Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with sandiego

Know about a short-term rental in San Diego?

Mr. Gunn — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:12:09 -0800

Anyone have a line on a short-term rental in San Diego? Craigslist has disappointed me. Since I'm not in the area to drive around and look for signs, most things I can find are either vacation rentals, shared rooms, or semester rentals for college students. The kind of thing you'd expect to find in the short-term section of craigslist. None are what I'm looking for, which is a furnished house with a backyard, big enough for two people and a dog, in South Park, from now through December.

So, anyone know of something available that vaguely approximates the above?

I just want to get married!

CwgrlUp — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:40:34 -0800

How to enjoy our first Pride Parade? My gf and I are taking advantage of the opportunity to go get married in San Diego next weekend. (YAY!) We've just now realized that same weekend is the Pride Parade. We didn't have much else nailed down as far as plans go, but I have to admit I'm a little worried now about there being a bazillion more people in town than usual. She's really gung ho about all the Pride-activities and I am too, but I have lots of questions.

Are we even going to be able to get into a club Friday night?

Do you have to register or buy tickets or anything to march in the parade Saturday? Do people walk in regular outfits? I didn't actually plan on packing my feather boa for the trip.

Looks like we're going to hit the festival on Sunday and hopefully catch Kathy Griffin there that evening. Better to buy tickets for the Festival ahead of time online I guess? Can we bring water in with us? Am I going to need cash? (I'm usually anti-cash which is why I ask)

Non-Pride related - we have an apptmt to get our marriage license Fri afternoon and immediately get married there (they don't take apptmts for that...sigh) Now I'm totally freaked that there's going to be mass crowds of gay couples clamoring to get married. Is this gonna work? I have this horrible image in my head of it not working and us having to go back each day and keep standing in line.

Give it to me straight. (no pun intended, really) I know I'm a control freak. I like definite plans. Am I worrying too much? Or is it going to be that crazy? Any suggestions to keep my sanity?

*Note, we will be staying with a friend of mine from high school. She's going to be chauffeuring us around so multiple trips to try to get married would be a definite bummer.

Looking for bike rides around San Diego

mathowie — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:43:29 -0800

Know of any long road bike rides around San Diego, California? I'm spending a couple weeks down in SD at the end of this month, and I'm in the middle of training for a week-long 500 mile ride in September. I should be taking my mileage up to 150 miles/week during this time.

I'll be around Mission Bay (above Sea World, in the hills) and aside from the main El Camino coastal route, I have no idea where to find safe 25-35 mile loops to ride. About half the roads I've driven down there don't seem very bike friendly and I'm mostly used to quiet Oregon country roads for riding long distances.

I know up north the Palomar Observatory road is the killer hillclimb to try one day, but other than that, what are some good up to 40 mile loops in San Diego county worth checking out?

What to do during our SDCC hangover?

bodgy — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:49:45 -0800

In San Diego for 2 days, hate zoos and most museums. Willing to travel. What should we do? My husband and I are going to San Diego Comic Con and got tickets that fly out from LA MONDAY night rather than our intended SUNDAY night. So we have all day Monday and, as we're usually done with SDCC after Saturday, we can also have all day Sunday to do something.

This is not our first trip to SDCC but we usually feel we only see the convention center and the gaslamp quarter. But we're not Zoo people, museum people, or Seaworld people.

We love going places where we can take scenic and cool photographs, or just have good experiences and see unique things. Are there some things in San Diego we should do?

If not in San Diego, we'll have a rental car and need to go back to LA by Monday night, so should we drive somewhere? We can't think of anything really fun in LA. We've seen the Tar Pits, Hollywood, Venice Beach, filming of the Tonight Show etc. so unless LA has some hidden treasures we'd like things outside of LA...

Thanks!

what's made in usa and where do i get it?

Citizen Premier — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:15:00 -0800

For my 4th of July present to America, I want to start buying American-made products. Where can I do so in San Diego? And would you be willing to make a list for me of American companies that make frequently-needed products? Are there any nearby supermarkets which carry a high percentage of American products? As a last resort, I might be willing to buy some of the more expensive stuff online.

To make it a little easier, I'm also willing to buy from other first-world nations, especially since I'm going to try to avoid Tommy Hilfinger, GAP and Calvin Klein.

Any other general tips about making the switch would also be nice.

San Diego Mexican food

Ragma — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:20:22 -0800

Authentic Regional Mexican food in San Diego. Where "regional" ≠ Tijuana/TexMex. My folks from Idaho are coming for a San Diego visit and they asked to go out for some authentic regional Mexican food. I've been to places like Marisco's German and Tacos El Gordo, which I've been told are at least close to "authentic", but I suspect those are more Tijuana authentic. I think we're looking for something other than the Tijuana region. But I'm a complete gringo so how would I know? Additionally, I'd rather not go to places where I'm uncomfortable parking my car. I don't mind being the only white guy in the place, but I have my comfort limits.

