Pacific Beach?

[hope23]

My family with younger children will be staying along Pacific Beach and I'm curious if anyone can share thoughts on this beach as we've never been there? I'm specifically curious if the beach is clean? Are there problems with garbage or strange things washing up on shore? Are there shells to find? Do fish/marine life come close to shore? Any other things that would be good for beach newbies to know? Thanks!

 

[sdflipside]

PB in general is full of shops, bars, and restaurants and considered by locals as party town for college age folks or twenty somethings. For kids the beach should be nice and maintained. Not sure about shells or sealife. A better beach for kids would be La Jolla where there are seals to see or Coronado as they are nationally known as one of the best family beaches.

 

[halfmonkey]

If you're referring to Pacific Beach in San Diego, it's more of a party/college area. Therefore, you'll find a lot of bars and clubs and mexican fast food places to eat. Get a carne asada burrito if you've never had one before. I probably wouldn't say that it would be my first choice if I was visiting SD with young children but it is doable. Keep in mind that it's not necessarily an upscale beach neighborhood.

If you're looking for more of a family oriented locations with less noise and less activity, look at del mar, coronado, la jolla, solana beach, or carlsbad.

 

[Baliezer]

My family with younger children will be staying along Pacific Beach and I'm curious if anyone can share thoughts on this beach as we've never been there?
I'm specifically curious if the beach is clean? Yes
Are there problems with garbage or strange things washing up on shore? No
Are there shells to find? Not really. It is mostly a sandy beach.
Do fish/marine life come close to shore? Not really
Any other things that would be good for beach newbies to know? I agree with what others have mentioned. Lots of bars, public drinking and partying. Not the best environment for kids. Belmont park is there, but it is expensive and aimed at older children. La Jolla Shores is close by and very family friendly.

 

[Adventurelawyer]

I lived in PB for a number of years. While the beach is clean, you may consider taking them over to Sail Bay (an area of Mission Bay). Sail bay is full of tiny seashells and other fun stuff that washes up (not nasty). Its actually the southern part of PB where PB meets Mission Beach. There you will also find a small amusement park with a wooden roller coaster, shaved ice stands etc. I liked Mission Beach, but Coronado was my favorite. Even though I lived on the bay and was closest to MB or PB, I still made the drive over the bridge to Coronado City or the Shores. I prefer a south facing beach as the surf doesn't get nearly as big and the white snad beaches made me feel like I was in a tropical local! Good luck!