Author Topic: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?  (Read 9754 times)

Offline MickeyJack

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #15 on: March 18, 2017, 11:09:04 AM »
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Last year stayed at Hilton Bayfront, I cannot imagine doing either of those previous stays again  ;D  For me specifically I'm eclectic for what I am at SDCC to do so in my eyes when I go my most valuable thing is time, every moment of every day there are panels I want to see, offsites I want to check out, the convention floor, and lines I should be in  ???  Being able to jump at out bed and walk right across was awesome.  Made it so easy to swap out for Hall H lines and go back to the room really quick to drop stuff off or simply take a breath from it all.  Of course the drawback is the cost can be quite exorbitant and chances of me getting back there even if I wanted to aren't great.

My nephew and I are from Minnesota. Our first year, 2009, we got Sunday only passes on May 24th. It was my high school graduation gift to him. We were the ultimate newbs. Hotels were long gone. We stayed far enough away that we had to drive our rental car and park it at the very northward end of the line. Our minds were blown by the Con. We bought 4 day w/PN before we left that day. The next year we were in the hotel lottery and got a hotel that allowed us to be able to walk a mile to the bus to get to the trolley to get to the Con. This year will be our ninth in a row. We have spent the last five years downtown. We're Hall H line junkies, so sometimes hotel expense has been wasted money. But last year we were at the Bayfront. I could only think that this must be what it is like to use heroine for the first time (and why I haven't) - "Wow, that was amazing; but I wish I hadn't learned that." That being said, wherever we've stayed, the hotel really has been just a place to sleep and store our gear. The most important thing is that we've met some amazing, amazing people and truly had the time of our lives at the Con.


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Offline Angel_

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #16 on: March 18, 2017, 12:00:44 PM »
The furthest I stayed was Mission Valley and I hated it. It's downtown or bust for me now. And not just downtown, but within 5 blocks of the con center. I'm so so picky but I've grown used to being able to quickly drop back by my room to exchange gear. I can't do without that now.


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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #17 on: Today at 09:00:19 AM »

Offline karatekid

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #17 on: March 18, 2017, 10:00:57 PM »
A few years ago I used to commute in from the Inland Empire ... about 90 minutes ... back and forth. It became too hard so we've stayed in Hotel Circle the last 2 years. Since I drive down from the Bay Area, I have my car already so not quite the need to be walking distance.
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Offline Chris

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #18 on: March 18, 2017, 10:29:05 PM »
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Last year I chatted with a guy who lived near San Francisco and had just decided to fly back and forth each day. I'm guessing that's on the extreme side. I've stayed as far away as Encinitas, but only for 2 days.

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Offline TheNeck

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #19 on: March 19, 2017, 01:01:12 AM »
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A few years ago I used to commute in from the Inland Empire ... about 90 minutes ... back and forth. It became too hard so we've stayed in Hotel Circle the last 2 years. Since I drive down from the Bay Area, I have my car already so not quite the need to be walking distance.
so you still live in the inland empire? we live in the IE but never tried commuting from the IE. But now after staying at the MMM last year, not sure how far away from the action i can stay now. just have to see what the hotel sale gods do for us this year.
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Offline Michaelnaut

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #20 on: March 19, 2017, 07:03:58 AM »
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The furthest I stayed was Mission Valley and I hated it. It's downtown or bust for me now. And not just downtown, but within 5 blocks of the con center. I'm so so picky but I've grown used to being able to quickly drop back by my room to exchange gear. I can't do without that now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I am so w/you here...once I stayed down here, I am so spoiled...the flexibility to drop stuff off, head back, etc., yeah...spoiled.
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Offline epicaz

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #21 on: March 19, 2017, 12:19:56 PM »
One time we had a friend that let us stay for free in his condo in Old Town. Every morning I'd drive maybe 5 minutes to the trolley and spend about 10-15 on the track before we landed right in front of the convention center. It was a commute, but to be honest it never felt bad at all.

