This season, don’t miss a single pitch thrown at Petco Park. Game days can be a bit hectic, so find the best travel method for you, whether it involves car, trolley, ferry, bicycle, or some combination thereof. Arrive early and you’ll be in your seat—with a hot dog and beer—when the first pitch crosses home plate.
Rideshare services like Lyft and Uber are a good method, but be prepared to walk a few blocks or more—hoofing it may be quicker than sitting in a traffic jam.
By Trolley
Conveniently, all three trolley lines swing by the park, with beefed-up service following night games—you can’t beat that for $2.50. Petco is best accessed by three stations: 12th and Imperial Transit Center, the Park and Market Station (at 12th and Market Streets), and the Gaslamp Quarter Station (at Fifth Avenue and Harbor Drive).
Park-and-ride is a good option—there are 5,000 parking spots at SDCCU Stadium (except of major event days) and Hazard Center.
By Coaster
Avoid I-5 traffic on the Coaster with regional roundtrip day passes ($15 for adults or $7.50 for kids) that grant free trolley connections to Petco. To get back home, Northbound trains leave Santa Fe Depot one hour after the end of the game or fireworks, but no later than midnight.
For Padres fans in Orange County and L.A. (bless your hearts, children) ride the Pacific Surfliner to Santa Fe Depot, just a 25-minute walk or quick trolley ride on the southbound Green Line to the park.
An abundance of bus routes pass by Petco, including Routes 12 and 901, which pull up practically on home plate. Routes 4, 12, 901, and 929 arrive at the nearby 12th and Imperial Transit Center. Routes 3 and 5 put riders within easy strolling distance of park entrances.
By Ferry
If you live on Coronado Island, start your mainland leg of the journey at 5th Ave. Landing. But you already knew that.
Bicycling
Cyclists can lock their trusty steeds on public racks on these corners: Park Boulevard and Tony Gywnn Drive; Park Boulevard and 10th Avenue; J Street at 8th and 9th Avenues; near the 7th Avenue Gaslamp Entry Gate.
Look for bike share stations and wayward share-bikes scattered about downtown to pedal to Petco.
By FRED
AKA the Free Ride Everywhere Downtown Shuttle. All that’s required is waving one down during their operating hours. View the schedule here.
4 Fun Things to Do at Comic-Con 2018, No Badge Required
Some of the best ways to fan out, open to the public
Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr
By Chase Scheinbaum
Not all of the action goes down at the Convention Center. In fact, some of the most fun ways to fan out are open to the public and don’t require a badge. Here’s just a sampling of the best badge-less things to do, for geeks of all ages and predilections.
The Experience at Comic-Con
Where: Petco Park’s Lexus Premier Lot
When: July 19-22
What was known as Petco Park’s Interactive Zone is back with a new name but the same concept of a “pop-culture playground.” Three acres of Petco Park’s parking lot will host the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, a very hungry Sharkzilla, and a semi-truck equipped with gaming pods equipped with Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox One X, and a lot more. Did we mention food trucks?
Hulu’s Castle Rock House
Where: Front Street and Island Avenue
When: July 19-22
There will be no pause button when you get freaked out at this real life house at Front Street and Island Avenue. The house will embody scary stuff from the Hulu original series Castle Rock, based on the work of Stephen King.
Family Con
Where: Liberty Public Market
When: July 18, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Though parents are probably the real superheroes, kids get to strut their stuff while dressed as their favorite superhero in this costume parade through Liberty Public Market. Scooped ice cream shop will reward the best-dressed groms with free ice cream scoops (while parents can find their own boozy milkshakes at Mess Hall Bar). There’s also a petting zoo.
The Movie Music of John Williams
Where: Jacobs Music Center
When: July 18, 7:30 p.m.
Hear the rousing soundtracks of Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars in the setting they were intended: a symphony hall. The concert will be preceded by a costume contest. Because Comic-Con. Tickets are $30 to $45.
4 Fun Things to Do at Comic-Con 2018, No Badge Required
Comic-Con International in San Diego | Photo: Kelly Kennedy
Or any game of the season, really, with local beer and eats
Petco Park is just one of many excellent places around town to catch the game.
