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Pacific Beach
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- No
78 reviews for Pacific Beach
The other night I had drinks with a friend. As we walked into the bar she commented on how eerily calm PB was that evening.
Several cocktails later we walked from Nicks at the Beach to Santana's Burritos right about the time all the bars close. For those not in the know that is pretty much the tour of PB. On our journey we were exposed to almost every stereotype of this area, which inspired me to share our tale in this review. Everything in this Yelp, while potentially exaggerated due to the fact I was a few sheets to the wind myself, is all true.
Our first encounter came at the corner of Cass St. and Grand Ave. when a taxi full of college aged drunkards whizzed by and screamed obscenities at me for no reason other than I was walking with a pretty girl. I laughed, looked at my friend, and debated getting a taxi because we knew more heckling was in store for us. "Nah it's a nice evening. Lets do some people watching on Garnet." My friend said.
Our next run-in came as we walked by one of my least favorites, Bar West. There we ran into the following: a guy pissing in between two cars, 3 bouncers surrounding some dude with a straight-bill hat who was mumbling something about finding his girl, a sea of skimpily dressed ditzes, meatheads in Ed Hardy Shirts, and couples of both playing suck face and grab-ass.
Shortly after that we were approached by two hammered tourists with a Texas accent who asked, "Got any idea where we can get some pizza round here at this hour buckaroo?" The guys were nice considering how hammered they were so I whipped out the Yelp app. on my nifty I-phone, and hooked em up with a couple numbers for delivery. "Thanks partner! Go get yourself v@**** tonight," one bellowed from across the street.
On with the tour we came to the jungle (Garnet Ave). We crossed paths with two hooligans kicking a cell phone down the sidewalk until we reached the bar area outside of Plum Crazy. There was the hilarious scene of two police officers accosting what looked like a sober guy, while behind their backs on the other side of the street some wasted idiot was lying in the middle of the road. His friends scurried to pick him up and they disappeared into the darkness before the police even noticed they were there.
On the homestretch there were several other make-out scenes and drive-by-screamings until we reached the safe zone past Ingram.
And now for my final thought à la Jerry Springer:
Make sure you have a sense of humor when you come to this part of town, because if you don't it can make for a pretty disastrous evening. While there are some very obvious annoyances that occur here there's also some great parts about the area. (Aussie Pub, Cass Street Bar and Grill, the actual beach and boardwalk, Bareback, PB Rec center to name a few)
Every neighborhood has pro's and cons. It's unfortunate that PB sometimes gets a bad rep due to the juvenile behavior after the sun goes down, because I don't think it is as bad as many say.
I'm an obecian
I hate PB
The best part of PB is it's way over there
but it does keep a lot of tourists out of OB
just a haven for stupid spoiled college kids living off their parents
my favorite thing to in PB do is to go into any bar and yell
"Ashley you are so stupid" and watch half of the girls in the bar take offense. When I want to offend the other half I simply change out Ashley for Brittany.. it's that easy
Get ready to walk because this stereotypical Socal beach is crowded!
Parked a good 20 min away to get to all the rollerbladers, cyclists, blond haired ambercrombie & fitch model types hangin' in the sand and on the boardwalk area. There were some really, really, chewbacca hairy people tannin' their hairs as well. What I liked, no one really cares, they just notice. Less of a scene than say Venice beach.
I got the feeling of a beach community - bunch of mom and pops, some outdoor patio'd restaurants, some folks bbq'n out on their lawn, a bunch of bars. Chill and kickback.
There's a kelp forest or something not to far off shore as there is a ton of seaweed in the water and when you get out you end up looking like a swamp thing covered in the green stuff.
I Absolutely LOVE P.B. and not just for the actual beach!
I was raised in this area its the best! There's so much to do in such a small area, great fun, great people, great food, great shopping, great everything!
Hands down my favorite beach in California. Hands down.
Not necessarily because of the beach itself, but because of all the memories I've accumulated here throughout the years.
I'm from NorCal and the first time I went here was the summer after high school graduation with my girls in 2003. We played around along the shore, then decided to go body-boarding. Keep in mind I can't swim and have bad vision. I didn't have contact lenses at the time so I had to wear my prescription sunglasses into the water the whole time while body-boarding. Bad idea..
"THE OCEAN ATE MY SUNGLASSES!"
