tijuana/san diego advice?

[deatchef]

I am making a business trip out to San diego CA in Aug (2 day seminar)
and would like to check out the town (san diego) as well as make it across the border.
Can i ask any ones's advice on where a good place to stay in san diego would be? (Coronado, Downtown San Diego & Harbor Island,
La Jolla, Mira Mesa,Miramar,Mission Bay, Mission Valley, Penasquitos,Shelter Island - Point Loma, Torrey Pines.... For good beaches and night life; (latino heavy preferred)
Should i book a room in san diego and just make trips to tijuana; vice versa, or would it be smarter to stay for a few days in each?
PS. I'm going to Barranquilla in May, this trip is not for wife hunting; but merely to relax after the seminar and get in some beach time and see some "SITES"
Thanks,
Deatch

[Jeff S]

... in response to tijuana/san diego advice?, posted by deatchef on Jan 24, 2003

In San Diego, I like staying at Shelter Island - Humphrey's Half Moon is a nice place - good rate with AAA discount and fantastic Sunday brunch. If you go to TJ, and I strongly recomend it, the Hotel Lucerna in Zona Rio is nice, as is the Tijuana Grand. Both are a bit pricey, $100 but e-mail me and I'll get it booked through a local Tijuana business that can get you a corporate rate ~75. The Tijuana Grand's Sunday brunch is not to be missed. Live jazz, classical, piano, and a buffet that stretches 100 feet or more with some incredible dishes - 10 kinds of ceviche at least, a fruit bar etc, etc, with free flowing champagne and bloody marys. Very worth the $10 or so, if you can arrange to be there on a Sunday morning.

In Tijuana, avoid the places where gringo college kids go to do too many shooters and hurl in the gutter - especially Ave Revolucion. It's a ripoff dump, and as others have posted here, too many weirdo perverts there. Instead hang in Zona Rio. Ochoas, Baby Rock, Guadalajara Grill, etc. is the best area, few gringos, mostly middle class type Mexicans and college students. Also the bigger hotels like the Grand and Lucerna, usually have dancing and live bands, but they're often a quieter, older crowd. The night spots don't come alive til about 11:00 PM and go til 2:00 or later. BTW, they dress much nicer than equivalent California night spots.

Crossing the border south is not so bad, but coming home especially weekend afternoons is a PITA. I usually use Otay Mesa, near the Tijuana airport, east of the main gate. If you have to come home in the afternoon and cross at San Ysidro, here's the best way:
http://www.sandiego-online.com/baja/border/map1.stm Late at night (or early in the morning) it's usually a piece of cake to cross at the main gate at San Ysidro.

I agree with the poster that said it's better to walk across, especially if you have a rental car (Check with the rental car company, but I'm betting you can't take it across.) The trolley will take you from downtown to the border, and just catch a cab on the other side.

Here's a good web site that includes webcams of the border crossings & links to resturaunts, hotels, etc: http://www.tijuana.baja-web.com/

Jeff S.
kmsauto@pacbell.net

[deatchef]

... in response to Re: tijuana/san diego advice?, posted by Jeff S on Jan 24, 2003

can you send me your e-mail address, the one you posted (kmsauto@pacbell.net) came back undeliverable
thanks,
deatchef@hotmail.com

[deatchef]

... in response to Re: tijuana/san diego advice?, posted by Jeff S on Jan 24, 2003

nt

[deatchef]

... in response to Re: tijuana/san diego advice?, posted by Jeff S on Jan 24, 2003

nt

[Celt]

... in response to tijuana/san diego advice?, posted by deatchef on Jan 24, 2003

I live in San Diego. If money is one of your least concerns,
go to La Jolla. The scenery is breath-taking, and the hotels
are better than average.

There is a rail-line from San Diego to the Tijuana border.
It does not make sense to drive each day, since you will
spend two hours just crossing the border (South-North)
each day. You cannot take the rail-line from La Jolla to
Tijuana. You would have to drive closer to San Diego,
for example, Mission Valley, and then take the trolley
South.

Mission Valley has an area called "Hotel Circle" with
accommodations at all levels of price and quality. It
is near the main freeway junctions (5,8,163,15), and
close to downtown. This is the practical venue.

I am not a big fan of Tijuana. Others here could speak
more objectively about the hotel situation there.

[mudd]

... in response to tijuana/san diego advice?, posted by deatchef on Jan 24, 2003

Well, it depends on what you want to do. Downtown is nice, but the streets and traffic can be a pain in the butt. Mission valley is nice with lots of hotels. Hate to tell you, if you’re going "over the border" looking for hopeful wives, don’t bother, but if you just want to check it out, it’s a different city and way of life. Coronado is also nice, but expensive. If money isn’t a problem, I would suggest Coronado, La Jolla, mission valley or down town. If you don’t want to spend a lot, try a sub city, like La Mesa, pacific beach, Chula Vista, or El Cajon. Coronado is a sort of an island, so the beach is close, so is pacific beach, Del mar and La Jolla. As far as night life Latino style, we only have a few clubs downtown, cafe sevia and ole Madrid, but both are filled with guys looking for girls. Your better off trying to find a hole in the wall bar or night club in Chula Vista, National City, or san ysidro, but most good women won’t be in the bars, so it is kind of a mute point. Hope this info helps you. Oh, before I forget, the border traffic coming back into the USA is terrible, so expect a long wait.