Nightlife & the Arts in San Diego

Years ago, San Diego scraped by on its daytime offerings. Fun after sundown consisted of neighborhood dives and a scattering of dance clubs and live music venues. That sleepy beach town vibe is as long gone as the red light district that once thrived where the tourist-friendly, nightlife-packed Gaslamp Quarter now stands.

Downtown is the obvious neighborhood for party animals of all breeds. Its streets are lined with sleek lounges, massive nightclubs, and quirky dive bars. The Gaslamp Quarter is the main event, with the most bars and clubs located on its 16-block stretch. The late-night commotion is spreading to East Village, the area surrounding PETCO Park, where new bars seem to crop up every other weekend. A few neighborhoods on the outskirts of downtown—Golden Hill and North and South Park, in particular—offer plenty of hip underground treasures for intrepid visitors.

The beach areas tend to cater to the casual and collegiate, though certain haunts have their share of former flower children and grizzled bikers. Hillcrest is the heart of San Diego's gay community, and home to loads of gay-popular bars. Coffeehouses are another important element of San Diego nightlife culture, especially for the under-21 set. Singer Jewel got her start in local coffee shops, and plenty of other acts have launched to fame from an active area music scene, including pop-punkers Blink-182, Grammy-winning gospel group Nickel Creek, and 2009 American Idol finalist Adam Lambert.

Locals rely on alt-weeklies like the Reader and San Diego CityBeat,as well as glossy monthlies like San Diegoand Riviera magazines for nightlife info. You can't buy booze after 2 AM, which means last call is around 1:40. Smoking is only allowed outside, and even then it can be tricky. And be sure to hail a taxi if you've tied one on—drunk driving laws in California are stringent.

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