Lifestyle
The San Diego County terrain is known for its natural beauty and wide variation. White-sand beaches, tranquil bays, sparkling lakes, and rolling rivers grace lush valleys, dramatic canyons, quiet valleys, alpine highlands, and Pacific Ocean seashore. Newcomers will discover nature’s finest playground in a region that offers a breathtaking backdrop for every outdoor sport and activity. More than 1,200,000 acres of San Diego County have been designated as recreational land, supporting hiking, biking, fishing, camping, picnicking, and nature study. Temperate weather, the Pacific Ocean, and exceptional natural harbors provide spectacular possibilities for outdoor living. Southern California is the largest marine sport-fishing center in the world with more than 800 varieties of game fish in its waters. The region’s ideal climate encourages year-round tennis, golf, racquetball, volleyball, biking, running, off-roading, backpacking, hang-gliding, and surfing.

Truly a shopper’s paradise, San Diego County features contemporary regional shopping malls as well as unique village and resort districts where one-of-a-kind boutiques and elite shops are interspersed with outdoor cafes and fine restaurants. Historical districts have often been transformed into exciting retail centers where art galleries and antique shops mix with gift and apparel stores. Families will never be at a loss for ways to fill leisure hours with quality experiences. Aquariums, children’s museums, grand-scale playgrounds, and amusement centers combine with internationally famous attractions like SeaWorld San Diego, the San Diego Zoo and its Wildlife Park, and LEGOLAND California. Close enough for a day’s outing, the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area adds Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm, Disneyland, and California Adventure amusement parks to an already exhaustive list of major attractions.

Museums celebrating such varied subjects as contemporary art, aerospace, natural history, and oceanography are scattered throughout the region. Historic sites are equally prolific, preserving everything from remnants of Native American cultures to beautiful missions. The fine and performing arts are well represented in the glittering city of San Diego but also in suburban towns and smaller cities. Venues of every size host theatre, musical concerts, dance, and comedy to showcase local, regional, national, and even international talent. San Diego City is home to a number of celebrated permanent companies that include the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Opera, the San Diego Master Chorale, the San Diego Ballet, and the California Ballet Company.

Residential communities within the county tend to vary as richly as the friendly people who have chosen to call this beautiful area their home. Welcoming neighborhoods and master-plann­ed areas provide a wide spectrum of choices in home styles and settings. Other options include cozy bungalows in the heart of a city neighborhood, horse properties or generous acreage in the country, seaside cottages, high-rise condominiums, elegant Victorians, or magnificent estates that command spectacular ocean views. San Diego County supports every imaginable lifestyle choice from urban chic to rural tranquility.