Also, I fell off the board multiple times, drank a crapload of nasty salt water, had my bikini top come off, got sand all over my bikini bottom and almost drowned... AND I LOVED IT!!!
I've been coming to this beach everytime I'm in San Diego. The sand is dirty, the people are rowdy (during summer months), there's seaweed all along the shore.. but it's a damn good place for making memories.
So many PB haters out there, but I am not one of them because I just do my own thing and have a damn good time! Sure there are lots of tourists and young, snobby, ignorant kids that come to the beach in herds and sometimes make you feel insecure for being larger than a size 2, but they are insignificant compared to the ocean in front of you.
The beach itself is standard as far as So Cal beaches go: it's got water, sand, a pier, and tons of seaweed. I enjoy the extras that PB boasts such as the boardwalk for going on a nice stroll and the shops, restaurants and bars all within walking distance. PB really is a fun place to be if you let it be! Plus, the people watching here is excellent! I was eavesdropping on some girl's drama at the beach and it got super interesting when she was arguing with her bf on the phone because he slept with his own sister! All you haters are just being snobby. You hate on PB because it's trashy, but there's so much going on here it's hard not to be entertained!
I dont know how anyone cannot love the beach. I know I do! I have been here before, but not since my last trip a few years ago.
The parking here stinks! Good luck trying to find a spot. Seems to be near impossible to find a decent place to leave the car. I was lucky to get a spot, but it was $5 an hour.
There are plenty of places to eat and drink. Georgous place to enjoy just about anything. Lots of sand and beachfront to spread out and enjoy yourself without feeling cramped.
I was here in June, and the water was freezing!! Yikes. But, it was so beautiful to walk the pier, put my feet in the sand, and just hang out, that it really didnt matter.
Loved every minute of this place. Georgeous views!
Nice area of San Diego just right across of my friend place, so was really nice to enjoy a nice afternoon roller blading on the beach.
Nice weather on a nice summer afternoon, and fresh breeze too:)
People down the beach seems very friendly, and their hospitality and warmth make you want to come back.
People greet you and say hi, and no judging how you are dressed or you look like.
LOL.
I definitely will recommend this place to anyone who will visit San Diego.
A survey:
Do you use Yelp as an outlet to share your thoughts and write about your daily (albeit non-amazing) adventures around town because you're powerless in real life even though you are probably smarter and more creative than your corporate job gives you credit for?
Do you wish you had studied something practical like business or engineering in undergrad (or even went to a different University), but instead studied something else you thought would be practical but then you realized it wasn't (plus you didn't want to go to med school by the summer of your junior year) but by then it was too late to change majors, so now you're doing something else, and even though things are ok for the interim, lets face it-- its totally not meeting up to your expectations and you're not the cooler version of yourself you imagined when you were younger, right?
Is your day-to-day filled with ennuii, interacting with people you don't really care about or like?
Do you have low tolerance for idiots?
Do you like to drink massive amounts of alcohol and engage in risky behavior to offset the day to day aforementioned ennui?
Do you like to have sexual adventures with meathead Pacific Beach boys as a source of entertainment because you're bored with life and the general outlook of your life in the near future, so you hook up with these boys even though they say things like "Sup bro, sup?" and act like raging dickheads and get stupid drunk when alcohol is around them, but you stopped giving a care about standards because its the weekend after all and this PB-residing guy who is only fooling himself by thinking he is still "young and college-aged" (his words, even though he is pushing 30) has a REALLY. HOT. BOD, so you push away your internal disgust at his juvenile antics and you muffle the little voice inside you that says "NOOOO! Don't do it!" ?
Do you then regret these meaningless sexual encounters after some drama ensues afterwards, causing you to feel sordid? Cheap, even?
Ha! If you answered most of these questions, welcome to my life!
As a rule of thumb, I'm never hooking up with anyone who resides in PB again! It's not worth the 10 minutes of sitting in the bathtub, with my wet hair over my face (llke Samara in The Ring), rocking my knees as the water rushes over me to cleanse me of my sins.
Well. I can walk here. So there's that. But of the local beaches this is probably my least favorite. Piles and piles of stinky fly-infested seaweed, wading is dangerous because of the novice surfers - lot of the waves break really close to the shore. Not enough showers.
