Gaslamp Quarter and East Village

Category: Attractions

When architects seized the one-time seedy saloon and gambling sector of the city, the Quarter underwent a radical change for the better. The clean streets are now littered with sidewalk eateries, from upscale restaurants to low-key cafes. Jazz and dance clubs come alive at rush hour and street-level boutiques, cigar shops and galleries dominate all 21 blocks. Boasting remnants of the Victorian-era, now largely home to hotels, contemporary apartment complexes, in muted shades of berry and gray, are integrated on the outskirts.

En route to the Convention Center, Fourth Avenue is the Gaslamp's corner to be seen come nightfall. Neighboring bar/restaurants Chive and Aubergine pull large, attractive and affluent crowds, and the quintessential Dublin Square is downtown's most authentic Irish pub. Designated drivers can even get strung out at the corner Starbucks.

Once home to art studios and soup kitchens, the East Village is fiercely holding onto its arts community. The baseball park nears completion, promising expanded retail space, and the mammoth Park Loft residential building threatens the skyline with more of the same in the coming years.

The former Carnation Dairy processing plant is now a mixed-use residential loft and performance complex. Occupying a full block and known as the ReinCarnation Project, it houses Sushi Performance & Visual Art and the Debra Owen Gallery. -- Gi-Gi Downs