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Shopping
When it comes to shopping, San Diego is slowly emerging as not only a Mecca for shopping malls, but a hot spot for small designer boutiques. San Diego's great all year around whether is a perfect setting for a day of bargain hunting amongst the many outdoor open air shopping experiences. Whether you are into high end designers or you're at Fashion Valley Mall, there will be something for everybody. If its is discounts and bargains your into, try our new Las Americas outlet center. Latin themed in architecture, this sprawling complex next to the Mexico border offers well over 75 stores to fill every designer addict's need. Nike, Hilfiger, Claiborne...you name it, Las Americas has it, you will find that San Diego has many options when it comes to shopping and is becoming an international shopping destination.
Retail
Fashion Valley Center
The class of San Diego malls, Fashion Valley has arguably the best of the upscale stores. Nordstrom, JC Penney, Macy's, Niemen Marcus and the new Bloomingdale's anchor this well appointed two-level outdoor mall. Where else will you find a Tiffany store? Good restaurants and an AMC multiplex make this a place to go beyond shopping. Burberry, Lily Pulitzer, Gucci, Roehl, Apple and Sony Style store reflect the mall's cool factor. Tidbit: Parking is easiest and plentiful in the parking garages.  
Horton Plaza Westfield
Horton Plaza's construction in the mid-1980s jump-started the Gaslamp renaissance. Its multi-level, somewhat confusing whimsical architecture is a must-see for any San Diego visitor. Nordstrom, Macy's and a wide array of shops and eateries make this the noontime stop for downtown workers. Tidbit: The parking structures can be confusing for first-timers. They are designated by vegetables and fruits. Make sure you validate your parking ticket (with any purchase) for 3 free hours (4 hours with movie or restaurant purchase).
Otay Ranch Town Center
OK, Otay Ranch Town Center just opened in fall 2006. So what makes it so special? Well, it's the first regional mall to open in 20 years. And it's not your traditional mall, but a "lifestyle" mall. Think: a neighborhood business district, only with upscale shops and department stores. Tidbit: The "main street" allows parking in front of many stores. It's pedestrian friendly, with a dog park, too. For entertainment, an AMC theatre and lots of dining.
Westfield University Town Center
One of the many Westfield Shopping town entities, UTC is a pleasant outdoor mall. Located in the Golden Triangle area (and slated for a refurbishing), it caters to the yuppie/soccer mom crowd. The much-used ice skating rink distinguishes the mall from others of Westfield's homogenous stable. Nordstrom, Sears, and Macy's are the majors. Tidbit: The ice rink and food court is the place to stay cool on hot days - a fun place to chill and people watch.
Grossmont Center
This quaint mall in La Mesa is the shopping center that time forgot. It's a cozy, well-maintained outdoor mall in La Mesa that is lacking in pizzazz and choices - in fact, it's a bit dull. But in the world of mega-malls, sometimes dull is OK. Anchored by a two-story Target, a smallish Macy's, Grossmont also has a nice Pacific Cinema, and a two-level Wal-Mart. Tidbit: There's a surprisingly good choice of sit down restaurants, including the new Casa de Pico and Shake s Pizza for families.
Westfield Parkway Plaza
Yet another Westfield mall, Parkway Plaza is the regional mall serving East County. This indoor, single level mall is a necessity in scorching El Cajon. Malls tend to reflect their clientele, and Parkway serves the unpretentious, Middle America of East County. Young adult shops, a Regal Cinema and a food court make this the area's teen hangout. A two-story Wal-Mart is the newest tenant. Tidbit: A Family Lounge is located in the Food Court as a respite for those with little ones, and the mall is a WiFi hotspot.
Westfield Plaza Bonita
Located in the South County area, Plaza Bonita is the Westfield indoor, two-level counterpart to Plaza Camino Real. In fact, other than the more ethnically diverse makeup of the Chula Vista, National City area shoppers (Hispanic, Filipino), you wouldn't know if you were in Plaza Camino, North County or Plaza Bonita. But the mall is undergoing and extensive makeover, adding a Target, Borders Books, and 14-screen AMC Cinema by 2008. Tidbit: Plaza Bonita is a Wi-Fi hotspot, and also has a Family Lounge and mall walker program. Chula Vista Center
Chula Vista Center is one of the smaller malls in the region, and often gets lost in the shuffle between nearby Plaza Bonita and the new Otay Ranch Towne Center. An older mall located in downtown Chula Vista, it has the only Sears store in the South Bay area. It's also anchored by Macy's, JCPenney, Mervyn's, and an ULTRA Star Cinema. Tidbit: If you want to hit the mall in the South Bay, and don't like indoor malls, or aren't swayed by the higher end shops, Chula Vista Center is a perfect fit.
