Post: #1

Ok so back to the us today and san diego

any tips?

Where to party?

Post: #2

Pacific Beach for casual partying. It can have horrific male-female ratios, but it is spring break right now so that should help.

Downtown for club scene.

North Park for hipster girls.

Where are you in San Diego?

Update:

Pacific Beach or North Park have way cheaper nightlife than downtown. Downtown is really geared for corporate plastic.

Post: #3

The "Gaslamp District" is pretty good. Its downtown.

Post: #4

A couple more san diego tips to keep in mind:

Cops are in full effect. I recently got a jaywalking ticket there. For jogging!

If you drink and drive, expect a dui.

Bring your ID. San Diego is the strictest place I have ever been to on ID'ing. Once when I was younger (about 22) I was denied entry into a bar with my passport. It was good enough for international travel. But not for a crappy bar.

Last call is no joke. 1:30 pretty much across the board. Lately it seems like they are pushing it to 1am. No illegal after hours. None at all.

No places buck the smoking ban. None.

Be prepared for multiple other ridiculous laws like no drinking on patios facing the street after 11pm and no booze crossing the plane of the doorway of a bar etc.

San Diego is a "daylife" city (not sure if there are any others in the world). The nightlife leaves much to be desired.

Post: #5

San Diego nightlife doesnt suck, you just have to get started early. instead of going out at 11 or 12 and staying out all night go out at 9 or 10 at the latest. its like the city is such a great place to do so many things noone wants to spend their saturday or sunday afternoon in bed and hungover

Post: #6

(03-27-2010 04:54 PM)chrisss Wrote:  Speaking of San Diego, it's a gorgeous city. I always assumed it was the most beautiful city in US. That was until I discovered Miami! I'm a big sucker for those high rise downtown views combined with the beach scenery.

But are you talking Miami? Or Miami Beach? Two different things because most people when they say "Miami" are actually referring to the Miami Beach area, not Miami in general. I don't think Miami itself is anything standout. Miami Beach is dope however, Coral Gables too. Thing is, once you get beyond the Biscayne Bay area, it's just vast suburban sprawl and tract housing spread out to the horizon, like Los Angeles. But at least in L.A., we have a wide variety of geography in a small area, deserts, forests, beach, wine country, snow, mountains within 2 hours of each other. I feel like in Florida, there's just nothing to see if you want to venture out of the city other than swamps and it's completely flat and lacking in any kind of geographic variety. I didn't even see a hill in Florida.

Post: #7

As I've written before, South Beach does not fully represent Miami and a lot of people miss out on what Miami has to offer. The Brickell and Brickell Key area is very nice & upscale. And it's a hop & skip to Key Biscayne, which is a whole different world to SoBe. The Royal Mandarin Hotel was a standout place to party while I was there - beautiful young professional crowd, the Conrad, Gordon Biersch for happy hour then on to Bigfish by the river.

Riverwalk should be finished now, and along with the new condo buildings downtown close to the InterContinental, is very nice. Even north of downtown up to the Design District has been coming up.

Post: #8

There's a whole area called North County with awesome little surf towns with lively party spots. From Del Mar all the way up to Oceanside there's pretty good nightlife. Encinitas and Carlsbad Village Dr area are two that come to mind. L'Auberge in Del Mar is nice & upscale but only gets really hoppin' during racing season.

Post: #9

I really like the La Jolla and Pacific Beach scene. There's a cool place on Westbourne and La Jolla Blvd. called The Shack that has great specials some nights; it's a good place to pre-game.

Post: #10

If you are there during Del Mar Racetrack, I have written tons on the subject:

The Del Mar Racetrack Checklist: http://www.thegmanifesto.com/2009/07/the...klist.html (tons of more links to other data sheets at the bottom).

Post: #11

'There's a cool place on Westbourne and La Jolla Blvd. called The Shack that has great specials some nights; it's a good place to pre-game."

That is a real easy place to get into a fistfight also.

Post: #12

Daygame in san diego is legiiiiiit. Hit up some of the Starbucks around different areas.

Gaslamp is good, a bit more dressy than the average So Cal bra is used to. And if you want the full so cal bro + military experience hit up Pacific Beach and Mission Beach. I can't remember if it is Tuesdays or Thursdays but this place called the Beachcomber in Mission Beach is worth checking out (college girls + cheap drinks).

I think daygame in San Diego is too easy. Girls in SD are very special.

Post: #13

Lumiere,

What was your final verdict on san diego?

Post: #14

Used to live here before Chicago. Hands down the most beautiful city in the US that I've seen...and I've been to many places. Sure there are flaky girls in San Diego, but isn't that everywhere? If a girl flakes on you move on to the next one...end of story.

