Which one is better to visit for a week? San Diego or Los Angeles? What are the pros and cons of both of them?

Answer 1

I've lived in both, and each is a different experience. I prefer to live in San Diego, but visiting either place is lots of fun. The posters above are excessively negative, probably not coincidentally because this question is posted in the "San Diego" section of Yahoo Answers.

LA has more big city stuff, more entertainment industry related things, bigger beaches. The Angeles Crest area around Pasadena/Altadena has lots of fun hiking. The Griffith Park Observatory is fun to visit as is Disneyland (which is about equal distance from Los Angeles and San Diego) and Magic Mt. and Universal Studios are fun to tour. Getty Museum in Brentwood is very interesting. Santa Monica beach and the Promenade there are very unique. Major negative would probably be the air quality, but if you come during the winter months the air quality is pretty good. Summer is when it can get smoggy. Traffic is also a negative but San Diego is only marginally better in that respect. Freeway rush hour traffic is always bad in either location.

San Diego has the world famous zoo, Seaworld, Wild Animal Park, Balboa Park and related musuems, the harbor area and Gaslamp entertainment and dining area. La Jolla is beautiful for beaches and coves. Torrey Pines Park and Beach are beautiful too. Major negative would be that it's less of a big city atmosphere if that's what you are looking for. Other negative about skipping LA is that, face it, LA is iconic, and San Diego is much less so.

I prefer to live in San Diego as it's a little less hectic in pace and the air is cleaner. People are a little less intense. But I loved living in LA too. People who would characterize one as vastly superior to the other are speaking out of their own prefererences, I guess.

Re sports, both have baseball. LA has basketball but no professional football; SD has professional football but no basketball. So that's a wash. (And if you watch the Chargers play this season, there are times when I'm not sure you could categorize that as a "professional" team.)

I think you'd like either one; up to you to decide what you'd most like to do/see.

Oh, re above posts:
"NOTHING BUT STREET GANGS AND HOMELESS IN L.A."
That is total nonsense. Both San Diego and LA have gangs and homeless, and fancy houses and law abiding citizens as well. Just depends on what part of town you're in.

"LA is very crowded, and has terrible traffic, and pollution."
Both San Diego and LA are crowded and have terrible traffic. San Diego however rarely has polution. LA's pollution is better than it use to be but some areas are still pretty poluted.

"you will die in LA.. from all the traffic and i swear fat people and the air quality is very poor."
See my comments above; not sure why the percentage of "fat people" would be a deciding factor is selecting a vacation spot, but I don't see any difference in this percentage between LA to SD.

Answer 2

Stay in San Diego, but go up to LA to visit for a day.

I was born and raised on the LA/Orange County line. When I was 19, I went into the navy and got stationed in San Diego. I'm 45 and have been here ever since.

San Diego is a friendly, beautiful city and has a much smaller feel than LA. Everything is close and you don't spend most of your time in traffic. Unlike the LA area, which is so huge and crowded, it's difficult to get around. You can relax in San Diego. But, it's go-go-go all the time in LA.

Stay downtown in the Gaslamp District or at a hotel by the beach (Pacific Beach is the best - La Jolla is expensive and over-rated, but you can visit once to check it out for yourself). Do the obligatory trip to Mexico. A bus excusion is best. And, don't forget your passport (new law). Then, there's the obligatory trips to the zoo and Sea World.

But, you really should go up and visit the Hollywood area to get an idea of what it's all about. Take the Interstate 5 north and get off Highway 101 at Santa Monica Blvd., and take it the 10 miles or so to Beverly Hills. Get out and walk along the streets, checking out the tony shops in the area. Cruise the side streets and marvel at the houses. Head up to the Griffith Park observatory and check out the aerial view of the city (if you can see it through the smog). Head over to Santa Monica and check out the zoo they call a beach. Then head back to San Diego on the Interstate 405. You'll go right through Orange County. But, don't bother getting out of your car. You won't be missing much.

Answer 3

These are both excellent vacation spots. Before I moved to LA, when I took a vacation here, I always took a day or two for a side trip to San Diego. San Diego does not have quite as mush stuff but these things are closed together. LA has more stuff to see and do but these things are very far apart ans you will spend more time driving between them. I suggest that if you are in LA for say 6 days that your family go to San Diego for an over nighter as part of the trip.

Answer 4

San Diego is my preference. LA is very crowded, and has terrible traffic, and pollution. There is a ton to do in San Diego. San Diego has beautiful beaches, the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, Balboa Park, Sea World.

Answer 5

San Diego has NO cons, LA has plenty. Lived in San Diego, some family in N. east LA.(Beverly Hills).

Answer 6

SD all the way! theres more to do in san diego and its not as much traffic as LA.... woohh! chargerz! anyways san diego has nice beaches (except for IB dont go there) and its really nice weather not to mention the san digo zoo, seaworld, soak city, sea port village, downtown, balboa park and all its museums, check out whats to do online... hope that helps!

P.S.-you can visit La or Mexico too, its right next to san diego!

Answer 7

San Diego!!!
There's places like Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and they have nice malls, the beaches are nicee, and yeah!!

Answer 8

I lived in San Diego during college, and my best friend lives in L.A. (I'm now in Texas). San Diego is better if you like traditional touristy stuff like going to site-see, going to museums, sea world, etc etc. and everything is really pretty to look at. It's also very family-friendly.

As for L.A., I only like going there because my friend can play tour guide for me and show me all the local hot spots. If I didn't have her, I'd be lost in the concrete jungle for days!! :)

Answer 9

you will die in LA.. from all the traffic and i swear fat people and the air quality is very poor... things is Los Angeles is spread kinda far from everything and the you add on the traffic , it will be a nightmare.. definitely San Diego its clean.. traffic isnt as bad as LA ..everything is in a 15- 20 min radius.. and its clean especially their downtown

Answer 10

i have lived in LA and SD and I think I prefer SD but it's quite small for " a big city" if you get what I mean? SD has beautiful beaches and La Jolla is very close and there are some lovely shops there =) but if you want bigger and Disneyland then LA is for you.