Top Things to Do for Renters in San Diego

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Searching for a rental apartment in San Diego? Or maybe you’re already savoring the renter lifestyle in this lively coastal metropolis? If you’re looking for fun ways to spend your free time in this lovely SoCal city, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our top favorite things to do for renters in San Diego: surfing in La Jolla, visiting the San Diego Museum of Art, enjoying the Old Town, playing golf, exploring the San Diego Zoo, taking a photography trip on Coronado Island and whale watching.

Nestled along the Pacific Ocean coast, sun-soaked San Diego beckons to renters and those searching for a new rental apartment. Renowned for its near-perfect climate, glorious sunsets, amazing waves for surfing, vibrant food and cultural scene, this city captures the essence of easy, breezy Southern California casualness. “America’s finest city” has plenty of attractions for people of all ages, all year round. Whether you’re just spending a few days exploring the city or you’re looking for apartments for rent in San Diego, these are the top things to do and places to explore for guaranteed fun:

Surf’s Up in La Jolla

With all that sunshine and a myriad of beaches, San Diego renters love sports and recreation — and surfing is by far their favorite! Even if you’re clueless about surfing, La Jolla is a good place to get your feet wet and ride your first wave. Surrounded on three sides by the ocean, La Jolla is known as San Diego’s jewel, a veritable surf town bustling with fun and sunshine. The best spot for beginners is La Jolla Shores, a beach break with smaller waves where you can take surfing lessons from local surf schools. Sounds like a great reason to leave your apartment, move your body and enjoy the salty air.

 

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O postare distribuită de Surf Diva (@surfdiva_official)

San Diego Museum of Art

If you just rented an apartment in San Diego and are looking for some décor and interior design inspiration, we’ve got something for you. Located within the iconic Balboa Park, the San Diego Museum of Art houses renowned collections including Spanish and Italian old masters, South Asian paintings, as well as contemporary American paintings and sculptures. The century-old museum building is a work of art in itself: It was designed drawing inspiration from the Spanish Renaissance style – and its beautiful, heavily ornamented door resembles the doorway at the University of Salamanca in Spain.

Visit the Old Town

If you’re a renter passionate about history and you want to take a step back in time, then Old Town San Diego is your go-to spot. Located close to the San Diego International Airport and within walking distance from public transit, this historic neighborhood is considered the birthplace of California. Make sure to plan at least a couple hours to enjoy everything this popular San Diego attraction has to offer, from historic sites and museums to street shops and Mexican restaurants, and even live entertainment. So many reasons to get out of your apartment.

 

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O postare distribuită de Meredith Leslie (@snubkin)

Get Your Golf Game On

If you’re new to the city or if you’re a long-time renter living here and looking for more fun things to do in San Diego, this one’s for you. While it’s true that the pull of the surf and the sand is as strong as ever in San Diego, many locals and visitors enjoy playing golf here. In fact, there’s a great chance that your rental apartment offers great views of lush green golf courses. Boasting more than 70 golf courses in scenic ocean and mountain settings, San Diego is one of the world’s top golf destinations, according to Golf Digest. In fact, the 2021 U.S. Open Championship returned to the Torrey Pines Golf Course in 2021, 13 years after Tiger Woods’ epic win in 2008.

Explore the San Diego Zoo

If you’re a renter raising children, check out this cool zoo. Spreading on 100 acres within hilly Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo houses over 12,000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies and offers a variety of exhibits and attractions for people of all ages. It’s the most visited zoo in the U.S. — and the perfect place to spend a fun-filled day with your family, especially if you hop on the Skyfari Aerial Tram, which offers breathtaking views of the zoo and the surrounding natural park. What better way to spend a day outside your apartment.

 

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O postare distribuită de San Diego Zoo (@sandiegozoo)

Find the Best Photo Spots on Coronado Island

If you’re looking to step up your Instagram game or need a great spot for your next framed pics to decorate your rental apartment, then Coronado Island is the place to be. Situated just across the Big Bay from downtown San Diego, the island is in fact a peninsula connected to the mainland by a strip of land called the Silver Strand. Coronado Island is basically a resort city boasting so many Instagram-worthy locations that your camera will run out of storage space in no time. Here’s where you can fill your feed with palm trees and dreamy sunsets, take countless snapshots of the San Diego skyline or capture the architectural marvel of the stunning Coronado Bridge.

Spend an Afternoon Whale Watching

If you’re searching for an apartment for rent in San Diego, you should know that the city offers some pretty spectacular ways of spending your free time. For example, San Diego is one of the best places for whale watching, as it’s right on the path of grey and blue whales migrating to and from Baja California in neighboring Mexico. The best part is you don’t even need to book a boat trip to admire marine life — just get your binoculars and go whale watching from land. One of the best spots in Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma or head to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, about 20 minutes north of downtown San Diego. Not many exceptional natural wonders are so easily accessible for renters in a big city, so make sure you make the most of this one.

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Veronica Grecu is a senior creative writer and researcher for RentCafe. With more than 10 years of experience in the real estate industry, she covers a variety of topics in residential and commercial real estate, including trends and industry news. Previously, she was involved in producing content for Multi-Housing News, Commercial Property Executive and Yardi Matrix. Veronica’s academic background includes a B.A. in Applied Modern Languages and an M.A. in Advertising and PR.

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