21 Things To Do In Chula Vista Beyond the Beautiful View

Chula Vista, whose name means “beautiful view” in Spanish, has always lived up to its name. Nestled between the San Diego Bay and the foothills of the Jamul Mountains, the city offers more than just scenery—it offers a story. Once known for its sprawling lemon groves, Chula Vista grew from a quiet agricultural hub into the second-largest city in San Diego County, while still keeping its small-town warmth.

Today, the city reflects the vibrant mix of cultures that shape Southern California. From taco shops serving generations-old recipes to the waterfront marina where kayakers paddle past sailboats, Chula Vista blends tradition with modern energy. Families flock to parks and the Living Coast Discovery Center, music lovers gather at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, and foodies can spend days tasting their way through local breweries and restaurants.

The best things to do in Chula Vista, CA highlight this balance—nature trails and bayfront breezes alongside cultural festivals, shopping districts, and hidden local gems.

1. Living Coast Discovery Center

The Living Coast Discovery Center, set along the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge near Chula Vista, is more than an aquarium — it is a living classroom that embodies Southern California’s coastal identity. Opened in 1987 as the Chula Vista Nature Interpretive Center, it was reimagined in the 2010s as the Living Coast, with a mission to educate the public about the fragile ecosystems of the bay, wetlands, and Pacific shoreline.

Visitors encounter native marine life such as rays, sea turtles, and sharks, alongside exhibits that spotlight endangered species like the burrowing owl and green sea turtle. These displays are not imported curiosities but reflections of the environment just beyond its walls, making the center a unique blend of museum and nature preserve.

The Living Coast has become a cultural anchor, particularly for families and school groups. It connects modern Chula Vista’s suburban sprawl back to the wild landscapes that sustained Indigenous Kumeyaay communities and early settlers. In doing so, it ensures that conservation is not abstract but rooted in local history and daily experience.

2. Otay Ranch Town Center

Otay Ranch Town Center is a 21st-century landmark that tells a different story of Chula Vista’s evolution: the rise of the lifestyle mall. Opened in 2006, the outdoor shopping complex was designed not just as a place to shop, but as a communal gathering space reflecting new urban planning ideals. Its open-air promenades, pet-friendly policies, and integration of green spaces symbolize the blending of commerce with lifestyle in suburban Southern California.

The center also reveals the area’s demographic and economic growth. Located in eastern Chula Vista, Otay Ranch was once part of vast cattle ranches and later agricultural lands. As the city expanded rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the town center became the commercial heart of a master-planned community, reflecting the shift from rural landscapes to sprawling suburban neighborhoods.

3. North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

The North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, originally opened in 1998 as the Coors Amphitheatre, is Southern California’s largest outdoor concert venue south of Los Angeles. Built on former agricultural lands in Chula Vista, the amphitheatre signaled the region’s shift from farming fields to cultural and entertainment hubs, mirroring the broader transformation of San Diego’s South Bay. With a seating capacity of over 20,000, it quickly became a premier stage for national tours, hosting genres from rock and pop to country and Latin music.

Beyond its size, the amphitheatre represents a milestone in regional identity. Chula Vista had long been overshadowed by San Diego’s downtown cultural scene, but this venue placed the city firmly on the entertainment map. Performances by global superstars, summer music festivals, and community events have turned it into a symbol of South Bay pride.

Through multiple sponsorship changes — from Coors to Cricket Wireless, Sleep Train, Mattress Firm, and now North Island Credit Union — the amphitheatre has endured as a gathering space where shared musical experiences bridge generations and cultures.

4. Chula Vista Bayside Park

Chula Vista Bayside Park offers a quieter but equally meaningful slice of the city’s story. Nestled along the San Diego Bay, this waterfront space reflects the deep relationship between Chula Vista and its maritime setting. Once an area dominated by shipyards, industry, and working docks, the shoreline has been gradually reclaimed as public space, with Bayside Park serving as one of its most accessible jewels.

The park provides panoramic views of the bay, Coronado Bridge, and distant downtown San Diego. But it is more than a scenic overlook: it represents the shift toward environmental restoration and public access that has defined Southern California’s waterfront redevelopment since the late 20th century. Where once fences and warehouses cut residents off from the water, today walking paths, picnic tables, and marinas invite community life back to the shore.

