12 Ways to Take Advantage of Your Stay at Newport Place!

Here are some ideas to help you maximize your stay in downtown San Diego.

1. Use your laptop's Wi-Fi access away from Newport Place (up to 2 blocks). Our free wireless network allows residents to enjoy coffee at the East Village Coffee House or socialize at the Honey Beehive Bar, both across the street. The wireless network is also accessible while relaxing or sunbathing on the lawn of City College.

2. Study and conduct research at the San Diego City College Learning Resource Center (Library). This new and spacious facility is located directly across the street from Newport Place. It is open to the public and offers extensive resources. This state-of-the-art library is a quiet and peaceful place to do homework, read or surf the Internet.

3. ESL students can practice English at free classes held by the San Diego Education Center. This school is located only five blocks from Newport Place.

4. Attend a major downtown street festival like Street Scene (held in September) which is California's largest outdoor musical festival. San Diego also hosts California's largest Mardi Gras in February and California's largest eco-festival Earth Day in April. There are many more fun events to attend. For a complete listing, simply review the gaslamp.org events section for festivals that occur during your stay at Newport Place.

5. Get in top physical shape while living at Newport Place. Across the street is City Boxing, a popular gym that is open 7 days a week and offers free enrollment and 50% off memberships to Newport Place residents. The facility includes a full set of exercise equipment, professional instructors and competition champions that teach boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, martial arts, cardio workouts and yoga.

6. Mountain bike, hike or jog nearby "Florida Canyon Nature Preserve". This hidden outdoor park is an urban oasis. The main trailhead is located across the street from the San Diego Zoo.

7. Take a scenic bike ride to the swimming beach situated on San Diego Bay. This is an enjoyable 4-mile bike ride on flat terrain that begins at Seaport Village. The beach is located on Harbor Drive past the airport and just before the bridge.

8. Attend a San Diego City College student theatrical production at the Seville Theatre across the street from Newport Place. Productions include: "Guys and Dolls", "Of Mice & Men" and Shakespearean plays.

9. From October through April, you can hand-pick tasty avocados from our 35-foot (10-meter) "Persea Americana" avocado tree off the back porch. Unlike the popular Haas avocado tree from Mexico, our tree is from Central America and is rare in San Diego. Its fruit has a unique nut-like flavor that makes delicious guacamole, hamburger or salad toppings, and complements any Mexican dish.

10. Visit many of San Diego's most popular tourist attractions that are comfortably within walking or bicycling distance of Newport Place. Some of the most noteworthy places are Balboa Park (6 blocks), the World Famous San Diego Zoo (8 blocks), the new Padre Baseball Stadium (13 blocks), the historic Gaslamp District (8 blocks), and the San Diego Harbor waterfront (14 blocks). In addition, Newport Place is only 1.5 blocks from a major Trolley station with trains to Old Town, Mission Valley shopping centers, SDSU (San Diego State University), Qualcomm Stadium, the San Diego Convention Center and Tijuana-Mexico.

11. Take a combination bike ride and ferry connection to Coronado Island. The terminal is 17 blocks to the west at the end of Broadway. The cost for you and a bike is $3.25 each way. The trip takes 10 minutes one-way.

12. Attend a San Diego Padres Major League Baseball game at Petco Park. This state-of-the-art $450 million dollar baseball facility is a 12-minute walk from Newport Place. Over 85 games per year are played at Petco Park. Ticket prices start at $8 - why not go attend a game?