Chula Vista is blessed with a beautiful harbor, picturesque rolling foothills, pristine lakes, charming new communities and a stylish new shopping center east of the 805 Freeway. This forward looking city is definitely worth discovering.

It is only seven freeway miles south of downtown San Diego and the San Diego Trolley provides easy, frequent access. Plus, Chula Vista has easy access to two major north/south freeways: Interstate 5 and Freeway 805, which are connected in an easterly direction by Highway 54. And now east of the 805 is the new Highway 125 toll road.

Chula Vista is also proud to be the home of the official warm weather U.S. Olympic Training Center (12) at 2800 Olympic Pkwy. (619-656-1500). You can watch America’s top athletes train and compete in nine sports including archery, cycling, track and field, field hockey, tennis, rowing, canoeing/kayaking, the triathlon and soccer. Free guided tours are offered on Saturdays at 11 a.m. To support the Olympics, you can also purchase T-shirts and other Olympic souvenirs at their Olympic Spirit Store.

Also impressive is the Chula Vista Nature Center (3), which is surround - ed by the 316-acre Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge (619-409-5900). It showcases one of the few remaining natural saltwater marshes on the California coast. This is a wonderful place to watch native birds in the wild and in captivity. Plus, there are fish exhibits as well as a shark and sea ray tank with a touch pool.

Nationally known entertainers regulary perform at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre (7) at 2050 Entertainment Cir. in Chula Vista (619-671-3500). For the latest lineup of musical headliners visit their website at livenation.com.

Chula Vista is also a popular destination for golfers. There are three challenging public golf courses in the area - The Salt Creek Golf Club (16) (619- 482-4666), Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course (15) (619-479-4141) and East Lake Country Club (9) (619-482-5757).

The Otay Ranch Town Center (11) is a classy 860,000-sq. ft. shopping destination that draws people from as far south as Tijuana and as far east as La Mesa. It is home to the best of the best including Ann Taylor Loft, Macy’s, Coach, REI, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, The Gap and a host of fabulous restaurants. Though it has every store you’re looking for, the center is still small enough to find your way around without having to use a mall map. The Otay Ranch Town Center (619- 656-9100) lies east of the 805 Freeway via Olympic Parkway.

Chula Vista’s downtown shopping district (8) will make you feel like you stepped back in time. In fact, the cars are still parked diagonally on the main street. This district is centered around Third Avenue and F Street. A popular weekly shopping attraction is the openair Farmer’s Market (8), which is held every Thursday 3 p.m.–7 p.m. at Center Street and Third Avenue (619-422-1982). The other major shopping district in downtown Chula Vista is the Chula Vista Center (6) (619-427-6700) at H Street and Broadway. This 923,000-sq. ft. complex is home to JC Penney, Victoria’s Secret and more. The most popular place to dine is The Olive Garden Restaurant.

Chula Vista is a hub of delicious dining alternatives in part because it caters to Mexicans who come from south of the border on a daily basis to eat here. Plus, many Mexicans have migrated to the U.S. to live in both Eastlake and Chula Vista. So catering to the appetites of hungry Latinos has made the South Bay a mecca for great dining alternatives. With that thought in mind, the oldest, largest and most popular restaurant in all of the South Bay is the 56 year old La Bella Cafe & Games (8) at 373 Third Ave. (619-426-8830). Generations of repeat customers come here daily to enjoy great tasting pizza, fabulous Italian specialties and their 3,000-sq. ft game parlor jammed full of every parlor game imaginable. Use their coupons to get a free antipasta salad with purchase of any large pizza or $10 game cards for only $8 on week nights.

Several restaurants that cater almost exclusively to Mexicans include Los Arcos Seafood Restaurant and Bar (13) at 89 Bonita Rd. (619-934-3517). They feature delicious south-of-theborder seafood specialties and have 16 locations throughout Mexico. So you know this place has got to be very good!

