Building Front

Building Rear

Building on the left, this is looking South from down the beach.

This area the condo is located on is called Sail Bay for a tranquil reason.

This "Kiddie Park" is only a few hundred yards down the beach.

This sunset which is typical can be viewed from all the properties.

Is it quiet?
Yes, 364 days a year it’s very quiet on the East side of the Bay. It’s a small building, only 22 condos with mostly owners who live there. The “Party-animals" like to be right on the Ocean, across the Bay. There is only one day that “all Hell breaks loose” right in front of the condo and that’s on the 4^th of July. We hire security guards for that day. Please be very considerate of my neighbors who enjoy the quiet, peaceful atmosphere on the other 364 days.

How far is it to the nearest sandy beach where my kids can go in the water? 
Just downstairs. The condo is on the sand and the Bay is fine for swimming inside the bouy line. I trained for a triathlon right in front of the condo (got first place in my age group!) This part of Mission Bay gets flushed out with the tides so the water is very similar to the ocean but a bit warmer and no waves. If you want waves, it’s about a 10-minute leisurely walk around the bay to the ocean.

Is there private parking?
Yes, there is an underground garage and my parking spot is “N,” as in “Nancy.” You will be provided with a garage door opener. If you have guests, they can park on Riviera or Roosevelt, paying close attention to the signs that prohibit parking on street sweeping days, at the beginning of each month.

Are there restaurants and shopping nearby? 
Large grocery stores are about 1 mile away. There is a small convenience store and Liquor Store/Deli about 3 blocks away. There are tons of restaurants, everything you could ever want, on Mission Blvd, Grand and Garnet all about one mile away.

Is there someplace where I can buy organic food nearby? 
Henry’s Market (similar to Whole Foods or Wild Oats) carries a nice variety of Organic foods and produce as well as free-range chicken and eggs and antibiotic-free meats. It’s about one mile away on Garnet and Fanuel. Probably the best organic food market in San Diego is Ocean Beach People’s Organic Foods Market, about 3 miles away from the condo. Near People’s Market is a fabulous Mexican Restaurant that serves Organic and Vegetarian entrees and a cute little soup-and-sandwich place that serves only vegetarian organic food and everything is delicious! Pacific Beach has lots of Ethnic restaurants.

Are there grocery stores in the area?
The nearest large grocery store is less than one mile away. It's Ralph's on Mission Blvd between Thomas and Grand. Parking entrance is on Thomas near Bayard. Take a left out of the parking garage and another left at the dead end (Pacific Beach Drive) then a right at Thomas and go until you see the entrance to the parking garage. Or you can ride a bike or walk along the bay boardwalk. Go right on the boardwalk around to the other side of the bay by the Catamaran Hotel and cut through one of the Courtyard streets to Mission Blvd, go right until you see it. There is a Von's on Ingraham at Jewell which is about one mile to the NE. There is a Henry's (like a Whole Foods or Wild Oats) on Garnet between Everts and Fanuel (to the North) and there is a Trader Joe's right across the street from Henry's. All of these are exactly one mile away. Take a left out of the parking garage and another left at the dead end (Pacific Beach Drive) then a right at Fanuel and go straight to Garnet and turn left. Henry's and Trader Joe's are one block down, toward the beach. Crown Liquor and Deli on Ingraham at La Playa, about three blocks away. It has many grocery and food items and fabulous sandwiches. Go right out of the parking garage to the first street, La Playa, and turn left. Go straight two blocks to Ingraham. The streets running parallel to the ocean are in alphabetical ascending order from Mission Blvd (think of this one as the "A" street) going away from the beach. Bayard is one block away followed by Cass, Dawes, Everts, Fanuel, Gresham, Haines, Ingraham, Jewell, etc. The main streets going perpendicular to the ocean going from South to North are Pacific Beach Drive, Thomas, Grand and Garnet.ou recommne

Do you recommend a restaurant near the villas.
My favorite restaurant in the area is Nick's at the Beach on Mission Blvd and Thomas. Interesting menu, fabulous food and very reasonable prices. If you are in the parking garage for Ralph's Grocery Store, it's right across the street.

How far is it from the airport? 
7 miles, 15 minutes driving time (without any holiday airport traffic). I can send you directions or you can go to MapQuest for driving directions and enter 
From: 3888 Riviera  Drive, San Diego, CA 92109
To:  3225 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101

How far is it to SeaWorld?
Driving there is longer than driving back home. MapQuest says its 4.18 miles, 9 minutes driving time to get there and it’s probably half that to come back. I can send you directions or you can go to MapQuest for driving directions and enter
From: 3888 Riviera Drive, San Diego, CA 92100
To:  500 Sea World Dr, San Diego, CA 92109

Is there Cable TV and Internet?
Yes, we have cable TV and High-Speed Cable Internet so if you have a laptop with an Ethernet connection or card, bring it along and surf the web.

I have a very well behaved dog that doesn’t shed and hardly ever barks. Can you make an exception to your No Pet Policy? 
No. Many people are allergic to pet dander and pet hair and, even though we keep the condo spotlessly clean, we don’t want to subject any unsuspecting guests to an allergic reaction.

Do I need to rent a car? 
There is almost no public transportation in San Diego and most people do rent a car but if you love to walk or want to just relax near the bay/beach area and not do the San Diego tourist scene, there are plenty of shops, grocery stores and restaurants, probably everything you would need, about one mile away on Mission Blvd, Grand and Garnet; the main Streets of Pacific Beach. A taxi from the airport should be about $20 with a tip. 

How far is it to Downtown San Diego, the Gas Lamp area? 
It’s abut 15 minutes, 8 miles. Old Town, with it’s great Mexican Restaurants is about half way to Downtown, just off the 5 freeway.  

The photo of the bubble bath with all the candles around it says to ask you about the 9-11 story behind the photo. I'm curious, what's the story?
I was a Purser for United Airlines flying a flight from Paris to San Francisco on 9-11. It was quite scary to be in the air and hear that "all airspace in the entire USA is closed." We were sent to Calgary for four days and while my crew had a few hotel rooms to share, our passengers stayed in a school gym with the passengers off quite a few other jumbo jets. My boyfriend, Brian, knows when I am stressed out after a flight, I head right for the bathtub for a nice relaxing soak. He sent me this picture by email and said "Come home safely, my love. This is what is waiting for you." (The last photo on the Mission Beach Condo info page).

I just happened to be carrying the huge 5 foot x 9 foot American Flag that the military had draped over the coffin of my boyfriend's uncle when he died in WWII while fighting in France. We used it during the Tour de France to honor Lance Armstrong upon his arrival in Paris (that's another good story. See last photo of us in Paris.) I was bringing it back home. I draped it over the galley entrance right at the front of the entry door to the plane so when the passengers boarded, that's the first thing they saw. They cried, kissed it, kneeled in front of it and took lots of photos!!! The boarding was a slow process but then when you are already 4 days late getting to your destination, who cares. We were the first aircraft to land in SFO. The reception was overwhelming. It was nighttime. The fire trucks sprayed a welcome arch of water that we taxied through and I think every employee of the airport was outside with flashlights waving in welcome as we taxied into the jetway. There was not a dry eye on the entire aircraft.

Brian drove all night from San Diego to SFO to pick me up because departing flights were not scheduled to operate for a few more days. It was good to get home and I headed right for the bathtub!

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