Things to do in Hillcrest San Diego

UPDATED JULY 2024By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Hillcrest street sign

Just north of Balboa Park, the uptown neighbourhood of Hillcrest is the beating heart of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ scene, its tree-lined streets brimming with lively gay bars, international restaurants and fab brunch spots. Stay here for the vibrant community feel, huge annual Pride parade and proximity to top San Diego attractions including the fine gardens, museums and architecture in Balboa Park and the iconic Spruce Street Suspension Bridge in nearby Bankers Hill. Read on to discover our favorite things to do in Hillcrest San Diego.

Historic Hillcrest

Image of Cottage, House, Housing, Villa, Neighborhood, Flower, Lupin, Garden, Nature, Outdoors, Grass, Vegetation, Tree,

Immerse yourself in Hillcrest history with a wander through the neighborhood’s leafy streets. It won’t be long before you spot a traditional Craftsman’s house. These simple, rustic bungalows date to the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th Century and were originally intended as an antidote to Victorian ostentation. Well-preserved specimens can be identified by architectural hallmarks such as modest wooden exteriors, terracotta porches and wide oak doors.

The most famous of these is Marston House at the top of Balboa Park. Visit the museum here for a fascinating glimpse into the Arts and Crafts movements inside the private family home of George W. Marston, dubbed ‘the father of Balboa Park’ for his part in establishing this vast green space. Stroll beneath fragrant pine and eucalyptus trees and California Oaks in the museum’s five acres of mature gardens and pick up unique Arts and Crafts-influenced gifts including pottery and prints in the cozy shop, located in the former carriage house.

Hillcrest Life

Image of Parade, Person, Adult, Male, Man, Pride Parade,

Hillcrest’s lively streets are abuzz with fine places to eat, drink and shop. Head to University Avenue for a mouthwatering variety of international restaurants serving up everything from steaming bowls of ramen and eye-wateringly spicy Thai curries to authentic Italian pizzas and aromatic Afghani kebabs. Nearby Fifth Avenue is the place for thrift-store fashions and a chilled brunch scene, while the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market rolls into Normal Street every Sunday, with nearly 200 vendors selling organic produce, handmade clothes and more, accompanied by live music and the intoxicating scents of street food.

It’s also around these central thoroughfares that you’ll find the hub of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ scene, with dozens of gay bars and clubs to choose from. Head to Rich’s for karaoke, games and dancing till late and to Urban MO's Bar & Grill for imaginative cocktails, themed evenings and weekend brunches. Hillcrest Brewing prides itself as 'the first gay brewery in the world’ and serves up a selection of its own concoctions including Crotch Rocket Irish Style Red Ale and Banana Hammock Scotch Ale alongside guest beers, cocktails and more.

The epicenter of San Diego’s annual Pride festival, Hillcrest welcomes around 300,000 revelers every July for a series of events including inspirational speakers, a 5k fun run, top-flight live music and entertainment and, of course, the legendary Parade, a colorful celebration that weaves through the neighborhood’s streets, leaving music, laughter and joy in its wake.

Local Highlights

Image of Bridge, Suspension Bridge, Rope Bridge, Vegetation,

Hillcrest's location, bounded by Mission Hills, University Heights, North Park, Bankers Hill and Balboa Park, means there’s plenty more to see and do in the immediate vicinity. Head south along First Avenue to reach the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge in Bankers Hill. At 375 feet long, this discrete footbridge is an iconic local landmark with cracking views of the verdant Kate Sessions Canyon below. Those with a head for heights will find much to enjoy on a stroll across this feat of 1912 engineering. Those without may however wish to get their kicks elsewhere – strong gusts of wind have been known to make the bridge sway somewhat dramatically. Eek!

Over in Mission Hills, hedge enthusiasts will have quite the ball at the extraordinary Harper’s Topiary Garden. Here, the owners’ neatly trimmed bushes have become a piece of living art, with more than 50 expertly hand-coiffed sculptures in their front yard. The result is nothing less than magical. Look out for dinosaurs, surfers, a Buddha and all manner of other weird and wonderful shapes. The neighborhood’s quirky outdoor theater, Cinema Under The Stars, shows a program of classic and cult movies year-round, thanks to its retractable weatherproof dome and infrared heating.

