San Diego reports an annual average of only 9.5 inches of precipitation in San Diego, so it is no wonder people often claim, "It never rains in San Diego." That saying also bodes well for potential beach goers and the 70 miles of beaches that are available to them. While the rain quote is not entirely accurate, it is a fact that San Diego enjoys a comfortable Mediterranean-like climate. The average temperature in July is 70 degrees, and the winter month of December delivers an only slightly chillier 59-degree average. The city lies just north of the border with Tijuana, Mexico and just south of Orange County, California.

The city's many neighborhoods and areas are divided by many natural canyons, which separate its mesas. Construction has been used in tandem with the natural geography to form parks, transportation systems and natural neighborhood growth. Downtown San Diego is located right on the waterfront of San Diego Bay. Balboa Park - home to world-famous San Diego zoo - is located on a mesa to the northeast and is surrounded by several urban areas. Peninsulas, a man-made Aquatic Park and a National Forest make up the remainder of the area. Many farms are found in the valleys to the northeast and southeast of the city.

While the city has young vibe - the median age of residents is 32 - San Diego shows continuous growth potential. Multiple independent studies have found San Diego to be in the top 10 for job growth opportunities through 2025, and the biotech and telecommunication industries in the city are continuing to thrive.

SAN DIEGO AT A GLANCE

• Almost one-third of San Diego's work force over the age of 25 has at least a bachelor's degree.
• San Diego is the ninth-most educated city in the country, according to a national consensus.
• Two-thirds of the population is younger than age 35, and only 10 percent are over 65.
• More than 96 percent of San Diegans are employed. The average family income is about $45,000.
• Lego Toy Company recently opened the theme park Lego Land in Carlsbad, 20 miles from downtown San Diego.
• Due to the budding telecommunication industry, San Diego has often been called "Telecomm Valley."
• The top industries in San Diego are manufacturing, defense, tourism and agriculture.
• The famous San Diego Zoo's magazine publication ZooNooz has been in print since 1925.
• Though not entirely filmed in San Diego, such major motion pictures as My Blue Heaven, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Zodiac, were set in San Diego.
• There are 53 city recreation centers, 35 libraries and more than 27,000 acres of City Park land.
• The military influence of San Diego can be seen in the city's motto "Semper Vigilans" (Ever Vigilant).
• The terms "May-Gray" and "June Gloom" refer to the fog that typically forms during those months from the varying climate and surrounding canyons and mesas.
• The San Diego Opera was ranked in the top 10 by Opera America.

SIGHTS OF SAN DIEGO

The San Diego Zoo
The world-famous zoo is operated by the nonprofit organization Zoological Society of San Diego. It originally grew out of exhibits at the World's Fair, which San Diego hosted in 1915. Today, it is located on 100 acres in Balboa Park and features more than 4,000 animals of 800 different species. The zoo is known for its progressive approach since, although it is a privately operated zoo, the actual ownership of the land, animals and equipment are all officially owned by the city of San Diego.

The zoo offers an official guided tour and an overhead gondola ride that can be easily used by visitors to travel independently from one side of the park to the other. The park is divided into natural habitats, with animals from the wild residing next to their natural neighbors, and many exhibits have hidden wires or blinds which make the zoo have less of a "caged" feel. In addition to the animals, the zoo takes advantage of its pleasant climate and grows a lot of its own rare animal food, ranging from 40 different varieties of bamboo for pandas to eucalyptus for koalas.

Membership can be bought at a slightly higher cost than can be obtained for guest passes. Membership includes year-round re-entry, some additional guest passes and a subscription to the zoo's magazine - ZooNooz. Proceeds from these fees are put toward maintaining the exhibits, animal preservation and the education of the general public. In the past, animals on loan from the zoo have frequently been featured on late-night television shows like "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Qualcomm Stadium
Formerly known as Jack Murphy Stadium, Qualcomm is home to the NFL's San Diego Chargers and college football's San Diego State University Aztecs. Until 2003 it has also been home to major league baseball's San Diego Padres.

PETCO Park
In 2003, PETCO Park opened its doors and officially became the new home to the San Diego Padres. The locally based corporation, PETCO, bought the naming rights to the stadium

The stadium planners initially tried to set themselves apart from the current ultra-modern stadiums by going for a self-described "retro" look. Color patterns, sand brick building materials and stadium designs were large parts of this "retro" look. Innovations include the batter facing a different direction than in most other stadiums as well as open concourses with restaurants, offices and luxury booths being pulled back to allow a more open view. The San Diego Bay, skyline and zoo are all visible from the grandstands.

Although PETCO Park is a new stadium, it does have some built-in history - literally. San Diego is known for its reuse adaptations in much of the construction it has conducted. Stadium planners were no different. A prime example of this is the 100-year-old Western Metal Supply Company Building. Originally scheduled for demolition to make way for the new PETCO Park construction, planners decided to incorporate the landmark building into the stadium's construction. Currently, it is part of the team store, as well as serving as a portion of a rooftop restaurant. Another interesting fact is the stadium's address - 19 Tony Gywnn Way - the number and name of the legendary Padre player.

Mission Bay Aquatic Park
Mission Bay Aquatic Center is the world's largest instructional waterfront facility. The Park offers wakeboarding, sailing, surfing, waterskiing, rowing, kayaking, windsurfing and kiteboarding. Professional Volleyball is also featured onsite free of charge to visitors. The center's website ( http://www.missionbayaquaticcenter.com/ ) is informative and offers course schedules, job postings and several color-coded downloads to help navigate the park and website.

The park is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country. It consists of 4,235 acres, 46 percent of which is land and 54 percent water. In addition to organized activities, there are also paths and areas for jogging, kite flying and picnicking. Overall annual attendance at the park is estimated at about 15 million visitors.

Sources:
( http://www.sandiego.gov )

( http://www.lonelyplanet.com )