So two questions -

1) What are some good, authentic, regional Mexican restaurants we should try?
2) What the hell does "regional Mexican" food even mean really? What food am looking for?

And please, do us all a favor, don't tell me to go to Old Town Cafe. I'm sure it's authentic on some level, but I'm interested in something more.

What should we do in San Diego over the 4th of July weekend?

jacobm — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:02:13 -0800

My girlfriend and I are visiting San Diego over the 4th of July weekend. What should we do and see? Are there any special 4th of July events we shouldn't miss? And what about good vegetarian restaurants? We're staying in the Gaslight district, but we'll have a car so we'll be able to get around to other places if necessary.

San DiEee901

Akeem — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:04:17 -0800

Where can I find an Asus Eee 901 in San Diego close to the convenion center? Will they be available by June 21? I'll be at BIO 2008 next week in San Diego; I would like to pick up an Eee 901 while I'm in the US but find different reports on its availability (June 3, June, July). Would I have to travel to the outskirts of the city to the big electronic stores or are there any that stock Eee's near the center ?

How difficult would it be to get your hands on the new model once it launches? Do you have to reserve one beforehand?

Can I expect difficulties travelling with this US purchased item through customs to Europe ? Would I have to pay import taxes ?

San Diego Comic Con Accommodation Advice?

pzarquon — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:27:49 -0800

Advice for San Diego accommodations for Comic-Con? This is the 2008 edition of this question, begging your pardon for a bit of a repeat. My wife and I will be coming from Hawaii to attend Comic Con in July, our first trip without our kids since having kids. We have our convention passes and our plane tickets, but we don't yet have a place to stay. We know that all the official convention hotels are booked solid, and have been for weeks. So, from what I can tell, our options are among the following:

1. Way overpay for a "historic" hotel near the Convention Center ($400+ night), knowing that it'll be old and crummy since it can afford to be so close to the action.

2. Find a hotel along the San Diego trolley line, which hopefully would be more affordable. This is the suggestion from last year, but I'm having a hard time finding hotels that have trolley stops in front of them. (I found an "Old Time Trolley" with hotels listed but that seemed more like a tourist ride, not mass transit.) If we could get some suggestions, I like this option a lot.

3. Find a hotel or motel further away ($200+), say 5-10 miles (i.e. "Hotel Circle"), then depend on shuttles or taxis. I'm not sure how pervasive either shuttles or taxis are, though, and I gather this option most limits our spontaneous wandering around options.

4. Expand the radius ridiculously, bargain hunt, and just rent a car to get around. More wandering options (my wife is hinting that she wants to blow off a day of the con and just do the tourist thing), but then we have to deal with parking, which I gather is also a nightmare in San Diego.

FWIW, I've already inquired at several private vacation rentals (VRBO, HomeAway), and they're all booked or require a full month. A pity, since I'm becoming a fan of vacation rentals versus hotels.

Anyone familiar with San Diego or Comic Con have some insights to share? Like I said, we haven't hopped a plane anywhere for 10 years, so as long as you've visited San Diego more recently than that, I'm sure we could learn something from you.

Good pasta in San Diego?!

brynna — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:58:41 -0800

Where can I find fresh pasta in San Diego? I'm looking to find a restaurant (or great market) that serves (or sells!) fresh, amazing pasta. I'm based in San Diego and my search has been fruitless so far. Help!

How's Life In PB?

Gerard Sorme — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:15:40 -0800

PB (Pacific Beach) Filter.... I lived in San Diego back in the early 90's and have been told that PB has changed quite a bit. I am wondering how much of this is true. What is PB like these days? When I was there it was full of college students and aging hipsters (a lot of men in their sixties with gray ponytails, etc.). Now, I understand it has become a fashionable place to live and you find a lot of couples, families and it's really changed. Because of the change, supposedly rents have skyrocketed on and on. How much of this is true? Has it changed all that much? Bottom line: What is it like living in PB these days? As always, thanks in advance!

Where to lay my head for a few days in San Diego?

desuetude — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:39:00 -0800

After a week-long business meeting in San Diego in April, I'd like to take a couple days of vacation to actually visit the city, but but I'm having trouble getting a handle on where to stay (and where to look for a place to stay?) For my meeting, I'll be staying in the Gaslamp district (but with no time for any sort of sightseeing.) Afterwards, I mostly just want to decompress, see some pretty stuff, take some walks, eat at tasty restaurants, and have a decent local bar where I can drink some whiskey and talk to strangers.

