What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's San Diego

October 2003 -- While California has its election recall controversy, San Diego continues its embarrassing professional sports venue hullabaloo.

The most contentious struggle in our fair city is the not-so-fair negotiations to keep the Chargers, the wealthy Spanos family's football team, in town. The team is itching to move to Los Angeles and, rather than fulfill the terms arrived at during its last ugly contract negotiation, is offering San Diegans one insulting proposal after another, probably only to avoid a lawsuit by disgusted citizens when the Chargers triggers a contentious "exit clause" and packs its bags. "Disingenuous" is too kind a word for the shenanigans.

Despite the fact that three popular Super Bowls were held at Qualcomm Stadium to much acclaim, the crux of the issue is that the Spanos's are demanding the city build them a new stadium, calling Qualcomm outdated and insufficient, particularly when it comes to the luxury boxes. If only to have been a fly on the wall in the Spanos offices when, in September, USA Today published an interview with ESPN's Chris Berman. Which stadium topped his list of the 10 best places to watch gridiron grit? You guessed it: Qualcomm. "Actually, the Super Bowl needs to be in San Diego every year," Berman added.

Somewhat less controversial is the debut of Petco Park, the new 46,000-seat home of the Padres (who just wrapped up their last season at Qualcomm), which opens April 2004. Located downtown across the street from the Convention Center, the ballpark's construction has extended the redevelopment of downtown a few blocks east -- the long-dormant area is now called East Village and includes hotels, office buildings, retail space and residential units. For more information, call tel. 888/MY-PADRES.

Planning Your Trip

JetBlue Airways (tel. 1-800-JETBLUE; www.jetblue.com), initiated two daily nonstop flights between its JFK hub and San Diego in June 2003 and added a third in September. JetBlue flaunts low fares, wide-body Airbus A320s, and 24-channel DIRECTV for every seat, but for underserved San Diego, the additional service is a boon -- the airline offers fares starting at $134 one way on this route. Still, I wonder why JetBlue's website, when recommending what to "eat," "see" and "do" in San Diego, says only "information not available." Maybe I need to send them a copy of the 2004 Frommer's guidebook?

San Diego's other air travel news isn't so rosy: British Airways cancelled the nonstop service from London Heathrow to San Diego, and Air Canada ended its nonstop Toronto service. This means San Diego's Lindbergh Field has only the daily Aeromexico flights to Los Cabos to qualify it as an international airport. Efforts by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority are underway to reinstate British Airways' London flights, perhaps in 2004.

Winter visitors should check out the stirring retrospective of woodworker George Nakashima at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park (tel. 619/239-0003; www.mingei.org). Nakashima's handsome and practical wooden objects -- chairs, tables, benches and cabinets -- were commissioned by Columbia University, Nelson Rockefeller, and others; the artist, who dies in 1990, has been honored with exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, etc. The exhibit will be on display at the Mingei from November 23, 2003 to May 30, 2004.

Where to Stay

The bayfront Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, 1 Market Place downtown (tel. 619/232-1234; www.hyatt.com) finished its huge expansion project in August. The additions include a new 34-story, 750-room tower with 39 new suites (bringing the total number of guestrooms to 1,625); an additional 86,000-square-feet of meeting space, and a new 30,000 square-foot ballroom. Other features include a full-service spa and salon, a 75-foot lap pool, and four tennis courts. The Manchester Grand Hyatt is now the largest hotel in San Diego and the tallest waterfront building on the U.S. west coast -- a mixed blessing however you slice it.

Expansion plans for Loews Coronado Bay Resort, 4000 Coronado Bay Rd., (tel. 619/424-4000; www.loewshotels.com) were approved by the San Diego Coastal Commission, and the $4.1 million project is scheduled for completion by early 2004. Additions to the luxury hotel include a 10,000-square-foot full-service health and beauty spa, complete with an outdoor Watsu massage pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Where to Dine

The city's dining scene has taken a few twists and turns. Chef Michael Stebner of Nine-Ten in La Jolla has left to open his own venue, taking his sharp sous chef and pastry chef with him, and to be called Region, 3671 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/299-6499). The prime Hillcrest space he chose is the one formerly occupied by Mixx, which means we must bid adieu to one of our long-time favorites, but Stebner's menu promises to be compelling, devoted to ultra-fresh local produce and to the cuisine of California but, he promises, with a much lower tab than at Nine-Ten.

Meanwhile, former Mixx owner Deborah Helm will concentrate her efforts on her breakfast/lunch-only Mission restaurants in Mission Beach and North Park -- a third Mission will open downtown on J Street in early 2004. The restaurant Nine-Ten, 910 Prospect St. (tel. 858/964-5400), has hired Jason Knibb, former Executive Chef at Robert Redford's Sundance Resort in Utah, to take over for Michael Stebner. The market cuisine concept is not expected to change.

Restaurant closings of note this year include Fio's, the Vegetarian Zone, and the Old Town location of the Brigantine (though the Coronado and other locations remain).

Exploring San Diego

There are developments at all three of our animal parks. Topping the list at Balboa Park's San Diego Zoo, 2920 Zoo Dr. (tel. 619/234-3153; www.sandiegozoo.org), is the arrival of a new panda, born to Bai Yun in August. Mom and cub are not on display yet -- it was about 6 months before the zoo's last cub, Hua Mei went on view, which would mean we should see them sometime in Spring 2004. Until then, you can see mom and the cub on the zoo's website, where a "Panda Cam" keeps an eye on the pair.

At the zoo's sibling, the Wild Animal Park, San Pasqual Valley Road in Escondido (tel. 760/747-8702; www.wildanimalpark.org) seven young African elephants were imported from Swaziland, rescuing them from probable culling. In fact, there are hundreds of baby animals born at the Wild Animal Park annually, so there's usually something new and intriguing to see at the nursery.

Over at SeaWorld San Diego, 500 Sea World Dr., Mission Bay (tel. 619/226-3901; www.seaworld.com), the developments continue to shift toward ride-type attractions. This year the park added R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse, a 22-minute "4-D" movie based on a story written by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, while in spring 2004, a water-coaster imported from Orlando and called Journey to Atlantis will make its debut, taking guests on a splash-filled ride culminating in a plummeting drop.

San Diego is seeing a number of new day spas, one of which is Spa Tiki, 200 Harbor Dr., downtown (tel. 619/231-4363; www.spatiki.com) a two-story, 8,000 square-foot South Seas-inspired day spa offering all the whimsical elements and exotic allure of a tropical island resort. The elevator entrance opens to a bamboo path leading guests to the ocean-inspired lower level; here you'll find "Pedi-Cabanas" -- island-style thrones for pedicures -- and a salon. The upper level is home to nine treatment rooms, a steam room, lounge, and private event space.

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