San Diego (pop. 1,305,736 as of 2005) is a coastal Southern California city located in the southwestern corner of the continental United States. It is the second largest city in California and the seventh largest in the United States . It lies just north of the Mexican border, and is a home for Navy and Marine Corps bases, many miles of beaches, and a mild marine climate. The annual mean temperature is 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit. San Diego’s economy centers on tourism, trade, agriculture, ship-building, the military, biotechnology, computer science and electronics.
The University of California, San Diego and nearby research institutes on Torrey Mesa provide a base for technological innovation and start-up companies in the area. The city draws tourists with beaches and bays, Balboa Park with its many museums, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, San Diego Wild Animal Park (in Escondido, north of the city) and Old Town, the site of of the original Spanish settlement.
Downtown San Diego is located on San Diego Bay. Coronado Island and Point Loma separate the bay from the ocean. Ocean Beach is on the west side of Point Loma. Mission Beach and Pacific Beach lie between the ocean and Mission Bay, a man-made aquatic park. La Jolla, an affluent community, lies north of Pacific Beach. Mount Soledad in La Jolla offers views from northern San Diego County to Mexico.
San Diego Neighborhoods
Northern: Bay Ho, Bay Park, Carmel Valley, Clairemont Mesa, Del Mar Heights, La Jolla, La Jolla Village, Mission Beach, North City, North Clairemont, Pacific Beach, Torrey Pines, University City
Northeastern: Carmel Mountain, Miramar, Mira Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Sabre Springs, Scripps Ranch, Sorrento Valley
Eastern: Allied Gardens, Birdland, Del Cerro, Grantville, Kearny Mesa, Lake Murray, San Carlos, Serra Mesa, Tierrasanta
Western: Hillcrest, La Playa, Linda Vista, Loma Portal, Midtown, Midway District, Mission Bay Park, Mission Hills, Mission Valley, Morena, North Park, Ocean Beach, Old Town, Point Loma Heights, Roseville-Fleetridge, Sunset Cliffs, University Heights, Wooded Area
Central: Balboa Park, Barrio Logan, Core-Columbia, Cortez, Gaslamp Quarter, Golden Hill, Grant Hill, , Harborview, Horton Plaza, Little Italy, Logan Heights, Marina, Memorial, Park West, Sherman Heights, South Park, Stockton.
Mid-City: City Heights, College Area, Darnall, El Cerrito, Gateway, Kensington, Normal Heights, Oak Park, Rolando, Talmadge, Webster
Southeastern: Alta Vista, Bay Terrace, Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Jamacha-Lomita, Lincoln Park, Mountain View, Mt. Hope, Shelltown, Skyline, Southcrest, Valencia Park
Southern: Egger Highlands, Nestor, Ocean Crest, Otay Mesa, Palm City, San Ysidro, Tijuana River Valley
Sites of Interest
San Diego is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world. Among the many attractions are its beaches, climate, and deserts. Noted San Diego tourist attractions include:
* Black’s Beach nude beach
* Cabrillo National Monument at Point Loma
* Chicano Park
* Gaslamp Quarter
* Hillcrest, San Diego, California Neighborhood
* La Casa de Estudillo *
* La Jolla
* Legoland Carlsbad
* Little Italy (see also Little Italy in other cities around the world including in U.S. cities)
* MCAS Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Miramar Airshow
* Mission Bay Park
* Mission Beach Roller Coaster at Belmont Park
* Mission San Diego de Alcala *
* Mount Soledad
* Old Globe Theatre
* Old Mission Dam in Mission Trails Regional Park*
* Old Town
* Pacific Beach
* Petco Park
* Point Loma
* Presidio of San Diego*
* Qualcomm Stadium
* San Diego Aerospace Museum
* San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
* San Diego Wild Animal Park
* San Diego Zoo
* Seaport Village
* SeaWorld
* Star of India, barque sailing ship *
* Torrey Pines Golf Course
* Torrey Pines State Reserve
* USS Midway (CV-41), aircraft carrier museum
(* An asterisk designates National Historic Landmarks)
San Diego is about two hours south of Los Angeles, California and north adjacent to Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.