From Inigo Figuracion,
Your Guide to San Diego.
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Jul 11 2004

Okay, you've been hooked all season watching the shallow escapades of the Real World San Diego cast, and from the looks of it watching each of the 26 weekly episodes on MTV, you're thinking, "Gee, San Diego looks like a fun town! Everyone seems to just party and get wild." Well, perception is far from reality - especially in the "reality" MTV calls Real World - but the locations are real, nonetheless. Including the not-so-real house that the cast stayed in.

So, in the interest of all the Real World groupies who might be visiting San Diego down the road - or even for us locals who have insatiable curiosity - here's my guide to some of the more notable Real World San Diego sights. Just where is that cool house? Where is Las Colinas, where Robin was booked? How far is the County Jail from the house, where Brad tried to walk home from after spending time in the drunk tank? Where did the gang go when they wanted to party? Here's some directions...

The House
Ahhh, the house. Everyone wants to know where that cool house is located, right on the waterfront. The Real World San Diego house was previously the Blue Crab Restaurant (4922 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA. 92106). Its location is on North Harbor Drive, past the airport, just as Harbor Drive ends and enters the Shelter Island/Point Loma neighborhood.

Las Colinas Women's Detention Facility
This is the county jail for women, where Robin was taken after one of her drunken slugfests. Located in the East County suburb of Santee (9000 Cottonwood Avenue Santee, CA 92071-3093), you probably wouldn't know it was there - unless you were escorted there in handcuffs.

Next Level Sailing
This is where the lazy cast had to "work" - a charter boat company that sails America's Cup class yachts, including the famous Stars and Stripes. To anyone else with an ounce of ambition, crewing an 80-foot racing yacht would be fun. But our mutinous crew, led by Frankie, felt it was akin to working the french fry station at McDonalds. Located on the Embarcadero near the Broadway Pier on Harbor Drive.

Pacific Beach
The vortex into which our Real World crew found themselves attracted to like moths to a light. Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach is the main drag where all the bars and nightclubs attract the college/beach bum/party/newly of drinking age crowd. From what I could tell, much of the imbibing (and physical assaulting) took place at the PB Bar and Grill at 860 Garnet Ave. If I'm mistaken, please let me know.

Gaslamp/Downtown
The other frequented area where our cast gets inebriated is the Gaslamp District, where the frivolity is a bit more refined than Pacific Beach. But that didn't stop Brad, Robin, Randy and Cameran. Just walk down Fifth Avenue and you'll notice the familiar scene of outdoor dining. At Sixth and E is the Hustler Store where Frankie and Jamie were stalked by that weirdo Adam. And at Sixth and Broadway is the upscale On Broadway nightclub (an old converted bank), where the girls hook up with some male friends of dubious connections.

San Diego County Jail
Where Brad, our resident goomba bad boy, found himself frequently during the season. Another place where you probably wouldn't go unless you were led there in handcuffs. But unlike Las Colinas women's jail, the County lockup is right downtown (1173 Front Street). Nevertheless, it's still a ways from the Real World compound, where Brad tried to walk back home because he had no money and no shoes. BTW, the distance from the County Jail to the Real World San Diego house is 5 miles according to Mapquest.

Santana's Mexican Food
Where Cameran supposedly ate a chicken burrito nearly every day. It's also where she claimed to get diarrhea coincidentally on the same day that Brad's girlfriend came to visit. Now, I'm gonna give Santana's the benefit of the doubt and blame Cameran's gastric troubles on an nerves and irritable bowel and not on Santana's chicken burrito. With several San Diego locations, the Real World cast ate at the one near the house at the corner of North Harbor Drive and Rosecrans Blvd. (1480 Rosecrans Street San Diego, CA 92106)

So, that's what I have for now. Now that we'll be seeing the Real World San Diego escapades in reruns for a while until the next season starts, see if you can recognize some of the places I've pointed out. And if you have any requests for other Real World haunts or if my info needs correcting, drop me a line at this Website.