A Walk Through Downtown San Diego

The oldest wooden house in San Diego houses the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation, the district's curator. Before Alonzo Horton came to town, Davis, a prominent San Franciscan, had made an unsuccessful attempt to develop the waterfront area. In 1850 he had this prefab saltbox-style house, built in Maine, shipped around Cape Horn and assembled in San Diego (it originally stood at State and Market streets). Audio-guided or brochure-guided museum tours are available with museum admission. Regularly scheduled two-hour walking tours of the historic district leave from the house on Saturday at 11 and cost $10. If you can’t time your visit with the weekly tour, a self-guided tour map is also available for purchase for $2.

Address: 410 Island Ave. at 4th Ave. (Gaslamp Quarter)
Phone: 619-233–4692
Admission: $5
Hours of Operations:
May–Oct., Tues.–Sat. 10–6, Sun. 9–3
Nov.–Apr., Tues.–Sat. 10–4, Sun. 9–3

Along Fifth Avenue you’ll see some of the historic district’s best-known Victorian-era commercial beauties, including the Italianate Marston Building (at F Street), the Keating Building, the Spencer-Ogden Building, and the Old City Hall.

Address: 770 5th Ave.

Address: 432 F Street

Address: 809 5th Ave.

This downtown shopping, dining, and entertainment mecca fronts Broadway and G Street from 1st to 4th avenues and covers more than six city blocks. Designed by Jon Jerde and completed in 1985, Westfield Horton Plaza is far from what one would imagine a shopping center—or city center—to be. A collage of colorful tile work, banners waving in the air, and modern sculptures, Westfield Horton Plaza rises in uneven, staggered levels to five floors; great views of downtown from the harbor to Balboa Park and beyond can be had here.
Macy's and Nordstrom department stores anchor the plaza, and an eclectic assortment of more than 130 clothing, sporting-goods, jewelry, book, and gift shops flank them. Other attractions include the country's largest Sam Goody music store, a movie complex, restaurants, and a long row of take-out ethnic food shops and dining patios on the uppermost tier—and the respected San Diego Repertory Theatre below ground level. In 2008 the Balboa Theater, contiguous with the shopping center, reopened its doors after a $26.5 million renovation. The historic 1920s theater seats 1,400 and offers live arts and cultural performances throughout the week.

Address: 324 Horton Plaza
Phone: 619-238–1596
Hours of Operation: Weekdays 10–9, Sat. 10–8, Sun. 11–7.

Far more formal than most other hotels in San Diego and complete with a $56 million renovation in 2006, the doyenne of downtown lodgings has a marble lobby, gleaming chandeliers, attentive doormen, and other touches that hark back to the more gracious era when it was built in 1910. Funded in part by the son of the president for whom it was named, the hotel was extremely opulent from the beginning; 350 of its 437 rooms had private baths, highly unusual for that time. Through the years it became noted for its famous guests—hosting several U.S. presidents and countless celebrities. The U.S. Grant recently discovered marble floors and alabaster railings that had been covered for more than 70 years. Below the main lobby, the historic lower level features photographs and exhibits detailing the hotel’s history. Taking up a city block—it's bounded by 3rd and 4th avenues, C Street, and Broadway—the hotel occupies the site of San Diego's first hotel, constructed by Alonzo Horton in 1870.

Address: 326 Broadway
Phone: 619-232–3121

The Mission-style Santa Fe Depot, which replaced the original 1887 station on this site when it opened in 1915 for the Panama–California International Exposition, serves Amtrak and Coaster passengers. A booth here has bus schedules, maps, and tourist brochures. Formerly an easily spotted area landmark, the graceful, tile-dome depot is now overshadowed by 1 America Plaza, the 34-story office tower across the street. At the base of this skyscraper, designed by architect Helmut Jahn, is a center linking the city's train, trolley, and bus systems. The building's signature crescent-shape, glass-and-steel canopy arches out over the trolley tracks.

Address: Broadway and Kettner Blvd.

At the downtown branch of the city's contemporary art museum, explore the works of international and regional artists in a modern, urban space. In January 2007, the museum expanded its galleries across the street in a superb juxtaposition of old and new. The Jacobs Building—formerly the baggage building at the historic Santa Fe Depot—features large gallery spaces, high ceilings, and natural lighting, giving artists flexible spaces to create large-scale installations. MCASD showcases both established and emerging artists in rotating exhibitions, as well as permanent, site-specific commissions by Jenny Holzer and Richard Serra. Free cell phone audio tours and Podcasts are available for most exhibits; if you don’t have an iPod with you, the museum will lend you one. lAdmission is good for seven days, and includes both the downtown and La Jolla locations.

Address: 1100 and 1001 Kettner Blvd.
Phone: 858-454–3541
Admission: $10; ages 25 and under are free, free 3rd Thurs. of the month 5–7
Hours of Operation: Thurs.–Tues. 11–5, 3rd Thurs. until 7. Closed Wed.

At the turn of the 20th century this district was a bustling Italian fishing village. The area fell into disarray in the early 1970s due to a decline in the tuna industry and the construction of I–5, which destroyed 35% of the area. In 1996, a group of forward-thinking architects—commissioned by the city—created a cache of new residential, retail, and public areas that coexist beautifully with the neighborhood’s historic charms. Now, it’s a vibrant urban center with hip eateries, bars, and boutiques. You’ll find remnants of retro Little Italy, from authentic cafés (check out Pappalecco, a popular gelateria) and boccie ball matches played by old-timers at Amici Park.

Address: 1643 India St.
Phone: 619-233-3506‎

Address: 1602 State St.
Phone: 619-238-4590‎

Address: 2061 India Street
Phone: 619-234-4893‎