San Diego

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Ideal weather (No. 2), attractive people (No. 2), and access to the outdoors (No. 3) make for a perfect family vacation (No. 2) and relaxing retreat (No. 4).

Best Feature

Weather (#1)

Worst Feature

Affordability (#19)
Culture
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Classical music 3.68 16
Historical sites/monuments 4.01 14
Live music/bands 4.28 16
Museums/galleries 4.16 12
Theater 3.92 14
Food/dining
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Cafés/coffee bars 4.30 9
Destination restaurants 4.40 14
Ethnic food/cheap eats 4.44 11
Farmers’ and specialty food markets 4.07 15
Holiday travel
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Spring Break 4.65 1
Summer Vacation 4.80 1
Thanksgiving 4.33 3
Winter/Christmas 4.43 7
Nightlife
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Cocktail hour/lounge scene 4.45 9
Late-night/club scene 4.21 10
Singles/bar scene 4.44 7
People
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Athletic/active 4.73 3
Attractive 4.66 1
Diverse 4.39 11
Friendly 4.30 10
Intelligent 4.09 12
Stylish 4.05 11
Quality of life & visitor experience
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Affordability 2.53 19
Cleanliness 4.36 6
Environmental awareness 4.25 8
Noteworthy neighborhoods 4.33 10
Peace and quiet 4.35 3
People-watching 4.35 12
Public parks and access to the outdoors 4.72 8
Public transportation and pedestrian friendliness 3.42 15
Safety 4.05 6
Skyline/views 4.66 6
Traffic 3.00 10
Weather 4.94 1
Shopping
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Antique stores 3.90 16
Art galleries 4.02 16
Local boutiques 4.26 14
Luxury boutiques 4.28 12
Vintage stores/flea markets 3.85 15
Type of trip
Category Score (out of 5) Rank (out of 25)
Active/adventure vacation 4.47 5
Cultural getaway 3.81 17
Family vacation 4.80 2
Relaxing retreat 4.60 4
Romantic escape 4.61 5
Wild weekend 4.29 8

+ See T+L's San Diego guide