TIPS
Local know-how for San Diego — where to go, what it costs, what trips people up — checked against the agency, the dataset or the law that decides it, and dated so you can see how fresh it is.
5 tips
Do I need a car in San Diego?
For downtown, Old Town and the border, no. For the beaches, Balboa Park or Coronado, the Trolley does not go there — every one of those is a bus, usually with a transfer at Old Town.
Airport to downtownRoute 992, $3.00
Cowles Mountain: how to beat the crowds and the parking on San Diego's highest peak
At 1,592 feet, Cowles is the highest point in the City of San Diego and its busiest hike: about 2.7 miles round trip with roughly 900 feet of climbing. Start at sunrise on a weekday, or use the quieter Barker Way trail.
Summit1,592 ft
Living near MCAS Miramar: neighborhoods, gates and 2026 rents compared
Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa and Tierrasanta are the shortest drives to Miramar's 24-hour Main Gate off I-15. Scripps Ranch, University City and Clairemont cost more or drive farther, and Santee and Poway trade distance for space.
Main Gate24/7
Where military families live in San Diego, base by base
Near 32nd Street: National City and Chula Vista. North Island: Coronado, Imperial Beach. Miramar: Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch. Pendleton: Oceanside. Coastal ZIPs cost more; inland trades rent for drive time.
Major sites8
Why is it 20 degrees hotter at my hotel than at the beach?
The marine layer — a shallow deck of cool, damp ocean air that sits on the coast and burns off inland first. The gap between a coastal and an inland neighborhood on the same afternoon regularly runs 10–20°F.
