San Diego, California — Activities
San Diego Culture
Artists and musicians from San Diego reflect a diverse and colorful heritage, with Downtown probably the best evidence of the city’s diversity. San Diego lives up to its reputation as a bastion for up-and-coming musicians including Jewel and Jason Mraz - with the Gaslamp Quarter and its blues and jazz performers (see Nightlife). Little Italy is also known for its artistic contributions and music clubs. San Diego County’s Chicano (Mexican-American) population has had a strong and valuable influence on San Diego’s art community, mainly in festivals, such as the annual Latino Film Festival. Tickets for cultural performance and events are available for purchase from Ticketmaster (tel: (619) 220 8497; website: www.ticketmaster.com). Half-priced same-day tickets are available from Arts Tix (tel: (619) 497 5000; website: www.sandiegoperforms.com).
Cultural listings are available online at San Diego’s performance and events website (www.sandiegoartandsol.com). The San Diego Performing Arts League, (tel: (619) 238 0700; website: www.sandiegoperforms) also offer listings and background info on the local arts scene.
Music: The San Diego Symphony, 1245 Seventh Avenue (tel: (619) 235 0800; website: www.sandiegosymphony.com), is known as much for its versatility as for its excellence. Its concerts range from classical symphony pieces to indigenous cultural music and summertime pop concerts at the seaside. Its indoor events are generally held in the Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B Street (tel: (619) 235 0804). There is also Mainly Mozart, featuring music by baroque, classical and romantic composers (including Mozart), at selected venues in San Diego and Baja California (tel: (619) 239 0100; website: www.mainlymozart.net).
Theater: The Old Globe Tony-award winning theater, located in Balboa Park (tel: (619) 234 5623; website: www.oldglobe.org) produces a wide range of plays on three stages throughout the year, including a summer outdoor Shakespeare festival. Another Tony favorite, the La Jolla Playhouse (tel: (858) 550 1010; website: www.lajollaplayhouse.org) has sent several plays to Broadway. The Starlight Theater company (tel: (619) 544 7827; website: www.starlighttheater.org) is one of San Diego’s oldest musical theater companies, showing musicals under the stars at the Starlight Bowl, by Presidents Way and Park Boulevard in Balboa Park. The Spreckels Theater, 121 Broadway (tel: (619) 235 9500), is a magnificent theater-palace from 1912 with nearly 1500 seats and a program ranging from classical theater pieces to musicals and opera to rock and rap. The Lamb’s Players Theater, 1142 Orange Avenue, Coronado (tel: (619) 437 0600; website: www.lambsplayers.org), with its intimate character, is one of San Diego’s oldest venues for professional theater.
Dance: The California Ballet, 4819 Ronson Court (tel: (858) 560 6741; website: www.californiaballet.org), has seasonal performances of contemporary and classic ballets, performed at a variety of venues. Malashock Dance (tel: (619) 260 1662; website: www.malashockdance.org) is one of San Diego’s leading dance companies, offering classes, workshops and performances.
Film: Most San Diego malls have cinemas. The Horton Plaza shopping mall in the Downtown area has a United Artists theater, 475 Horton Plaza (tel: (619) 234 8602), that shows first-run movies. The Mission Valley Center, Mission Valley, 1640 Camino del Rio North, has a 20-plex AMC theater (tel: (858) 558 2262). Art house films are shown at Ken Cinema, 4061 Adams Avenue (tel: (619) 819 0236), which is an important centerfor independent and foreign films in San Diego. Another well-respected art house cinema showing quality films from around the world is the Hillcrest Cinema, 3965 Fifth Avenue (tel: (619) 819 0236).
The San Diego Latino Film Festival takes place every March with screenings at Mann Theaters Hazard Center. Showings include productions from the United States as well as Latin America. Most films are in Spanish with English subtitles.
