SEGD_Design - (Page 29) SAN DIEGO Sun and Surf and So Much More 37 1 35 12 16–22 3 4 10 13 14 11 9 8 5 7 6 36 2 15 23–30 33–34 31–32 Map: Centre City Development Corp. A design insider provides a cultural and visual guide to San Diego, by the numbers. BY BENNETT PEJI S an Diego is sun and surf, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo, fish tacos and seaweed salad. It is the Hotel Del Coronado and La Jolla Cove, the Del Mar Racetrack and Torrey Pines Golf Course (and 91 other golf courses). But you probably already knew all of that. There’s a lesser-known San Diego—a city with the highest concentration of museums west of the Mississippi, a city with the largest cultural park in the U.S., a city that owns 1,144 pieces of public art. That San Diego is a cultural and artistic mecca that has moved beyond its roots as a military base and spent the last 30 years revitalizing its downtown. It might be best known for its cultural assets and ambitious civic branding initiatives were it not for its stunning physical attributes. To fly into San Diego is to glimpse sailboats, palm trees, and a gorgeous harbor leading to a revitalized downtown that delivers a unique urban experience, from Harbor Drive to the Gaslamp Quarter and from the Ballpark District to Little Italy, all within walking distance of the downtown core. A short 10-20 minute drive brings you to more distinctive, creative neighborhoods such as Hillcrest, North Park, and La Jolla. And you probably don’t think of San Diego as a gateway between North and South America. Yet its bi-nationality is arguably its most important feature. More than $7 billion of commerce and priceless culture are exchanged annually between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. The region has a population of more than 5 million people (3 million in San Diego and 2 million in Tijuana), with 300,000 visitors crossing the border daily—making this the busiest international border crossing in the world. San Diego also benefits from Asian cultural influences; it is, after all, situated on the Pacific Rim. Evidence of this Latin-Asian-American flavor permeates all of San Diego’s creative neighborhoods. There are many things to see and experience in San Diego. Here are my top picks for the designer—and tourist—in you. 26 segdDESIGN
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