The one thing it has going for it is the soft sand area is huge so if you don't care to go in the water you can go way back beyond the stinky piles of seaweed to play frisbee or fly a kite. Sadly, that is little consolation on a hot day.
Watch out for dog turds. Lots of locals walk their dogs here after dark and don't clean up. Which means keep your mouth closed when you're in the water, K?
AH! The people watching!!! It's prime here.
And the shave ice stand next to the bikini stand is decent. It's a little crunchy but they put ice cream on the bottom just like Hawaii and that hits the spot on a hot day.
Would I want to live in Pacific Beach? Probably not. But for a fun afternoon of browsing along Garnet or walking along the boardwalk, this is a great place. To be certain, we were a little surprised by the numerous tattoo shops and rowdy frat house type bars in the area. I guess this is the equivalent of LA's Hermosa Beach.
Fairly ample street parking was available but there were some cheap public lots and at one restaurant, I saw $3 valet. Woah!
We checked out some beach front properties. I think another road trip might be order to stay in PB and do a little partying.
The only thing about the boardwalk area is there is not a separate bike path or rollerblading path. It would have been nice. One guy almost trampled me on his bike but he was super apologetic.
I definitely liked how relaxed this beach town was. It didn't scream "beach town" like the more commercial vibe of hokey sunglasses and dumb beach t-shirts with cut bodies in bikinis (cough, Venice Beach).
I was bummed though to see some of the more eclectic shops were closed from when I was last here a few months ago. Instead, it seems even more tacky and slutty clothing stores have popped up.
But looking at the ocean, I'm reminded again how much I love living in California and can take a moment or two of "reality."
I love PB.I used to live in PB. I wouldnt mind living in PB again. I think its a great area with all these little shops and cafes and restaurants and beautiful girls running around. Of course the beaches arent half bad either. However...
Factor in frat guys, bros and drunk knuckleheads who are from the south or the midwest or Arizona and PB automatically becomes one of the worst places to hang out at or visit in San Diego.
Great fun beach to go to if you are not looking for peace and quiet!
It is always packed with people and good luck finding parking!
But it does have a really fun vibe and to me relect my younger crowd's taste!
Plenty of room to layout, waves to surf or boogie board..all in all a fun place!
A couple blocks away from the beach, surfers walk home while the bars are filled with college students. Banks and groceries don't require a drive. I did walk past a homeless man already set up to sleep on the sidewalk before sunset. I like Garnet but I wouldn't want to live here. People-watching is great from the boardwalk.
The bay is gorgeous but the freeway is only convenient when you're exiting. The pier attracts families as well as tourists. The streets aren't crowded at night. There are a couple of brunch places that close by 4:00 p.m. You shouldn't pay for parking on the weekend: look a few blocks away.
The beach itself is 5 stars all the way in my book. PB to me just seems like the ideal SoCal beach. For solitude, I go elsewhere, but when I want to take in a scene, this place just seems livelier, more fun, and better for people-watching than any beach in L.A. or the Bay (although the latter isn't saying much). Bonus points for being a great place to rollerblade.
As for the neighborhood, everyone else has already said it. I guess this must be S.D.'s equivalent of the Marina, with the comments being awfully similar to what people say about that infamous neighborhood up here in S.F.
I agree with Kat G's review..."The majority of these reviews focus on "the people of PB" rather than PB itself."
Couldnt agree more. Now with that said, here's my take:
This review is probably gonna piss some people off (namely locals) but here goes anyway:
WOOOO!!! I love Pacific Beach! 4th of July would not be the same , in fact it would be pretty boring if it werent for here...
If you didnt know, Pacific Beach is one of the very few beaches where you can bring alcohol and consume it on the beach, albeit cant be in glass containers or "unsafe, unsecured" containers
(Well, I dont know much about the ongoing booze ban or anything, but tons of people still bring and consume alcohol here with little to no interference from cops)
It of course attracts many college kids, few families and scores of tourists. On normal days its a nice place to be. On holidays, unless you LOVE people watching, consider going elsewhere--its packed.
Theres a boardwalk with many small shops and at night the surrounding area has restaurants and bars that are bustling with a colorful mix of frat guys and yes, douchebags. Why its always a sausagefest at night when i come to hang out here is a mystery.
Like most beach front areas, parking is a nightmare. On beach-going holidays (memorial day/4th of July/Labor Day...) Ive stayed at one of the beachfront hotels just so i could cram as many of my friend's cars as possible into their garage. If you dont wanna take this step....you best have steel nerves and good luck!
