• Lestat's
  Notable for being open 24-7, I enjoy reading the crazy postings that paper the inside of the bathroom's door. They vary from transcription and editing services to earth goddess awareness workshops to local artist concerts to pseudo-science madness. Other perks: free wifi, internet cafe where the monitors are framed flat-screens mounted on the wall, cute and considerate wait-staff, performance venue next door. Downsides: due to a lack of competition in the 24/7 business, Lestat's is usually overflowing these days. The bathroom, which is windowless, often reeks of urine, and a large crowd of smokers in the patio area has its impact on the atmosphere.

• Reds Expresso Gallery
  This warm and cozy Point Loma place has great food, very friendly staff, and free wifi. They sell organic, fair trade coffee, and the taste is excellent as it is roasted by the establishment by the pound. Try the cranberry-orange muffins!

• Twigg's @ University Heights
  My great fondness for Twigg's is based on their comfortable, “welcome students!” atmosphere, which was great because I spent my last, sweat-soaked day before taking the USMLE Step 1 here. Other pluses: BIRCH BEER (root beer's cousin), an enormous wooden wall sculpture that looks like a Celtic knotwork or a Chinese decorative seal, concerts and a gallery, lots of windows, lots of electrical outlets, independent or non-big-chain coffeeshop status, and they are supposed to have free wifi someday. This is definitely a place where I would go to get out and write, or have a thoughtful conversation with a longtime friend. Regarding Twigg's Downtown, it has free wifi, a few wines, a few beers, a few coffees, and a tired menu. Watch out for obnoxious yuppies.

• Gelato Vero
  The providers of a delicious assortment of the Italian version of ice cream have an indie nook with free wifi on India Street in Little Italy. The cafe itself is cozy; there are chairs outside for the still-smoking crowd; above the cafe, a breezy, park-bench-like upstairs has a very San Diego outdoor feel with trees growing just outside. A note of caution: bring a jacket and a paperweight (or buy a coffee) for upstairs.

• We lived in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego, popularly abbreviated “PB”. It's a cute, cozy area, with a significant residential area that houses anyone from families to rambunctious frat types. Stereotyped as a beach town, PB's two main drags, Garnet St and Mission Bay Drive are heavily comercialized with bars, clothing, coffee, spas, and restaurants. However, the library has a small art gallery, and several coffee shops make the area a great place to hang out. We lived by a plaza on Garnet that let us walk to salons, dry cleaning, groceries and dry goods, and the beach. If you stay here, pick one of the hotels near the beach and walk down to the water every morning.

• Asian neighborhoods dot the city, but the area around Convoy Street is especially known for them. For a large general Asian grocery, try the Ranch 99 chain supermarket. I like to go to Mitsuwa for Japanese items and for a more classy shopping experience. Examine the side stores inside this building and find an exquisite dealer in Japanese dishes and ceramics.

• Balboa Park is a huge complex just north of downtown. Amidst many green spaces and some urban hiking, Balboa Park hosts multiple museums, a huge organ, a botanical garden, cultural exhibits, and venues for sports such as tennis, lawn bowling, and volleyball. Additionally there are often events hosted at the park, including Shakespearean festivals, botanical society showings, and juggling performances. Lastly, the San Diego Zoo, a whole day trip on its own, is next door.

• Walk around downtown.http://www.gaslamp.org/ http://www.sandiegodowntown.org/
• Drive the Coronado Bridge See it on Google
• Sea World San Diego
• Wild Animal Park
• Tidepools

Sushi and Japanese

• PB Sushi
• Nozomi and Nozomi 2

Vietnamese

• International Cafe
• Pho Hoa
• Pho Sao Bien

Boba Tea

• Green Tea House

Korean

• Tofu House

High Quality Buffet

• Todai
• Karl Strauss Brewery Garden

Italian

• Buca di Beppo's

Tequilaria

• El Agave

Dim Sum

• Emerald Restaurant

Be aware of the fact that although I like to dance in many styles, I prefer house/electronica or ballroom/swing dance venues.

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