San Diego was in crisis during my trip earlier this month.
For the first two days of my visit, the temperature didn't get above the mid-50s. It was windy. At one point, there was even light rain.
The local newscasts referred to the weather as a storm. People bundled up and complained they were freezing. But by the third day, the crisis was over and the weather returned to what is typical for San Diego in the winter, sunny and in the 60s.
The weather and the beaches are the biggest attractions of San Diego. The city routinely is at the top of lists for having the best weather in the world. It very seldom gets very hot or very cold. San Diego gets half as much rain as San Francisco.
The weather tends to overshadow the wide variety of cultural activities California's second-largest city has to offer. And San Diego's lingering reputation as a conservative military town is in sharp contrast to today's reality of a very gay-friendly city with a very gay-friendly mayor, two openly gay men on the city council, and an out lesbian state senator. San Diego County also has an out lesbian district attorney and the city had an openly gay fire chief until she retired last year.
Gayborhoods
It's not just Hillcrest anymore.
You probably know that Hillcrest is the Castro of San Diego. Bay Area Reporter contributor Rex Wockner crunched the numbers two years ago for an article he wrote for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He found that of the households that were headed by unmarried couples in Hillcrest, 43 percent were same-sex couples. The figure was based on data from the 2000 census. The census does not ask sexual orientation, so it is unknown how many single gay people live in Hillcrest or anywhere else.
The San Diego neighborhoods of North Park and University Heights border Hillcrest. According to the 2000 census data, 34 percent of the households headed by unmarried couples in each of those neighborhoods were same-sex couples. Overall, 10 percent of the households in Hillcrest, North Park, and University Heights were headed by unmarried couples, according to the census.
North Park and University Heights are seen as more affordable alternatives to Hillcrest. The College Area is also home to a growing gay population, with 19 percent of unmarried couple households headed by same-sex couples.
Nightlife
Hillcrest still has the most gay bars and nightclubs in San Diego, but North Park and University Heights also have their fair share of gay hangouts.
Before you go to San Diego, check out the city's gay newspaper, Gay and Lesbian Times (www.gaylesbiantimes.com) or the lesbian newsmagazine Lavender Lens (www.thelavenderlens.com). They each have sections with updated day-by-day nightlife information. Gay and Lesbian Times also publishes a gay map.
In Hillcrest, Urban Mo's Bar and Grill has an outdoor patio, an indoor dance floor, and draws a crowd seven days a week. It is gay and lesbian mixed, but it is mostly gay male.
Rich's in Hillcrest is San Diego's popular gay dance spot. Thursdays are ladies night.
The Gossip Grill in Hillcrest is San Diego's only full-time lesbian bar. Like Mo's, it is also a restaurant. Although predominately women, Gossip Grill welcomes everyone.
The Bourbon Street bar in University Heights features live entertainment and an open-air courtyard bar. Sunday nights are ladies nights.
On the edge of the North Park neighborhood, Pecs is a rustic neighborhood cruise bar, kind of like San Francisco's old Badlands bar. It is popular with the bear Levi/leather crowd but you will find every type there.
In Hillcrest, the video bar Flicks has karaoke nights and in keeping with the economy, features a "Recession Fridays" with free pizza at 6 p.m. It is the place to watch NFL games during the football season.
San Diego has two gay bathhouses, Club San Diego in Hillcrest and Vulcan Steam and Sauna downtown.
The sights
Black's Beach is San Diego's nude beach. The gay part is located at the northern end. Black's Beach is part of Torrey Pines State Park. The beach can be tricky to find for first timers. Detailed directions and photos can be found at www.blacksbeach.org.
The Old Town Trolley Tour is the best way to see the major sights of San Diego without getting lost along the way. The all-day fare for a narrated tour is $28 if you buy the ticket online, and it is well worth it. You can hop on and off at several key stops in San Diego and in Coronado.
Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the U.S. It is 200 acres larger than Golden Gate Park and 350 acres larger than New York's Central Park. It has 15 museums and the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Old Town San Diego, at the intersections of Interstates 5 and 8, north of downtown, is one of the most visited state parks in California. It is where San Diego began. The park is a re-creation of what the city looked like in the 19th century when it was first a Spanish territory, then part of an independent Mexico, and finally in 1850, part of the United States.
The Gaslamp Quarter is a revitalized section of downtown. As you might have guessed, it got its name from the gas lamps that once kept it lit. Many of the historic buildings there have been beautifully restored. It has some of the toniest restaurants and nightclubs in the city.
San Diego's North Beach is Little Italy, north of downtown. The quaint district was once a predominantly Italian fishing village. It got a big boost in population following San Francisco's 1906 earthquake. Italian fishermen from San Francisco moved south after the quake and fire leveled San Francisco.
Coronado is a separate city across the bay from San Diego. It is connected to San Diego via the spectacular San Diego-Coronado Bridge. The span opened in 1969, and they did something that would shock most people in the Bay Area: they actually stopped charging tolls eight years ago. Coronado is home to the landmark Hotel Del Coronado, one of the most emblematic symbols of California since the hotel opened in 1888. The spectacular Coronado Beach is at the front doorstep of the hotel.