Balboa Park

Image of House, Housing, Villa, Hacienda, Arch,

Bordering Hillcrest to the south, Balboa Park is San Diego’s sprawling urban playground, covering some 1,200 acres. Inside, you’ll find the best museums and formal gardens in town.

You’ll recognize the San Diego Museum of Art from its elaborate Spanish Renaissance-style facade, just one example of some of the fantastic – and fantastical – architecture on display along the El Prado Boulevard. Statues of master painters Velázquez, Murillo and Zurbarán stand sentry over the grand entrance and their works loom equally large inside, along with major pieces from Goya, Monet, Canaletto and more.

Stroll the length of El Prado to admire the wildly diverse architectural styles on display, from Casa del Prado’s shaded cloisters and garlanded columns to the playful California Building with its colorful tiled dome, three-story belltower and enchanting mix of the Baroque, the Rococo, the Gothic and the Churrigueresque. Also worth seeking out is the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, an ornate Italian Renaissance confection that houses the the biggest outdoor organ on the planet and hosts free organ recitals every Sunday as well as evening concerts in summer.

Among the dozens of things to do in Balboa Park you can also – deep breath – meet thousands of cute critters at San Diego Zoo, ride painted beasts including a lion and a dragon on the park’s traditional century-old carousel, chill with an ice cream on the broad lawns in front of the picture-perfect Botanical Building, and meander zen-like among bonsai groves, koi ponds and cherry blossoms in the Japanese Friendship Garden.

Save on things to do in Hillcrest San Diego

Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

Continue reading

Free things to do near USS Midway in San Diego
Blog

Free things to do near USS Midway in San Diego

Looking for fun near the USS Midway without spending a dime? Start here.
Hot-air balloons flying over a California vineyard
Blog