Also on Bonita on the east side of the 805 freeway is a food lover’s paradise called Romesco (22) at 4346 Bonita Rd. (619-475-8627). Nightly specials and a host of memorable tapas make this Italian gourmet restaurant a winner. For the best waiter ask for Gustavo.

Also impressive is Villa Capri Italian Restauant and Bar (18) at 2330 Proctor Valley Rd. (619-216-5900) in the Shops at San Miguel Rancho Shopping Center, which is just east of the 125 toll road off East H Street. This is an outstanding restaurant with live music and an impressive menu.

And if these selections aren’t enough, you won’t be disappointed with the host of delicious dining alternatives at the Otay Ranch Town Center (11) at 2015 Birch Rd, (619-656-9100). It’s home to Chili’s, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Nico’s Steak & Chop House, King’s Fish House, California Pizza Kitchen, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and La Parroquiq Cafe & Live Music Lounge, which is just across the street from the Cheesecake Factory.

Chula Vista continues to grow, especially on the east side of Freeway 805, with new communities and stylish shopping and dining destinations. And homes are both new and affordable.

The leader in home building is Brookfield Homes. One of their featured properties is Cordova at Windingwalk (866-780-2303), 1822 Casa Morro St. This neighborhood offers two-story townhomes with six floor plans ranging from approximately 1,638 to 2,024 sq. ft. Some townhomes offer yards. They also offer Trellis at Windingwalk (888-520-3599), 2346 Trellis St. These single-family, twostory homes offer four floor plans ranging from approximately 2,361 to 2,620 sq. ft. They provide spacious interiors where it matters the most. The Windingwalk community boasts two impressive recreation centers with multiple pools, meeting rooms, an exercise room, a wedding garden and much more.

While nothing compares to the thrill of owning a new home, the affordability and the incredible selection of homes available in the South Bay for resales is absolutely incredible and worth looking at. The undisputed leader in resale homes is McMillin Realty (23) at 320 East H St. (619-422-4500) in the Terra Nova Shop ping Center with a second location of McMillin Realty (22) at 4210 Bonita Rd. (619-475-0233). They remain the largest new homebuilder in the South Bay as well.

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National City, which is north of Chula Vista and south of downtown San Diego is San Diego County’s industrial business hub. It boasts more than 3,000 businesses in a tiny land area of only 7.3 square miles. Major employers include its huge marine terminal that processed 270,000 cars last year. It is also home to the county’s largest new and used auto sales center, The National City Mile of Cars (19) with an inventory of more than 5,000 cars to choose from. National City is also home to Plaza Bonita (20) at 3030 Plaza Bonita Rd. (619-267-2850). It is the largest enclosed mall in the South Bay and includes an AMC theater.

A top dining destination in National City is Villa Manila Restaurant (1) at 500 E. Eighth St. in the Old Schoolhouse Square (619-477-8512). The specialty of the house is the best Filipino cuisine you have ever tasted served in a comfortable, family atmosphere.


Sweetwater Harley-Davidson (2) is the best stop for anything Harley-Davidson. This is an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer, so they are your number one source for genuine Harley-Davidson motorcycles, parts, accessories, Motorclothes and collectibles.

San Ysidro is home to the world’s busiest land border crossing, where U.S. Interstate 5 crosses into Mexico at Tijuana. In the 2005 U.S. fiscal year, more than 50 million people entered the United States at the San Ysidro port of entry. The great majority of these are workers (both of Mexican and U.S. nationality) commuting to jobs in the greater San Diego area and throughout southern California.

Before or after a visit to Mexico, the biggest attraction that San Ysidro has to offer is shopping at the Las Americas Premium Outlets at 4211 Camino de la Plaza (619-934-8400). It is home to the finest collection of designer and namebrand outlet stores. It’s also the best shopping in the South Bay. Get their VIP shopping pass here.

Whether you are relocating to this tranquil region of San Diego or you need a trustworthy place to store your valuables, San Diego Self Storage is the place. View their special offers for new customers. This network of neighborhood self storage facilities has locations in Eastlake, National City and Otay Mesa for your convenience.