Nightlife

Historically, San Diego's cultural scene has lounged in the shadows of Los Angeles and San Francisco, content to take a back seat to the beach, the zoo, and our meteorologically inspired state of affairs. But the dot-com influence brought new blood and money into the city, and arts organizations felt the impact. The biggest winner was the San Diego Symphony, which in 2002, received the largest single donation to a symphony anywhere, ever ($120 million). More recently, individual donors have lavished big bucks on other arts groups: The Old Globe Theatre received $20-million and $10-million gifts, while the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego was bestowed with a $3-million donation. But don't think "after dark" in this city is limited to highfalutin' affairs for the Lexus crowd--rock and pop concerts, swank martini bars, and nightclubs crank up the volume on a nightly basis.

Finding Out What's On

For a rundown of the week's performances, gallery openings, and other events, check the listings in the free, weekly alternative publications, the San Diego CityBeat (www.sdcitybeat.com), and the San Diego Weekly Reader (www.sdreader.com). The San Diego Union-Tribune's entertainment section, "Night and Day," also appears on Thursday (www.signonsandiego.com). For what's happening at the gay clubs, get the weekly San Diego Gay & Lesbian Times (www.gaylesbiantimes.com).

Getting Tickets

Half-price tickets to theater, music, and dance events are available at the ARTS TIX booth in Horton Plaza Park, at Broadway and Third Avenue. It opens Tuesday through Thursday at 11am, and Friday through Sunday at 10am. The booth stays open till 6pm daily except Sunday, when it closes at 5pm. Half-price tickets are available only for same-day shows except for Monday performances, which are sold on Sunday. For a daily listing of offerings, call tel. 619/497-5000 or check www.sandiegoperforms.com; the website also sells half-price tickets for some shows. There is also an ARTS TIX North, at the San Diego North Convention & Visitors Bureau in Escondido, 360 N. Escondido Blvd. (tel. 800/848-3336 or 760/745-4741). Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.

For full-price advance tickets, the Horton Plaza kiosk doubles as a Ticketmaster outlet (tel. 619/220-8497; www.ticketmaster.com), selling seats to concerts throughout California. Although Ticketmaster sells seats for a majority of local events, you'll avoid bruising "convenience" fees by purchasing directly from the venue's box office.

The Performing Arts

Theater -- These listings focus on the best known of San Diego's many talented theater companies. Don't hesitate to try a less prominent troupe if the show appeals to you. Smaller companies doing notable work include Cygnet Theatre (tel. 619/337-1525; www.cygnettheatre.com), Sledgehammer Theatre (tel. 619/544-1484; www.sledgehammer.org), North Coast Repertory Theatre (tel. 858/481-1055; www.northcoastrep.org), and Moxie Theatre (tel. 760/634-3965; www.moxietheatre.com). This is also hopefully the year the city's groundbreaking Sushi Performance and Visual Art (tel. 619/235-8466; www.sushiart.org) returns to a permanent home. The California Center for the Performing Arts in Escondido also books major productions of all types.

Dance -- Dance Place at NTC Promenade has become the heart of the city's dance scene, providing studio, performance, and educational space for several of San Diego's leading companies, including San Diego Ballet (tel. 619/294-7378; www.sandiegoballet.org), Malashock Dance (tel. 619/260-1622; www.malashockdance.org), and Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater (tel. 619/225-1803; www.sandiegodancetheater.org).

Other major dance companies include California Ballet (tel. 858/560-5676; www.californiaballet.org), a classical company that produces four shows annually at the Civic Theatre downtown and elsewhere (The Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition); City Ballet (tel. 858/272-8663; www.cityballet.org) which also focuses on classical dance pieces; and socially conscious modern-dance troupe Eveoke Dance Theatre (tel. 619/238-1153; www.eveoke.org).

Live Entertainment

Live Music -- Maddeningly, many artists still bypass San Diego in favor of another night in LA. On the plus side -- especially when it comes to acts that haven't pushed through to the mainstream -- if they do play locally, chances are it's in a venue smaller than what you'd find them in up north. Note: If you're under 21, much of the city's nightlife will be off-limits to you.

Large Venues -- The city has two monster venues. The San Diego Sports Arena (tel. 619/224-4171; www.sandiegoarena.com) is west of Old Town. Built in 1967, the 15,000- to 18,000-seat indoor venue has middling acoustics, but several big-name concerts are held here every year because of the seating capacity and availability of paid parking. Qualcomm Stadium (tel. 619/641-3131), in Mission Valley, is a 71,000-seat outdoor stadium mainly occupied by football (Chargers and San Diego State University).

The Open Air Theater (tel. 619/594-6947), on the San Diego State University campus, northeast of downtown along I-8, is a more intimate 4,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. It has great acoustics -- if you can't get a ticket, you can sit outside on the grass and hear the entire show. Cox Arena (tel. 619/594-6947), also at SDSU, has equally superb acoustics in an indoor, 12,000-seat facility that is used for bigger draws -- these venues are easily accessed by San Diego Trolley. Coors Amphitheatre (tel. 619/671-3600) is a slick facility a stone's throw north of the Mexican border, in Chula Vista. Built in 1999, the venue has a capacity of 20,000 (10,000 of which is festival seating in a grassy area) and boasts excellent acoustics and good sightlines; many of the big summer tours play here. The drawbacks: overpriced snacks and drinks, and a location 25 to 45 minutes south of downtown (depending on traffic).

The Spreckels Theatre, 121 Broadway (tel. 619/235-9500), and Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St. (tel. 619/235-0804), are wonderful old vaudeville houses, which also are used by touring acts throughout the year.

