Do You Think We're Sexy?

SEX AND BEAUTY ARE INSEPARABLE, like life and consciousness.” So wrote no less an expert than D.H. Lawrence. (You may have heard of Lady Chatterley’s Lover.) Still, we’ve found, some of our readers are offended when we broach the subject, even in the gentlest manner. Ah, but then sex and San Diego, we’ve also learned, are inseparable.

In just about every publication or Web site concerned with matters sexy——from Men’s Health (sexiest abs) to concierge.com (sexiest hotels), from gadling.com, the traveler’s weblog (sexiest spots for singles) to Gridskipper: The Urban Travel Guide (sexiest cities)——San Diego ranks way up there on sex quotient. Which brings us to this month’s cover story.

Charged with getting to the bottom of what makes our city so sensual——and cautioned that a few of our readers are somewhat shy about such matters——contributing writer Julia Spalding went to work. Six weeks and some 60 interviews later, she delivered a treatise that covers everything from serious sessions on human sexuality in Hillcrest to steamy canoodling in rooftop Gaslamp Quarter cabañas.

D.H. Lawrence might have learned something from Spalding.

THE REST OF OUR REPORTING AND EDITING STAFF has been busy this month, too. Eilene Zimmerman gets the deep background on fallen Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham from the Pulitzer Prize–winning reporters who broke the story for Copley Newspapers. Their comprehensive take on the subject, The Wrong Stuff,is due in bookstores next month. And s.d. liddick, who often goes where other reporters fear to tread, introduces us to a lighter side of local life——the Paint Night Group, a coterie of artists, poets and musicians who’ve come together to share a common interest and uncommon passion.

Also in this issue: Dining critic David Nelson explores the reborn Grant Grill, where nobody mocks the turtle soup; in Dialogue, music legend Marvin Hamlisch talks about his celebrated past and plans for his future as principal pops conductor for the San Diego Symphony; Jamie Reno shares a poignant love story in sickness and in health; and Kathleen Gurnett takes us on a magical tour of Maui.

Sexy or serious——you’re going to enjoy this issue of San Diego Magazine.

TOM BLAIR
Editor-in-Chief

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