5. Mountain Hawk Park

Mountain Hawk Park, perched on the eastern edge of Chula Vista, embodies the city’s careful balance between suburban growth and access to nature. Opened in the early 2000s as part of the Otay Ranch master-planned community, it reflects a modern approach to urban development in Southern California: designing residential expansion alongside preserved green spaces. Its name pays homage to the hawks that circle above the nearby canyons, a reminder that even amid new housing tracts, the natural world remains close at hand.

The park’s trails link into the larger Otay Valley and regional trail systems, giving residents not just a neighborhood playground but also access to the broader landscapes that define Chula Vista’s identity — rolling hills, chaparral, and reservoirs. It is a civic response to the challenge of preserving open land in one of California’s fastest-growing areas.

Beyond its ecological role, Mountain Hawk Park has become a hub for daily life: sports practices on its fields, weekend picnics under shaded structures, and quiet moments at its lookout points. It represents a cultural shift toward sustainability, health, and community, ensuring that the rapid growth of the South Bay does not come at the expense of outdoor heritage.

6. Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center

The Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center is a jewel of international sports history, standing as a symbol of ambition, discipline, and global cooperation. Originally opened in 1995 as the U.S. Olympic Training Center, it was the first facility of its kind to be master-planned and purpose-built for elite athletic preparation. Spread across 155 acres, its creation reflected both Chula Vista’s desire to be on the world stage and the nation’s investment in athletic excellence.

Over the years, it has hosted athletes from around the world preparing for Olympic and Paralympic competition in sports ranging from track and field to rowing, archery, and rugby. The site’s location — with its mild climate, proximity to the bay, and access to expansive land — made it ideal for year-round training.

Now rebranded as the Elite Athlete Training Center, it continues to represent both community pride and international reach. For local residents, it serves as a reminder that Chula Vista, once defined by agriculture and suburbia, now contributes to the global narrative of sport. For visiting athletes, it is a place where focus, resilience, and dreams converge — a modern monument to human performance.

7. Chula Vista Marina View Park

Chula Vista Marina View Park is a small but meaningful slice of public space that captures the maritime spirit of the South Bay. Developed during the late 20th-century push to transform the industrial shoreline into accessible waterfront, the park overlooks the Chula Vista Marina — once an area of shipbuilding and salt works, now reimagined as a hub for recreation and boating. Its grassy lawns, walking paths, and shaded benches provide a contrast to the working waterfront of the past, turning what was once utilitarian space into a place of leisure and reflection.

The park’s vantage point is its greatest treasure. From here, visitors can watch sailboats and fishing vessels slip into San Diego Bay, with the Coronado Bridge and the Pacific horizon as a backdrop. This view, once reserved for laborers and shipyard workers, has been democratized through public planning, symbolizing a shift in values toward community access and environmental stewardship.

In many ways, Marina View Park is modest compared to larger waterfront parks, but its role is vital: it anchors a community’s connection to the sea and reminds Chula Vista residents of their maritime heritage while inviting them to imagine new possibilities for the bayfront’s future.

8. Balboa Park

Though technically in San Diego, Balboa Park is a cultural landmark that deeply shapes the wider region, including Chula Vista. Established in 1868 and transformed for the 1915–1916 Panama-California Exposition, the park represents California’s embrace of both natural beauty and architectural grandeur. Its Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, designed to showcase San Diego as a gateway to Latin America, remain some of the most striking public architecture in the United States.

Balboa Park is more than an urban green space — it is a cultural complex of museums, theaters, and gardens, as well as the world-renowned San Diego Zoo. For over a century, it has been the place where residents of the South Bay come for festivals, exhibitions, and family outings, weaving its history into the daily life of surrounding communities like Chula Vista.

9. Kumeyaay Park

Kumeyaay Park honors the Indigenous people whose presence in San Diego County long predates Spanish colonization. The Kumeyaay, whose ancestral lands stretched across present-day Chula Vista and the surrounding valleys, relied on the region’s chaparral, rivers, and coast for survival, developing a deep ecological knowledge that shaped the landscape for thousands of years. This park preserves not only open green space but also fragments of that enduring cultural heritage.

