Jim

Is La Jolla village a nice place to stay or should I stay in San Diego proper?
I like walking around after dinner and being able to leave the car in the parking lot.
Is La Jolla too touristy?

Joe

First of all, La Jolla is in the city of San Diego, in fact most areas mentioned in SD threads, ie. Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, Rancho Bernardo, are within San Diego's city limits. Enough of local civics.

La Jolla is not too touristy, and bustles with activities and locals all year around. More specifics on your desires will generate tons of SD info.

kam

Downtown LaJolla is lovely--staying at La Valencia is a special treat. Be aware, however, that LaJolla has expanded and now extends to the other side of the freeway. That part is NOT fun for a tourist--all office buildings and condos. The Gas Lamp District would also appeal to you I think.

Joan

We spent some extra $$ to upgrade to one of the better rooms at La Valencia last year, one with a veranda on a yop floor (hadn't been there since the early 1990's). Wow were we disappointed. Worn carpet and furniture. Holes in the arms of the fabric of the chairs. Cigarette holes in the carpet. A bathroom so small one could not turn around with the door even partially ajar. Major let down.
Location is great, and we like La Jolla a lot. But La Valencia is really in need of some TLC.

Jeannette

I debated whether to stay in La Jolla or San Diego just last week. On the advice of friends who live in San Diego, we decided to stay in San Diego. On the way there from Los Angeles, we had lunch in La Jolla. La Jolla is a higher-end area with lots of nice restaurants and upscale shopping. But, it's 15 minutes away from San Diego and that's a drive when most of the sights are in San Diego proper. We didn't regret our decision and we stayed at the San Diego Marriott Marina hotel which was just a few blocks from the major shopping and nightlife areas. We were 5-10 minutes from the Zoo and Balboa Park so it was easy to go back to the hotel and freshen up before we headed out again.

art

Jim - to get some really good responses to your post more information would be helpful - price range of hotels you are interested in, proximity to beaches, what you like to do on vacation, what does touristy mean to you, etc.

Kathy

Kam - Do you know if the Embassy Suites in La Jolla is in the area that you described as "That part is NOT fun for a tourist--all office buildings and condos." We are staying there for 4 nights in Feb as we needed a suite for the children. Thank you...

Lexma90

In December, we visited the San Diego area and stayed in La Jolla. We were delighted! It's a beautiful town (not that S.D. isn't), and the place we stayed in was right across the street from the ocean. I could even, on the days I was so motivated, go running up the Coast path.

We stayed there because it sounded gorgeous, and we aren't necessarily interested in resort-type places (such as the Hotel Del or Paradise Point). Also, we wanted a place where we could walk to a variety of restaurants, and La Jolla fit the bill. I'm not familiar with San Diego, but in my research, it looked like most hotels we were interested in were either on the water or near restaurants, but not both (at least, not within walking distance). In La Jolla, there were far more great-looking restaurants all on the main street than we could try in our brief time there.

For Kathy - I didn't check a map, but I suspect that Embassy Suites is not near (within walking distance) of the beach or the Village part of La Jolla (by the way, it IS a separate legal entity from San Diego). You should be able to use MapQuest to find out exactly where it is. We stayed at Sand Beach, which is owned by La Jolla Cove, which is right across the street from the ocean, because we were able to get a 2-bedroom unit with living area, bathroom and kitchen for us and our kids. This place is not for everybody - while clean and tidy, and a fabulous location, it was 50s kitsch. The size, location and the nice breakfast buffet, up on the rooftop terrace looking out over the ocean, made it the right choice for us.

LCUY

Kathy- the area WEST (or ocean side)of I-5 is the La Jolla village section. anything EAST of I-5 is in the commercial/convention area. There are some very good restaraunts there, but it isn't what most people are looking for in a so Cal vacation.

Barbara

Lexma, sorry, but La Jolla is a suburb of San Diego, not a "separate entity".They have the same City of San Diego councilmember that I do.

Jim, La Jolla is great. Parking is a huge pain there, but walking around is fun. Lots of good restaurants and fun shops. Jeanette is also right. The Marriott Marina is adjacent to the Gaslamp District downtown.

Joe

Kathy, the LaJolla Embassy suites is west of I-5, but definitely in a commercial/high density residential area. However, the location is very convenient for access to the beaches of Del Mar/Torrey Pines/La Jolla, the freeways etc., but lousy as a destination.

art

The Embassy Suites in located accross the street from University Town Center shopping mall. It is not La Jolla Village. You are about a 10 minute drive by car to the village. Another choice for that kind of hotel is the Residence Inn. It is located slightly West of 1-5 and slightly closer to the village. But it is in much less of a business area than Embassy Suites. And still within walking distance of shopping, movies restaurants, etc. You may want to check it out.

kathy

Thank you to all that offered info on the Embassy Suites in La Jolla. It is much appreciated!