Westfield Plaza Camino Real
Another generic, indoor Westfield mall, Plaza Camino Real serves the North County Coastal area (Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside). Two-level, with the usual assortment of over 170 stores, Plaza Camino is as undistinguished as North County Fair, except they have a MovieMax Theatre Plaza. A new Steve & Barry's University Sportswear and Bella Furniture are open. Tidbit: Mall walker's fitness program meets on Tuesdays at 8:30 am.
Westfield North County
Yet another Westfield shopping mall, North County (Fair) serves the North County bedroom communities of Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, etc. This large, two-level indoor mall is of mid-1980's vintage with your usual allotment of department stores and shops (JC Penney, Sears, and Nordstrom). Before Westfield took it over, it was known as North County Fair, and people still refer to it as that. Tidbit: Parking is plentiful, but the food court is small, and the sit-down restaurant food choices are limited, given the area demographics. Pretty ho-hum.
Westfield Mission Valley
Westfield's Mission Valley Center is kind of a mess. Its layout is a mess (a remnant of the '60s) and it's the most downscale of the are shopping malls. The selection of shops and the gigantic AMC multiplex suggest a catering to the teen and young adult crowd. But it does have a two-level Target (always good to have), two Macy's stores and Nordstrom Rack, and a 24-Hour Fitness gym. Tidbit: Hot home furnishing store West Elm is in the mall's West Annex, along with Gordon Biersch, Border's, Old Navy and DSW Shoes. New restaurants are being built adjacent to Target. 
Seaport Village
This landmark waterfront shopping and dining center, Seaport Village, features a unique collection of 57 specialty shops and galleries, four bay-view restaurants, thirteen sidewalk eateries and an 1890's carousel. Surrounded by beautiful plazas, breathtaking views of San Diego Bay and live entertainment, Seaport Village is the perfect place to capture the true San Diego experience. Seaport Village is located downtown San Diego in the Marina District (just west of the Gaslamp) at 849 West Harbor Drive.
Outlets
Las Americas
Las Americas is the county's newest outlet center and it is an impressive one indeed. Latin themed in architecture, this sprawling complex next to the Mexico border offers well over 75 stores to fill every designer addict's need. Nike, Hilfiger, Claiborne...you name it, Las Americas has it, and a new expansion has added even more stores including Neiman Marcus, Kenneth Cole, Polo and Coach outlets. Take the last U.S. exit to Camino de la Plaza.
Carlsbad Premium Outlets
Carlsbad Premium Outlets is another sprawling complex serving the north county. With 90 stores in an attractive setting, next to the Carlsbad Flower Fields, this outlet center is heavy on the designer names (Karan, Cole, Lauren), and even has a Barney's New York outlet. 5620 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, CA 92008.
Viejas Outlet Center
Viejas Outlet Center, located across from the Viejas Casino, is the county's first of the dressed up outlet centers and it still is the best in terms of ambience. The Native American theme and meandering walkways and gardens lend to a more serene shopping experience, if that's at all possible. But it works. The shops are your usual assortment of outlet standbys (Hilfiger, Gap, Nike), but it's worth the drive to Alpine. Plus, don't miss the special water shows, Power of Night fire during summer and Legend of the Ice Princess show during the holidays. Oh yeah, and you can hit the casino if you still have dough after shopping. 5000 Willows Rd. Alpine, CA 91901.
San Diego Factory Outlet
The first of San Diego's outlet centers, the Factory Outlet has fallen somewhat on hard times with the opening of the flashier Las Americas right across the street. Mainly because most of the original tenants abandoned this strip mall for the nicer Las Americas digs. But there are still a few shops where you can find bargains. 4498-B Camino de la Plaza, San Ysidro, CA 92173.
Open Air Markets
 Kobey's Swap Meet
Kobey's Swap Meet offers bargain deals on artwork, clothing, food and other household items. Kobey's is set up with new item merchandise in the front rows and garage sale/vintage/used items in the back. This is a great way to hit tons of garage sales without having to drive around. Admission is $1.00 on Saturday and Sundays and $0.50 on Fridays. Come early for the best treasure hut around! Located at the Sports Arena, parking is available as well as food and drink.