While in San Diego, you could easily make a side trip to Tijuana. The Blue Line trolley runs from downtown San Diego to the Mexican border at San Ysidro in about 40 minutes. You simply have to walk on a footbridge over I-5 and through the metal turnstiles to Mexico on the other side. It is about a 20-minute walk to downtown Tijuana from the border but there are plenty of restaurants and shops just on the other side of the Mexico line. There are also a plethora of stores selling prescription drugs. You will need a passport to get back into the U.S.
Theater
San Diego's theater scene is one of the cultural attractions that is often overlooked by sun seekers. But don't miss seeing at least one performance while you are in town. Plays often start out in San Diego before heading to Broadway. Jersey Boys premiered in the La Jolla Playhouse in 2004, a year before it opened on Broadway and three years before it came to San Francisco.
The city's most unique performing arts venue is three theaters in one. The Old Globe complex is in Balboa Park, just a short stroll from Hillcrest. From the outside, it looks like an old English village. The complex includes a theater in the round, a traditional theater, and its famous amphitheater that showcases Shakespeare plays during the summer. The outdoor theater is next to the San Diego Zoo, so you can sometimes hear animal sounds in the distance as you watch a play.
The Diversionary Theater in the University Heights neighborhood was founded in 1986, and is one of the oldest LGBT theaters in the country. It deservedly maintains a loyal clientele and is worth checking out.
The La Jolla Playhouse is world-famous and has attracted star performers from all around the world.
Just across the bay from San Diego, the Lamb's Players Theater in Coronado is an intimate venue that features a wonderful group of ensemble players. The theater is in its 39th year and continues to benefit from the support of wealthy Coronado residents.
Accommodations
There are no gay hotels in San Diego.
The Hillcrest Inn used to be the city's gay hotel, but it has shifted its focus to long-term rentals. The now-residential hotel still has some rooms available for short-term stays, with a minimum of two nights. If they have vacancies, the rates for weekday stays are only $69. The rooms are very basic, but it is centrally located in Hillcrest and a good choice if you are on a tight budget.
Although not exclusively gay, the Park Manor Suites Hotel comes closest to being a gay hotel. It is centrally across the street from Balboa Park and just south of Hillcrest. It has free parking, a big benefit since parking is at a premium in the area. A small and predominately gay piano bar and restaurant is on the first floor. A free continental breakfast is served in the penthouse, which includes sweeping views of the city and Balboa Park. Even if you are not staying there, be sure to check out its wildly popular Friday night, after work, gay happy hour in the penthouse. Rates at this all-suite hotel start at $119 for weekday stays and that rate is reduced by 40 percent if you stay two or more nights.
If you would prefer to stay downtown, you can't do much better than the Hotel Solamar. It's perfectly situated in the historic Gaslamp Quarter. It's part of the San Francisco-based and very gay friendly Kimpton Hotel chain. Rates start at $159. Since it is a downtown hotel where parking is at a premium, it costs $35 per night to leave your car there. The hotel is about two miles south of Hillcrest.
The aforementioned Hotel del Coronado was among the first hotels in the country to promote itself in the gay market. It is definitely a splurge property. But the recession has meant that even luxury is on sale. The hotel is having a 50 percent off sale through the end of June, with rates starting at $239 a night plus a $25 daily resort charge.
The Manchester Grand Hyatt has been the focus of a boycott for nearly two years as the hotel's owner donated money to help place Proposition 8 on the ballot in 2008. Voters approved the same-sex marriage ban that November.
Eating out
San Diego is a foodie's paradise.
Two of the aforementioned gay clubs in Hillcrest, Urban Mo's Bar and Grill and the predominately lesbian Gossip Grill are both restaurants and bars.
For a more formal dinner in Hillcrest, check out the KemoSabe Restaurant featuring gourmet Pacific Rim food at moderate prices. Unlike most high-end restaurants, the portions there are huge, so bring a healthy appetite, or take a doggy bag home.
The Sheerwater at the Hotel del Coronado is a splurge restaurant on the beach in one of California's most exclusive hotels. The food, like the hotel, is top-notch and you can't beat the beachfront dining.
The fine dining Nine-Ten restaurant in La Jolla is a favorite eatery for those going to the nearby La Jolla Playhouse. The best value is the three-course dinner menu for $42 and $15 extra for wine pairing.
Getting there and around
A number of airlines fly nonstop from San Francisco International Airport to San Diego. The competition means that fares are relatively low. Roundtrip fares start around $100 or $120 when you add in taxes and fees. Southwest has the most flights into San Diego's airport and it also flies nonstop from Oakland and San Jose. If you check bags, Southwest's fares may be the cheapest because the airline doesn't charge for checked luggage.
If you want to do a lot of sightseeing in San Diego and the surrounding area, a rental car is a good bet. If you opt for a car, or decide to drive from the Bay Area, make sure your hotel includes parking. Downtown hotels charge upwards of $30 a day or more to park. You are more likely to get free or low cost parking if you stay away from downtown.
While not as good as Muni, San Diego's public transit system isn't bad. You can ride all day on a one-day pass for $5. A single fare is between $2.25 and $2.50. Hillcrest is not on a streetcar line, but it is connected by bus to the rest of the city. Hillcrest is also a great walking neighborhood. Balboa Park, which includes the zoo, is right next door.
For more information
San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau: www.sandiego.org. Click on the Visitor Information tab and then the gay and lesbian travel guide.