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| Swami's Beach |
- It’s a city, but small and easy to get around
- It has jobs in fantastically nerdy and innovative fields
- It has breathtaking scenery and oodles of things to do outside
- Average temp in winter – 60. Average temp in summer – 80 (No heat, no aircon needed, just lovely sea fresh air)
- Coastal desert – so no allergy flare ups and lots of sun
- Good eatin’ – the place that made the fish taco popular
- And great people – relaxed, chilled-out, get-a-surf-in-before-work set
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| San Diego has a cluster of medium-high rises. It's the inner city international airport that stunts the growth of those buildings...those suckers fly right into town. |
When I lived in South Africa in the 90s everyone would tell me how much they loved San Diego. I stood there a bit unsure about how to respond – yes, I am American, but no, I am not from, nor have I ever been to San Diego. I *think* they have a zoo there?
I had no impression of San Diego – I’m not sure I would even have been able to tell you it was southernmost city of California. I get very confused by all the San and Santa towns of California. Seriously, someone says San Jose, San Luis Obispo, San Clemente, San Mateo, San Marino, Santa Clara, Santa Rita, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz … and I just stare deer-in-the-headlights and start to panic – how am I possibly supposed to keep them all straight?
Up until the 1960s
San Diego was the same size as, and growing at the same rate as, Los
Angeles. Then the highway craze happened
– and since San Diego is the end-of-the-road to Los Angeles’s middle-of-the-road, San Diego started to slow down.
And thank goodness, because that’s what we love so much about it. Like slow food, there’s something to be said
for a slow city. It is a small city but
still has a direct flight to London.
It’s a small city but still has ethnic diversity and a handful of
brilliant educational institutions (Scripps, UCSD, Salk Institute). Those educational
institutions, complemented by the mighty fine living standards have attracted some of the
world’s best technology and consumer companies.
Qualcomm, Sempra Energy, Peregrin, WD-40, Petco, Kashi and
Jack-in-the-Box are all headquartered in San Diego.
The biggest employer
however is the military. Remember this scene?
“You're one hell of an
instinctive pilot. Maybe too good. I'd like to bust your butt but I can't. I
got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar.
I gotta do something here, I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream
shot! I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters, are going to
Top Gun.” Well, Top Gun is smack dab in
San Diego. Scenes from the movie were filmed all through the town. Everybody is here: navy, army, air
force, marines and coast guard. There is seal training, and elite flying training and even - you wouldn't believe it unless you saw it - the dolphin training center which trains dolphins to detect mines and other disturbances in the water. North County ends where the ginormous Camp Pendleton begins. Take out your maps – Camp Pendleton has a
very substantial chunk of the California coastline.
While your map is
out, consider the geography of San Diego.
It feels like it should be further south given it’s at the bottom of
California with Mexico literally on the doorstep, but it shares a latitude line
(roughly) with Dallas, TX and Savannah, GA.
Going further east you’d pass over Bermuda, and finally hit Africa
somewhere around Marrakesh, continuing on to Cairo and Tel Aviv. If you flipped the planet over, San Diego’s
32 north becomes the 32(ish) south of places like Mendoza, Santiago, Sydney and
yes, there it is, explaining it all…Cape Town.
So now I get it, the reason all those South Africans love it is because it is just like Cape Town. Except instead of the sometimes third worldly problems of the African outpost, there’s a Starbucks and a Target and a farmers market that moves from neighborhood to neighborhood so you can always find one on any day of the week.
So now I get it, the reason all those South Africans love it is because it is just like Cape Town. Except instead of the sometimes third worldly problems of the African outpost, there’s a Starbucks and a Target and a farmers market that moves from neighborhood to neighborhood so you can always find one on any day of the week.
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| The glorious green hills just east of the city. |
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| The beach and cliffs of Torrey Pines |
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| Sunset over Cardiff by the sea |
Let's play a quick game of word association: If San Diego was a car it would be a ….
Beth – an old,
used/loved, jeep – airy and sunny and ready for some outdoor adventure
Andy – America's best car - not flashy, but engineered well. (Is there a car model that encapsulates that?)
3 words:
Andy: outdoorsy, chilled, highways
Andy: outdoorsy, chilled, highways
Beth: chilled
coastal communities
San Diego against our criteria:
1) Is it a college town? yes, well, sort of - it isn't all about the colleges
2) Does it have liberal politics? Not really - it is gay friendly and eco-conscious, but kinda conservative
3) Is it sunny? Yes, but there is a thing called June Gloom
4) Is it sporty? Ridiculously so
5) Career prospects? I think so - biotech pharma
6) Airport access? non stop to London on BA - 2 small terminals.
7) Foodie? yes, and getting more so everyday.
8) Aesthetics? sea, hills, what more do you need?
9) Easy to make friends? very easy. we made some new friends easily
Things to do in San Diego
- Walk the trails and beach at Torrey pines, spotting sharks
amongst the surfers in the sea below the cliffs
- check out the nearby Gliderport for extra aerial fun - bring a picnic
Torrey Pines - not just a famous golf course
Watching people glide on the thermals at the Gliderport - Rent or bring your bike down to Coronado and cycle the 9 mile paved cycle path on Silver Strand
- Check out the Del Mar fairgrounds website to see what is happening on any given day – roller derby, wine tastings, circuses, horse shows oh my
- “Seal Tour” amphibious vehicle tour of the bay
- Swim in san diego state's awesome outdoor pool
- The zoo really is amazing - it was the first to have cageless exhibits and the innovation didn't end there - these folks know how to teach and entertain at the same time
- A day drive to Borrego Springs to see what Palm Springs might have looked like in the 1950s and to check out the awesome metal sculptures littered by the roadsides
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| It would be a strange day if you didn't see the seals and sea lions |
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| SDSU pools - one for laps and one for just floating around - no kids allowed (Amen) |
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| Polar bears in their huge exhibit at the Zoo |
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| Borrego Springs metal sculpture |
- Kitchen 1540 – a nice bistro style joint in the Auberge hotel in Del Mar. They'll do a tasting menu for you off the cuff if you ask nicely. http://www.laubergedelmar.com/kitchen1540/
Hamachi with dill sorbet at 1540 - Flavor – cougar den with a view (tuna crisp with truffle) http://www.flavordelmar.com/
- Urbn pizza – northpark http://urbnnorthpark.com/
- Any of the Malarkey joints – we liked Burlap the best of the bunch especially for its awesome description "asian cowboy" http://www.burlapeats.com/
- Carnitas Snack shack – pork schnitzel on pulled pork http://carnitassnackshack.com/
- Georges at the Cove (downstairs or if you are lucky Tbl3) http://www.georgesatthecove.com/california-modern
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| I don't think there is a better pork sandwich anywhere |
