT themes year-round. Past performances have included award-winning plays and west coast premieres including Pippin, The Pride, Alter Boyz and Harmony, Kansas.
- Theater lovers can catch pre-Broadway hits at the Tony Award®-winning La Jolla Playhouse on the University California of San Diego campus. Here, San Diego audiences enjoyed Hands on a Hardbody, Bonnie & Clyde, Jersey Boys and Dracula, the Musical before moving East to New York City.
- Guests can also visit the Tony Award®-winning Old Globe theater in beautiful Balboa Park, famed for premieres like The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Harvey Fierstein's musical A Catered Affair and the annual holiday musical Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
- Visitors can enjoy the universal art of dance with notable performances from the California Ballet Company, Malashock Dance and San Diego Ballet.
- From sweet and soulful to grand and commanding, the beautiful symphonic sounds of San Diego's orchestras and operas fill the air on any given night. Guests can catch live performances at the San Diego Opera, San Diego Symphony Orchestra and numerous other musical performances throughout the region.
Outdoor Recreation and Active Pursuits
With varied terrain and an abundance of outdoor recreational activities, San Diego offers LGBT visitors numerous options to experience the region's active Southern California lifestyle. Along 70 miles of coastline, water-lovers can swim, surf, sail and kayak or just relax on a picture-postcard beach. Those who prefer to work up a sweat on land can play volleyball in Balboa Park, bike along Mission Bay's scenic bike paths or hike in the neighboring mountains and desert. For duffers, they can hit the links on the region's 93 world-class golf courses, including the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, offering spectacular Pacific Ocean views.
- Hitting the beach is a favorite pastime of both locals and visitors. Located beneath the bluffs of Torrey Pines State Reserve, clothing-optional Black's Beach was rated "one of the top 7 gay beaches in the nation" by Out Traveler magazine. Here, LGBT beachgoers can enjoy the blue Pacific, sunbathe, play Frisbee and watch the endless parade of beautiful bodies stroll along the water's edge.
- The boardwalk running between Mission and Pacific Beaches is the perfect place to spot hard-bodied surfers and cute college coeds in the season's latest beach attire.
- Coronado Beach offers miles of white sand beach and the added allure of being the official training grounds of the local U.S. Navy SEALs.
- La Jolla Shores, located just north of the upscale village of La Jolla, offers beginner-friendly surfing waves and the world's first women's surf school, Surf Diva. Here, wannabe surfer girls can learn the ropes from certified pros in an all-girl environment; private coed and male classes are also available.
- Water enthusiasts can kayak, snorkel or dive in the protected waters of the San Diego La Jolla Ecological Park, located off the coast of La Jolla Cove, and get up-close and personal with dolphins, seals and friendly, orange Garibaldi fish. Kayak and dive tours are offered through OEX La Jolla and Hike Bike Kayak, located at La Jolla Shores. A short boat trip from Mission Beach, divers can also find adventure in Wreck Alley, an area named for the sunken boat wrecks found below.
- San Diego's numerous parks and reserves offer hiking enthusiasts a plethora of options. Coastal Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve spans 2,000 acres and bursts with wildflowers, birds and its namesake, the rare and elegant Torrey pine tree. Located in San Diego's East County, the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest in the California State Park system and especially beautiful when its wildflowers bloom in spring. Centrally located Mission Trails Regional Park offers 5,800 acres of rugged hills and valleys with more than 40 miles of trails to explore.
- San Diego County offers 93 golf courses in every conceivable setting, from the coast to the mountains to the desert. Torrey Pines Golf Course, set on the bluffs above Black's Beach in La Jolla is truly a golfer's paradise.
- Volleyball players head out to Balboa Park on the weekends for recreational volleyball games and lots of eye candy. "Pick-up" volleyball games are played on the green lawns near 6th Street and Olive Avenue.
Family Activities
San Diego is an ideal destination for LGBT families traveling with children. Consistently rated one of the top family destinations in North America, San Diego offers a variety of family-friendly activities and world-class attractions for kids and parents of all ages.
Shopping
Shopping enthusiasts can spend hours exploring the region's unique retail districts. LGBT visitors seeking everything from vintage records and clothes to the latest in fashion and design can find plenty of options throughout San Diego County.