This city is definitely worth a long weekend visit. The women are hot and the nightlife's good, even though a lot of places do close early. There are many rooftop lounges which are awesome (Altitude, the W, and Stingaree come to mind). And if you didn't know of an after-party to go to there were a few clubs open 'til 4am (E Street Alley was one...not sure if it's still around). Sevilla is great for salsa and the Latina crowd, although there are Latinas all over the place in SD.

By the way, all those places I mentioned are downtown. As far as I'm concerned this is the only place to go for nightlife. Pacific Beach is great during the day, but unless you want the plastic cups and flip-flops bar scene you'd better head to Gaslamp.

Enjoy this gem of a city. I can't wait to pay it another visit.

Post: #15

(04-06-2010 11:45 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Lumiere,

What was your final verdict on san diego?

m'eh

Post: #16

I think SD is one of my top 5 next destinations. I have done DC, Miami, and soon to be Germany. I think next I will look at NYC, LA, SD, Austin, New Orleans/ The good thing about my industry is moving around the country is somewhat easy.

I definitely want to live on the west coast for some time, see what it like out there. Have only explored it a bit.

Post: #17

Will be here for work early April.

Any suggestions where to stay?

Have to be there tuesday thru saturday with my days occupied and nights free. Am booking my flight and wondering if I should make it Sunday cuz ill be tired of the place or is it worth having a full day there on sunday for tourist crap etc ??

thanks

Post: #18

bigxxx,

San Diego is actually a pretty big place (geographically speaking, especially when you include North County into the Mix, and I don't mean Mixx from on here either).

What part of town are your days occupied in?

Generally speaking, most tourists stay either in:

Pacific Beach: College to post college age, relatively low end partying, notoriously poor ratios.

La Jolla: High end beach town, fly girls, limited nightlife,

Downtown (encompasses a lot): Tourist girls, corporate plastic, Nightclub crowd, Glittery shirts, spiky hair, pseudo Las Vegas vibe etc

North Park: Hipster girls, skinny jeans, messy hair, tattoos, decent restaurants.

Feel free to ask me any other questions.

Post: #19

Thanks G

Im at the SD Convention Centre...so obviously somewhere stationed close by would make most sense.

Never been to SD. any tips for my week would be appreciated>

(01-15-2011 02:00 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  bigxxx,

San Diego is actually a pretty big place (geographically speaking, especially when you include North County into the Mix, and I don't mean Mixx from on here either).

What part of town are your days occupied in?

Generally speaking, most tourists stay either in:

Pacific Beach: College to post college age, relatively low end partying, notoriously poor ratios.

La Jolla: High end beach town, fly girls, limited nightlife,

Downtown (encompasses a lot): Tourist girls, corporate plastic, Nightclub crowd, Glittery shirts, spiky hair, pseudo Las Vegas vibe etc

North Park: Hipster girls, skinny jeans, messy hair, tattoos, decent restaurants.

Feel free to ask me any other questions.

Post: #20

bigxxx,

Got you covered like a defective electric blanket that caught on fire.

So you are going to be downtown and it would make sense to stay there (If you stay in PB its close to a $40 cab ride downtown- not really because of the distance, cabs are expensive in san diego).

That being said, you should look into staying at:

Solamar - decent boutique chain mostly based in SF

Hard Rock - San diegos version of Las Vegas and everything that comes with it. Even has a sunday pool party in summer like Vegas. Think tribal tattoos, girls with back tattoos, spiky hair and Affliction shirts. I shouldn't have to tell you this is not my steez. Even when I was 17.

Ivy (now Andaz I think) - competitor to Hard Rock, hit or miss

W Hotel - hit or miss

Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego - corporate monster (side note: hotel with the most rooms in CA, most people don't know that little fact.)

Se Hotel - I have followed this folly close http://www.thegmanifesto.com/2010/06/se-...ault.html, still, you might be able to swoop some fly girls there. Hit or miss

Grant Hotel - old school grand dame, although they made it worse with the renovation.

These are probably the most expensive hotels in town although one should suit your steez. They all have some merits as a spot to post up and grab a cocktail as well. Cheaper hotels I can't really help you too much although you could probably get some great deals at these as the Down Economy has all but decimated san diego.

As far as nightlife, I need to tell you I have been mostly in Beverly Hills when I have been in CA so I haven't gone out too much lately in san diego. Some of these tips may have expired.

Tuesday night- good luck with that one. San diego is a weekend town. This is the night I would just walk around. The good thing is, most bars downtown are on 4th, 5th, 6th, street so you can see what is good and step in.

Wed night - Side Bar is the historical favorite. (this may have changed) Glittery shirt spot kind of, but probably some fly girls. Girls will be pretentious, but who really cares if you are just going to swoop them. This is your typical san diego trying to be West Hollywood spot all the way down to the drink prices.

