Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [276]
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DRINKING & ENTERTAINMENT
Bars & Clubs
The bulk of the bars in La Jolla are clustered around Prospect St and Girard Ave downtown.
La Jolla Brewhouse (Map; 858-456-6279; 7536 Fay Ave) Escape from the madding crowds of Downtown, and watch the game, down a pint and listen to live music at this off-the-beaten-path local hangout. Look for wood upon wood upon wood, and indoor-outdoor seating.
Comedy Store (Map; 858-454-9176; 916 Pearl St) One of the area’s most established comedy venues, the Comedy Store also serves meals, drinks and barrels of laughs. Expect a cover charge ($15 to $20 on weekends with a two-drink minimum).
Cendio (Map; 858-454-9664; www.cendiolajolla.com; 909 Prospect St, 2nd fl) Skip the Hard Rock Cafe and head next door to this Latin-fusion restaurant and lounge, with DJs on weekends.
La Sala (Map; 858-454-0771; La Valencia Hotel, 1132 Prospect St) For civilized cocktails or Sunday afternoon Bloody Marys, visit the romantic, ocean-view lobby bar of La Valencia Hotel, which becomes a piano lounge on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Karl Strauss Brewery (Map; 858-551-2739; cnr Wall St & Herschel Ave) A branch of the downtown microbrewery Click here.
Coffeehouses
Pannikin (Map; 858-454-5453; 7467 Girard Ave, La Jolla; 7am-8pm) A few blocks from the water, this beach-shack of a café with generous balcony is popular for its Italian espresso and Mexican chocolate, and occasional live music.
Living Room Coffeehouse (Map; 858-459-1187; 1010 Prospect St, La Jolla; 6am-midnight) Check your email and munch on sandwiches and pastries at the La Jolla branch of the popular Old Town café Click here.
Classical Music
La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (Map 619-534-4637; www.lajollasymphony.com) holds quality concerts at UCSD’s Mandeville Auditorium from October to June.
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SHOPPING
La Jolla’s skirt-and-sweater crowd pays retail for cashmere sweaters and expensive tchotchkes Downtown: paintings, sculpture and decorative items, and small boutiques fill the gaps between Talbot’s, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, Jos A Bank and Armani Exchange.
The Art & Design Building (7661 Girard Ave) is one-stop shopping for art, furniture and adventurous textiles from a half-dozen galleries and studios.
Mall shoppers: make a bee line for University Towne Centre (UTC; Map; 858-546-8858; 4545 La Jolla Village Dr), east of I-5; anchor stores include Nordstrom, Macy’s and Sears.
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SAN DIEGO NORTH COAST
Like pearls on a strand, a handful of small beach towns extends northward from La Jolla. ‘North County’, as locals call it, begins with pretty Del Mar and continues through low-key Solana Beach, Encinitas and Carlsbad (home of Legoland), before hitting Oceanside, largely a bedroom community for Camp Pendleton Marine Base.
North County’s coast evokes the San Diego of 40 years ago, even if inland development, especially east of I-5, has created giant bedroom communities for San Diego and Orange Counties. The beaches are terrific, and the small seaside towns are great for a few days’ soaking up the laid-back SoCal scene, working on your tan and catching up on your reading while watching the sun glisten on the Pacific.
All that, and only about a half-hour’s drive from downtown San Diego. Will wonders never cease?
Getting There & Around
N Torrey Pines Rd from La Jolla is the most scenic approach from the south. Heading north along the coast, S21 changes its name from Camino del Mar to Coast Hwy 101 to Old Hwy 101. If you’re in a hurry or headed out of town, the faster I-5 parallels it to the east. Traffic can snarl everywhere during rush hour and race or fair season when heading toward Del Mar Racetrack.
Bus 101 departs from University Towne Centre and follows the coastal road to Oceanside, while bus 310 operates express