DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOODS HUM WITH NEWFOUND VITALITY.

Byline: - Eric Noland

SAN DIEGO - Two Irish pubs. In the same block. On the same side of the street.

San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter is so robust that the Field, at 544 Fifth Ave., peaceably coexists with the Blarney Stone, a few doors down at 502 Fifth Ave.

But it was still odd to see a waiting line snaking onto the sidewalk from each establishment ... on a Sunday night ... in April.

Moments before, a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants had concluded at brand-new Petco Park, and it was evident that post-game foot traffic from crowds of 40,000-plus will be setting the Gaslamp ablaze this summer.

The area around the new stadium is actually two neighborhoods, both formerly dilapidated, now resounding examples of downtown redevelopment.

The Gaslamp, which has been evolving for a couple of decades now, predominantly offers dining and drinking establishments, with a few funky shops thrown in (Splash, at 376 Fifth Ave., trades in ``wearable art,'' and displays retro prom dresses on sidewalk mannequins).

Petco Park's more immediate neighborhood is East Village, and it is decidedly a work in progress. Tower cranes are everywhere, constructing condos and hotels from scratch or renovating crumbling warehouses.

The plan is to have retail on the bottom floors and residential units above, and it's difficult to keep up with the rapid transformation. We'd heard good things about a place called Adaptive Re-Use, an antique store with design elements from old office buildings (doors, sign lettering). But when we walked in, the proprietor said, ``Last two days. A bar is going to move in here.''

Dizzy's, meanwhile, is a jazz club within a gentle baseball toss of the stadium. It doesn't serve alcohol, and thus welcomes patrons of any age. Intrigued, we checked the performance calendar, only to learn that on a Saturday night during the opening weekend of Petco Park, the club had failed to book an act and was dark.

It's best just to explore these neighborhoods randomly and see what you stumble upon. Here are a few of the gems:

East Village

Bread on Market (730 Market St.): This tiny bakery exists more to serve the new residents living in nearby lofts than for pub-crawlers or baseball fans, but in addition to a half-dozen artisan breads baked daily, it serves up some wondrous lunchtime sandwiches. The Turkey Special ($7) is Thanksgiving dinner on pillowy-fresh focaccia: roast turkey, cranberry relish, lettuce, tomato. The Tuscany ($7.25) features mozzarella ovalini, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives and red onion on a hand-cut francese hard roll. Something to consider, given the fact it's permissible to bring food into the stadium.

Cafe Noir (447 Ninth St.): This wonderful little gourmet coffeehouse occupies a century-old house that somehow ducked the wrecking ball (new buildings are going up all around it). Great brew, baked goods, inviting tables and chairs on the broad front porch.

Pannikin (675 G St.): Folk crafts from around the world, plus coffee and tea (whether loose or brewed) can be found in this funky shop housed in a former manufacturing building.

Axis Mundi Gallery (635 Seventh St.): You never know what you'll find when you poke your head into this small box of an exhibition space. We stumbled upon the art photography of Rebecca Page, who shoots arresting images of people and neighborhoods in Mexico and the Southwest.

Gaslamp Quarter

Pick a club, any club - it's hard to go wrong. (One tip: For an Irish fix, we've found the Field to be preferable to the Blarney Stone.) As for dining, here are a few suggestions.

Cafe 222 (222 Island Ave.): This place might serve the best breakfast on the West Coast, though you should be prepared to wait - there are only a half-dozen tables, and local residents and business folk have caught on. Waffles are a specialty, and the choice includes pecan, cornbread, five-grain and pumpkin. Heartier selections include corned beef hash (it's not that awful canned stuff) and eggs, or tamales and eggs. A friendly place, despite its cult fame.

Lou & Mickey's (224 Fifth Ave.): You assume the place has been here forever when you survey the chophouse menu, the busy neon sign and the awning that reads ``since 1945.'' Don't be fooled - this restaurant was a new startup just a few months ago. The 1945 designation refers to the origins of the parent company, King Seafood, according to a spokeswoman. The ruse shouldn't keep you out, though. King also operates the incomparable Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles. That might explain why my swordfish filet, which is easy to dry out on a grill, was succulent and perfectly prepared at Lou & Mickey's. Steaks are a specialty, including bone-in filet mignons and baseball-cut culottes. Side dishes, suitable for sharing, are mid-century throwbacks, including scalloped potatoes (served as a small casserole) and creamed spinach. You've got to like a wine list that has hard-to-find Hitching Post chardonnay from Santa Barbara County for $36 and a respectable Napa Valley cabernet, Frog's Leap, for $40.

Acqua Al 2 (322 Fifth Ave.): You'll find creative Tuscan fare at this ristorante, presented in the three-course tradition. Late one evening after a game, we were content with a couple of salads, including a delightful insalata Caprese featuring imported buffalo mozzarella.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter is already a bustling nightlife district, but it and the neighboring East Village anticipate a surge in commerce because of the new ballpark.

(2 -- 4) At top, Lou & Mickey's specializes in steak and seafood; Pannikin, above, offers folk crafts, coffee and tea; and Cafe Noir occupies an old house that escaped the wrecking ball.

Eric Noland/Travel Editor