get out of downtown and check out neighborhoods, like old town, on your next trip san Diego
What do you do when you want to visit a city, but not be too touristy? I dive into the popular neighborhoods, like old town in San Diego, outside the city center. Traditionally, downtowns hold all the typical landmarks, sightseeing, and things to do. But for the past generation, the city centers have been losing their touch. Even though the downtowns are still major tourist hubs, trendy neighborhoods have been gaining steam. Oddly enough, in search of avoiding empty tourism, the neighborhood solution has just transplanted the issue. But different neighborhoods add more personality and distinct characteristics.
Why bother with the neighborhoods outside of downtown?
I noticed this first with St. Louis. Despite having the Gateway Arch and park, Mississippi River, and the history, the downtown was kind of dead. A little isolated once outside the Arch area. Restaurants weren’t all exciting and it didn’t feel like a downtown should. I thought maybe that was just the vibe at that city due to the population difference from Chicago. Then, I discovered all the things happening in the nearby neighborhoods, including the Central West End and Forest Park. The feelings in these neighborhoods were more exciting and comfortable. Delmar Loop, in nearby suburb University City, was extremely lively in the evenings and I had wished I spent more time there.
But not all cities require deep planning to figure out which have the most to offer. When I think of San Diego, La Jolla and Old Town pop into my mind as if they were their own places. Incredibly different atmospheres, major tourist hubs, yet feel distinct from San Diego. For my first post on this city, I’ll focus on Old Town.
Getting to know old town, san diego
In July 2023, I came to San Diego for the weather and the coastline. Although I was aware of Old Town, I wasn’t sure there would be enough to see and do. But it kept coming up by the locals, so I headed over. Although all the landmarks show up as a 15-minute drive, seemingly no matter where you are, traffic ramps up that number. It took me 45 minutes due to traffic congestion. I found this funny because I’ve had the opposite problem in St. Louis and DC. Not believing such short trips, mostly shorter, but things were closer together than in those cities. Plus, there were smaller populations there. Essentially, I had to plan things out more as if I were in Chicago.
Old Town, San Diego is a popular tourist stop due to being the birthplace of California. It features buildings from the 19th century, which would’ve been from when California was admitted to the United States in 1850. It’s the oldest European settlement in California, when Spanish settlers first interacted with the Indigenous people, the Kumeyaay, in the 16th century. However, Spain didn’t settle into it until late 18th century.
the spanish influence
Although simple, the Spanish, Indigenous Mexican, and American influence in the architecture is clear. You can take a quick walk from the Spanish Church of Immaculate Conception to Casa de Estudillo which is Spanish-Mexican Adobe style house. Then pass by the Old West buildings Colorado House and the Courthouse Museum in just a few minutes. Despite the historical significance of the area, it’s extremely touristy with lots of entertainment, food, and shopping along with the historical buildings and small museums.
As you can tell by the lighting, I did arrive in late afternoon. I had to check out the Church of Immaculate Conception, built in 1917. There was an older adobe church which stood as the original that was still around from mid-19th century, although that is much smaller and simpler. The church featured traditional Spanish arches for doorways and windows, and a bell-gable under a blue roof. Mass was in session, so I quickly peeked and went on my way. This church had small stained-glass windows.
the american influence
Walking by the more traditionally Old West buildings felt a little like a movie. Kind of like it wasn’t real. While trying to figure out why, Western False Front Architecture popped up and is indeed the style of these buildings. The false front element is due to the top square of the building was meant to hide a more traditional angled roof (front gabled roof) and the composition of the front face was better quality than the sides. Essentially, it was made to look more impressive than what it was.
the mexican influence
There were flat-roofed adobe style buildings as well. This is the type of architecture that was more representative of purely Mexican and Indigenous culture. Incorporating the flowers and cactus looked very natural. The American and Spanish buildings didn’t incorporate any plants at all.
In the middle park area, you can see the trio intermingled. It’s interesting that you can see the progression of California passed through the different cultures in the same place through the architecture. And the timeframe was tight, Mexico gained Independence from Spain in 1821, lost California to the US in 1848.
shopping & entertainment at old town
Past the park, there was a shopping and entertainment center with Mexican culture on full display. Food and live entertainment accompany you as you search the shops at Fiesta de Reyes (Celebration of Kings). Very festive, with lots of plants, and decorated with hanging papel picado or pecked paper.
Despite the live performance, there was still lots of people walking around. It could get crowded here and in the boutique shops. The restaurants were very busy, so I’d keep that mind for next time. The shops weren’t exactly touristy, it was more boutiques. They featured shops with jewelry, foods (olive oil), Mexican ceramics and handcrafted items. My favorite was a tile shop. The more traditional souvenir shops were outside of the historic park, more on the main street.
On a future post, I will share the earlier part of this day, which was La Jolla. Incredibly different atmosphere (in terms of vibes) and terrain, so kind of strange to go to both on the same day. Heading into more characteristic neighborhoods is a great way to kind of avoid typical touristy travel. You’re getting a different flavor of the city.
As mentioned, San Diego sticks out for these two particular neighborhoods. It only makes me more curious as to I may have missed when I visited other cities. Looking forward to doing more deep dives into distinct neighborhoods future trips.