Things to do in San Diego For Birthday

Planning to spend your birthday in San Diego? This party town has everything you need to make your special day go off with a bang. From paragliding off the cliffs at La Jolla to cocktails on Mission Beach and sailing into the sunset in San Diego Bay, we run down our 10 favorite things to do in San Diego for a birthday. Reach for the Sky Take flight over the Temecula Valley on a thrilling sunrise balloon ride. There are a number of companies such as Magical Adventures Balloon Rides operating up here, around 20 miles from downtown San Diego, with flights generally including 45-60 minutes in the air and a champagne toast to steady your nerves when you land. You’ll soar high over the Temecula wineries and, on clear days, enjoy far-reaching views across mountainous desert landscapes to the east, shimmering ocean vistas to the west and San Diego’s distant skyline in the south. As birthday experiences go, this one is pretty special. Meet the Locals Spend your special day with some of San Diego’s most special wildlife by renting a kayak at La Jolla Shores and paddling gently out into the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park. This astonishing marine reserve is home to a dazzling array of sea critters. On a good day you might spot curious leopard sharks, sea turtles, stingrays and harbor seals swimming through the clear waters under your boat. Look out too for bright orange Garibaldi, the California state fish, no less. Afterwards, make for the nearby secret sea caves, many of which are only accessible by kayak. Have a Picnic in Balboa Park Is the sun shining? Well, of course it is: you’re in Southern California! Hit one of the local street markets for freshly baked breads, aromatic cheeses and – as it’s your birthday – as much homemade cake as you can possibly eat, then head over to Balboa Park for a lazy lunch with friends. Choose a wild spot along one of the many walking trails or pick a manicured lawn off the main El Prado drag. Alcohol is permitted in designated areas, but not in glass bottles, so make sure to think outside the (wine) box if you’re planning on celebrating with a drink. Catch a Game at Petco Park Head downtown to the East Village for all the thrills and spills of a Major League Baseball game on the San Diego Padres’ home turf. All you need to get into the spirit is a beer, a hot dog and, of course, a giant foam finger. The atmosphere at these games can be electric so it’s perfect for birthday fun, as well as being conveniently close to the Gaslamp Quarter’s fab nightlife. If baseball isn’t your bag, check listings for concerts at the stadium instead: Petco Park has hosted some of the biggest stars on the planet, including Madonna, Taylor Swift, Green Day and The Rolling Stones. Hit the Road Whether it’s your 21st, 40th or 99th, you can’t fail to be charmed by GoCar’s cute two-seater electric vehicles. Rent one of these brightly colored little beauties and hit the streets of San Diego for a self-guided narrated tour (yes, the car actually talks!) of the city’s best attractions. Cruise through the Gaslamp Quarter, take a spin round Balboa Park, park up for lunch in Little Italy and discover the city’s rich heritage in the Old Town. You can follow the car’s GPS route at your own pace, or go freestyle and check out hip neighborhoods like North Park and Hillcrest. Take a Leap of Faith There won't be many things to do on your birthday in San Diego that come close to the adrenaline rush of launching yourself from the cliffs at La Jolla. Brave souls can take tandem flights with expert paragliders at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, where colorful parachutes bob and weave through the air, gliding out elegantly over the ocean and along the sand-colored bluffs before riding the warm air currents back to terra firma. Keep your eyes peeled and you might even be lucky enough to spot seals and dolphins frolicking in the surf below. Get a Taste of the Good Stuff About an hour out of Downtown, Cali’s Temecula Valley is home to somewhere in the region of 40 (count ‘em) wineries, producing award-winning Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, Malbec, Riesling and more. Almost all of them offer tours and tastings and, as this is effectively an educational experience (right?), you can get tipsy in the California sunshine absolutely guilt-free, with the lush green vineyards stretching out before you as far as the eye can see. Head to Wilson Creek, Callaway and Vindemia for some of the finest vino-fueled views in the valley. Sip Birthday Cocktails by the Beach Take a spin on the century-old Giant Dipper rollercoaster at Belmont Park before moseying on over to Cannonball for some of the best cocktails on Mission Beach. Grab a table on the huge rooftop terrace and settle in for some top-drawer people-watching and expansive views of the beach and sea. There’s sushi and Pacific Rim dishes to snack on, but it's the drinks you came for, right? Get the party started with a rum-infused Mission Beach Mai Tai and keep it rolling with a punchy Cactus Cooler. Delicious. Sail into the Sunset SoCal sunsets are famously beautiful, with the sky putting on a cosmic show of fiery orange, bruised purple and flamingo pink as the sun disappears over the horizon. Grab your camera and set sail on an evening cruise of San Diego Bay, where you can expect impressive sunset views of the city skyline as well as attractions including the USS Midway Museum and curvaceous Coronado Bridge. Tours include dinner and drinks and a chance to wander the deck and spot seals and dolphins gliding silently alongside the boat. Have a Laugh! Head up to the La Jolla Comedy Store for big names and even bigger laughs at this San Diego outpost of the legendary LA club. Or spend an evening in the Gaslamp Quarter where atmospheric dive bars, hip microbreweries and rooftop cocktail joints go some way to demonstrating why this historic ‘hood is also the nightlife hub of the whole city. There’s great comedy to be found here, too. Try the open mic night at the American Comedy Company or lose all inhibition for the raucous sing-alongs and all-night danceathons that have made The Shout! House’s Dueling Pianos show one of San Diego’s best birthday nights out. Save on things to do on your birthday in San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Woman walking the trails in Balboa Park, San Diego
Blog

