Downtown San Diego

San Diego, CA

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Downtown San Diego - San Diego, CA

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Discover the many facets of Downtown San Diego

Trendy Coast Beaches Historic Walkable Artistic Urban

Victorian architecture and brick-paved sidewalks … the Gaslamp Quarter and the coast … palm trees and balmy ocean breezes … stunning mountain views and historic sites … it’s no wonder San Diego is the nation’s eighth-largest city. If you want to live in the very heart of this large, dynamic city, find your apartment in Downtown San Diego!

Downtown San Diego contains the central business district, or the Core District, as well as East Village, the historic Gaslamp Quarter, Cortez Hill, Columbia, Seaport Village, Marina, and Little Italy. The problem won’t be finding San Diego apartments – it will be deciding in which fantastic district to live. The historic Gaslamp Quarter is a Historic District dating back to 1867. The nearly 100 Victorian buildings contain a variety of shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. If you are looking for a trendy loft in a historic warehouse, head to East village, San Diego’s largest downtown neighborhood.

If you love festivals, art galleries, bakeries, and farmers markets, try looking in Little Italy. This hilly area is also well-known for its festivals and Italian restaurants, making it a terrific choice for those who enjoy a social lifestyle. As pedestrian-friendly as it is beautiful, Seaport Village is a shopping and dining area with a variety of art galleries, shops, and restaurants. It was built over the Punta de los Muertos (Point of the Dead) – in 1782, Spanish explorers buried those who had died of scurvy here.

Explore the Neighborhood

The San Diego Convention Center is located in the Marina district on West Harbor Drive

With its many bars, restaurants, and nightlife, the Gaslamp Quarter is known as San Diego’s playground

Horton Plaza Park, an outdoor plaza with fountains and seating, hosts a variety of special events

The entrance to the historic Gaslamp Quarter is located on Fifth Avenue

Head to the Marina District for waterfront parks, restaurants, and great views

Cheer on the MLB’s San Diego Padres at Petco Park

Rent Trends

As of April 2025, the average apartment rent in Downtown San Diego is $2,197 for a studio, $2,967 for one bedroom, $4,220 for two bedrooms, and $6,449 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Downtown San Diego has decreased by -0.1% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 515 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $2,197/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 739 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $2,967/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 1,098 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $4,220/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 1,414 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $6,449/month

    Average Rent

Reviews of Downtown San Diego - San Diego, CA

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3.7 38 Reviews

Current Resident

6 years and 5 months agoNiche Review

Gentrification is so terrible in these parts. I continuously see houses on the market becoming more and more expensive which obviously leads to the buying of houses by only richer people. However it's very clean... I guess if you're looking for a less diverse neighborhood, this is it.

Current Resident

7 years and 8 months agoNiche Review

It is very safe and the community is very small and close knit. Parents can let their kids play outside without having to worry about them getting hurt. The neighborhood also hosts events that everyone in the community are invited to.

Current Resident

8 years and 1 months agoNiche Review

The south end is a place of culture. You can grab a bite to eat and grab a show afterwards. It's pretty safe to live but the cost of living is very high. If I could see anything change it would be making more affordable housing

Niche User

8 years and 10 months agoNiche Review

There crime rate is not high in this community. It is not a place where you can't tell gun shots from fire works. Here the police can be counted on to protect us, instead of harming us. It is a place where people feel comfortable walking on the streets and taking the subway at night.

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Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Balboa Park
  • Friendship Garden
  • The New Children's Museum
  • Fleet Science Center
  • Maritime Museum of San Diego

Airports

  • San Diego International

Top Apartments in Downtown San Diego

Houses for Rent in Downtown San Diego

Property Management Companies

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2025.