From the little I've been able to find on what San Diego is "like", it looks like the neighborhoods in which I'd most like to chill out are Hillcrest/Normal Heights? (By way of comparison, in San Fran I stayed in the Castro and in NOLA I always stayed in the Marigny. Tourist-district-central is generally not for me -- I do not think I'm going to want to stay in the Gaslamp.)

I generally prefer small inns, B&Bs, and the like. Guesthouses with shared baths are absolutely fine. (Dorm-style hostels, not so much.) Cheaper is better. Am I looking on the wrong internet? I'm not finding much.

P.S. I won't have a car and I'm not willing to rent one.
P.P.S. Yes, I saw these previous AskMes.

Bug-filter: Cockroach? Please god, nooooo!

saturnine — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:21:35 -0800

Oh the joys of foreign bugs. Please can someone confirm/deny whether this is a cockroach? I'm creeped out to the nth degree. Yes, that photograph is far closer to any gross bug than it should be. I have searched through other questions on this subject, and this picture seems similar to what I have crawling around in a jar on my counter right now... but not 100%. My main problem being that I'm not from the US, so I'm not used to all the insects San Diego keeps throwing at me. Hell, I freaked out when a cricket got into the apartment the other night.

So what do I have and how should I kill it without touching it? If it's not a cockroach, is this something driven inside by the rain (it's pouring today, and I left the screen door open)?

Staying classy as a homeless in San Diego

hobbes — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:20:05 -0800

Staying ~~classy~~ cheap in San Diego.. where should I stay overnight? And any neighborhoods to avoid? Flying from SF down to San Diego to listen to a Robert Irwin lecture in La Jolla. Don't have any hotels/hostels booked, and I wanna minimize how much I spend.. what are some parks I can stay in overnight without being bothered by authorities? If this is actually too sketch, I'm open to staying in a hostel, but it seems like most of them only accept out-of-state, or international residents.

Thanks.

PS Anyone wanna climb on Friday, or Saturday? I'll bring my harness and shoes in that case.

Temp or retail

slow graffiti — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:55:59 -0800

What do I do to tide myself over until my next real job? Shitty retail work or temp work? I quit a bad job with a local publication in San Diego. It was my intro to the editorial world, and I was often praised for my work, I have a good recommendation from my old boss, but they treated me badly and there was no where to go in the company (I'd be surprised if they still exist in 5 or 10 years). I quit without anything new lined up, since I have enough money to be jobless for a few months.

Since I got that job so quickly and easily straight out of college, I didn't think it would be too hard to find something similar. Now after a month and a half, it seems that's not the case. Craigslist, mediabistro, and my university's job boards have not turned up much I'm qualified for. Since it looks like it could take a very long time to find a new job in my city, and I don't want to dip into savings if I don't have to, and I'm getting bored, it's time to consider the crappy retail job or temping. I don't know which would be better in this situation; am I likely to make more with an agency versus Borders or similar? Will an agency be able to give me any work that's vaguely editorial? I don't care too much what I do, as long as it's something I can quit easily when a real job comes around again. Specific recommendations for temp agencies in San Diego and getting back on the real editing job track are appreciated.

Stay Classy San Diego

clearly — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:30:21 -0800

I am taking a week long trip to San Diego for a week. Help me make the most of it. Where/What are the best....
Bars
Thrift Stores
Record Stores
Shopping Districts
Day Trips
Must Sees ????

I am 22, male, have my car, don't mind driving, and want to live it up for a week.

There is no plan for this trip. Other than visiting OB and the Gaslamp Quarter, my brothers and I are going to wing it for a week. We are staying in La Jolla if that makes any difference.

Any recommendations at all are be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Where to live: Seattle or San Diego?

|n$eCur3 — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:19:09 -0800

Help me decide where to live: Mid 20s in San Diego or Seattle? The factors of importance are within. But any unique perspective will help. I've been in Seattle for a year, but may move to San Diego for more pay in the short term (job in Seattle is better career-wise, in the long term). Either job provides enough to make me happy.

If you live in Seattle or San Diego, what do you like about either place? San Diegans, would you move to Seattle? Seattleites, would you move to San Diego? Have you lived in both cities? Which did you prefer?

I am most interested in the following factors:
1. Sunshine, weather. San Diego wins landslide.
2. Ease of meeting people. Undecided.
3. Cost of living? Don't know.
4. Which place is more relaxed? Don't know.
5. Public transportation: Seattle wins.

A little about myself for context:
I am active, love outdoor activities (ski, bike, surf, run). I have been having a hard time meeting my "type" of people in Seattle (despite joining many activity groups, of which there are many), but I've only been there for a year. I am from Northern California, where I find people more open and outgoing. In Seattle, people are "nice" but it's hard to break into deeper more meaningful relationships without extreme effort. I find Seattle to be very cliquey and exclusive (it's feels like I need to pick a group). In California there is more open socializing, which is more of my style.

