101 Reasons San Diego is the City of Life

San Diego arguably has the best quality of “life” of any city in the world. The city’s stunning visual beauty, geographic location, and extraordinary year-round weather have spawned a one-of-a-kind atmosphere of unlimited possibilities and opportunities.

Let’s take a look at what makes San Diego such an incredible City of Life:

RECREATION/ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTING ACTIVITIES | ARTS & CULTURE | BUSINESS, MILITARY, SCIENCE & EDUCATION | MEXICO

RECREATION/ENTERTAINMENT

70 miles of spectacular beaches

Numerous bays, harbors and tidelands

Sailing and boating on San Diego Bay, Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean

Whale Watching

Swimming and snorkeling in La Jolla Cove

Deep sea ocean fishing

Fishing in lakes and streams

Water-skiing in San Diego Bay, Mission Bay and on multiple nearby lakes

Numerous Indian Reservations and Gaming Casinos

Cabrillo Monument – birthplace of modern California

San Diego Mission settled by Spanish missionaries

Old Town

World-class bird watching

Golfing, hiking and swimming at Torrey Pines State Park

Hiking in Mission Trails Park

Yachtfest – The annual west coast premier yacht show

Thunderboat Racing on Mission Bay

Festival of Sail of historic tall ships in San Diego Harbor

The Star of India ship in San Diego Harbor

USS Midway Museum aircraft carrier in San Diego Harbor

Vibrant nightlife in the downtown Gaslamp Quarter

MCAS Miramar Air Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels

San Diego Zoo

San Diego Wild Animal Park

Sea World

Legoland

Disneyland (a mere one hour away)

Horton Plaza

Shopping in the stylish Cedros Design District of Solana Beach

Temecula vineyards and wine tasting

San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds

Del Mar Horse Racing

Hot Air Ballooning over Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe

The historic Del Coronado Hotel on Coronado

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Driving and hiking through the rising mountains of Cleveland National Forest

Playing in the snow on Mount Cuyamaca and Mount Laguna

Mount Palomar and Mount Laguna Observatories

Eating apple pie in the historic mining town of Julian

Relaxation and golf in nearby Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Borrego Springs

Dune bugging, motorcycle riding, and hiking in vast deserts to the east

Glamis Sand Dunes to the east

Skiing in Big Bear to the north (or world-class skiing a one hour flight away)

Snorkeling on Catalina Island to the northwest

Big wave surfing at Cortez Banks off the coast

Historic Highway 101 – the original artery that winds along the California coast

SPORTING ACTIVITIES

Sports Illustrated declared San Diego to be “Sportstown, USA”

San Diego Hall of Champions

San Diego Padres professional baseball

San Diego Chargers professional football

Olympic Training Village

Surfing

Sailing

Boating

Swimming

Diving

Water-skiing and jet skiing

Golfing – over 90 golf courses including the spectacular Torrey Pines which hosted the 2008 U.S. Open

Tennis

Biking

Skateboarding

Motorcycle off-road riding

Running

Hiking

Hang Gliding over Torrey Pines State Park and beaches

ARTS & CULTURE

Balboa Park

San Diego Museum of Art

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – La Jolla & Downtown

Timken Museum of Art

Mingei International Museum

San Diego Natural History Museum

San Diego Museum of Man

Museum of Photographic Arts

Maritime Museum of San Diego

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

San Diego Air & Space Museum

San Diego Automotive Museum

The New Children’s Museum

San Diego Film Festival

San Diego Opera

San Diego Symphony

Old Globe Theater

La Jolla Playhouse at UCSD

Street Scene Music Festival

Fashion Week San Diego – featuring designers from Southern California and Mexico

Old Town Art Festival

Little Italy Art Walk

Christian Youth Theater (CYT)

A diverse community where English and Spanish are both widely used

Public Art that engages our citizens

BUSINESS, MILITARY, SCIENCE & EDUCATION

San Diego’s rising metropolitan skyline

San Diego – a global leader in the “Life Sciences”

Torrey Mesa (a.k.a. Life Sciences Mesa)

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

San Diego State University (SDSU)

University of San Diego (USD)

Salk Institute

Scripps Institute

Sanford / Burnham Institute

J. Craig Venter Institute

Major U.S. Naval base with multiple aircraft carriers

US Naval Air Station

Marine Corp Recruiting Depot (MCRD) and Miramar Air Station

Camp Pendleton (Marine Corp) to the north

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial

Qualcomm – leader in wireless technology

Ecke Poinsettia farms in Encinitas

San Diego Convention Center

MEXICO

Tijuana / San Diego is one of the largest population concentrations on the west coast

The Tijuana / San Diego border crossing is the busiest border crossing in the world

Tijuana – birthplace of the Caesar Salad

Bullfighting and Mariachis in Tijuana and Ensenada

Rosarito Beach

Eating lobster in beautiful Puerto Nuevo

The spectacular Guadalupe Valley vineyards

Ensenada

Hussong’s Cantina in Ensenada

San Felipe to the southeast

Mike’s Sky Ranch for off-road motorcycle riders

Tecate Beer factory

Guadalupe Islands – mating grounds of the Great White Shark

Scroll to Top