92101 Local Area Information

Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural, financial center and central business district of San Diego County. It is located on San Diego Bay where you can walk the harbor, see the beautiful yachts, shop the many stores, and eat at many well-known restaurants. International, and commercial air service for the region is provided by the San Diego International Airport just northwest of downtown.

San Diego has a fantastic Coaster system that runs from Oceanside to Downtown giving tourists and residents the ability to travel to different parts of the city to catch a football or baseball game, dine out with friends, explore the city, or just spend the day in charming Old Town for some authentic Mexican food. Plan your next trip here: http://www.gonctd.com/

The Gaslamp Quarter is Southern California's premier dining, shopping and entertainment district, where you'll find a truly eclectic blend of food, fun and culture all within one of San Diego's most historic areas. It is a 16.5 block historical neighborhood in Downtown San Diego and is the center of downtown night life. The Quarter is home to many events and festivals, including Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp, Street Scene Music Festival, Taste of Gaslamp and ShamROCK, a St. Patrick's Day event. PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres is located one block away in downtown San Diego's East Village.

The area is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places as Gaslamp Quarter Historic District. Its main period of development began in 1867, when Alonzo Horton bought the land in hopes of creating a new city center closer to the bay, and chose 5th Avenue as its main street. After a period of urban decay, the neighborhood underwent urban renewal in the 1980s and 1990s, and is today an energetic business and entertainment district.

The Gaslamp Quarter extends from Broadway to Harbor Drive, and from 4th to 6th Avenue, covering 16.5 blocks. It includes 94 historic buildings, most of which were constructed in the Victorian Era, and are still in use with active tenants including restaurants, shops and nightclubs.

Little Italy is a charming neighborhood in Downtown San Diego, that was originally a predominately Italian fishing neighborhood. It has since been gentrified and now Little Italy is a scenic neighborhood composed mostly of delicious Italian restaurants, Italian retail shops, home design stores, art galleries, and residential units.

Little Italy is one of the more active downtown neighborhoods and has frequent festivals and events including their very own Farmers Market. Also known as the Mercato (the Market, in Italian). The neighborhood is maintained by the Little Italy Neighborhood Association, which looks after trash collection, decorations, and special events.

East Village is a (add an adjective here but I don't know east village well) neighborhood in San Diego. It is the largest district in the downtown of San Diego, and is located east of the Gaslamp Quarter and southeast of the Core district and Cortez Hill. East village has gone through extensive and rapid redevelopment, especially near Petco Park, which opened its doors in 2004. Out of the eight neighborhoods in the downtown area, East Village is the largest.

The East village was traditionally a series of warehouses and vacant lots. It wasn't until the 1990s that it became a community for artists and social services. Residential aspects of the East Village became a reality in 2005, after Petco Park was established.

Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers. The stadium is named after the animal and pet supplies retailer Petco, which is based in San Diego and paid for the naming rights. Qualcomm Stadium is still home to the San Diego Chargers and is located just outside the metro downtown area.

The ballpark is located between 7th and 10th Avenues, south of J Street. The southern side of the stadium is bounded by San Diego Trolley light rail tracks along the north side of Harbor Drive (which serve the adjacent San Diego Convention Center). The portion of K Street between 7th and 10th is now closed to automobiles and serves as a pedestrian promenade along the back of the left and center field outfield seating (and also provides access to the "Park at the Park" behind center field). Two of the stadium's outfield entrance areas are located at K Street's intersections with 7th and 10th Avenues. The main entrance, behind home plate, is at the south end of Park Boulevard (at Imperial) and faces the San Diego Trolley 12th & Imperial Transit Center.

Seaport Village is a shopping and dining complex adjacent to San Diego Bay in downtown San Diego. It houses more than 70 shops, galleries, and eateries on 90,000 square feet of waterfront property. The Village contains several freestanding buildings in an assortment of architectural styles, from Victorian to traditional Mexican. It is designed to be a car-free environment, with four miles of winding paths rather than streets connecting the various buildings. It is located in walking distance from the San Diego Convention Center and the cruise ship terminal.

Nadia Colucci is a native to San Diego and very familiar with Downtown San Diego. Give her a call to explore your options and see if Downtown is a fit for you.