By Chase Scheinbaum
A seat inside Petco Park is a great place to watch the Padres March 29 season opener—but it’s far from the only place. San Diegans have a long list of spots to fan out on their home team, all while availing themselves of the craft beer that’s rightfully become world famous, and the homegrown cuisine that’s getting there. These places are among your best options for watching every game, and with one exception, you won’t need a ticket to do so.
Wonderland Ocean Pub
What could be more San Diego than watching a Padres game from a bar that’s closer to the beach than the pitcher’s mound is to home plate? Ocean Beach’s Wonderland is the place for that. Located on the second floor of a building literally across the street from the O.B. Pier, the pub’s huge windows retract fully, letting in the sea breeze, afternoon light, and quintessentially beachy tableau below. Did we mention their numerous TV screens, solid craft beer list, and menu?
The Rabbit Hole
Crawl into Normal Heights’ The Rabbit Hole for upscale bar food, ample screens tuned in to Padres games, and a “High Five Hoppy Hour,” featuring $5 select local drafts, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Try the Cajun-spiced prawns in garlic butter beer broth, and the Cubano sandwich with slow-roasted pork, Black Forest ham, and gruyere. During the 7th inning stretch, you can retreat to the back patio for a round of corn hole.
Working Class
Diner-meets-sports bar is the vibe at this new North Park watering hole and kitchen with giant Jenga and other games on the patio. Early game time? No problem—they open at 9 a.m. for breakfast, serving eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and the like. The rest of the day you can fuel your fandom with burritos, burgers, a must-try Salisbury steak, and local craft beers aplenty.
Social Tap
You’d have to be inside Petco Park to get any closer to the action than this ballpark-adjacent sports bar equipped with more than three dozen TVs up to 110-inches placed around the bar and its three patios, one of which overlooks the field. The full menu sports salads, poke, truffle fries, braised short rib tacos, and more.
Petco Park Tailgaiting
Although loud music playing and games with balls and other projectiles—like the glorious pre-game pastime of corn hole—are verboten at the park, tailgaiting is very much an option. Stake out your spot, bust open your cooler, and create your own customized fun way of enjoying baseball season.
5 Best Places to Watch the Padres Season Opener
Petco Park is just one of many excellent places around town to catch the game.
This month, La Jolla’s Madison Gallery welcomes London-based artist Mauro Perucchetti and his exhibition, The Power of Love. The artist creates lighthearted works with a hint of social commentary. Example: Luxury Therapy (pictured) is a composition of resin pills encapsulating Swarovski crystals. August 24–September 24, 1020 Prospect Street
Old Town Theatre
2. Sondheim in the House
If the name “Stephen Sondheim” hasn’t been on your lips since he wrote the lyrics for West Side Story in 1957, get with it. His Tony Award-winning musical Into the Woods, which debuted here at the Old Globe in 1986, will be adapted for the big screen in 2014 starring Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep. Meantime, his 1970 musical Company, about single 35-year-old Bobby who can’t commit, was one of the first musicals to deal with adult relationships and is playing at Cygnet’s Old Town Theatre now through August 18. Get to know Sondheim again. You’ll be in good company. cygnettheatre.com
Girl on the Go! Night Spa
3.Night Spa
What working woman has time for a mani-pedi on a weekday? And who wants to get waxed during lunch? Girl on the Go! Night Spa (830 25th Street, Golden Hill) came up with the genius idea to stay open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on the weekends. It offers organic skincare, waxing, massage, acupuncture, manicures, pedicures, and airbrush tanning. It’s a beauty of an idea.
4. Home Brewers, Pitcher This!
Ballast Point and the Padres are holding their second annual home brew contest, with entries due at the Home Brew Mart in Linda Vista by August 3. (Be sure to read the rules—no sours! No 8 percent ABV, either.) The winning brew will be produced and sold at Ballast Point locations, and its maker will get to throw the first pitch at the Padres–Pirates game August 19. padres.com/homebrew
Who doesn’t love an excuse to get a babysitter and go out for dinner? San Diego’s first annual Dine Out for the Cure (August 28–29) benefits Susan G. Komen, San Diego. Visit komensandiego.org/dineout2013 for participating restaurants.
