When I visited the Gaslamp District in San Diego, I thought, "Ah... this is a place that really drains tourists' wallets."

During the day, it feels a bit dull, just like a gray urban area, but as soon as the sun sets, the neon signs light up, music spills out from restaurants, and the neighborhood transforms into a half-dazed mode. It feels like a city where you lounge around during the day and then get all dressed up for a night out?

The reason the street is called Gaslamp is that it used to be a neighborhood with real gas lamps, but now it's decked out with LEDs, speakers, and strobe lights blasting EDM, making it a bit overwhelming. Inside the brick buildings, it operates like the latest clubs, and the people sitting at the street tables are treated like half-exhibits.

If you thought of San Diego as a clean beach and military city, your image changes completely here. It's a space where you can easily lose your reason and swipe your card. When I sat at the bar to order a beer, the bartender kindly started listing 20 types of IPAs. I just said, "One lager," but the lecture on the hop characteristics and flavors of IPAs began.

Yeah, here, it's probably a culture of drinking beer like water. Following the bartender, I ended up trying an IPA with a name I had never seen before, and one glass lifted my spirits. From that moment on, the Gaslamp started to look more and more beautiful.

Still, the food is definitely good. They have everything from Mexican to steak, pasta, and seafood, and tacos are almost a foolproof menu item. But the problem is that they've designed it so you can't sit in one place for too long.

When you hear the music from the next store, you get curious again, and when you turn the corner, another bar beckons, saying, "Come here." It feels like the whole neighborhood is designed as a trap for consumption.

As the night deepens, there's a slight smell of alcohol, laughter, drunken groups, and suddenly people dancing in the street... and young people demonstrating the truth that 'the party ends on the street.' Honestly, it feels like a mix of the nightlife in Busan and Las Vegas. It's not so much dangerous as it is noisy and chaotic. Still, if you're alone, it's better not to venture too deep into the alleys.

The funny thing is the next morning. The heat of the previous day has vanished, and under the intact brick buildings, café staff are wiping tables and the smell of coffee wafts through, while people coming out of hotels walk the streets normally. Is this really the same city of madness I saw at night? Perhaps that's why the daytime Gaslamp looks like a city pretending not to know the hangover smell and the black history of the previous day.

In my opinion, simplifying the Gaslamp District as "a place to drink" is too reductive, and calling it "a street with culture" is too noisy. It's a place where you spend money, feel good, and make impulsive decisions; that's the essence of this neighborhood.

It feels like you walk in without a plan, come out with a thinner wallet, but feeling good?

Still, if you felt the atmosphere of this place, which is different from LA, then the trip is already a success. You might have lost a bit of money, but looking at the photos taken while drinking definitely lifts your spirits.