My first year at SDCC we actually spent half of the con in Coronado Island. A bus would get us downtown, but it wasn't easy by any means

We've done mission valley and shutter (?) Island before, but having stayed 10/12 blocks away these last two years, its hard to want to leave downtown again

Offline Miss Kitty

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #22 on: March 19, 2017, 12:34:37 PM »
i moved to Oceanside just before SDCC last year and it's a cruddy drive, about 45 mins.

Offline EscoBlades

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #23 on: March 21, 2017, 01:38:17 PM »
Only been once, stayed last year about a couple of miles out at a Quality Inn. It was a straight shot with an Uber though.
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Offline Iris

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #24 on: March 26, 2017, 01:23:10 AM »
The three (or four?) past years I've stayed at the Hilton Bayfront and it's absolutely amazing, especially as we are Hall H campers. It's fantastic to just be a few minutes from your spot in line to run back to as necessary. The year before that we stayed in Mission Valley and it was still nice and quite doable with the shuttles even though we camped for Hall H multiple nights (we just went in small groups to shower etc.)

Two of my friends went to Uni in SD so they stayed at their apartment one year and took the trolley into the Gaslamp as it was right by a stop. In reality, it was only about a 18 minute trip, by car but I don't know what the trolley times were, but they agreed not do that again because not being able to crash at a hotel room throughout the day was apparently exhausting (though I had a hotel room that day so we offered, when we found out, for them to crash for naps etc. at our room.)

Years ago when my brother, dad, and myself used to go together every year, my dad thought about taking the train, the first time, but I think we missed the time we wanted (this the late '90s-early 2000s so you could still just walk in and buy a badge) so we just decided to just drive in the future. I think it was about 30 minutes, but of course that wasn't as crazy.

I have a back-up 5 person room in the Gaslamp for this year (I literally booked it 2-3 days after last year's SDCC) but I have not stayed there previously. I think it's ~5-8 minute walk from the convention center and I imagine there's a shuttle nearby. If we do end up staying there I'll do a thorough review as always. I'm hotel to manage the Bayfront again this year, mainly because I'll still be in recover, to a certain extent, during the con. I'm going to save my energy, but I know it'd be way nicer to be right next door with my stamina completely shot.

Edit: Wow this became huge. Evidently I've stayed a lot of places, or have anecdotes from friends, of different distances lol.
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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #25 on: March 26, 2017, 07:41:20 AM »
I reserved an Air BnB rental in the Pacific Beach area and was wondering if anyone here knows if that is a good area to stay in?  IF we get badges in Open Reg, this will be our first time at SDCC (we're from NC) and have no clue what the safest, nicest areas are around SD.


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Offline Mel

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #26 on: March 26, 2017, 08:12:44 AM »
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I reserved an Air BnB rental in the Pacific Beach area and was wondering if anyone here knows if that is a good area to stay in?  IF we get badges in Open Reg, this will be our first time at SDCC (we're from NC) and have no clue what the safest, nicest areas are around SD.


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Pacific Beach is a bit far and it's not on a trolley line. You will have to Lyft or Uber.....or take a bus to the trolley.
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Offline SandamnWs7

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #27 on: March 26, 2017, 02:00:58 PM »
My first SDCC stay was in La Mesa. Lucky for us we got the Acr parking under the Convention. Drive was about 20-30 minutes. But did suck that we had to leave before they closed the parking area. Since then we've been lucky to have some room in DT.

TravT77

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How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #28 on: March 27, 2017, 03:38:22 AM »
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Pacific Beach is a bit far and it's not on a trolley line. You will have to Lyft or Uber.....or take a bus to the trolley.
Thanks! After seeing your comments, I took another look and it did seem a hassle, especially in costume! Booked in Mission Valley DoubleTree now. Much shorter commute. :)


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Offline Legend_of_Melda

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Re: How far away from SDCC have you stayed?
« Reply #29 on: March 27, 2017, 09:41:19 AM »
I've stayed with my friend near SDSU, Mission Valley East, Chula Vista, and San Yisdro. I would love to some day stay walking distance but the hotel lotto has not been kind to my friends or me. The closest i have stayed would be near the Santa Fe depot (walking distance but im looking for something like the bayfront or hard rock). Holding on to hope that it will happen one year.