Created as both a community recreational area and a place of remembrance, the park blends trails, picnic areas, and interpretive features that reference Native traditions. It allows visitors to engage — however modestly — with the idea that the South Bay is not just a product of suburban growth or maritime industry, but a homeland layered with stories that reach far into the past.

For local residents, Kumeyaay Park serves as a gathering place for festivals, school programs, and everyday leisure. But its larger value lies in its symbolism: a reminder that modern Chula Vista is built upon ancestral ground, and that honoring this history is essential to understanding the community’s full identity.

10. Rohr Park

Rohr Park carries the name of one of Chula Vista’s most important 20th-century industries: the Rohr Aircraft Corporation. Founded in 1940, the company transformed the city into a hub of wartime production, providing jobs and reshaping its economic landscape. The park itself, developed in the decades after, became a living tribute to both that industrial legacy and the community spirit that sustained it.

Stretching over 60 acres, Rohr Park offers ball fields, equestrian trails, and tree-shaded picnic areas. It reflects mid-century ideals of recreation and civic pride — large, versatile public spaces that could serve growing suburban families. Its open expanses also recall an earlier Chula Vista, when citrus groves dominated the landscape, bridging the city’s agricultural past with its aerospace future.

Today, Rohr Park is one of the largest and most beloved green spaces in the South Bay. It hosts everything from youth sports leagues to cultural celebrations, embodying the resilience and adaptability of a community that has reinvented itself repeatedly over the past century. In its name and its use, the park captures both history and everyday life.

11. South Bay Salt Works

The South Bay Salt Works is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in San Diego County and a living link to Chula Vista’s industrial roots. Established in the 19th century, the salt ponds along the bay became a cornerstone of the region’s economy, harvesting the mineral through the natural process of solar evaporation. For generations, the glittering salt flats have been both a source of livelihood and an unmistakable landmark visible from airplanes and highways.

This site reflects a broader story of resource use in Southern California — where wetlands were transformed into industrial landscapes, altering ecosystems while feeding the needs of a growing population. Yet, even within this industrial framework, the salt works created unique habitats for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. The juxtaposition of industry and ecology makes the site a paradox: a place of both exploitation and preservation.

Though operations have diminished over time, the salt works remain an icon of the South Bay’s heritage. They remind residents and visitors that Chula Vista’s story is not just suburban or recreational, but also industrial, tied to the hard labor and ingenuity that shaped the city’s rise.

12. San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo, though located in Balboa Park, has long been a destination for families from Chula Vista and beyond, embedding itself into the cultural identity of the entire region. Founded in 1916 following the Panama-California Exposition, the zoo began with a modest collection of animals abandoned by the fair. Over the decades, it transformed into one of the most renowned zoological institutions in the world, pioneering cageless exhibits and global conservation programs.

The zoo’s history mirrors 20th-century shifts in science and society. Early exhibits reflected a focus on public spectacle, while later innovations emphasized animal welfare, education, and the preservation of endangered species. For many South Bay families, trips to the zoo became rites of passage, linking local life to global stories of wildlife and ecology.

13. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, perched dramatically above the Pacific between La Jolla and Del Mar, protects one of the rarest pine species in the world — the Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana), found only here and on one of California’s Channel Islands. This rugged stretch of cliffs, canyons, and coastal bluffs was designated a public reserve in 1899, thanks largely to conservationist Ellen Browning Scripps, whose efforts ensured its preservation at a time when coastal development was booming.

The reserve is steeped in natural and cultural history. Native Kumeyaay communities once used its plants and animals for sustenance, while Spanish explorers noted its unique landscape as they mapped the coast. In the 20th century, it became a haven for scientists, hikers, and artists who sought to capture its dramatic beauty.

14. SeaWorld San Diego

Opened in 1964 on the shores of Mission Bay, SeaWorld San Diego was the first of its kind, blending marine life exhibition with entertainment and education. In its early decades, it became famous for its orca shows, dolphin performances, and aquariums that brought ocean creatures up close to a public otherwise unfamiliar with the sea’s mysteries. For families across San Diego County, including Chula Vista, it was a rite-of-passage outing and a source of local pride.

