UC San Diego — with its notorious reputation of being socially dead — might feel like the worst place on Earth to nurture budding romantic feelings, but this could not be further from the truth! Situated in the romantic, beachside town of La Jolla and with access to the beautifully diverse city of San Diego, students are actually in a prime location to cook up some romance. In the inaugural edition of Trolley Takes, The UCSD Guardian’s Features section hopped on the Blue Line trolley and asked students about their ideal first date spots around San Diego. Here is what they said:
“It’s right off the bus route on the 30 that takes you to the beach. There’s a little hill that overlooks the sunset, and I think it’s the best spot to take someone.” — Logan, third-year transfer student.
“There’s a pretty spot in Coronado that you have the view of downtown, that you get to do jetski. You can also do a potluck kind of style day at the beach with the view of downtown.” — Norma, third-year student.
“For me, an ideal first date would be at a cafe. One is close to Scripps Institute, where the ocean is. You can get some really nice views, and it’s a very relaxing atmosphere, so you can just go on a walk. There’s a small cafe nearby, if you want that. The other one is Art of Espresso; if you go at times where there’s not a lot of people around, it could be a really nice vibe if you are just getting to know someone.” — Shiva, master’s student.
“Grab a bite in La Jolla. Maybe go to a cafe because there are a whole bunch of those. And then, make their way up, especially if they have a car, to go to Mount Soledad, cause Mount Soledad just has the best views of everything. Especially during the sunset, the fog rolls in, and then you could probably have a sandwich from one of the cafes such as Girard Gourmet — I totally recommend them — or maybe Parakeet Cafe might be a good place to grab a bite, and then just appreciate the natural beauty of everything.” — Kyla, second-year transfer student.
“A place on campus that I would recommend is going to Shores Diner. The food’s pretty good, and the vibes are vibing.” — Syra, second-year student.
“I think going to Kate Sessions Park during the sunset, doing a charcuterie board together, and maybe playing some games, or reading out loud a book to each other, and then heading to Little Italy and getting Italian food at Donna’s.” — Amy, third-year student.
“It’s San Diego, so go to the beach. I wanna do a nice little picnic at the beach where we do that thing where we paint you and your partner’s face, and you go like ‘This is how I see you,’ and maybe there’s a beautiful sunset happening. Maybe like Gliderport, to be honest, but when it’s less crowded. Maybe a midnight Gliderport. I feel like it would be so beautiful — a core memory.” — Ari, fourth-year student.