Horton Square Farmers Market
Located right downtown in Horton Square of Horton Plaza (Broadway & 3rd) this open air market offers fresh flowers and produce on Thursdays from 11 to 3 from March to mid October. Great prices and location. Walk from your condo or stop by after some shopping at the mall. 
Seaside Bazaar
Encinitas Seaside Bazaar is an open air, European style flea market. You can find anything from Townsend s Fabulous Palmfish whimsical sculptures, 600 year old Tibetan Antiques or that classic tie dye hippie shirt. You never know what you will find at the Seaside Bazaar, but rest assured it will most likely be unique. The Bazaar is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Located at 459 S. Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024 (next to La Paloma Theatre)
Entertainment
Gaslamp_Quarter Gaslamp Quarter Vibrant, eclectic, and endlessly entertaining, the Gaslamp Quarter covers more than 16 city blocks of downtown San Diego, with hundreds of specialty shops and dozens of trendy restaurants, bars and avant-garde playhouses. Most of the shops keep late hours, so delightful shopping, drinking, and dining can occur virtually simultaneously. Cutting-edge women's fashions elbow up against exclusive art galleries. The San Diego Convention Center is just steps away from the Gaslamp, and during major conventions the flow of souvenir-hunting attendees floods the area. For an upscale shopping mall experience, the adjacent Horton Plaza offers major department stores and a hundred or so mall shops set in an architecturally amusing maze of bridges, stairways, and intricately tiled walls. If you have just a few hours to devote to shopping - or San Diego itself - spend the time and the money here. Credit card acceptance varies by business.
 Copley's Symphony Hall Through an agreement with the City of San Diego, the Fox Theatre became the city's second official civic theatre. In 1984, the entire "Fox block" was sold to Charlton Reynard Development Company, who, in turn, donated the theatre to the San Diego Symphony. Notably, the theatre itself is surrounded by the new structures on the block, including the Symphony Towers Office Building, the Sheraton Suites Hotel, and the much enlarged parking garage. None of those structures is in direct contact with the walls of the theatre, and no sound or vibration disturbance from any of the surrounding structures will interfere with the sound of the music played inside. In March of 1985, a $6 million renovation project, which took six months to complete, employed people who were dedicated to the purpose of restoring the theatre and the pipe organ to its original grandeur. Notably, the same Los Angeles firm who had decorated the hall for its 1929 opening came down to duplicate the decoration during the 1980's restoration. Further additions to the theatre include significant improvements to the stage and acoustic qualities. It is one of the few venues in the world that belongs to the orchestra playing in it. It has proved to be a gem and a pleasure to sit in to hear great music performed superbly.
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Cox Arena
Ground was broken for the Cox Arena on March 27, 1995 in the historic
San Diego State University Aztec Bowl site. The Aztec Bowl, which opened
on October 3, 1936, served as the site for university sporting and
cultural events through august of 1994. Of note, on June 6, 1963,
President John F. Kennedy presented the commencement address and
received his honorary doctorate in front of 30,000 people in and around
Aztec Bowl. In February and March of 1988, the Associated Students of
SDSU approved the  Cricket Amphitheater The Amphitheatre features 9,468 chair back seats and 10,024 lawn seats. During the spring, summer and fall months it is used for most first-tier concert tours, due primarily to its capacity (there are more seats at the Amphitheatre than at the San Diego Sports Arena). The Area around the amphitheatre had previously been open fields and at one time been part of a large dairy farm. In the late 1990s, a development plan was created and a water park and concert venue was planned for the area. Wild Water Canyon (now Knott's Soak City) opened in 1997, while Coors Amphitheatre opened July 21, 1998, the first venue of its kind in San Diego County. A month later, on August 21, 1998 the venue hosted its first sell-out concert with the Spice Girls.