Over time, however, SeaWorld also became a lightning rod for debates about animal welfare. Documentaries and shifting public opinion in the 21st century led the park to end orca breeding and transition toward emphasizing conservation, rescue programs, and immersive experiences that no longer rely on theatrical shows. Its story mirrors broader cultural changes in how society understands and values marine life.

15. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park preserves the birthplace of California, where Spanish, Mexican, and early American cultures intersected. Established in 1968, the park protects and interprets the original town center of San Diego as it appeared from 1820 to 1870, when adobe homes, cantinas, and general stores defined frontier life. For visitors from Chula Vista and beyond, it offers an intimate encounter with the region’s multicultural roots.

The park includes restored and reconstructed buildings such as the Casa de Estudillo, La Casa de Bandini, and the historic Cosmopolitan Hotel, each telling stories of family life, trade, and political change. Through reenactments, artisan shops, and festivals, Old Town revives the lived experience of the past — from mariachi performances to demonstrations of 19th-century crafts.

More than a static preservation site, Old Town has become a living neighborhood of restaurants, museums, and boutiques, blending tourism with education. It stands as a reminder that San Diego’s identity was forged at the crossroads of Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and American worlds — a heritage still palpable in its adobe walls and lively plazas.

16. Cabrillo National Monument

Perched on the tip of Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument commemorates the arrival of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the Portuguese explorer who, sailing under the Spanish flag, became the first European to step onto what is now the West Coast of the United States in 1542. Established as a national monument in 1913, it symbolizes the beginning of written history for California and the complex legacies of exploration and colonization.

The site offers more than history alone. Visitors can stand by the commanding statue of Cabrillo, gaze over sweeping views of San Diego Bay, and contemplate the city’s evolution from a small harbor to a military stronghold and global hub. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse, built in 1855 and preserved within the park, adds another layer of maritime history, telling the story of navigation and community life in the 19th century.

Equally significant is the park’s natural heritage: its tidepools, coastal sage scrub, and migration paths for gray whales remind visitors that exploration here has always been as much about the sea and landscape as about human endeavor.

17. Gaslamp Quarter

The Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego is both a preserved Victorian-era district and a symbol of the city’s reinvention. Originally developed in the 1860s by land speculator Alonzo Horton, the neighborhood flourished with elegant brick and wooden buildings, saloons, and theaters — until it declined in the early 20th century, becoming notorious as a red-light district known as the “Stingaree.” Its name, referencing the gas lamps that once lit its streets, evokes this layered past of aspiration and infamy.

By the 1970s, preservationists and city leaders rallied to rescue the Gaslamp Quarter’s historic fabric. Over 90 Victorian structures were restored, and the district was rebranded as a cultural and entertainment hub. Its rebirth mirrored San Diego’s larger transformation from a Navy town to a global tourist destination.

Today, the Gaslamp Quarter blends its Victorian charm with modern nightlife — restaurants, bars, and clubs occupying the very buildings that once housed gambling halls and boarding houses. Walking through its twelve square blocks, visitors encounter a living urban museum where history isn’t confined to plaques but infused into the rhythm of the city.

18. USS Midway Museum

The USS Midway Museum, docked along San Diego’s Embarcadero, is one of the city’s most powerful reminders of its military heritage. Commissioned in 1945, just after the end of World War II, the USS Midway served for nearly 50 years, from the Vietnam War to Operation Desert Storm, making it the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century. Its decks carried generations of sailors and aircraft, symbolizing American naval power across decades of global change.

Decommissioned in 1992, the Midway found a second life when it opened as a museum in 2004. Today, visitors can explore more than 60 exhibits and 29 restored aircraft, from World War II bombers to modern fighter jets, while also hearing personal stories from veteran docents who once served aboard.

The museum is more than a collection of steel and planes — it’s an immersive journey into Cold War geopolitics, military technology, and the human experience of life at sea. For San Diego, a city deeply entwined with the Navy, the Midway is both a landmark and a civic monument, connecting the waterfront skyline with the sacrifices and innovations of the nation’s armed forces.