If you have underaged, prepubescent daughters, you might get a bit nervous and overprotective (like some of my older friends/relatives did)
I love PB, have lived here for 5 years.
I love being able to walk everywhere for breakfast, lunch, dinner, bars (beats drinking and driving huh?!) , also the bank, the post office, the grocery store - we have a Henrys, Trader Joes, Ralphs and Vons.
Also there's Kate Sessions park, a massive beach, a pier, gorgeous bay and easy access to highways....
what more do you want?!
I see many guys may have given PB a bad review for whatever reason but as a female, i can confirm it is fantastic for me and and my family to live here. Maybe those guys find the competition to hard or their egos aren't massaged as much as they would like it to be, whatever the reason is, it is quite bizarre that a lot of the bad reviewers are men or have names commonly applied to men.
What a flaming pile of shit.
People who come here every once in a while for a day at the beach may really enjoy the area. But for people who have to go through this junk of a community every day? Holy crap. First let me say that the people are NOT the reason I dislike PB. Yeah, every once in a while you come across some roided up frat boy who can't think for himself and who's a total d-bag, but, in general, the people here are nice.
What sucks about this place? The streets. The ridiculous congestion. The lights. The bums. The general suckiness that wreaks from it on a daily basis. The drunks, although I think the booze ban is helping improve that issue.
So, yeah...go to Mission instead.
I wish I could give zero stars.....
Three words: drunks, sluts and bro-dudes...
I stay away at all costs.
Good Beach Times.
I've lived in PB for nearly 20 years and have taken my kids to the beach countless times. As with any beach community, you have to expect and accept some of the things that go on here...
- This is a warm beach in Southern California, so there will be some homeless people. I mean, that's prime real estate. Why wouldn't anyone want to be here? They pretty much keep to themselves and I've only had a problem once many years ago - the guy was drunk and harassing people, we got the cops to clear him out.
- Parking is terrible...if you're an idiot and arrive late in the day. Smart folks get there early to get a close parking spot. I typically drive into the Lifeguard Tower turnaround at the end of Grand Ave, drop off all my gear and family, then go find a parking spot while they haul the equipment like a nomadic tribe down to our favorite spot.
- Booze Ban. Sure, some folks don't like it and we all have a right to use the beach, but when your drunk ass spills into my family, that's a problem. The on-the-beach booze ban doesn't prevent folks from drinking off the beach then come stumbling over, so the drama and controversy continues.
- There are no fire pits, so don't bury your hot BBQ coals in the sand for kids to step on. Pour some water on it to put them out then dump them in the provided "Hot Coals Only" containers.
Edit: as of 12/08 - fire pits are now funded for at least 18 months from a secret donor. They are few and far between on the actual beach.
- Some of the biggest kelp beds in the world are located just offshore, so there will always be piles of seaweed on the beach and things floating in the surf. It feels weird the first few times that something just wrapped around your ankle, but you get used to it.
- Lots of tourists, frat boys, sorority girls, whites, black, mexicans, germans, polish, french, japanese, chinans, old, young, and even a thong-clad skater. It's a diverse crowd, so don't come with racial 'tude.
During the summer we plan long days here with my family. Especially on the weekends, I plan on getting there early in the day. And if it's a holiday weekend, I get there too damn early. I bring a rigid canopy, a bamboo roll as a people/wind/sun screen, folding chairs, boogie boards, small BBQ, a ton of food, a bag of sand toys, and my old folding shovel. We like to get a spot near the giant lifeguard tower since there's lifeguards right there, 3 outdoor showers, and a bathroom.
Once the canopy is up, I start digging a 10'x10' sand maze/castle/pit for my kids to play right in front of our canopy. My kids have fun playing in the sand, digging for shells, jumping in and out of the cool Pacific water, and getting sand in their shorts. We spend the whole day chilling, eating, playing, and eating some more. In the evening we break down everything and clean up, then watch the sunset which can sometimes be explosive, or be just a short fizzle. Then I go get the car, drive it back to the initial drop-off spot, and load everyone back in, sand-filled short and all.
As with any beach, we have to observe a few common-sense rules:
- If you want a good parking or beach spot, get there early.
