Every great city has a neighborhood that tells its story, and in San Diego that is the Gaslamp Quarter: 16.5 blocks of Victorian charm stretching from Broadway to Harbor Drive between Fourth and Sixth Avenues, in the historic heart of downtown.
The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a walk here is a walk through the 1880s to the 1910s, when San Diego’s “New Town” boomed. Ornate commercial buildings line the streets beneath the district’s signature gas-lamp-style lights, and the famous Gaslamp arch sign spans Fifth Avenue to welcome you in.
Do not miss the Davis-Horton House at 410 Island Avenue. Built in 1850, it is the oldest house in the quarter and home to the Gaslamp Museum, where self-guided tours reveal room after room of Victorian-era life. The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation also leads walking tours of the district’s architecture and stories, starting at the museum.
By day, come for the architecture, galleries and sidewalk cafés; the waterfront, Horton Plaza Park and Petco Park are all an easy stroll away. It is San Diego history you can explore at a happy, leisurely pace.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