19. Mission San Diego de Alcalá

Founded in 1769 by Father Junípero Serra, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was the first of California’s 21 Spanish missions, marking the beginning of European colonization in Alta California. Established atop Kumeyaay land, the mission was both a religious outpost and a tool of Spanish empire, introducing Christianity, European agriculture, and architecture to the region. Its early years were turbulent, including a 1775 uprising by the Kumeyaay that destroyed the original structures — a reminder of the deep tensions between colonizers and Indigenous peoples.

Rebuilt in adobe and tile, the mission became a cornerstone of San Diego’s identity, shaping the cultural and agricultural landscape. It also introduced vineyards and orchards, laying the foundations of California’s farming traditions. Architecturally, its whitewashed façade, bell tower, and arched corridors remain iconic examples of Spanish Colonial design.

Today, Mission San Diego de Alcalá functions as both an active parish and a National Historic Landmark. For visitors, it offers a place to reflect on the collision of cultures that defined early California, balancing reverence for its sacred role with acknowledgment of the Indigenous resilience that endured despite colonization.

20. La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove is one of Southern California’s most photographed natural landmarks, celebrated for its rugged cliffs, turquoise waters, and abundant marine life. Long before it became a tourist draw, the area was used by Indigenous Kumeyaay people, who fished and foraged along the coastline. In the early 20th century, as San Diego developed as a resort city, La Jolla emerged as a playground for swimmers, artists, and scientists.

The Cove gained fame in 1916 when Ellen Browning Scripps funded the construction of a seawall — now known as the Children’s Pool — to create a protected swimming area. Over time, the Cove became part of the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, a protected marine reserve where sea lions, garibaldi fish, and leopard sharks thrive.

21. Belmont Park

Belmont Park opened in 1925 as a seaside amusement park designed to draw visitors to the Mission Beach area, which at the time was still a sparsely developed strip of sand dunes. Its centerpiece was the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster built in just 43 days, which quickly became an icon of San Diego leisure. This ride, still in operation today and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the last surviving wooden coasters of its era on the West Coast.

For decades, Belmont Park reflected the changing tides of American entertainment. In the mid-20th century, it fell into decline, mirroring the economic downturns of coastal neighborhoods. Yet by the 1980s, preservationists and developers recognized its nostalgic value, restoring the Giant Dipper and revitalizing the park as a family-friendly attraction.

Conclusion

Chula Vista has always been more than a backdrop to San Diego. Its lemon groves may have given way to neighborhoods and parks, but the spirit of growth and community remains. Here, you can trace the city’s agricultural past at heritage sites in the morning, paddle across the bay by afternoon, and cap the day with live music or a meal that reflects the city’s multicultural heartbeat.

What makes Chula Vista shine is its balance. It’s large enough to host big concerts and bustling markets, yet intimate enough to surprise you with quiet trails, family-run eateries, and moments of stillness along the water. The best things to do in Chula Vista, CA aren’t just attractions—they’re glimpses into a city that celebrates both its history and its future.

So whether you come for the views, the flavors, or simply a slower slice of Southern California life, Chula Vista rewards curiosity. Take the time to wander, taste, and linger—you’ll leave with more than a checklist.

Interactive Map

Where to Eat in Chula Vista

Chula Vista vs Other California Cities

How to Get to Chula Vista

By Air

• San Diego International Airport (SAN) – The closest major airport, about 12 miles north of Chula Vista. It serves domestic and international flights. From SAN, you can reach Chula Vista in 20–30 minutes by car, taxi, or rideshare.
• Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) – About 15 miles south via the Cross Border Xpress bridge. Convenient for flights to/from Mexico and Latin America.

By Train

• Amtrak Pacific Surfliner runs from Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, stopping at San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot. From there, you can connect to the San Diego Trolley Blue Line, which goes directly into Chula Vista.
• Coaster Commuter Rail serves coastal towns north of San Diego; transfer in downtown San Diego to the trolley.

By Trolley (Local Transit)

• San Diego Trolley Blue Line connects downtown San Diego with Chula Vista. Popular stations include H Street, E Street, and Palomar Street. This is the cheapest way to reach Chula Vista without a car.

