They don’t call the City of San Diego “America’s Finest City” for nothing. With nearly perfect year-round weather, a melting pot of food and cultures and breathtaking beaches, there is a reason why it is so costly to live here. With San Diego, you get what you would want from Orange County or Los Angeles living but with way less traffic. It takes about 15 minutes to get anywhere in the City of San Diego (excluding rush hour). Below are some personal favorite places to eat in San Diego, things to do, beaches, nightlife and more!

WHAT TO DO IN SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA

The best part about San Diego is that there is always something going on! Some fun things to do in San Diego California are:

• Belmont Park – play arcade games, miniature golf and ride the roller-coaster (which is surprisingly really fast!).

• Check out the seals in La Jolla cove

• Watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs

• Rent bikes or roller-skates along Mission and Pacific Beach Boardwalk

• Watch movies on Mission Beach – Wednesday nights

• Buy a floatie and float on Mission Bay. Be on the lookout for any float parties

• Embarcadero – walk along the harbor for shops and eateries

• Padres Game at Petco Park

• Rent Jet Skis or watersports at Mission Bay

• Kate Sessions Park is a gorgeous park overlooking the ocean. Make a picnic, Charcuterie board and bring some wine with you!

• Seaport Village – cute area to walk around with eateries and shops.

• Compass Balloons – for a hot air balloon ride

• Werewolf – best Karaoke spot!

• Balboa Park – gorgeous park to walk around the trails, eat at food trucks, visit the Botanical Gardens. The San Diego Zoo is here too!

BEST NIGHTLIFE IN SAN DIEGO

• Be on the lookout for some epic underground parties. One of the most epic parties of my life was when we were picked up in a shuttle, taken to an unknown location where you walked through the tunnels underground to the most epic open air area with bangin’ house music.

• Bang Bang – a sushi spot but has the best DJs spin

• Spin – a fabulous nightclub with 3 levels

• Flamingos

• Silent Discos on Sunday in Ocean Beach

• Walk along Gas Lamp for bars and smaller clubs. Trailer Park After Dark (a trailer park themed bar) is located here!

• Go out in Pacific Beach to Firehouse, El Prez, Waterbar, Mavericks, Pacific Beach Shore Club and so many more!

• For the LGBT scene, anywhere in Hillcrest is a must! Urban Moe’s, Rich’s, Gossip Grill, Flicks and Inside Out.

BEST HIKING TRAILS IN SAN DIEGO

• Cowles Mountain

• Torrey Pines – overlooks the ocean. My favorite hike in San Diego!

• Mission Trails-Kwaay Paay Peak Hike

• Iron Mountain Trail

• Three Sister’s Falls

• Cuyamaca Peak Loop Trail

• Cedar Creek Falls to Devil’s Punchbowl

• Potato Chip Rock – This hike is very crowded. To get the iconic potato chip rock picture, be prepared to wait an hour and half in line.

• Black’s Beach – A nude beach with a bit of a hike down. Check out the Mushroom House along the shore.

BEST PLACES TO EAT IN SAN DIEGO

Here are the best restaurants in San Diego:

• Morning Glory – come for the cute décor and yummy brunch

• Queenstown – New Zealand food

• Cesarina – best bottomless drinks brunch

• Madison – trendy spot with yummy food and cocktails

• Breakfast Republic – you must try the breakfast mac and cheese!

• Brockton Villa – gorgeous brunch spot overlooking La Jolla Cove with the best mimosas flights!

• Menya Ultra – amazing ramen

• Tacos El Gordo – did you really visit San Diego if you didn’t have Mexican food? San Diego offers top notch Mexican cuisine since the City of San Diego is so close to the border of Tijuana.

• Great Maple

• Farmers Table

• Salt and Straw – best ice cream! Different flavors every month. During Halloween, they have even have brownie and worms and pigs blood with cinnamon.

• Bronx Pizza – best pizza in SD hands down!

• Los Titos– for California Burrito with carne asada and french fries (a classic)

• Anywhere in Old Town – cute historic adobe buildings with delicious Mexican cuisine.

• Convoy Street for all Asian cuisine

• 100s Seafood Buffet

• Crack Shack – best chicken sandwich! Owned by a Top Chef judge – Richard Blais.

• Anywhere in Little Italy – pizza, restaurants, breweries and cafes

• Gas Lamp for foodies and tons of nightlife here too!

• Portside Pier – Has several restaurant options inside that overlook the ocean.

• Cucina Urbana

• Puesto – fancy tacos

• Civico 1845

• Liberty Station – An eatery with shops and tons of restaurants to choose from. Presley is one of my favorites!

• San Diego also has some amazing wineries! Drive to Temecula, Ramona and more! If you have the time, you can even visit Valle De Guadalupe in Baja California. Rashelica Winery is an eclectic winery that showcases art installations on their property.

What are some of your favorite places in San Diego? Comment below!