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132 2 0 1 7 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A Beach Towns The coast between the Mexican border (18 miles south of downtown) and Oceanside is lined with beach towns. Each has a unique character, from Ocean Beach's hippie vibe to classy La Jolla's Mediterranean ambience. Beloved by surfers and escapists with suffi- cient wherewithal, a series of small communities line the coast north of La Jolla's Torrey Pines State Reserve. City & Town San Diego's cosmopolitan downtown encompasses several hip neighborhoods. The historic Gaslamp Quarter's picturesque streets are packed with classy restaurants and clubs in restored 19 th -century Victo- rian, Baroque and Frontier buildings. Petco Park, downtown's baseball stadium, anchors the East Village filled with condo complexes, cafés and a stunning Central Library. Little Italy managed to hold on to some venerable pizza parlors, bakeries and bars while evolving from a simple Italian community into an urban enclave with modernist condo complexes, trendy shops and gourmet restaurants helmed by top chefs. As the hub of San Diego's sophisti- cated nightlife scene, the entire downtown now pulses with energy day and night. The urban core continues uptown through Bankers Hill and Hillcrest, the lively heart of the LGBT community. Over the past decade, the former Naval Training Center, now called Liberty Station, has evolved into a mini-town with stores, offices, galleries, schools and the Liberty Public Market occupying the base's Spanish Colonial-style former commissary building. Abundant open space makes Liberty Station the perfect spot for art shows, family gatherings and special events. The Great Outdoors Surfers, swimmers, boaters and anglers all play in and on the Pacific Ocean, from Imperial Beach near the Mexican border north to Oceanside and the Marine base at Camp Pendleton. Snorkeling is especially good at La Jolla Cove, while surfers prefer SAN DIEGO'S SPANISH COLONIAL Revival railway station opened in March 1915 as the Santa Fe Depot, right; strolling along the Point Loma hillside at the Cabrillo National Monument, opposite top; the Unconditional Surrender statue at the USS Midway, opposite below. JORG HACKEMANN/SHUTTERSTOCK . OPPOSITE: DANCESTROKES/SHUTTERSTOCK ; KAN_KHAMPANYA/SHUTTERSTOCK INSIDER'S TIP » Everybody has to eat some time, even the Nobel-award winning scientists and acclaimed academics at San Diego's research centers and universities. Some institutional cafeterias and restaurants open to the public rival the views and cuisine at neighborhood hot spots. THE SALK CAFE at the architecturally stunning Salk Institute for Biological Studies overlooking the open sea offers a daily lunch menu aimed at pleasing a polyglot assemblage, with Indian, Asian, Vegan and good old American burgers priced for student budgets. CAROLINE'S SEASIDE CAFE at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography serves up blueberry pancakes, sandwiches, salads and enchiladas overlooking La Jolla Shores and research vessels moored by the Scripps Pier. Wild canyons and Mission Bay provide the backdrop for the University of San Diego's LA GRAN TERRAZA's elegant GRAND DINING ROOM. Business dress is in order inside, but the terrace is more casual and the $15 buffet lunch is a steal, while the Wednesday night Prime Rib buffet fuels hungry students when the parents are around.