Local Poll II #7 -- SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA!

What's yer name/nickname yer going with here: Jenny

Where do you live?: San Diego, CA

What neighborhoods or areas around where you live you do you recommend exploring?
Hillcrest--gay-friendly neighborhood with good restaurants/shops Little Italy—close to downtown, has great Italian food Southpark / Golden Hill: interesting neighborhoods with good restaurants

Any good parks round you for sitting in or wandering through?
Balboa Park is situated between downtown San Diego and Hillcrest—this is where the San Diego Zoo is located, as well as about 6-7 awesome museums, an organ pavillion, a space theater and science center, rose gardens, and ethnic Houses of Hospitality. There is a walking bridge that connects Balboa Park to Hillcrest too.

Other local features or beautiful natural spots to take in?
The beaches. Driving from North to South on Interstate 5, you’ll hit the following beaches: Del Mar, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, and Imperial Beach. Del Mar and Torrey Pines are the cleanest and the most beautiful, but I like Ocean Beach because it has a long pier you can walk along and there are tons of antique shops and food right down the street from the beach. Ocean Beach is pretty dirty though, just to warn you. Torrey Pines has a natural reserve up the hill from the beach where you can go hiking for $6 a day. There are trails that lead down to the beach—pretty breathtaking.

Best on-line/print source(s) for local entertainment info:
The San Diego Reader: www.sdreader.com

Best place(s) to stop in to see inexpensive local music (particularly those that regularly book bands with females):
The Casbah in Little Italy on 2501 Kettner Blvd: www.casbahmusic.com
The Che Café on UCSD Campus, take Gilman street exit off of Interstate 5: www.checafe.ucsd.edu

Some good San Diego Bands:
The Album Leaf, Pinback, Bunky, Kill Me Tomorrow, The Black Heart Procession, Aspects of Physics, and Goodbye Blue Monday. Oh yeah, and Rocket from the Crypt / Hot Snakes.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a beer without pretention or hoo-haw:
Live Wire: 2103 El Cajon Blvd close to Hillcrest

Best place(s) to stop in to get a drink (ideally also without pretention or hoo-haw):
The Whistle Stop Bar in Southpark: www.whistlestopbar.com

Best secret deals:
Every Tuesday some of the museums at Balboa Park are free—which ones vary by the week, and you can pick up a schedule of free museums anywhere in Balboa Park. The beaches are always free, of course.

Is public transport available?
There are buses, and I believe that one ride now costs over $2—I do not recommend the bus system—it doesn’t go to many locations and it can take up to an hour to get somewhere that would normally take 15 minutes by car. The San Diego Trolley is nice if you’d like to go see a Padres / Chargers game, hang out in downtown, or go to Tijuana. It is sad to say it, but when you are visiting San Diego, it is best to rent a car because everything is so spread out. If you plan to mainly hang out in downtown San Diego and surrounding areas, you could definitely cruise around town on a bike.

Local book store(s)/music shop(s)/co-ops/other shops to check out:
Groundwork Books Collective on the UCSD campus
Che Café coop that has vegan dinners and shows at UCSD
Bluestocking Books in Hillcrest
Food Coop on the UCSD campus
Lou’s Records in Encinitas
Off the Record close to Southpark

Locally-run cheap restaurants:
Thai: Thai Time in Southpark, Taste of Thai in Hillcrest

Mexican: Pokez in downtown

Breakfast: Mamas in Hillcrest, Mission Café close to the corner of Utah Street and University Ave.

Vegan food: Pokez, Mandarin Dynasty on University Ave. in Hillcrest (lots of fake meat, and it’s Chinese food), Kung Food on 5th avenue in Hillcrest

Pizza: Bronx Pizza on Washington Ave. in Hillcrest

Coffee shop with character: Krakatoa in Golden Hill

Of note: You can get REALLY CHEAP FOOD at Trader Joes AND Henry’s Market, both in Hillcrest

Best/worst time of year to come. Why:
San Diego is a fine place to visit year-round due to the almost constant 70 degree weather. It rains a little bit in April and May, but other than that, it’s pretty sunny.

Quirks of yer town we should know about:
Get ready to see tan bleached blonde people everywhere you go.

A bit about who you are:
I’m 30, and I like to go to shows, play music, and buy records. I like the independent / punk rock music scene, and there are plenty of good bands to check out. I also like to cook food, preferably vegan food too. I currently live in Champaign IL but San Diego is really still my home.