Seaport Village
by TourGuideTimLocation: Downtown San Diego (Between North & South Embarcaderos)
Open Daily: 10AM – 9PM (10PM during Summer)
Features: Great Area to Shop for Souvenirs and Unique Gifts, Enjoy the Views of San Diego Harbor, Eat, and People Watch; Ride an Antique Carousel or take a Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride.
Seaport Village Highlights: Seaport Village is in the middle of one of the more scenic walking trails you will ever enjoy. This is a good stopping point between the Museums on the North Embarcadero and the Convention Center and Resorts along the South Embarcadero. You will find a beautifully designed and landscaped area with 54 unique shops, 13 casual dining options, and 4 fine-dining restaurants. There are plenty of outdoor areas to sit, watch people, and enjoy viewing the boats sailing in San Diego Bay. You’ll see occasional entertainment in the shop squares, including live music and street performers. You can also take a ride on a restored antique carousel built in 1895. It is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and once entertained guests in Santa Monica (1950s) and Portland, OR (1980s). You can also take a horse-drawn carriage ride.
Shops – Seaport Village is home to a very large selection of unique shops. You will find everything from kites and hot sauces to large crystal sculptures and art galleries.
Map of Seaport Village – It is fun to get lost in the maze of shops. However, if you are looking for something in particular, print out this map and directory from the Seaport Village web site.
Information on Visiting the Seaport Village
Directions from Google Maps to 849 West Harbor Drive in San Diego, CA 92101. (Turn south on Kettner Boulevard to reach Seaport Village Parking.)
Parking – You will find parking lots on both your left and right when you reach the end of Kettner Boulevard. You will get three Hours of parking for $2 with validation. (Validation can be obtained from any store where you make a minimum purchase of $10.) Afterwards, it is about $2 for every 30 minutes. Without validation, it is $8 per hour. Many visitors also walk here from other attractions along San Diego Bay.
Traffic – Getting in and out of downtown using highways I-5, SR-163, and SR-94 is relatively easy. Downtown San Diego is not a major employment center and thus there is very little rush hour traffic. Watch for slower traffic on the I-5 where it does a tight S-curve through downtown San Diego near the SR-163 interchange. When heading southbound on SR-163, stay to the left side unless you want to get on the I-5. (You will encounter a slight delay getting on the I-5 from SR-163.) You will also encounter a slight delay on SR-163 going into downtown when there is an event at Petco Park. The San Diego Padres games usually start at 7:05PM. Even though traffic backs up a little on SR-163, it continues to move along. When leaving downtown, remember that:
- 1st Avenue will get you to the I-5 North,
- 11th Avenue will get you to SR-163 and the I-5 North,
- E & J Streets will get you to the I-5 South, and
- G Street will get you to SR-94.
The traffic lights on these streets are synchronized and will generally move you along without delay. (Learn how to get the latest highway traffic updates.)
Once you are downtown, you will find most of the streets are one-way, on an alternating basis. (You can see them if you zoom in on Google Maps.) Broadway and Market Streets are both two-way streets running east-west. You will find that at several intersections you are not allowed to make a left turn off of Broadway or Market. Thus, if you need to make a left turn, it is often better to use a one-way street rather than Broadway and Market Streets. The streets closest to the San Diego Bay attractions (including Seaport Village) are also two-way.
All of the streets downtown move along quite well. The only exceptions are 4th and 5th Avenues through the Gaslamp Quarter in the evenings and around Petco Park before and after events. One other exception is crossing train tracks that run along Harbor Drive in front of the Convention Center. You can cross over the train tracks at Market, Front, 1st, and 5th. Sometimes, freight trains block the latter few crossover streets. If you see them sitting still, it means they are checking their brakes, so it could take a while. Don’t wait. Move farther north towards Market Street to cross over the tracks.
Transit – The Orange Trolley Line offers a Seaport Village Trolley Stop. It is about 100 yards from the shops and restaurants. It is also easy to walk here from any of the attractions along Harbor Drive. (See San Diego Transit Information for the downtown transit map and information for the online Transit Planner.)
Find More Attractions with Similar Themes or Location: Cultural Gifts, Embarcadero North / Columbia, Embarcadero South / Marina, Gems / Jewelry, Nostalgia & Western Frontier, San Diego Bay Boating, Scenic Views, Souvenirs, Unique Shopping Venues |