In
stark contrast to the frenetic pace of its neighbors to the north - San
Francisco and the Bay Area and Los Angeles, San Diego is
much less hectic. San Diego always has the ambience of a resort, even though
it also has a very large military presence, and is a major financial and
business center. San Diego is actually California's second largest city, but
certainly doesn't seem so. In reality San Diego is much closer to the popular
laid-back image of California life than either of the other two major
cities. Set on a beautiful natural harbor, San Diego has miles of oceanfront,
and the city spreads out from this through all kinds of terrain into the
desert at the city limits. South of San Diego is the border with Mexico.
In
stark contrast to the frenetic pace of its neighbors to the north - San
Francisco and the Bay Area and Los Angeles, San Diego is
much less hectic. San Diego always has the ambience of a resort, even though
it also has a very large military presence, and is a major financial and
business center. San Diego is actually California's second largest city, but
certainly doesn't seem so. In reality San Diego is much closer to the popular
laid-back image of California life than either of the other two major
cities. Set on a beautiful natural harbor, San Diego has miles of oceanfront,
and the city spreads out from this through all kinds of terrain into the
desert at the city limits. South of San Diego is the border with Mexico.