Intimacy & indelible ink: Sexy San Diego

I is a difficult letter to nail down when it comes to sexy San Diego spots. So many great I words are also so ethereal: ideals, intelligence, impressions, intensity, illusions, intimacy.

Intimacy.

"a little bit of intimacy" image by Flickr user Matthias Schaefgen
“a little bit of intimacy” image by Flickr user Matthias Schaefgen

What creates intimacy? Is it a shared experience between just two people? Can one be intimate, even within a larger crowd? Must one be wearing intimates to be intimate?

Am I being incorrigible? Incredible? Simply infuriating?

Let’s explore a few ideas regarding intimacy that might set your heart racing.

Intoxication

Many people think that intimacy arises from intoxication. As they say: “in vino veritas.” Indeed, one may find intimacy inside a smaller bar – a speakeasy, perhaps?

San Diego’s Gaslamp Speakeasy (708 4th Avenue) has got that intimacy thing all wrapped up with a pretty little bow. With nightly jazz and blues performances beginning at 9 PM, and an old-school cocktail list to die for, what’s not to love?

Another intimate bar for the craft cocktail enthusiast is Prohibition (548 5th Avenue). Though you no longer have to make a reservation to gain entry to this hidden gem, they have a dress code that’s strictly enforced, and often have a waiting list to gain entry, due to the small size of the lounge.

Option three for intimacy? Side Bar (536 Market Street) boasts sexy red leather and velvet, bottle service, a dress code to keep the riffraff out, and mixology classes on the first Saturday of every month. Sign up online to learn how to shake, stir and spy the perfect martini.

"Speakeasy. San Diego." image via Flickr user rioncm
“Speakeasy. San Diego.” image via Flickr user rioncm

And finally, if you can even find it, the most secretive of all the San Diego speakeasies is surely Noble Experiment. Their website offers no clues as to their location; just a phone number and an email address. If you dare, text the time you’d like to visit, along with the number of people in your party, a few days in advance. To gain entry, you’ll then have to locate the entrance: it’s what looks like a stack of kegs next to the restrooms inside local restaurant Neighborhood (777 G Street). Once inside, enjoy the true ambiance of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, along with carefully crafted cocktails.

Enjoy, imbibe, engage in a little intoxicating intimacy.

Indelible Ink

Looking for another type of intoxication? What about a little indelible ink? Yes, darling, that’s hoity-toity talk for tattoos. You don’t get much more intimate than baring your body, then your soul, while an artist inks your skin most permanently.

Though I can’t vouch for any of these shops personally (I’m ink-free, iconoclastically), here are a few options in San Diego for your inky pleasure:

Iambic Pentameter

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Or perhaps you’re already intensely acquainted with the Bard? In any case, if iambic pentameter sets your body aflame, I highly suggest you investigate The Old Globe Theater with a special someone.

"The Old Globe" image via Flickr user peasap
“The Old Globe” image via Flickr user peasap

The theater presents both classic Shakespearean plays, along with newer American plays – many of which make their debut here in San Diego.

So what say you, impish incendiaries? What impassioned information have I omitted? I ingratiate myself verily: inscribe your intentions independently. (Translation: Leave a comment and tell me what sexy “I” words I’ve missed in San Diego!)

Want to learn more about San Diego?

Grab a copy of my San Diego from A to Z guidebook at your favorite ebookseller! Available in print and digital editions, for your convenience.

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One Comment

  • Tim H

    My wife and I went to pop-up bar once: sign-up, pay, and get an email with directions to a cocktail bar, that is only around for one night. Reminds me a little of the Nobel Experiment.