Fitwall
5. Wall Workouts
With all the boot camp, barre, and boxing workouts out there, it’s easy to be skeptical about a new fitness trend. But Josh Weinstein, CEO of the new La Jolla gym Fitwall, isn’t worried. “We offer strength, flexibility, and cardio,” he says. “Where else can you get all three in 40 minutes?” The workout is done vertically on a wall, using more balance and muscle than exercises done on the floor. The gym’s 15 walls are equipped with iPads, giving you instant feedback on how hard you’re working. Weinstein plans to expand to Del Mar, Hillcrest, and other neighborhoods; then beyond to L.A., NYC, Boulder, and Portland. Be the first to climb aboard. 7710 Fay Avenue —Claire Trageser
Renewable energy companies building hundreds of power plants. Biotech startups using artificial intelligence to create personalized medicine for children with rare diseases. Hospitality companies quietly powering thousands of local events. Consumer brands growing from beach-town startups into national businesses. These are the kinds of companies driving San Diego’s economy today, and the businesses recognized at this year’s San Diego Business Impact Awards offer a snapshot of where the region is headed.
Hosted July 23 by San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and JPMorganChase, the second annual awards event honored four local companies for innovation, growth, and economic impact. More than 100 nominations from San Diego’s middle-market businesses were reviewed by a 10-person judging committee, with winners selected across four categories: startup, early-stage innovator, rising star, and established heavyweight.
Two-time honoree Jimbo Someck, founder of Jimbo’s organic grocery stores, also joined the event for a fireside chat on buying local, supporting emerging brands, and giving back to the community.
“San Diego’s strength comes from its makers and builders—the resilient people who endure great risks and overcome obstacles to build and scale a company,” says Aaron Ryan, San Diego Region Manager and Middle Market Banking at JPMorganChase & Co. “These awards aren’t just recognition; they spotlight the talent, grit, and innovation shaping our region’s future. By celebrating those who create and build, we foster connections and fuel the growth that keeps San Diego thriving.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Building the Infrastructure Behind Clean Energy
Heavyweight honoree SOLV Energy has grown alongside the country’s rapid investment in renewable power. “It’s an exciting time for SOLV Energy as we are experiencing significant growth,” says CEO George Hershman. “The business has doubled over the last year and has almost double-digit growth since its inception.”
The Rancho Bernardo-based company designs, builds, operates, and maintains utility-scale solar and energy storage facilities. Since its founding in 2008, SOLV Energy has built more than 500 power plants.
Growth has translated directly into hiring. About 200 employees work from the company’s local headquarters, including roughly 20 interns. “Our intern program is a big part of the way that we grow our workforce,” Hershman says. “Last year, 43 percent of our interns became full-time employees. We believe San Diego is a great community to build and grow a high-tech infrastructure and technology company because of the incredible workforce—the ability to attract top talent and draw from world-class universities.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Developing Medicine One Patient at a Time
Startup honoree La Jolla Labs is tackling one of medicine’s biggest challenges by developing personalized RNA therapeutics for patients with rare diseases—many of them children with neurological disorders like ALS. Using proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, the biotech company develops treatments tailored to each patient’s specific genetic mutation.
CEO Tamar Grossman says the recognition reflects how far the company has come despite limited resources. “We’re honored to be recognized for our ability to change and save patients’ lives and turn our lean startup into a clinical company with very minimal resources,” she says.
Grossman credits San Diego’s concentration of research institutions—including UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, and Scripps Research—with creating a pipeline of talent and collaboration. “San Diego is one of the world-leading centers for technology, genomics, and RNA therapeutics,” she says. “We have over 30 RNA therapeutics companies here, and we support each other and help with anything related to drug discovery.”
She says that collaborative spirit extends beyond formal partnerships. “You can walk around Torrey Pines, go into a café, and find colleagues from the industry and have an ad hoc conversation,” Grossman says. “That’s something very unique to San Diego.”
