The Locals’ Guide to Visiting Chula Vista, CA
Stretching from highway 54 to the border, Chula Vista is the heavyweight of San Diego’s South Bay—a sprawling city of 275,000 with one foot in the past and the other stepping forward. On the west side, you’ll find old-school charm: a historic downtown, cozy neighborhoods, midcentury homes, a breezy marina, and sweeping views of the bay. Head east past the 805, and you’re in master- planned suburbia—rolling hills, tidy cul-de-sacs, shopping plazas, and a rash of new builds.
Lately, all eyes are on the historic heart. A $14 million, decade-long glow-up has transformed Third Avenue between E and H Streets into what’s now proudly called Downtown Chula Vista. Think wide, stroller-accommodating sidewalks; fresh landscaping; and a steady hum of activity. It’s friendly, multilingual, and refreshingly affordable.
Chula Vista–born duo Ground Floor Murals painted this Manny Machado tribute near Third Avenue’s Vogue Tavern.
Wander Third Avenue, and you’ll pass a quinceañera shop displaying the poofiest dress you’ve ever seen, a new tiki bar (with a speakeasy!), a vacuum repair shop straight out of a Wes Anderson set, a tattoo parlor, a playhouse, taco joints, dentists, cafés, breweries, murals—all elements of a healthy downtown that even attracts a species rarely sighted by day: teenagers.
Chula Vista has always had an edge. Back in the late 1800s, its lemon orchards drew settlers west. Then came World War II and the Rohr Aircraft B-24 bomber assembly plant, turning CV into a boomtown of blue-collar dreamers in need of housing. Today, the city still surprises: It’s home to a US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, the acclaimed Southwestern College, a water park, top- tier golf courses, acres of wildflower-strewn open space, a border crossing, and multiple trolley stops. Not your average SoCal suburb.
And investment? Booming. New housing and businesses are rising both along the bayfront and farther east. Yet downtown’s still got that 1950s Main Street vibe—only now with a new Third Avenue neighborhood street sign and more photogenic lattes.
Kutthroat barber shop in Downtown Chula Vista.
Facts About Chula Vista
- Operations at South Bay Salt Works date back to 1871; it was once the second-largest salt supplier in the United States and is one of San Diego’s oldest businesses.
- According to Zillow, the median home price in Chula Vista is around $860,000.
- Iconic lucha libre wrestler Rey Mysterio is from Chula Vista.
- During World War I, Hercules Powder Company of Chula Vista was the world’s largest kelp processing operation, producing acetone and potash for explosives. The plant’s location at Gunpowder Point is now Living Coast Discovery Center.
- Sixty percent of Chula Vista’s population is of Hispanic descent.
Otay Lakes is a popular spot for birdwatching, picnicking, and hiking.
Things to Do in Chula Vista
“What’s unique about Third Avenue is that most of the businesses are owner-operated,” says Chula Vista local Gonzalo Quintero (aka Dr. Q). He would know—he himself is the owner of the buzzing Vogue Tavern on Third. It’s hard to pick favorites, but here are his hot takes on downtown and beyond: Otay Mandarin has the tastiest salt-and-pepper wings, and Roberto’s at 444 Broadway is the most consistently delicious taco shop. La Concha Bakery is his top panadería (get the orejas), Grind House is the best coffee shop, and Vogue Tavern serves the city’s number-one burger (we respect the self-plug). Go to Thr3e Punk Ales for beer. For locally beloved pizza with the cheese. piled over the toppings, head to La Bella; it’s been on Third for 70 years and has a game room where neighborhood kids often host birthday parties.
On a sunny afternoon, try a Mexican old-fashioned (mezcal makes it Mexi) with your birria tacos at
La Nacional, where the seating opens out onto Third Avenue for that cantina vibe. For another daytime outing, hike all the way from Living Coast Discovery Center to the end of J Street Pier. Or take advantage of toasty summer weather and hit one of Chula’s golf courses, like Enagic Golf Club at Eastlake.
Chula Vista also has a thriving indie coffeehouse scene, with a bunch on Third and more throughout the east side. Quintero and Chula Vista Mayor John McCann both recommend Casa De Otay in Millenia—get the mocha or Mexican hot chocolate.
The new Gaylord Pacific Resort is the West Coast’s largest built hotel.
What’s Next for Chula Vista
Chula Vista is raking it in when it comes to big-money builds: $1.3 billion for Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center on the bayfront at H Street. $96.4 million for Millenia Library. $17.7 million for Eucalyptus Park renovations. In the throes of significant growth, “Chula Vista is poised to be the new face of San Diego,” Quintero declares. Guests and conference-goers at Gaylord Pacific, which opened in May, will make their way to nearby Downtown Chula Vista—with help from a free shuttle—and Quintero says businesses on Third are preparing to be ambassadors of the region for many visitors who might be visiting San Diego, or even California, for the first time.
Two more bayfront projects broke ground in 2024: Amara Bay, at J Street, brings luxury condos and a hotel, and Bayview Point comprises two residential towers (with some affordable housing) and yet another hotel.
And there’s more—a lot more. Over on H Street, Scripps is giving its health campus a major upgrade, taking over the old mall site across from Mercy Hospital and transforming it into a next-gen medical hub. That new 168,000-square-foot library at Millenia, expected to be complete in 2026, is phase one of the University Innovation District, a plan to build a four-year university in Chula Vista. San Diego State will teach nursing and global studies classes at the new complex, and eventually it will add classrooms, student housing, and all the facilities befitting an academic institution, McCann says. The new Millenia Building is also home to part of the Chula Vista Entertainment Complex featuring audio and video editing bays, podcast studios, and post production and creative office spaces. Across the street, a full-blown production lot is on the horizon. South Bay, it appears, is ready for its close-up.
Vogue Tavern owner Dr. Gonzalo Quintero.
Chula Vista’s food and drink scene is on a tear, fueled by a booming population, bold new developments, and zoning changes from the early 2000s that made it easier for restaurants and breweries to set up shop downtown. Now, the city is tasting better than ever.
Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Álvarez threw his hat into the ring last year with El Pastor Del Rica on Broadway, where the tacos hit almost as hard as he does. On Third Avenue, Tender Hooligan has shaken up the scene with moody lighting, izakaya-style bites, a vinyl listening bar, live music, and an inventive mix of mock-and cocktails—think Tokyo dive bar meets 1970s London punk scene (there’s a whole telephone booth inside the joint).
And chef Priscilla Curiel, the Michelin-recognized talent behind Mujer Divina, is doubling down on Third with a new brunch café next door to her cult-favorite burrito and coffee shop. She’s betting big on Chula Vista. And so far, she hasn’t missed.
Where to Eat in Chula Vista
Where to Shop in Chula Vista
More Things to Do in Chula Vista
North Island Credit Union Amphitheater
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