- Some people are thieves and will steal your stuff. We ensure our stuff is zipped up in bags, and bags are attached to our chairs. We never leave our site unattended.
- Some people like to share their music with everyone else. I don't, so I don't bring a music player. The beach bars usually have loud enough music.
- Be a good neighbor. Don't play catch with the football in the crowded area. It's not cool when you do a diving catch into a family. Take it down to the water line where there's lots of room.
Great place for kids to spend all day playing and having fun. Bring the right equipment/toys!
The beaches back in the Bay Area are no contest to the ones here. The weather is so nice that even if it's a little windy, you don't have to bundle yourself up when you walk around. Couldn't help but notice the board at the lifeguard building saying that the water temperature was in the 70s. If that's not enough incentive to make you wanna strip down and get in the water, then I don't know what is! As you walk around, you'll see nice hotels, a pier area, a few shops, bars, and restaurants along the way. I was able to get good parking both of the times I came here, seeing as I came during the morning. I'd love to check out the night life one day. It would also be cool to ride a bike down here. Watching the other visitors made me wonder if I could still do it. I guess I'll have to find out...
This place is the motherfucking bropocalypse.
The actual community of PB where everyone lives is probably THE BEST area in San Diego for friendly, attractive, outgoing, healthy young people.
Most of the people who live in PB are enrolled at SDSU, UCSD, USD, and or are beach people/surfers.....and are about the highest grade young people you will find in all of San Diego. A+
I love you, PB, but I hate your fan club.
It's not just about the PB Guys (see review, titled as such), or the skanky girls (no offense, everyone loves skanks!), but it's something deeper. Something embedded in the culture.
Every once in a while I'll have a day so bad that it seems to spell B-A-R, but this isn't my mantra. My goal in life is not to drink enough Guinness to turn my blood black. And I'm trying to do the opposite of collecting when it comes to STD's. Perhaps this is why PB and I have our differences.
PB is the never-ending frat party: this part of San Diego single-handedly keeps Pabst in business and beer pong a sanctioned sport. I'm pretty sure it was a PB guy who created the beer pong Wii game.
Sometimes I think I'm too harsh on it. In a way, PB is like OB, with booze instead of weed and black shirts instead of tie-dye and cops instead of mail boxes. But the difference is that OB has a care free attitude that doesn't disrupt the flow of life around them.
OB PEOPLE
Them - "Legalize weed! We're smoking it anyway! You can even tax it!"
Me - "Amen, brother. I don't smoke but more power to you!"
PB PEOPLE
Them - "I'm too tough for this crosswalk to tell me it isn't my turn to walk! I'm just gonna walk out in the street and flip off anyone who honks!"
Me - *THUD* "Must have been a big cat or something.
It's really too bad since the beach is so nice and there are some cool businesses that have been there forever, but I just can stand to put up with the people anymore.
I think I can summarize PB in a nutshell with one quote a friend, who lives in PB, said:
"I woke up last night to police sirens. Well, I thought it was police sirens. It turns out it was one of the guys who lives behind me making a police siren noise in a megaphone at 3 in the morning."
Let's be honest about Pacific Beach. It's a party town and a party beach. If you want to go upscale, head 10 minutes up the coast, looking at the expensive houses as you stop off at La Jolla. Plenty O great beach spots to enjoy in La Jolla, from the beach to the shops.
But at Pacific Beach, get a game of volleyball going, rent a dog to meet the ladies (someone needs to start this business), stroll the bike up and down to Mission Beach, lay out, enjoy the eye candy, get in the water, beach town shopping if that's your bag, and get yourself a fish taco. If you have never been to SD before and want to get the party town beach feel, this is the place to go.
If you find yourself down by the rollercoaster, it's actually pretty fun, though don't be too surprised if you die on it.
PB = Epic. Fail.
Hi, I'm Captain Awesome. Check me out! Can I buy you a drink? I really don't give a fuck about what you do or who you're here with as long as you go home with me tonight and I can get you out of your short skirt with as little liquid panty remover as possible. Did I mention I was on the crew team in college?
The very next night:
I'm sorry, I forgot your name already, but I promise I'll call you tomorrow! Don't be sad, this is what you girls like anyway since you come back here night after night and it keeps happening. I'm not a bad guy. I'm what you call an enabler, and to be honest, I just wanted to sleep with you.... hey what's your friends name? Is she single--fuck it I don't care.
