Downtown Neighborhood Snapshot
Top Experiences
- Waterfront delights: Stroll along the Embarcadero, explore Seaport Village, or enjoy a harbor cruise.
- Contemporary art for all ages: From the stunning galleries of the Museum of Contemporary Art to the clever incorporation of art and play at the New Children's Museum, Downtown is the place for art.
- Maritime history: Climb aboard and explore a wide array of vessels from sailing ships to submarines.
- Delicious dining: The hip and high-style restaurants of Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter, and the East Village make Downtown San Diego a diner's delight.
- Happening Gaslamp: It's hard to believe this hip neighborhood filled with street art, galleries, restaurants, and buzzing nightlife was once slated for the wrecking ball.
Getting Here
It's an easy drive into Downtown, especially from the nearby airport. There are reasonably priced parking lots (about $10 per day) along Harbor Drive, Pacific Highway, and lower Broadway and Market Street. Most restaurants offer valet parking at night, but beware of fees of $15 and up.
If you tire of exploring Downtown on foot, hop aboard a pedicab, hail the Free Ride Everywhere Downtown (FRED) shuttle, or rent a GoCar (three-wheel cars equipped with a GPS-guided audio tour).
Planning Your Time
Most Downtown attractions are open daily, but the Museum of Contemporary Art is closed Wednesday and the New Children's Museum is closed on Tuesday during the school year. For guided tours of the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District, visit on Saturday. A boat trip on the harbor, or at least a hop over to Coronado on the ferry, is a must at any time of year. From December through March, when gray whales migrate between the Pacific Northwest and southern Baja, consider booking a whale-watching excursion from the Broadway Pier.
Pause Here
Adjacent to the Little Italy Food Hall, Piazza della famiglia is a 10,000-square-foot European-style piazza at the center of Little Italy. A perfect gathering place, visitors can gather around the marble fountain or at one of the piazza's tables with coffee, lunch or a snack, or simply enjoy being serenaded by a nearby busker.
Gone to the Dogs
In 2007 two life-size dog statues took center stage in San Diego's Downtown park next to the William Heath Davis House on the corner of 4th and Island Avenues. Dedicated to San Diego's official town dog, "Bum," the bronze statue shares a prominent place alongside "Greyfriars Bobby," the official dog of Edinburgh, Scotland. When the citizens of Edinburgh discovered that, like them, San Diego had an official town dog, they presented a Greyfriars Bobby replica. In 2008, a replica of Bum was installed in Edinburgh, symbolizing the friendship between the sister cities.