While Snake Oil Venue Company may not be a household name, chances are many San Diegans have attended one of its events. The early-stage innovator honoree has expanded from beverage catering and mixology consulting into venue management, operating Julep Venue in Mission Hills, Bramble Bay Venue in Imperial Beach, Vesper Venue, the Chapel at Liberty Station, and five outdoor venues throughout Liberty Station—more than 500,000 square feet of event space altogether.
“We do a lot of launch parties for corporations and new products,” says CEO Mike Esposito. “I really like working on the entrepreneur side of things, where new businesses are entering the San Diego market and looking to make a splash.”
Snake Oil has executed more than 16,000 events, employed more than 1,000 people, and partnered with more than 900 local vendors, including caterers, florists, photographers, entertainers, and other hospitality businesses. The company also works with many of San Diego’s nonprofits, museums, and cultural institutions. “We get to celebrate people’s most important moments,” Esposito says. “Whether that’s a wedding, celebration of life, or quinceañera, we’re fortunate to be involved in the community in so many different ways.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Growing a Beach-Town Brand into a National Business
Rising star honoree ALOHA Collection is proof that a simple idea can grow into a thriving company. Founded by two roommates who wanted a better way to carry wet swimsuits after a day at the beach, the lifestyle brand has grown into a business while maintaining strong year-over-year growth.
Now headquartered in Carlsbad, ALOHA Collection employs more than 100 people and operates its California flagship store in Encinitas, which is slated for a remodel. With roots in Hawaii, the company is known for its lightweight, splash-proof travel bags that have become a familiar sight on beaches in San Diego and beyond.
“‘Aloha’ is part of our name, but it’s also how we move through the world,” says CEO Lynna Barnard. “It’s how we show up for people, the way we travel, the way we give back.” Since day one, the company has maintained a 5 percent giveback to Hawaii conservation efforts, contributing millions of dollars over the years.
“I think what’s so inspiring about ALOHA Collection, and the founders in particular, is when you dream big, those dreams can come true when you work hard and trust in the universe,” Barnard says. “It’s inspiring to be a role model for other people wanting to start businesses from humble beginnings. Start small and watch it grow.”
Together, businesses like these form a cornerstone of San Diego’s economy—not only through the jobs and revenue they generate—but through the local workers they hire, vendors they support, and investments they make in the region. Their growth doesn’t happen in isolation; it ripples outward, strengthening the broader business community and the people who call San Diego home.
By Erin Meanley | Photo courtesy of san diego historical society
Lane Field in the North Embarcadero served as the very first home of the San Diego Padres, originally a Pacific Coast League team. The 8,000-seat stadium was built in early 1936, when William Lane moved his Hollywood Stars south from LA’s Wrigley Field due to a losing record and a stadium rent hike. The Works Progress Administration, FDR’s New Deal agency, helped get Lane Field built in time for the season. This photo shows the last year the Padres played at Lane—1957. (Baseball fans sure looked different—when’s the last time you wore a suit to opening day? And note that only two women are visible in this photo.) That same year, the Pads moved to Westgate Park in Mission Valley. But from the Murph to the Q to Petco Park, the Padres have never left us. And Lane Field, which has been a parking lot for cruise ship passengers since the 1960s, is looking at a $115-million, 400-room hotel development project, with retail and restaurants, and a 2-acre public park. Whatever happens to that parcel of land, at least we still have the Pads. Don’t miss their home opener against the Dodgers on April 9.
Just down the road from where the Padres train/play in Peoria, Arizona, is the Renaissance Glendale Hotel and Spa (9495 West Coyotes Boulevard). If you really want to pamper yourself, stay at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (10600 East Crescent Moon Drive), or, if you desire something wilder, lounge poolside at the funky Hotel Valley Ho (6850 East Main Street, Scottsdale).
EAT
Order yourself a juicy steak at the venerable Pink Pony (3831 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale). And you can’t go wrong with a Wiseguy pizza (roasted onion, smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage) at Pizzeria Bianco (623 East Adams Street,Phoenix). Need a postgame beer? Try the back patio at O.H.S.O. (4900 East Indian School Road, Phoenix). Also, dogs are welcome. For cocktails, try a drink at sunset at Degree 270 (Talking Stick Resort, 9800 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale) with a free, breathtaking view of the Sonoran landscape.