Things to do Alone in San Diego

Solo travelers are in for a treat in San Diego, a vast playground of world-class museums, fine global cuisine, craft beer microbreweries and wonderful wildlife. Not to mention the dozens of beautiful beaches, canyons and coastal trails to explore around the city. Pack a map, some sunscreen and a sense of adventure and leap in to our pick of the 10 best things to do alone in San Diego. Sunbathe out Front of a San Diego Icon Affectionately known as ‘The Del’, Hotel del Coronado is a San Diego Institution that has been hosting major celebs, royals and politicians since Victorian times. Its distinctive conical turrets inspired the Emerald City in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its said there’s even a resident spook stalking its grand corridors and halls. Throw down your towel on the hotel’s golden sands overlooking Point Loma and soak up some rays as the waves lap gently at the shore. Keep your eyes peeled for the local Sandcastle Man, a renowned sculpture artist who can often be found building his extraordinary masterpieces here on Coronado Beach. Go on a Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour The Gaslamp Quarter walking tour takes place every Thursday at 1PM and is a great way to discover the history of this fascinating neighborhood – as well as making some new friends! You’ll visit many of the beautiful historic buildings on 5th Avenue, including the Louis Bank of Commerce, an impressive Baroque Revival confection with protruding turrets, and the Art Deco Yuma Building with its soaring twin spires. The tour also calls at the Gaslamp Museum inside downtown San Diego’s oldest surviving building. Here since the mid 19th Century, the Davis-Horton House also, of course, boasts its very own ghost. Sightsee by Segway Spread across a whopping 1,200 acres, Balboa Park has enough museums, gardens and hiking trails to exhaust even the fittest of walkers. Take the edge off by joining a Segway tour and zipping round some of the park’s top sights. You’ll get a chance to take selfies against a backdrop of glorious Spanish Colonial architecture along the stunning El Prado boulevard, as well as seeing artists at work in the Spanish Art Village. Other must-see sights on your tour include San Diego Zoo, the traditional century-old carousel, and the Air and Space Museum, its entrance flanked by supersonic Lockheed A-12 and Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart airplanes. Take a Hike Walking opportunities abound in San Diego, thanks to its varied landscape of canyons, cliffs and coastal trails. Strike out northeast of Downtown for the Mission Trails Regional Park, home of Cowles Mountain, the highest point in San Diego. Don’t let the word ‘mountain’ put you off though! The hike to the summit is a relatively easy 1.5 miles, making it a really popular route with walkers of all abilities and one of the best things to do alone in San Diego. The expansive 360-degree views across the city and San Diego County are more than worth the effort. Have Lunch in Little Italy You could spend weeks eating your way through San Diego’s wealth of great cuisines, from cute Tijuana-style taquerias to deli brunches and sizzling street food in the frequent neighborhood markets. Head downtown to Little Italy on market days to browse dozens of stalls selling art, flowers, local artisan jewelry and more before heading to India Street for the best pizza and pasta in town. Lively Sorrento and Isola serve up authentic Neapolitan-style thin and crispy pizza, while Civico 1845 is the place for traditional Calabrian favorites including pasta al forno and sweet cannoli. Hop on (and off) the Old Trolley Bus San Diego’s brightly colored green and orange trolley buses run a 25-mile loop around the city’s biggest attractions, with 12 stops along the way, including the Hotel del Coronado, Balboa Park, Little Italy, the Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter and the harbor. An expert commentary provides the lowdown on San Diego, and you can hop on and off the trolley as you please along the route. It’s a great way for solo travelers to get to know the city. Stroll Across the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge Those with a head for heights will find much to enjoy on a wander across the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge, an impressive feat of 1912 engineering that spans the verdant Kate Sessions Canyon in Bankers Hill, just west of Balboa Park. The iconic landmark is beloved of San Diego locals and remarkably well concealed considering its 375-foot length. Enjoy commanding views across the canyon and brace yourself for a bit of a bumpy ride on windy days, when the bridge has been known to sway and shake. Steady shattered nerves with a beer in nearby Hillcrest’s brewpubs afterwards. Hit the Art Trail San Diego is chock-full of fab street murals. You need only take a short stroll through hip ‘hoods like North Park, Hillcrest and Ocean Beach to view great street art gratis. For public art on a truly grand scale, seek out La Jolla’s Stuart Collection, an assortment of larger-than-life sculptures dotted around the campus of the University of California in San Diego. Think giant teddy bears made out of boulders, a poetry-reciting tree and a cottage that teeters precariously atop a university building and you might start to get the general idea. Artists featured in the project include household names such as Robert Irwin and Ian Hamilton Finlay. Scare Yourself Silly Branded ‘the most haunted house in America’ by LIFE magazine, The Whaley House in San Diego’s Old Town is said to be built on the site of a former gallows. And its various inhabitants have certainly experienced their fair share of grisly deaths across the decades. Set your pulse racing on an evening ghost tour of the house if you dare. Or join a haunted bus tour of San Diego’s spookiest neighborhoods as your theatrical hosts regale you with bloodthirsty tales of former residents who have returned from the grave to stalk the city streets once more. See Whales and Dolphins If you’ve ever wanted to see majestic whales or sleek seals and dolphins up close, you’ve come to the right place! San Diego’s warm waters are prime territory for aquatic animals, with gray whales migrating to and from Mexico’s lagoons for calving season in winter and spring and blue whales often seen off the coast during summer and fall. Colonies of native harbor seals and pods of dolphins mean you rarely have to wait long before a sighting. Boat tours depart daily from Downtown and Mission Bay, with many guaranteeing a refund in the highly unlikely event you do fail to see anything. Save on things to do alone in San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

Have a 5% discount, on us!

Sign up to our newsletter and receive exclusive discounts, trip inspiration and attraction updates straight to your inbox.

Thick check Icon