The Tea on the Gaslamp Quarter History: How a $265 Bet Created San Diego’s Nightlife Hub

f you’ve been scrolling through San Diego travel tips, you’ve definitely read about or seen social media posts about the Gaslamp Quarter. It’s a 16.5-block historic district in the heart of downtown that feels a bit like a Victorian film set dropped into the middle of a modern party.

But before you head down to 5th Avenue for a drink, dinner or clubbing, you should know the Gaslamp Quarter history is surprisingly gritty, even by Wild West standards.

View of the Gaslamp Quarter from 5th Avenue and Broadway in the late 1800s

The 27-Cent Gamble

In 1867, a developer named Alonzo Horton arrived in San Diego and decided the "real" town (now Old Town) was way too far from the water. He bought about 960 acres of waterfront dirt for exactly $265.

To save you the math, that’s roughly $0.27 per acre. People thought he was delusional, but Horton built a wharf at the end of 5th Avenue and effectively moved the entire heart of the city to the bay. That "New Town" settlement is what eventually became the Gaslamp Quarter.

Welcome to "The Stingaree"

By the 1880s, the area wasn’t the polished tourist hub it is now. It was a legendary red-light district known as The Stingaree. It was home to roughly 120 saloons and dozens of "parlor houses." The name came from a local warning: you could get "stung" by the scammers, gamblers, and characters in these streets just as painfully as you could by a stingray in the San Diego Bay.

Wyatt Earp's gambling hall still standing majestically in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter

Even Wyatt Earp, the famous lawman from the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, spent seven years here. He operated four different gambling halls and saloons in the district, including the famous Oyster Bar in the Louis Bank of Commerce building (look for the building with the twin golden towers on 5th Ave—it’s still there).

The Rebrand (and the Lamps)

By the 1970s, the area had become a run-down collection of pawn shops and dive bars. Rather than bulldozing the history, the city decided to preserve the 90+ Victorian-era buildings. Ironically, the district's name is a bit of a marketing play. While there were about 50 original gas lamps in the late 1800s, they were eventually replaced by electric lights. The iconic four-sided lamps you see today were mostly installed during the 1980s revitalization to lean into that "Old World" aesthetic.

What to Look For on Your First Visit

If it's your first time in the Quarter, here’s how to spot the most notable buildings:

• The Ghost Stories: The Horton Grand Hotel is actually two 1880s hotels that were dismantled brick-by-brick and reassembled in a new spot in the 80s. It’s famously haunted (if you believe in that kind of thing).

• The "Grand Dame": The Louis Bank of Commerce building (835 5th Ave). It’s the most photographed building in the Quarter and was once home to one of Wyatt Earp’s gambling dens.

• The Hidden Speakeasies: Because of its history with "vice," the Gaslamp loves a hidden door. You’ll find bars tucked behind false walls in cigar shops and even hidden inside the kitchens of busy restaurants.

  
  

Today, the Gaslamp is where San Diego goes to celebrate. It’s walkable, high-energy, and uniquely historic. Just remember, while you’re sipping a cocktail on a rooftop, you’re standing on land that was once sold for the price of a gumball.