Anyway, any factors that I am overlooking can be explored as well. Thanks!

Why these mountains?

billtron — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:51:39 -0800

I'm sitting in North Clairemont, San Diego, watching the fires pass by on the north, east and south. Why are all the street names in my neighborhood named after mountain peaks? I know they are vaguely alphabetically distributed, but why mountains, and why these particular mountains? Did a developer choose their favorites, or is there some other pattern that I am unaware of?

Asking for a friend: Recommendations for dentists in San Diego?

Mookbear — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:59:06 -0800

My friend is looking for a dentist in the 858 area code of San Diego area. Any recommendations? He signed up for a metafliter account, but was whammied by the 7 day waiting period. He's looking to get in relatively soon, as he is trying to get things done before he goes off of his dad's insurance in November.

Has anyone had really good experiences with a particular dentist in that general area? There is only one post that I could find that deals with dentists in San Diego, but... more specific recommendations would be awesome! Thanks! :o)

P.S. He has his insurance through United Healthcare, in case that bit of info helps at all.

What to do on a one week roadtrip south of Los Angeles?

eileen — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:22:24 -0800

What to do on a one week roadtrip south of Los Angeles? I'm heading to LA for a cousin's wedding, and would like to turn the following week into a great vacation. The plan is to leave the city right after the event, and since I have already traveled quite a bit north of LA, I'd like to head south.

What would you do with a week of free time there? Likes include hiking, exploring walkable towns, art, architecture, independent coffeeshops, and seeing beautiful nature. Unique places to stay or see would be great, as well as any obvious "can't miss" things. I am completely unfamiliar with the area. We probably won't have camping gear. Timeframe is the first week of November. Any and all recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks!

What's the best base for 4 days in San Diego?

azure_swing — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:02:57 -0800

Never been to San Diego: best place to stay for a brief vacation? My sister is such a fabulous admin that her boss has offered to pay for a 4-day vacation for her in San Diego. Between the Gaslight District, Balboa, Downtown, Uptown, Waterfront, and Coronado, what's the best place to stay? Hotel recommendations (or steer-clear advisories) would be much appreciated as well.

Surplus and clothing shops in San Diego, California?

fake — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:17:37 -0800

I'll be in San Diego, CA next week. I'd like your recommendations for military/industrial/aerospace surplus shops. I would also appreciate any clues on clothing retailers (is there an H&M or equivalent?). Bonus points if it's located near downtown, so I can walk.

Should I bring my road or mountain bike to San Diego?

neilkod — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:07:36 -0800

Going to San Diego in late August-Should I bring my road bike or my mountain bike? I live in Salt Lake City, where there is plenty of great road and mountain riding. I'll be in San Diego 23-Aug through 27-Aug.

I welcome 23-24 mph pacelines, canyon climbs, rough descents(but not DH proper), basically anything on two wheels.

Ideas for rides, either road or mountain welcome. I'd even be willing to go on a local group ride I can find one ( <=22mph avg).

Bringing both bikes is likely out of the question. I haven't put much thought into renting a bike out there as my bikes are basically extensions of my body, and are also professionally fit.

Vaginismus Help in San Diego County

liverbisque — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:33:08 -0800

Vaginismus Treatment Filter: Anyone have recommendations for psychologists or sex therapists in the San Diego County area who specialize in the treatment of vaginismus? I have been hoping for too long that my (primary) vaginismus would just "go away on its own." I need to find a qualified specialist, and unfortunately I only have about two months in the area to do so (after that I will be moving out of the country).

My primary doctor told me to call my insurance company to get a list of names, but I'd rather try to get some personal recommendations and then sort out the insurance drudgery. Otherwise I'm afraid I'm going to end up wasting too much time making appointments with doctors who aren't what I'm looking for. (Though I understand that scenario might be unavoidable.)

The condition is anxiety-induced (ie, not due to past abuse/molestation/whathaveyou), if that makes a difference in the type of specialist recommended.

All suggestions welcome, and thanks in advance.

Is it possible to satisfactorily commute between UC San Diego and Hillcrest using public transit?

meehawl — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:37:04 -0800

San Diego! Can I live in Hillcrest and reliably use public transit and shuttles to commute to UCSD campus every day without feeling despair and missing schedules? I am moving to San Diego for school. For the first two years, I'll basically be living on campus. For the next two, spending a lot of time in Hillcrest. I just hate driving and would prefer to be able to use transit or UCSD's shuttle to make my commute. I've heard horror stories about the SD traffic. How bad is it? How long does it take? Is it doable, or will it reduce me to impotent rage with frequent gridlocks? For perspective, I drove SF to San Jose for a couple of years and currently, occasionally, drive in New Jersey and New York City.