In San Diego, you could spend years exploring a single neighborhood (and many locals do), yet still not discover every hidden gem and weekend ritual. That said, there are a couple key spots you can’t miss that truly capture the spirit of the city and deserve a spot on the itinerary. Whether you’re a born-and-raised […]
In San Diego, you could spend years exploring a single neighborhood (and many locals do), yet still not discover every hidden gem and weekend ritual. That said, there are a couple key spots you can’t miss that truly capture the spirit of the city and deserve a spot on the itinerary. Whether you’re a born-and-raised San Diegan, a first-time visitor, traveling with kids, grandparents, or even flying solo, these attractions are universal crowd-pleasers:
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum (JFGP)
For a day filled with peace, nature, and even a koi fish or two, stroll through San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, located within Balboa Park. Tucked away from the hustle-and-bustle of the park, one step into the JFGP transports you into a world of tranquility, with winding paths guiding visitors through trickling waterfalls and koi-filled ponds. First opened to the public in 1991, the JFGP now invites over 300K visitors a year to enjoy its Japanese-inspired architecture and plants native to both Japan and San Diego. It also serves as a living symbol of San Diego’s long-standing sister-city relationship with Yokohama, Japan.
While it’s worth visiting any time of year, the JFGP is especially beautiful during cherry blossom season, when the gardens transform into a pink fairytale scene. To celebrate, JFGP hosts an annual Cherry Blossom Festival in mid-March, where visitors can enjoy traditional live music, merchant and food vendors, as well as a beer and sake garden amongst the flowers.
With 12-acres to explore, it’s easy to just spend your day at the JFGP wandering around and enjoying the scenery. As a non-profit and accredited museum, however, the JFGP also offers opportunities for education, particularly when it comes to its Japanese art and sculpture exhibits. Their permanent collections include late 18th century woodblock prints, colorful kimonos, a bonsai tree garden, and cast bronze statues. To dive even deeper, sign up for a cultural class, where you can learn everything from kumiko (an ancient Japanese woodworking technique) to koto (Japanese string instrument). If wellness is more your jam, the museum also offers weekly yoga classes, tai chi, and sound meditation.
San Diego Opera
By day, San Diego is known for its perpetually perfect weather and laid-back, board-shorts vibe. But when the sun sets, a whole other world of music and drama comes alive at the San Diego Opera. Located in the heart of downtown, the SD Opera invites audiences into worlds shaped by powerful stories, voices, stage design, costumes, and the music of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. With over 60 years of history, the Opera produces a blend of classic and modern productions, most of which are performed in their original language, such as Italian or French (with English and Spanish subtitles).
Beyond the stage, the Opera plays an active role in the community with a robust lineup of educational and outreach opportunities. These include free Student Night at the Opera, complimentary community concerts, and Words & Music, an in-school residency program to help children create and perform their own operas. For those looking to deepen their appreciation, Pre-Opera Talks offer background on the show, while Post-Opera Talk-Backs invite audiences to engage directly with cast members for a Q&A on the creation of the show. The Opera also hosts Opera Uncorked events, pairing behind-the-scenes insights with Resident Conductor Bruce Stasyna with wines and light bites a few weeks before the opening show.
The San Diego Opera operates out of two locations: the San Diego Civic Theatre holds large-scale productions, while the historic Balboa Theatre is reserved for smaller or specialized shows. Enjoy performances Friday and Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons, with seasons typically beginning in the fall and lasting through late spring. Individual tickets and season passes may be purchased online or in-person at the ticket office.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
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Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here.
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Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
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It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.
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When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
