San Diego has a surprising number of gay enclaves (University Heights, Normal Heights, North Park, etc.), all with LGBT bars and restaurants, but Hillcrest has been the epicenter of the city's gay community since the 1960s. Also not surprisingly,

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San Diego has a surprising number of gay enclaves (University Heights, Normal Heights, North Park, etc.), all with LGBT bars and restaurants, but Hillcrest has been the epicenter of the city's gay community since the 1960s. Also not surprisingly, Hillcrest is one of the best eclectic shopping and eating districts in San Diego, from deep bookshops to streetside cafes to hat boutiques to sexy undergear emporiums, Hillcrest has it all and isn't afraid to flaunt it. Fourth and Fifth avenues near University is the main shopping hub, with the uptown district, north of University Avenue, being the second. And of course, there are the plethora of nightclubs and bars, gay and a growing contingent of straight ones as well, concentrated along University Avenue. And time your visit to coincide with Hillcrest's happening and very queer Mardi Gras and Halloween street events to get the full-throttle effect of San Diego's huge LGBT populace.

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