Thurs night - Sat night - lots of options. I would start with a cocktail at any of the above hotels and ask the smoothest bartender the score. A little grease never hurts.

Some low pro tips -

Daygame downtown is no Riga, Latvia, but you could check Horton Plaza, an outdoor mall. Also a day grind in Little Italy is smooth and there is a sat farmer market that has some decent girls (super low pro tip).

Maybe check Cafe Sevilla for salsa. I believe it moved recently from a spot it was in for like 20 years. Could be a good during the week move as well. Hit or miss though. It used to be across from La Puerta that can be a good Thurs move.

If you want hipster girls downtown go to El Dorado. Hit or miss. On 14th I think. You can walk there.

Searsucker restaurant - Hottest restaurant (I use that term lightly) in downtown. The spot if you want to post up at the bar, Suited Down, eat some apps and take advantage of your tailors work and brutally handsome good looks. Girls will step to you here. Sure, the girls will be retarded, semi-difficult, but pseudo classy. Again, you are not looking for your future wife, just some girl to share your alarm clock with you.

Other things to keep in mind (I think I have mentioned before):

Watch for cops
Watch for last call

Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck! and report back amigo.

Post: #21

Many thanks. Will hit you back with a field report....

Post: #22

Short update on SD...just got back

split my stay between solamar/hard rock hotel. both are nice, hard rock is better

going out:

tuesday-went to some club at bottom of KEATING HOTEL. there was a salsa night happeneing. i took part in the lesson and stuck around long enough to realize i have to improve my skillz. some okay girls here

sidebar-still the spot for wed night as recommended by gman. apparently it is industry night. was a full on party with good beats and hot girls. a few celebs like taleb kweli were there whatever that means. girls were teasing

VOYEUER-went here thursday. lot of hipsters, possibly owing to the fact there was some australian dj in town i never heard of. had a good time here

FRIDAY-ended up at Seersucker...decent girls here , seems like the place to be seen


Random Comments:

SD is a beautiful city. Anyone I asked about living there loved the place. For those looking for a spot to move to while staying stateside, you could do worse

Bumped into a number of russian sets here. Not sure if there is a large population here. Of course they were all hot.

Lots of 'dudes' in Cali (sorta like Kid Rock)...not sure if it was related to all the giants' games going on.

Hard Rock Hotel had some bumping parties on the weekend. Didn't check any owing to my host taking me elsewhere.

Post: #23

bigxxx -

Glad I could be helpful, and some of my tips panned out for you. San Diego, like LA is key to know which spots to go to on which nights.

I forgot to mention KEATING HOTEL, but although that place seems to have potential, everytime I have been was an airball. I know one of the kids that owns that place.

I have never been to Voyeur either, but I know that is one of the most popular clubs there. Not my steez but I am sure there are girls.

"Bumped into a number of russian sets here. Not sure if there is a large population here."

There isn't. You got lucky. Although summertime seems to bring some out.

Where you able to convert any girls at any of the spots?

San Diego, like LA is a notorious Waterloo for the short stay "cold" traveler.

Post: #24

I think SD is ripe for someone to build a real deal club. Voyeur is the kind of place that would be popular in a suburb of Toronto. Meanwhile people were asking me 'are there places like this in toronto?' as though we were inside Encore in Vegas or something.

No luck with any locals. I picked up a Mexican flag I met at Voyeur who was also attending my convention. Conventions/Conferences seem to be easy pickings.

It seems a person can do really well in SD. I was hanging out with a guy who moved to SD from the northeast a year back. We would run into some hot broad he had a history with each bar we visited.

Ill likely visit the place again.

Post: #25

"I think SD is ripe for someone to build a real deal club. Voyeur is the kind of place that would be popular in a suburb of Toronto."

No doubt, but understand that San Diego is basically one big suburb. It is not a cosmopolitan city - it is more an outpost in the corner of the country in its own little bubble.

Building a "real deal club" there would be a money pit, as most people there only go out to those type of venues on weekends. The Down Economy crushed peoples disposable income there as the economy is so heavily tied to tourism and real estate. And nightlife costs (and other costs) are on par with LA and Las Vegas; and far more weesh.

"No luck with any locals."

Not surprising. San Diego girls are not welcoming, generally speaking to outsiders. There is a lot of "locals" mentality there, even people that have moved there 6 months previous have it. It is pretty funny.

I would be impressed with anyone that went to San Diego, cold, and swooped a fly local on a short stay. And if they did it once, I would be real surprised if they could repeat the trick again. And again.

Percentages of that happening are real low in comparison to most all other US cities.

In fact, I am hard pressed to think of a city in America where it would be harder.

"FRIDAY-ended up at Seersucker...decent girls here , seems like the place to be seen"

Was there any fly girls there?

Did you get any leads cooking?