Ocean Beach, San Diego

sopas ej · #1 Posted **Jan 17, 2020, 4:08 AM**

For shits and giggles on Sunday (1.12.20), my partner and I went down to the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego, a neighborhood we've actually never explored before. We liked it. It's like a toned-down/not-so-intense Venice Beach meets Isla Vista, but with easy parking. At least on this day it was easy to find parking. I liked the very local, non-touristy vibe. Very few chain establishments, too. And it totally has that quintessential, classic laid-back SoCal beach town ambience. From what we've read, it was considered the Haight-Ashbury of San Diego back in the 1960s and 1970s. It still has a very bohemian, live-and-let-live kind of feel.

And, Ocean Beach has the west coast's longest *concrete* pier.

Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VVTnUglON0

Photo by me

Photo by me

Dinner in the Hillcrest neighborhood. I had a kale caesar salad.

Photo by me

Saw this and said "Oh we need to go HERE." It's a winery/meadery/cidery. We went specifically for the mead.

Photo by me

And it did NOT disappoint. When we're back in town again, we'll have to try their other offerings.

Photo by me

OhioGuy · #2 Posted **Jan 17, 2020, 8:40 AM**

Looks like a great day!

EastSideHBG · #3 Posted **Jan 18, 2020, 3:26 PM**

It's been years since I have been there but I enjoyed it also. Cool pics!

audiomuse · #4 Posted **Jan 18, 2020, 3:43 PM**

I've never heard of this neighborhood, thank you for enlightening me!

I really need to visit California again and finally visit Los Angeles and San Diego. I've only been to San Francisco.

Fantastic photos!!

mrnyc · #5 Posted **Jan 18, 2020, 5:13 PM**

pelican, pelican
his beak can hold more
than his belly can

great pics, its nice to see ob again. its been a long while, but i enjoyed riding a bike and poking around there. so a good memory of it.

SLO · #6 Posted **Jan 19, 2020, 5:10 AM**

OB!!

Did you make it to PB?

sopas ej · #7 Posted **Jan 19, 2020, 3:34 PM**

Thanks for the comments!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLO

OB!!

Did you make it to PB?

We did not, though we've been there before.

mousquet · #8 Posted **Jan 19, 2020, 3:50 PM**

There's plenty of bird species like this to freak me out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Photo by me

Lol, they are so weird.
It is said that birds are a branch / an offshoot of dinosaurs in the endless tree / graph of life evolution.
I would easily believe it. They are strange mean creatures.
Beware, they're not nice. They are cruel even to their mates of a same species. Only their stomachs rule their lives. Their brains are tiny like peanuts.
Hell, they are creepy.

sopas ej · #9 Posted **Jan 19, 2020, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mousquet

There's plenty of bird species like this to freak me out.

Lol, they are so weird.
It is said that birds are a branch / an offshoot of dinosaurs in the endless tree / graph of life evolution.
I would easily believe it. They are strange mean creatures.
Beware, they're not nice. They are cruel even to their mates of a same species. Only their stomachs rule their lives. Their brains are tiny like peanuts.
Hell, they are creepy.

Funny you should say this, mousquet.

This is the closest my partner and I have ever been to pelicans; while we were looking at them, he even mentioned that you can really see how birds are related to dinosaurs, and I was thinking the same thing when he said that. And yes, as I was looking at them, I didn't realize how grotesque-looking they are... When you see them flying at a distance, they somehow look graceful and almost beautiful.

This particular pair, some people were actually feeding them, which I didn't think was a good idea. But the pelicans must've been used to being around people, because they didn't act threatening or scared or anything.

When I was younger, birds really freaked me out. Now, not so much.

mousquet · #10 Posted **Jan 19, 2020, 4:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sopas ej

But the pelicans must've been used to being around people, because they didn't act threatening or scared or anything.

Ah ouais, animals easily get used to us, because we're good to them anyhow.
Recently, I watched a Youtube video from the US that showed that even fish, namely stingrays in this case grew somehow familiar to humans because of various activities (fishing in this case).
I can't help showing it to you, 'cause it's really astonishing.

Can you see that!? That particular community of stingrays would have willingly colonized the spot long ago, just because fishermen would throw away what's unsuitable to human consumption.
Today, this swarm of stingrays apparently behaves as pets to boats and divers. I find it extraordinary when we talk about fish that are supposed to be super wild.

Fact is animals are very adaptable to humans, but only when you serve them. Lol.

Otherwise, I was kinda kidding at your pelicans. I like living things anyway and certainly wouldn't seriously blame on them for their looks. It'd be too stupid.
But it's nonetheless true that birds are pretty harsh and cruel in their lifestyle, to my knowledge.
They're interesting just as any creature can be, but not the sweetest you could think of.

mthq · #11 Posted **Jan 20, 2020, 12:28 AM**

omg those pelicans!

great photos, sadly ive never made it to Ocean Beach while living in SD.

xzmattzx · #12 Posted **Jan 20, 2020, 1:08 AM**

It's a hippie neighborhood, for sure!

I never saw this neighborhood when I was there more than 10 years ago, but I think I could see that pier from Pacific Beach.

badrunner · #13 Posted **Jan 20, 2020, 5:06 AM**

Great pics.

Ah those lovely California brown pelicans. If you think they look weird just sitting there, you might not want to look when they do this freaky thing where they turn their neck inside out:

• Video Link

SLO · #14 Posted **Jan 21, 2020, 3:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mthq

omg those pelicans!

great photos, sadly ive never made it to Ocean Beach while living in SD.

I they’re cool, I really like all the coastal birds.

destroycreate · #15 Posted **Jan 21, 2020, 3:53 PM**

San Diego is so underrated for its diverse neighborhood offerings and streetcar suburbia. Most tourists never venture to the great areas like Ocean Beach, South Park, North Park, Hillcrest, and Kensington. Glad this thread exists!

kcexpress69 · #16 Posted **Jan 22, 2020, 2:58 AM**

Cool neighborhood!! Thanks for sharing!!

geomorph · #17 Posted **Mar 1, 2020, 3:18 AM**

Thank you for the colorful tour. I have never been to that neighborhood, despite my frequent trips to the city!