Bars, Cocktail Lounges & Dance Clubs

Downtown -- Downtown is the busiest place for nightlife -- you'll find something going on nightly. The best nights (or worst, depending on your tolerance for crowds) are Thursday through Saturday, when the 20-somethings pour in and dance clubs spring into action Here are some of the best spots, and keep in mind that many clubs have "city style" dress codes -- no tank tops, sports jerseys, and the like.

Cinema

A variety of multiscreen complexes around the city show first-run films. In the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter, you'll find Pacific's Gaslamp 15, Fifth Avenue at G Street, downtown (tel. 619/232-0400); the 15 theaters offer stadium seating with large screens and great sound systems. The AMC chain operates swarming complexes in both the Mission Valley and Fashion Valley shopping centers (tel. 858/558-2262); both have free parking, but popular films sell out early on weekends. Current American independent and foreign films play at Landmark's five-screen Hillcrest Cinema, 3965 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest, which offers 3 hours of free parking (tel. 619/819-0236); the Ken Cinema, 4061 Adams Ave., Kensington (tel. 619/819-0236); and the four-screen La Jolla Village, 8879 Villa La Jolla Dr., La Jolla, also with free parking (tel. 619/819-0236).

The Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park (tel. 619/238-7559; www.mopa.org) and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla (tel. 858/454-6985; www.mcasd.org) both have ongoing film programs that are worth investigating. The IMAX Dome Theater at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (tel. 619/238-1233; www.rhfleet.org), also in Balboa Park, features movies in the early evening projected onto the 76-foot tilted dome screen (later screenings on weekends). Planetarium shows are held the first Wednesday of the month.

Casinos

San Diego County has 18 Native American Indian tribes -- more than any other county in the nation. Half of them operate casinos in east and north San Diego County, and the Convention & Visitors Bureau (tel. 619/232-3101; www.sandiego.org) has comprehensive listings and discount coupons on its website.

The most easily accessible casino from the downtown area is Viejas Casino, 5000 Willows Rd. in Alpine (tel. 800/847-6537; www.viejas.com.) -- it's a straight shot out I-8 (exit Willows Rd.), less than a half-hour's drive away. Besides the usual table games, slots, bingo, and satellite wagering, Viejas presents an outdoor summer concert series that draws major artists; there is also an outlet center with more than 50 brand-name retailers. In 2006, the casino added 48,000 square feet of new space, encompassing a VIP lounge and high-end bar, the V Lounge.

The Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino is at 1932 Wildcat Canyon Rd., Lakeside (tel. 888/722-7662 or 619/443-2300; www.barona.com). Take I-8 E. to Hwy. 67 N. At Willows Road, turn right and continue to Wildcat Canyon Road.; turn left, and continue 6 miles to the 7,500-acre Barona Reservation (allow 40 min. from downtown). The casino features 2,000 Vegas-style slots, nearly 70 table games, and an off-track betting area. The resort, which includes 400 guest rooms, a spa, and an 18-hole championship golf course, restricts alcohol consumption (the hotel, steakhouse, and golf course only), but allows smoking (the Indian reservations are exempt from California's nonsmoking laws).

Sycuan Resort & Casino is outside El Cajon, at 5469 Casino Way (tel. 800/279-2826 or 619/445-6002; www.sycuan.com). Follow I-8 east for 10 miles to the El Cajon Boulevard exit. Take El Cajon 3 blocks to Washington Avenue, turning right and continuing on Washington as it turns into Dehesa Road. Stay on Dehesa for 5 miles, and follow the signs (allow 30 min. from downtown). Sycuan features more than 2,000 slots, 63 game tables, a 1,200-seat bingo palace, and a 450-seat theater that features name touring acts; a non-smoking boutique casino, complete with separate entrance, opened in 2008.

To bet on the ponies, go to the Del Mar racetrack during the local racing season (mid-July to early Sept). At any time of the year, you can also bet on races being run far and wide at Surfside Race Place, at the Del Mar fairgrounds (tel. 858/755-1167; www.surfsideraceplace.com).

Running with the Grunion

The Grunion Run is a local tradition -- so if someone invites you down to the beach for a late-night fishing expedition, armed only with a sack and flashlight, don't be afraid. Grunion are 5- to 6-inch silvery fish that wriggle out of the water to lay their eggs in the sand. Found only in Southern and Baja California, they make for decent eating, coated in flour and cornmeal, and then fried. April to early June is peak spawning season, but they may only be caught -- by hand -- during the months of March and June through August; a fishing license is required for those 16 and older. Grunion runs happen twice a month, after the highest tides and during the full or new moon, and anywhere from a few dozen to thousands of grunion can appear during a run. The fish prefer wide, flat, sandy beaches (such as Mission Beach); you'll spot more grunion if you go to a less-populated stretch of beach, with a minimum of light. For details, go to the little critters' website, www.grunion.org, or check with the Department of Fish and Game at www.dfg.ca.gov.

Only in San Diego

San Diego's top three attractions -- the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, and SeaWorld -- keep extended summer hours. SeaWorld caps off its "Summer Nights" at 9:30pm with a fireworks display, viewable anywhere around Mission Bay.

San Diego's most unique movie venue is experienced at Movies Before the Mast (tel. 619/234-9153; www.sdmaritime.org), aboard the Star of India at the waterfront Maritime Museum. During July and August, nautically themed movies (such as The Perfect Storm or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) are shown on a special "screensail" Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm.

In Balboa Park, Starlight Theatre presents four Broadway musicals in the Starlight Bowl from June through September (tel. 619/544-7827; www.starlighttheatre.org). This venue is under the flight path to Lindbergh Field, and when planes pass overhead, singers stop in midnote, frozen like a statue, and wait for the roar to cease (really -- we don't make this stuff up).