Downtown

Although many consider downtown to be the 16½-block Gaslamp Quarter, it's actually comprised of eight neighborhoods, including East Village, Little Italy, and Embarcadero. Considered the liveliest of the bunch, Gaslamp's 4th and 5th avenues are peppered with trendy nightclubs, swanky lounge bars, chic restaurants, and boisterous sports pubs.

Nearby, the most ambitious of the downtown projects is East Village, encompassing 130 blocks between the railroad tracks up to J Street, and from 6th Avenue east to around 10th Street. Sparking the rebirth of this former warehouse district was the 2004 construction of the San Diego Padres' baseball stadium, PETCO Park. As the city's largest downtown neighborhood, East Village is continually broadening its boundaries with its urban design of redbrick cafés, spacious galleries, rooftop bars, sleek hotels, and warehouse restaurants.

Unlike many tourist-driven communities, the charming neighborhood of Little Italy is authentic to its roots, from the Italian-speaking residents to the imported delicacies. The main thoroughfare—from India Street to Kettner Boulevard—is filled with lively cafés, gelato shops, bakeries, and restaurants. Art lovers can browse gallery showrooms, while shoppers adore the Fir Street cottages. As if transplanted directly from a European village, Little Italy is marked by charming subtleties like the Catholic church bell that rings on the half hour, and Amici Park, where Italians gather daily to play boccie. After an afternoon of gelati and espressos, you may just forget that you're in Southern California.

Running along the San Diego harbor is downtown's Embarcadero, home to the USS Midway, the Maritime Museum, and Seaport Village. The Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade project put 14 acres of greenery, a pedestrian walkway, and artwork along Harbor Drive from Seaport Village to the San Diego Convention Center. The Embarcadero cuts a scenic swath along the harbor front and connects today's downtown San Diego to its maritime routes.