Imperial Beach, Imperial Beach, CA

Seacoast Drive sets the tone in Imperial Beach, the small beach city at the bottom of San Diego County, where the sand runs south from the pier toward the marsh at the river mouth and the border beyond it. Taco counters, breweries and low beach buildings line the street, and the side streets run straight down to the water. Homes mix older single-story houses on side streets such as Elkwood and Evergreen avenues with condo blocks and apartments nearer the beach. The ocean keeps the air mild enough that plenty of houses get by without air conditioning. The beach does the work of a big park, with lifeguards on duty all year along nearly four miles of shoreline. Dunes Park sits right by the sand on Seacoast Drive, Veterans Park is on Eighth Street, and the Sports Park on Imperial Beach Boulevard adds a skatepark. At the south end, the Tijuana Slough refuge opens onto marsh trails, and the Bayshore Bikeway heads north out of town along the Strand. Cow-A-Bunga, by the pier on Evergreen Avenue, scoops ice cream and pulls espresso with the ocean in view. Mike Hess Brewing has a beer garden on Ocean Lane at Seacoast, with Mexican-style plates to go with the pints. Grocery Outlet on Palm Avenue handles the weekly shop, and the county library branch sits on Imperial Beach Boulevard. Palm Avenue doubles as Highway 75, the way east to Interstate 5, and MTS buses run through town. The streets are flat, so bikes handle a lot of local errands. Expect helicopters. The Navy's outlying landing field, inside the city limits, takes nearly all the practice flying for the North Island helicopter squadrons, and the sound of rotors overhead is part of the day. In return the town stays scaled to bikes and sandals, with the pier at its center and the whole Pacific out front.