PLAY
Take a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s expansive campus, Taliesin West (12621 North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Scottsdale), for a look at his distinctive architectural style. If nature is your thing, swing by the Desert Botanical Garden (1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix). Work off those poolside margs with a hike up Camelback Mountain. Don’t forget sunscreen and water! Best spot to watch a game? Try the nearly new Salt River Fields stadium complex at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. Look for the free sunscreen dispensers.
SPA
Unwind with a massage at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley (5700 East McDonald Drive, Scottsdale). Want to go all out? You can have your own two-bedroom spa villa for the day with a flat-screen TV, private patio, and soaking tub at Royal Palms Resort and Spa (5200 East Camelback Road, Phoenix). Padres, what?
5 Padres To Watch
Yonder Alonso
Scott Wachter
1B Yonder Alonso hopes to follow up a big rookie season that saw him hit 39 doubles. With Petco bringing in the fence, it could mean more hits.
Yonder Alonso
Scott Wachter
3B Chase Headley won a 2012 Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and led the league with 115 RBIs. What will he do in 2013? And will he get a contract extension?
Carlos Quentin
Scott Wachter
OF Carlos Quentin, the local kid, is signed through 2015. He’s cut some weight and is hopeful his surgically repaired knee allows him to stay on the field more in 2013.
Bud Black
Scott Wachter
Bud Black, the man who holds it all together. Manager of the Padres since 2007, Black—who is an SDSU grad—has command of the clubhouse and the respect of his team.
Brad Brach
Scott Wachter
RP Brad Brach had a nice rookie year in the Padres’ bullpen. A durable kid with a bright future. And, he’s dating Nashville singer-songwriter Jenae Cherry.
Can’t make it to AZ?
FOX Sports San Diego will air 10 games during spring training, March 3–30. First up: Sunday, March 3 vs. White Sox, 12:00 p.m. This year, four of the five San Diego cable providers will carry FOX Sports San Diego, up from two last season. Come on, Time Warner! Why are you holding out on us?
First, the upfront: This is a paid partnership with the Padres. Second, that’s not going to stop me from reliving one of my favorite kid memories.
I was 11 years old when the Padres played the Chicago Cubs in the playoffs. The Padres were a large part of my world. My mom, a baseball nut, taught me how to keep score in an official book that year. We had season tickets, which meant we were able to get seats for the playoff games. Padres lost the first two games, came back to San Diego on the ropes.
Mom and I were sitting in the left field bleachers when Kevin McReynolds hit a towering fly ball in our direction. The ball got bigger and bigger and bigger. The Cubs’ left-fielder ran toward us, ran fast until he ran out of room. The ball landed, and the stadium exploded.It landed right… HERE. It landed at US.
Up until that moment, I’d always envied the other, closer seats.
Three days later, I was sitting in the upper deck when Craig Nettles threw the ball to Alan Wiggins and the team rioted into a human pile of happy in the center of the field. The Pads’ first trip to the World Series.
The bleachers are where us fans harvest homers. Send us your dingers, your dongers, goners, taters, oppo tacos, no-doubters, moon shots, your grand salamis, and your Machados. Slam Diego isn’t a fictional place. It’s a seat. And that seat… is right here. It’s a tad louder in the bleachers because, well, joy and happiness aren’t quiet. Welcome to the party at the end of the home run rainbow.
It’s down to the wire, the biting of nails. Machado and Soto and Joe and Yu and Snellzilla and all the players with great hair could use locals at the finish line. Get a seat. Any seat. All have their unique charms. And should you decide to become a member (partial or whole season tickets for 2023), the list of perks is pretty impressive, including:
—priority access to Postseason tickets (and, baseball gods be willing, World Series)
—before each game, it’s happy hour (more than half-off select beer, wine, and cocktails)
—invitation to watch batting practice to catch homers (if you get a ball with gold-stitching, you get a free Pads jersey of your choice)
—10% off all schwag (City Connect calling your name)