San Diego is a popular filmmaking center. The most famous San Diego film is Top Gun (1986), which starred Tom Cruise. Some might argue that the real standout is Some Like it Hot (1959) with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon frolicking at the Hotel del Coronado. Will Ferrell’s character in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2003) behaved foolishly against San Diego backdrops. The Kid from Left Field (1979), starring Gary Coleman and Robert Guillaume, was a San Diego favorite, about a small boy who guides the San Diego Padres baseball team to the World Series. James Cameron’s epic movie Titanic (1997) was filmed less than an hour from San Diego, near the Mexican resort town of Rosarito.
Literary Notes: Part-time home to L Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz (1900), and Dr Seuss, San Diego has enjoyed a thriving literary community for many years. The much-loved Dr Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), author of The Cat in a Hat (1957) and Green Eggs and Ham (1960), resided in San Diego. His book How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957) was turned into a film starring Jim Carey in 2000. Dr Seuss was born in Massachusetts in 1904 but called San Diego his home for most of his adult life. His residence on Mount Soledad included a tower with a spectacular 360-degree view of the countryside. Following his death in 1991, his widow had the main residence renovated, although Dr Seuss’s ’tower’ still remains.
L Frank Baum’s most famous residence, ’The Ozcot’, may have been in Hollywood, California, but he was a regular visitor to the shores of Coronado Island. Baum and his wife spent many months at the famous Hotel Del Coronado, which may have been his inspiration for the architecture of the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz. He is also credited with designing the chandeliers in the historic hotel. Born in New York, in 1856, Baum was a prolific poet, novelist and playwright.
The San Diego Writers Cooperative (website: www.sandiegowriters.org) sponsors readings and classes for local writers. Many bookshops host readings from local authors, including D G Wills Books, 7461 Girard Avenue, La Jolla.
San Diego Tours
WalkingTours
The GaslampQuarterHistoricalFoundation, William Heath Davis House Museum, 410 Island Avenue, Downtown (tel: (619) 233 4692; website: www.gaslampquarter.org), offers two-hour guided walking tours of the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego’s oldest neighborhood, every Saturday. The tours leave from William Heath Davis House Museum. It is possible to book private tours for groups.
San Diego’s BoostersofOldTown, Robinson Rose Historical House and Museum, 4002 Wallace Street (tel: (619) 469 3174; website: www.ot-boot.com), offers guided tours of the Old Town’s 19th-century historic neighborhoods and national park - often by guides dressed in period clothing. Attractions include an early American pioneer cemetery, one of the Old Town’s oldest churches and a haunted house. Tours depart from Robinson Rose Historical House and Museum (also the Information Center for Old Town). Some tours include lunch and a fashion promenade.
BusTours
SanDiegoScenicTours offers comprehensive sightseeing tours of San Diego taking in the highlights of the city itself as well as those of La Jolla and Coronado. Tours last four hours and include La Jolla, Seal Rock, Presidio Park, Old Town State Park, Balboa Park, Coronado, Mission Bay Park, Heritage Park, Embarcadero, the Gaslamp Quarter and Seaport Village. It is possible to add a one-hour boat tour of San Diego Bay to the city tour (tel: (858) 273 8687; website: www.sandiegoscenictours.com).
Other Tours
San Diego has built its reputation on its oceanfront locale, so it stands to reason that a visit would not be complete without a guided tour of San Diego Bay. There are several options, including whale-watching excursions during the gray whale migration in winter and romantic dinner tours complete with dancing and a gourmet dinner. When in season (mid December through March), Hornblower Cruises and Events (tel: (619) 686 8700; website: www.hornblower.com) offers three and a half hour whale-watching tours. One- or two-hour harbor tours are also available. Tours depart from the B Street Pier beside the Cruise Ship Terminal, Harbor Drive.
For personalised sailing tours, Classic Sailing Adventures (tel: (619) 224 0800 or 1 800 659 0141; website: www.classicsailingadventures.com) offers romantic sunset sails for two to six passengers. Their four-hour whale-watching cruises depart twice daily December-March. In the summer season, there is also a shorter champagne sunset cruise. Cruises depart from Shelter Island Marina.
Ghostly Tours in History (tel: 1 877 220 4844; website: www.ghostlytoursinhistory.com) offers evening tours that explore the spooky parts of San Diego, including haunted houses and cemeteries.