Buy Tickets Now  Sports Arena The San Diego Sports Arena (formerly I Pay One Center) is an indoor arena located on Sports Arena Blvd in Point Loma, San Diego, California off of Interstate 8. The arena was built in 1966 by Robert Breitbard, a local football hero who played for Hoover High School and San Diego State, for "a modest" $6.4 million dollars. The arena opened on 17 November 1967 when more than 11,000 pro hockey fans watched the San Diego Gulls (then a member of the Western Hockey League) win their season opener 4-to-1 against the Seattle Totems. The arena seats 12,000 for arena football, 12,920 for ice hockey, 14,500 for basketball and tennis, 5,450 for amphitheater concerts and stage shows, between 8,900 and 14,800 for arena concerts, 13,000 for ice shows and the circus, and 16,100 for boxing and wrestling. In 2003 Amusement Business/Billboard Magazine listed the arena as the "#5" facility in the nation for venues seating 10,001 to 15,000 seats. The same magazine ranked the arena as #2 in 2002.
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 Del_Mar_Racetrack Del Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where the Turf Meets the Surf." It was built by a partnership including Bing Crosby, the actor Pat O'Brien, Jimmy Durante, and Charles S. Howard. When Del Mar opened in 1937, Bing Crosby was at the gate to personally greet the fans. On August 12, 1938, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all match race between Charles S. Howard's Seabiscuit and the Binglin Stable's colt, Ligaroti. In an era when horse racing ranked second in popularity with Americans to Major League Baseball, the match race was much written and talked about and was the first nationwide broadcast of a Thoroughbred race by NBC radio. In the race, Seabiscuit was ridden by jockey George Woolf and Ligaroti by Noel Richardson. In front of a record crowd that helped make the fledgling Del Mar race track a success, Seabiscuit won an exciting battle by a nose. In the 1990's the track underwent a major renovation. The grandstand of the Del Mar Fairgrounds was demolished and replaced. In 1991 the track ran its richest race to date, the $1,000,000 Grade I Pacific Classic Stake. The first Classic was won by an impressive three-year-old named Best Pal. Each year, the track opens their summer racing season in mid July to crowds upwards of 40,000 people. Del Mar Racetrack is still the place to be and be seen. Locals and tourists pack the track half wearing beach attire and the other half dressed to the nines. Many women will be wearing stylish outfits and hats and the men will be dressed in sport jackets and suits.
Del Mar Fairgrounds A 370-acre (1.5 km) property that is the site of the annual San Diego County Fair (called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. Del Mar Arena is a 7,000-seat arena in the fairgrounds complex, used for sporting events, concerts and other special events. It was built in 1991.
Del Mar Fairgrounds features six exhibit halls totaling 219,380 square feet (20,381 m) of space. The largest is Pat O'Brien Hall with 68,680 square feet (6,381 m) of space and seating up to 6,800; its ceiling height is 35 feet (11 m). Others include the 55,200-square-foot (5,130 m) Exhibit Hall seating up to 5,500; Bing Crosby Hall with 31,900 square feet (2,960 m) of space and capacity of up to 3,500; The 45-foot (14 m) Wyland Center with 30,800 square feet (2,860 m) of space and capacity of up to 3,000; the 19,800-square-foot (1,840 m) Activity Center holding up to 2,200; and Mission Tower with 13,000 square feet (1,200 m) of space and capacity of up to 1,200. Balboa Theatre
Balboa Theatre, named after Vasco Nunez de Balboa, was originally built in 1924 for a mere $800,000 by the Balboa Building Company. After going through some changes and being renamed in 1930, to the El Teatro Balboa, the United States Navy took it over in the early 1940s to house sailors. Then after just escaping demolition, the City of San Diego finally deemed the theater a local historical building in 1972.
In 1985, CCDC used eminent domain to take control of the property and in 1992 the Balboa Theatre Foundation successfully listed it as a nationally recognized historic building. The goal of the foundation is to transform the Balboa Theatre into a contemporary performing arts venue treasured by patrons, producers, presenters, performers and San Diego's regional community, while contributing to redevelopment and the advancement of a vital downtown theatre district.
2005: Work begins. In April of 2005, hammer was put to concrete as selective demolition and abatement-construction officially began.
2005: Earthquakes? Here? A major hurdle in the restoration was a required seismic retrofit. All were concerned that the difficulty of bringing the building up to modern seismic safety codes might doom the project. However, in July of 2005, the hurdle was jumped and the building's future was assured.
2006: Craftsman and Artisans. In January of 2006, renovation and restoration began. An extraordinary effort to bring the theater back to its opening finery -- including two waterfalls -- is underway.
2008: Opening Night, part II. In the winter of 2008, the beautiful Balboa Theatre will once again open its doors and provide San Diegans and visitors with great performances. The Balboa Theatre shines again.
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