Awesome.
1. It's a typical dumpy beach ghetto during the day, but I avoid this place at night. I don't care how much this place is improved (with Firehouse, Tower 23 and Bar West), it's still San Diego's answer to Dogtown. If you do go (during the day), it's best if you go north on Ingraham because of the hectic traffic westbound on Grand/Garnet...and park on Grand.
2. Have you seen those commercials for "Girls Gone Wild"? PB has a whole lot of those girls. I would like to do them, but I am afraid I might catch something that I would regret later on. PB at night is not for sophisticated people like yours truly.
I am torn about Pacific Beach, on the one hand this place is great for a run, honestly it is, park on some side street, head towards the beach and run! Its definetely not a relaxing run but its exciting to run along people watching, dodging people and is sure to keep you entertained, if a mindless fun run! :)
On the other hand, I dont enjoy the people that inhabit its main streets at night, drunken blithering boneheads.... I have had quite a few negative encounters with some of the locals--- fun place to go to during the day, mostly avoid it at night, when the drunken zombies come out.
This is perhaps the worst beach I've ever went to. This is probably because I'm not part of what would be considered the "in-crowd" there. The regular clientele would contain at least 3 of the following "qualities":
- Puffed out chest and sense of self-importance.
- An attention whore.
- Drunk or alcoholic of some sort
- Frat boy or sorority girl.
- Most of the wardrobe made up of Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle.
- Goal to show off as much skin as possible to garner the most looks.
Yeah, it's a glorified meat market. What a nightmare. Go to Coronado or La Jolla if you're in SD, but stay away from this place...unless, of course, you fall into the categories above.
"White Power" was tattooed across a guys abdomen.
Crystal Pier has cracks wide enough that you could lose your flipflops and they'll be lost forever.
Don't toss me over, I can't swim.
A wide variety of interesting characters.
Can you believe it was my first time at PB?
A free sample of shaved ice. I think I had strawberry. om nom nom nom.
3.5 stars.
Parked about 3 blocks away from the beach.
A couple of girls on roller skates crossed the street as guys on Harleys honked at them.
Didn't actually go on the sand or in the water, but walking on the boardwalk was fun. =]
Parking is pretty bad, and parking enforcement is enforced.
So if it says 2 hour parking only. They mean 2 hours or a fat man in a parking enforcement car will mark your tire with an orange stamp.
I'll return when tourists leave.
I still need to break in that skimboard. My bodyboard needs some lovin' too.
It's hilarious most of these reviews come from "new in towns." please spare us all and go back to the Northeast and quit taking all of OUR parking spots
As I was told by a friend before moving out to PB from the Northeast, it's a right of passage. I wouldn't be considered a citizen of San Diego County until I did my time in PB. And it has been... different.
I do love the area, but a couple of things knock it down. For the pros:
- Living within walking distance of the beach is very nice and the boardwalk is about the most stereotypically "California" thing I've seen since moving out here.
- Pretty solid community vibe during the week. The people that actually live in the neighborhood are pretty down.
- Solid shops. The thrift shops are pretty decent, though on the clothes front they are lacking. For weird electronic crap though I've found some bargains. The Coffee shops here are great as well.
The Cons:
- Getting in or out is a gigantic pain.
- The nightlife for the most part gets old... fast. This is due almost entirely to the crowds that head in there on the weekends. It was cool for the first 6 or so months, but after that... blech. There are maybe 2 bars that I frequent at this point.
It would've been great if I moved here immediately after I turned 21.
- There is maybe a 70% chance that you will have neighbors that will wake you up in some way semi-frequently.
I can't wait until a tsunami hits San Diego and swallows up PB. I occasionally go to PB since I have some friends who live there. Almost every time I've gone out to the bars there I have witnessed a fight. I've actually been lucky enough to get sucker punched there while waiting for a burrito. As much as I hate this part of SD I actually don't mind hanging out there during the day. It seems like as soon as the sun goes down all the douche bags come out.
I wish I was cool...actually strike that I am so glad I'm not a total douche bag poser. The beach is for wiffleball, shoes, drinking and general slacking purposes only. The powers that be took the best part of the beach away from us so now we're left with the rest of the summer to ponder the level of baggyness that exists in PB. I give it about an 81/2 on the douchebag scale...you??
