Gaslamp Quarter

0.1 miles from downtown

This place is a gas. Named after streetlights of yore, this historic district has come a long way from its days as a seedy pleasure-town for grog-swilling seamen. Today its quaint Victorian buildings are crammed with eateries and bars. Devour a juicy steak at Greystone, sample rare brews at Tipsy Crow and shake your moneymaker at F6ix hip-hop club.

Places to stay from $34 a night

Pacific Beach

7.8 miles from downtown

Livin’ is easy in PB. Happy youthful faces abound, welcoming you to their world of fun and sun. Join boarders in the surf or dangle your legs off Crystal Pier, shooting the breeze ‘til sunset. After dark, Garnet Avenue’s slew of bars keep the party going. Head to Tap Room for home-brewed ales, or Bub’s Dive Bar for good ol’ American fare. Far out!

Places to stay from $29 a night

Downtown San Diego

In downtown

Won’t you take me down to Funkytown? This busy area moves and shakes with the best of them. During the day, PETCO Park buzzes with baseball buffs and Little Italy’s pizzerias reverberate with clinking cutlery and delighted diners. At night, the clubbers come out to the Gaslamp Quarter, filling the dance floors at Onyx Room or Stingaree.

Places to stay from $26 a night

Little Italy

0.9 miles from downtown

Mamma mia! An influx of Italian tuna fishermen gave this neighborhood a splash of Old-World color back in the day. Though most have long since hauled anchor, you can still munch meatballs at Mona Lisa or Pappalecco. And don’t miss Little Italy Mercato, a street market awash with green smoothies, gourmet tamales and stuffed sea urchins. Buon appetito!

Places to stay from $26 a night

La Jolla

10.6 miles from downtown

"I don’t wanna brag, but I’m kind of a big deal." Sun-kissed celebs splurge in Girard Avenue’s high-end boutiques. Bigwigs of science and politics stay classy in La Jolla Cove’s swanky seafood joints. And if you prefer starfish to stardust, don your snorkel and plunge into the teeming waters of La Jolla Underwater Park.

Places to stay from $58 a night

Old Town

3.4 miles from downtown

The birthplace of California. In 1769, Spanish explorers set up camp in Presidio Park, firing the starting pistol on California’s colonization. In Old Town, you’ll get a glimpse of San Diego’s infancy. Budding prospectors can pan for gold at Mormon Battalion Museum, while thrill-seekers test their nerve at Whaley House, haunted since 1852.

Places to stay from $83 a night

Coronado

2.4 miles from downtown

Coronado’s a place for California dreamin’. Across the bay from the city, it’s got a family-friendly, small-town feel. Mamas and papas bring their rug rats to pristine Coronado Beach, famous for its gentle surf and fine, white sand. Stop into a hotel that you pass along the way – iconic Hotel Del has dominated the beachfront for 125 years.

Places to stay from $89 a night

Ocean Beach

5.7 miles from downtown

Surf’s up dude! Once known as Mussel Beach, this chilled-out seaside paradise swapped mussels for muscles – these days it’s toned surfers who slink over the sands. OB’s still riding the waves of 60s far-outness; the bongos, hula hoops and amorous twenty-somethings speak for themselves. For that classic California sunset, head up to Sunset Cliffs.

Places to stay from $34 a night