I love staying here any time I come to San Diego. It's nice to watch the surfers as the sun sets over the pier. Lot's of good shops and restaurants. There are plenty of folks living on the street down there, but they are mostly good people and mind their own.

This may not be a family beach but it's a great place. There are homeless there, yes. There are homeless people all over San Diego, it's just a fact of life. The homeless people might ask for money but they don't bother anyone. Ocean Beach is a party area. Yes, it smells like weed. Weed is part of the California experience. If you are bothered by weed then go to LaJolla Beach or Coronado Beach. Those are the pricier areas to be in. Ocean Beach really has a lot of partying and weed use but Mission Beach and Pacific Beach have weed use too. Ocean Beach has some cliffs and a pier and a dog beach. If you are on the pier around sunset you can usually see dolphins swimming at the surface of the water off in the distant area. Ocean beach is also good for watching surfers. There is a Italian sandwich shop called Poma's about 0.3 to 0.5 mile away from the beach and they have some great food. There are other great restaurants there too but Poma's was my favorite spot to hit. About a mile south of there is Sunset Cliffs which is a romantic spot to watch the sunset. It's not a place for uptight people but for open minded people who want to have a good time it is a great place to go.

The beach itself is not the most beautiful but the connected town Newport is brilliant. It has great vibes, cafes, restuarants, bars and shops. I read some reviews about homeless. I was not aproached or bothered by anyone the whole day i spent there .

I love Ocean Beach. It's definitely not for everyone, there are unhoused people but not as many as I've seen in other parts of San Diego. I was there alone walking around and I never felt unsafe nor did anyone bother me for money or anything like that. Everyone was just chilling and minding their own business. The shops are eclectic, there are lots of great places to eat, and it is honestly very clean. I stop by OB anytime I'm in the area, I love the vibe there.

Great beach with wide sand sections. Good swimming/boogie boarding spot by tower 2. Get a firepit early if you want to have a sunset fire. Dog-friendly dog beach section. Lots of birds and wildlife along the river side. Saw a falcon fly by with a fish in it's talons. Good idea to shuffle your feet wading out to avoid stingray stings. I got a painful reminder of that this trip. My girls wanted to go in the surf every day instead of going to theme parks. The colorful characters in OB are part of what makes it what it is. They are friendlier than some demanding tourists. The pier has fallen into disrepair and is no longer usable. Will be interesting to see if it is rebuilt in coming years.

OB is too good. Got here in January, haven’t left. Not gonna leave either. OB literally has everything a person needs. As I’ve read a few reviews, OB is not full of homeless, addicts, etc. OB DOES NOT smell like pee and poop, stop it. What you’ll find is really cool neighborhoods, gardens, murals, amazing foods, kind people, friendly happy dogs, great shops and barrels on a bitchin beach.