Seaport Village Parking

Seaport Village is located in downtown San Diego within walking distance of the trolley, the San Diego Convention Center and local hotels. The 90,000 square feet waterfront property was built as a car-free village with winding paths that connects the various freestanding buildings bordered by ponds, lakes, fountains and colorful, lush landscaping. The village houses over 70 shops, galleries and eateries. Shops are geared toward tourists, but there are entertainment options for everyone. Parents can fly kites with their kids, pet owners can walk along the waterfront and adults can stop for a drink at one of the many outdoor patios on the boardwalk.

Parking and public transportation at Seaport Village
Take the trolley and walk to Seaport Village (about 15 minutes from the station) or drive and park in their adjacent parking lot. Guests pay $4 for the first 3 hours with validation and $3 every 30 minutes thereafter. The nearby hotels and cruise ships have shuttles that run every 15 minutes for their guests.

Best and worst times to go to Seaport Village
Best time to avoid the crowds and traffic is on a weekday, so come by from Monday through Thursday. Weekends at Seaport Village are overly crowded and it's very difficult to park, because there's a combination of tourists and locals visiting the village and attending outdoor events, but you can take the bus or trolley to save time. The worst time to go to Seaport is in late July when the San Diego Comic-Con convention is in town. Both public transportation and traffic are insane during that event.

Admission to Seaport Village
Admission is free at Seaport Village. It's open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and restaurants have extended hours. You can just walk from your nearby hotel, trolley stop or from the convention center without any restrictions.

Must see/do at Seaport Village

• Indulge in a scone and coffee at Upstart Crow Coffee House.
• Enjoy free concerts. Every Sunday at Seaport Village live music plays at the East Plaza Gazebo from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Don't miss Kite Flite. A kid-friendly place to buy kites that lets "fly before you buy," in front of the store.

Other places to visit near Seaport Village

• Visit the cafe aboard the adjacent U.S.S. Midway aircraft carrier museum. Walk up the Seaport Village boardwalk to get to the museum, which is just one-half mile away.
• Raise your glass and sip in style at the top of the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel. The tallest waterfront hotel on the West Coast has a spectacular view of the San Diego Bay.
• Enjoy a night of dancing in the nearby Gaslamp Quarter. There's entertainment and nightlife venues for everyone.

Insider tip for visitors to Seaport Village
Greek Islands Cafe has amazing gyro sandwiches at affordable prices. The service is really fast (even during the Comic-Con convention) and you'll get plenty of food. My favorite part is enjoying my sandwich and beer at their outdoor patio right on the water.

Author's bio: Rose Wheeler has lived in San Diego for over nine years. She's been published in "La Jolla Patch," "Global Post" and "Yahoo." Her blog regularly features great local finds and trending style tips.