The stars for this beach are for the sheer beauty of the place. You cannot look up or down the beach without thinking how lucky you are to live here.
Don't get me wrong I love the eye candy, its more the arrogant immature behavior that bothers me. I'm so sorry I'm not 100lbs soaking wet and blond...does that mean I don't exist??
I went out last night after the beach and wondering around I thought to myself...why did god put these people on this earth? And WHY do they have to take up such an awesome part of town.
I'd much rather hang at OB or better yet Coronado but no one will drive out there :(
I actually only went to the beach - it had a nice view, a great place to relax. We were on the less crowded side, which wasn't too far away from the more crowded area. It's great to be able to walk back and forth between them.
My favorite part of the beach might be the rock surface that surrounded the shore - stunning.
I'm a bit biased because I use to live here. I loved it, but I can see how it's not for everyone. There are tons of college students so it gets loud... and there are a lot of transients around on the streets. Plus with Garnet and all the bars there it gets noisy. But there is a lot of good food in the area and all in sort of walking distance. The beach is always packed during the weekends...lots of college students drinking and having a good time. I think it's a very chill beach for the younger crowd.
I'll take the good with the super shady...there's lots of crazy drunkies which can sometimes get hostile. The greatest part of PB is to go to the bloc party and see all these guys with no shirts on thinking they have the buffest body and then the girls with the fake boobs prancing around. It's funny. You couldn't deny the diversity here. It's a fun atmosphere. I miss it. I miss running and skating on the boardwalk area...I miss the bars...and I miss Rocky's burgers. I even miss Mister Naked Butt Roller Skating Dude. But I think I out grew this place.
How could anyone not like PB??? What is with all of the negativity toward PB guys and girls?
I moved to San Diego from Phoenix 2 years ago. About 2 months after my move, I discovered PB; I wasted no time renting a place and settling in. I love it. Sure, the parking sucks, the streets are crowded, and people like to party here, but to me, thats what it is all about. It keeps life interesting and ever-changing.
Where else can you find the wide variety of enterainment that goes on in PB? you can bike, skate, skateboard, surf, sunbathe, shop, dine, drink, and be seen. Just about any time of the day you can visit the boardwalk and see hot Bettys and Dudes of all ages showin off their stuff. Hey, face it, people like attention, nothin wrong with that! Many of those hot bodies take hours of work to keep them that way. They deserve the attention they get. Sure folks get drunk and stupid, but it's a beach city, if that is not the atmosphere you like, don't visit or live here. You just gotta know how to interact with this kind of crowd. When a drunk dude gets in your face, offer to buy him a drink, it works like a charm. Give the annoying drunk chick a complement; they like when you notice them. Just remember, beach people like attention, that is why they are there. Learn to appreciate what these people are showing off; clap for the skateboarder or trick cyclist when he or she does a cool trick, stop and look at an artists work, compliment (when appropriate) the buff dude or the toned chick, no matter how drunk or dumb they are behaving. Remember, they like the attention; kindness will get you far, and you get back what you put out.
The one complaint I do have about PB and Mission Beach is all of the homeless and bums. It sucks. These people are a constant source of problems, they are ususally drunk or mentally disturbed, and there is no reasonging with them.
That said, PB is full of great people of all ages and walks of life. It is not wall to wall dudes and bettys as some of these other reviews would lead you to believe. The city is made up of both the young and young at heart. There are great restraunts, shopping, and lots of stuff to do. You just can't beat the scenery. The people are beautiful and the atmosphere is calm and relaxing. When visiting PB, learn to slow down and enjoy. Your day at the beach will be that much better.
Tip: North PB is more calm and relaxed, if that is what you are looking for, hang around that end of the beach. Parking is easier, and it is less crowded. If you like to be in the midst of it all, PB and Mission Beach is the place to be. Plan on parking a few streets away. This will be to your advantage when it is time to go home; you will not get stuck in the congestion along Mission Blvd and Garnet, and the walk is good exercise.
Memorial Day, May 28th, 2007
Parking was such a headache, especially with 4 girls in a sedan. Seeing locals advertising their parking spots for sale ranging from $50-$20 is hilarious. After circling Reed street for 25 min and almost getting into a brawl with a gay man and his boyfriend in their white Jetta for stealing our parking spot, we threw up our white flags for retreat.
