The Gaslamp District [San Diego, CA]

I snap a photo of the city with one hand as my body reaches to hurry back with the crowd and visiting Liz Lemon who’s a few steps ahead of me.  It’s a Saturday night in San Diego and we’re in one of my most favorite parts of town: The Gaslamp District.  

It’s a robust night with a crowd of beautiful people in their club best roaming the streets laughing amongst themselves or smiling at us as they walk past.  Bicycles toting passenger carts wiz past and one of them is blasting Kesha’s “Tik Tok” as the twentysomething girl occupant dances in her seat and the boys on the street holler if they can join her cart.  

Two plates of lobster come at us in view as Liz Lemon and I spy into the trendy restaurants as the patrons nimbly eat their sizzling Thai, Mexican, Irish, and American food.  All of the colors of the city burn bright with various music adding to the crowd’s excited mumbles about drinking, partying, eating, and many many exclaims of congratulations to the numerous brides-to-be out tonight.

We glide down 5^th Street stopping only once to get a bite at Ghirardelli’s Ice Cream and Chocolate shop whose sign is lit up on the outside like a marquee.  A chocolate expert greets everyone at the door, handing a chocolate square to each person.  The décor is 1930s ice cream parlor with tons of framed nostalgic posters of chocolate and of old San Francisco (where the factory is located).  The massive sundaes and floats come out in cylinder glass cups by waiters dressed in white.  Liz and I notice that a group of girls seated close to us are celebrated a birthday.  “I’d totally have a birthday at an ice cream shop,” Liz says looking at their delicious sundaes.  “Of course,” I say, enjoying my chocolate with rainbow sprinkles, “Why not?  It’d be awesome.”  A future birthday plan I wonder?  I finish my cone and off we go. 

 We pause a few times at interesting looking venues like The Tipsy Crow bar, Babycakes cupcake shop, and the movie theater which is ironically called Reading Cinemas, and once we pass by Croce’s jazz bar and restaurant we make immediate plans to return here for a double-date one day.  The rich jazz notes fill the air as continue walking down the streets of the Gaslamp into the night.

We discussed the inexplicable popularity of overpriced cupcakes and fondue as we admired the chic architecture of the high rises and lofts.  No matter how long I’m in the San Diego I can never get over how beautiful the city really is at night.  It’s an unusually clean and safe place city considering it’s the 8^th largest city in the United States, not to mention how the soft paint tones and hundreds of street lights make it one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited.    

We ended up at the Convention Center where Comic Con will be hosted in a few weeks, which is right next to Petco Park where the San Diego Padres play.  Due to the arch of the streets, on game night glance down 8^th Street and you’ll be able to see straight into the park.  It was closed when Liz Lemon and I walked past, but the mini park (a grassy hill near the bleachers) was hosting Twilight: New Moon.  We could hear Edward discussing his moody immortality all the way few blocks down on our way back to the car.  

A good night in the Gaslamp.  And a real treat to be able to share it will a good friend.