By Bus

• MTS (Metropolitan Transit System) buses link downtown San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista. Routes like 701, 709, and 929 serve different neighborhoods.
• Greyhound / FlixBus stop in San Diego; from there, transfer to local transit.

By Car

• From San Diego: Take I-5 South or I-805 South; both run directly into Chula Vista.
• From Los Angeles/Orange County: Drive south on I-5 (about 120 miles, 2–3 hours).
• From Tijuana, Mexico: Cross at San Ysidro Port of Entry and head north on I-5 or I-805 (10–15 minutes to downtown Chula Vista).

FAQ

1. What’s it like living in Chula Vista compared to San Diego?

Chula Vista feels more suburban than central San Diego, with larger homes, family-oriented neighborhoods, and a slower pace of life. It’s more affordable than downtown or beach areas, though housing prices remain high by national standards. The city has a strong sense of community, diverse demographics, and easy access to both downtown San Diego and the U.S.-Mexico border. Travelers and newcomers often find it less hectic than central San Diego while still offering amenities like malls, restaurants, and waterfront parks.

2. Which neighborhoods are best (safe / walkable / good for young people)?

Eastlake, Otay Ranch, and Rancho del Rey are often highlighted as some of Chula Vista’s best neighborhoods. They offer modern housing, master-planned communities, and family-friendly amenities. These areas are generally safe, with schools and parks nearby. For young professionals seeking walkability, downtown Chula Vista around Third Avenue is growing in popularity, with breweries, cafes, and nightlife options. While not every part of Chula Vista is equally safe, most east-side neighborhoods are well-maintained and attract both families and newcomers.

3. How is the weather / climate (especially summer / heat)?

Chula Vista enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate, with warm summers, cool winters, and little extreme weather. Average summer highs range from the mid-70s to low 80s °F, making it cooler than inland California cities. Being near the coast, ocean breezes help moderate the heat, though the eastern side of the city can be hotter. Winters are mild, with daytime temperatures in the 60s °F. Rain is limited to a few months, so sunshine dominates most of the year.

4. What are the top things to do / places to explore in Chula Vista?

Chula Vista offers a mix of cultural, recreational, and outdoor attractions. Visitors enjoy the Living Coast Discovery Center, a family-friendly zoo-aquarium, and Otay Valley Regional Park for hiking and biking. The Chula Vista Marina and Bayfront provide waterfront dining and kayaking. Third Avenue has become a hotspot for local breweries, eateries, and community events. Families also love the Sesame Place San Diego theme park. Its location makes day trips to San Diego, beaches, or Tijuana easy and convenient.

5. How is public transit / how easy is it to get around without a car?

Public transit in Chula Vista is functional but not ideal for everyone. The San Diego Trolley Blue Line runs through the city, offering affordable and direct access to downtown San Diego. MTS buses connect neighborhoods, though routes can be slow or infrequent. Within Chula Vista, having a car is far more convenient for daily life and exploring suburban neighborhoods. Travelers staying near trolley stations can manage without driving, but most residents recommend a car for flexibility and ease.

6. What are the food / nightlife / restaurant scene like?

Chula Vista’s food scene is heavily influenced by its proximity to Mexico, with excellent tacos, birria, and Baja-style seafood. Tacos El Gordo and Talavera Azul are local favorites. Breweries and gastropubs along Third Avenue create a growing nightlife district, appealing to younger crowds. While it can’t compete with the nightlife of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, Chula Vista offers a more laid-back vibe with authentic eateries, family-owned restaurants, and a community-focused feel. The scene is improving each year.

7. Are there safety concerns (crime, gangs or nuisance factors)?

Like many mid-sized cities, Chula Vista has safe neighborhoods and some areas with higher crime. East Chula Vista, including Eastlake and Otay Ranch, is considered safer, newer, and more family-friendly. West Chula Vista closer to the I-5 corridor historically had higher crime, though revitalization efforts are improving parts of downtown. Overall, crime rates are lower than some nearby cities but higher than affluent suburbs like La Jolla. Most residents say choosing the right neighborhood makes a big difference.