I suggested we park at one of the business establishments, so we went to Tower 23 and just parked valet. We went into the newly-constructed building, handed the keys over and we walked inside. I went up to the bar and ordered a midori sour. Pugged that thing to oblivion and I got my ticket validated. VOILA. 3 hours of worry-free parking and a delicious cocktail for $8.
My first party-sesh in PB was one of the BEST immature experiences I have EVER had. I definitely had some good times and bad.
As soon as I stepped foot on the beach I saw:
COPS
HALF-NAKED HOT BODIES
HALF-NAKED DISGUSTING BODIES
TOURISTS
COPS
POTHEADS
HOMELESS SLEEPING
COPS
BBQ'ing
BEER-DRINKING
COPS
MUSIC-BLARING
COPS
(there were ALOT OF COPS, don't be underage drinking and think you can get away with it.)
I got pulled aside so a cop could inspect what was in my Quizno's cup. Yeah, to his disappointment, it was only pop.
We were to meet up with our group who happened to be under Tower 22 and Tower 21. We looked for the two large Chargers canopies and familiar faces. BINGO! There they were!
The people I went with all owned liquor stores, so we had 3 huge trash cans filled with bud light, coors lights, and tons of ice. I'm not a beer-drinker, but something compelled me to crack one open under the sunny skies. Perhaps the masses of scandally clad half-naked bodies running around did the trick? Who knows. I bet the can-collectors make a *KILLING* with all the money from Memorial Day or any other summer holiday.
OMG, these barbarians had 2 beer bongs. You know, a large hose with a funnel on top with a switch-release at the bottom? Yes, these home-made contraptions have contributed to the belligerent-ness of the millions. I, however, chose not to put myself into self-destruction and participate with the beerbong fun.
Don't girls in PB wearing trucker hats and BillaBong swimsuits with their beer-guts hanging out have any diginity? They would do anything for free beer. They were smart enough to notice all the beer available, but dumb enough to FLASH our whole group their goods, ahem, or lack of goods.
TRASHY:
girls making out,
flashing their private areas,
putting their nasty lips around the beer bong
and
squirting beer because they're too intoxicated to do it correctly.
EW.
After a while, some of these hussies became comfortable and would casually come up and take a beer to their pleasure. Um, no hunny. You are a stranger. You do not walk up here like we know you. You do not steal 7 beers for you and your friends who cant afford to bring their own.
An hour later, I was having fun until my friend runs up to me and says:
Farah: OMG, my beach tote is gone.
Me: Shut up! My wallet was in there!
Farah: I know, I think one of the tramps stole it.
Me: !No way, my whole life was in it!
Farah: My new Nars blush is gone!
I went up to a cop on the boardwalk and filed a poice report. Funny, all the passer-bys were whispering about how I was in trouble...
WHAT A HORRIBLE WAY TO RUIN YOUR FUN.
So, the drinking and partying continued until 6 COPS came up to our canopies. Three of them took the three trash cans and turned them upside down. They took all the glass bottles (there were only 6, an idiot bought a 6-pack of Corona) and emptied the contents into the sand.
The group next to us had a fine piece of machinery that had to be removed - two 6 ft' upright-standing beer bongs which the sole-purpose was to race the person next to you with drinking. Then, as the "tower-of-awesomeness" was being disassembled, hundreds of drunken, sun-burnt, dehydrated party-goers "BOOOOO'ED" their hearts out until the cops walked off.
The DO's of partying in PB for a LARGE summer HOLIDAY:
Bring your swimsuit if you're in shape
KEEP YOUR PRIVATES COVERED
Drink Responsibily
Bring your OWN Beer.
Bring Good Music
Dance
Mingle and Use Fake Names :)
Keep your mind open
Acknowledge cops are there for your safety
The DON'TS:
Don't think you look hot in a thong if you're WAY out of shape.
Don't mooch of others for alcohol.
Don't be so drunk that you don't know how to cover yourself. (girls)
Don't bring GLASS bottles.
Don't bring your wallet or any other personal belonging
Don't bring two 6' beerbongs
Do NOT take what is NOT yours.
Oh god... I'll try not to rant.
PB is great... if you:
A) are a frat boy
B) are a NAVY guy
C) are an alcoholic
D) moved here for college, droped out and never moved back
E) like to wear sandals with jeans and a buttondown shirt
F) All of the above
2 stars because of the beach