- Hip urban boutiques are the trend in Hillcrest, North Park, East Village and downtown's Gaslamp Quarter where guests can find ethnic, cutting-edge and vintage fashions. Rubbing elbows with the trendy boutiques are established retailers, one-of-kind stores, casual cafes and neighborhood eateries for an afternoon nosh.
- The Ocean Beach Antique District in laid-back Ocean Beach (O.B.) is a shopper's delight for antique lovers. With hundreds of antique dealers lining Newport Avenue, O.B.'s main thoroughfare, the Ocean Beach Antique District offers the largest concentration of antique and collectible dealers in San Diego County.
- Serious shopaholics head to the Cedros Design District in Solana Beach for a bevy of luxury home décor and design boutiques, and the Upper Design District in La Jolla for designer home items and trendy shops.
Special Events
From the festive San Diego LGBT Pride celebration every summer to the decadent Mardi Gras in Hillcrest in winter, San Diego offers a variety of exciting LGBT community events throughout the year.
- Every February during Mardi Gras in Hillcrest, food, beer, entertainment and beads fill University Avenue between Third and Fourth Avenues. Mardi Gras masks and costumes rule, as partygoers celebrate Fat Tuesday with one last dose of fun-filled "sin."
- During FilmOut San Diego every spring, acclaimed gay and lesbian filmmakers bring cutting-edge cinema to the community with movies, panel discussions and festive parties.
- The month of July marks San Diego LGBT Pride, attracting more than 150,000 attendees each year with festivities that include a mile-long parade through Hillcrest and two-day festival in Balboa Park. Additional Pride celebrations include the San Diego Dyke March and Dyke Fest, the annual Run and Stride with Pride and an exciting calendar of Pride parties and dances. San Diego Pride is the largest civic community event in the city.
- During Halloween, Hillcrest comes back from the dead during Nightmare on Normal Street. Sponsored by the San Diego LGBT Community Center and set in the heart of Hillcrest, this annual trick-or-treat bash is the traditional starting place for the community's Halloween festivities. This colorful event features a beer garden, food and outrageous costume contest for cash prizes.
ACCOMMODATIONS
San Diego welcomes visitors from all walks of life at numerous TAG (Travel Alternatives Group) Approved® hotels and resorts. In total, San Diego offers nearly 25 TAG accommodation properties that strive to create a LGBT-friendly experience and setting for every guest and actively outreach to the LGBT community.
Following are just some of San Diego's TAG accommodation properties, ranging from quaint historic hotels to popular oceanfront resorts, and from trendy downtown boutiques to budget motels. For a complete listing, visit www.tagapproved.com.
Downtown
- Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown is a historic urban retreat within walking distance of downtown's dynamic Gaslamp Quarter, offering 230 stylish rooms, a fitness room, business center and 24-hour market.
- Hard Rock Hotel San Diego brings the trademark rock 'n' roll attitude, cutting-edge design, 24-7 service and high-octane nightlife for which Hard Rock is famous to downtown San Diego.
- Hotel Solamar embodies the city's urban appeal with modern décor, in-room spa treatments, pet-friendly amenities, the exquisite Jsix restaurant and Jbar, a roof-top hot spot.
- Hotel Palomar combines an iconic blend of ultra-chic accommodations, rooftop pool and bar, fine dining restaurant and luxurious spa.
- The waterfront Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego boasts 1,625 luxurious guestrooms and an array of amenities including an outdoor pool, tennis courts, fitness center and full-service spa.
Beaches
- Embassy Suites San Diego La Jolla is an all-suites, full-service hotel in La Jolla's University Town Center with close proximity to the beach and area's major attractions.
- The beachfront Pacific Terrace Hotel in Pacific Beach offers tropical-themed accommodations and a host of amenities including an outdoor heated pool and spa with a Pacific Ocean views.
- The Dana on Mission Bay is a full-service resort set on picturesque Mission Bay, offering a private marina, two swimming pools and spas, water sport and bicycle rentals and complimentary shuttle to nearby SeaWorld San Diego.
Mission Valley
- Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Mission Valley offers 309 rooms and a wide range of convenient amenities including free wireless Internet, a fitness center, outdoor pool and health-food bistro.
- Handlery Hotel & Resort is a family-owned and -operated, full-service hotel that is close to shopping, major attractions, beaches and downtown San Diego.
Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego's offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority's website at www.sandiego.org or call 619-236-1212.
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