San Diego is known as “America’s Finest City” and it is famous for its world-class beaches, hiking trails and year-round perfect weather. As of recently, San Diego has also gained fame worldwide as a healthcare and biotechnology development hub. In nearby areas like La Jolla and Sorrento Valley you can also find several tech and biotechnology offices and research facilities.
With a population of approximately 1,425,976 people, San Diego is the eight-largest city in the United States and home to an eclectic mix of nationalities as well as approximately 100 identified neighborhoods. This Californian gem is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and is only about 18 miles from the city center and to the Mexican border. San Diego is the ideal spot for a weekend at the beach or a convenient stopover point if you are heading north, toward sunny Los Angeles, or south towards Baja California Peninsula in Mexico.
Although the city also has plenty of leisure activities to choose from, San Diego’s reputation as a business hub has likely brought in an increasing number of visitors over the years.
Neighborhoods like Sorrento Valley, located about 18 miles north of the city’s main airport – Lindbergh Field, are a quiet retreat from the lively yet busy streets of downtown San Diego. Without a doubt, it has become one of the preferred destinations to stay when visiting San Diego as it is home to several important tech, biotech and IT companies, such as Qualcomm, Verizon and Google Inc. Many hotels in the area, like the newly renovated Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Diego North, CA, offer complimentary shuttles to transport you to nearby corporations like Qualcomm, business parks like San Diego Tech Center, local businesses and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) campus.
On the other hand, areas like Rancho Bernardo conveniently located between north and south San Diego, are also a popular accommodation spot when visiting San Diego. Hotels like the Radisson Hotel San Diego-Rancho Bernardo can be easily from popular attractions like the Del Mar beaches, San Diego Zoo Safari Park and downtown San Diego, as well as from corporations like Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Northrop Grumman, Sony, ASML and BAE. This area also boasts grandiose golf courses, wineries, hiking trails and outdoor parks, including Black Mountain and Hodges Reservoir
A great way to explore the city is by starting at the historic heart of the Old Town district – present-day Downtown San Diego. Here you can take a hop-on hop-off trolley tour that covers 10 neighborhoods in the area. It is a great way to visit the downtown area of the city without having to worry about parking.
San Diego is a great vacation spot whether you are traveling solo, for a romantic getaway weekend or on a family trip. There are plenty of family-friendly activities to fill your days: you can visit SeaWorld San Diego, a theme park and aquarium with educational and fun-filled activities for the whole family or take a trip to LEGOLAND®, an interactive amusement park for people of all ages featuring all-things Lego. You can even find some colorful African Fishes when you visit cichlidtips
Up next is San Diego is Balboa Park. This famous urban park is almost double the size of New York City’s Central Park. It is a must-see attraction not only because of 1,200 acres of lush gardens but also because it is home to renowned attractions like the San Diego Zoo. There are enough activities and attractions available at the park to keep you busy for an entire day, to say the least: you can take a free walking tour, tour the park by tram, enjoy a nice meal, visit a museum, attend a show and much more.
Lastly, if you wish to relax a little and enjoy the amazing weather, San Diego lives up to its beach town reputation as it boasts 70 miles of coastline. Depending on what you are in a mood for, you have a range of beaches to choose from. Beaches like Coronado Beach, Black’s beach, Ponto Beach and Ocean beach are a must-see. In addition to soaking up some sun and enjoying a stroll along the beautiful coastline, you can also partake in several adventurous water activities like surfing, paragliding or enjoy a small shopping spree at the boutiques by the waterfront. La Jolla Cove is also a noteworthy and picturesque beach considered an important natural sight in San Diego as you often spot sea lions and seals along the coastline.
Because of its massive size, San Diego is mostly traveled by car. While it has an accessible and affordable public transportation system, residents and visitors rely on the city’s network of freeways and highways to navigate their way through the city and its surrounding areas. Despite the distance between many of its main attractions, San Diego is a very bike-friendly city with spectacular views, and thanks to some recent developments, it is also possible to tour the city by bike.
What is more, with the new arrival of tech companies in the San Diego area in the last decade, the city has also welcomed a wave of alternative forms of transportation which hold true to the millennial generation – the ride-sharing services. Depending on the distance that you are traveling, you can choose a scooter, a bike or a car to temporarily rent. This comes in very handy especially in a crowded, touristic and mostly car-dependent city like San Diego.
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