Area Codes -- San Diego's main area code is 619, used primarily by downtown, uptown, Mission Valley, Point Loma, Coronado, La Mesa, El Cajon, and Chula Vista. The area code 858 is used for northern and coastal areas, including Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, and Rancho Bernardo. Use 760 to reach the remainder of San Diego County, including Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido, Ramona, Julian, and Anza-Borrego.

Babysitters -- Marion's Childcare (tel. 619/582-5029) has bonded babysitters available to come to your hotel room; rates start at $14/hour with a 3-hour minimum. Panda Services (tel. 858/292-5503) is also available.

Business Hours -- Banks are open weekdays from 9am to 4pm or later, and sometimes Saturday morning. Shops in shopping malls tend to stay open until about 9pm weekdays and until 6pm weekends, and are open on secondary holidays.

Camera Repair -- Simple repairs and photographic supplies are available at George's Camera & Video in North Park at 3827 30th St. (tel. 619/297-3544), Bob Davis' Camera Shop in La Jolla at 7720 Fay Ave. (tel. 858/459-7355), Nelson Photo Supply in Little Italy at 1909 India St., at Fir St. (tel. 619/234-6621), and Point Loma Camera Store, 1310 Rosecrans St. (tel. 619/224-2719).

Dentists -- For dental referrals, contact the San Diego County Dental Society at tel. 800/201-0244, or call tel. 800/DENTIST.

Doctors -- Hotel Docs (tel. 800/468-3537) is a 24-hour network of physicians, dentists, and chiropractors. They accept credit cards, and their services are covered by most insurance policies. In a life-threatening situation, dial tel. 911.

Drugstores -- Long's, Rite-Aid, and Sav-On sell pharmaceuticals and non-prescription products. Look in the phone book to find the one nearest you. If you need a pharmacy after normal business hours, the following branches are open 24 hours: Sav-On Drugs, 8831 Villa La Jolla Dr., La Jolla (tel. 858/457-4390), and 313 E. Washington St., Hillcrest (tel. 619/291-7170); and Rite-Aid, 535 Robinson Ave., Hillcrest (tel. 619/291-3703). Local hospitals also sell prescription drugs.

Emergencies -- Call tel. 911 for fire, police, and ambulance. The main police station is at 1401 Broadway, at 14th Street (tel. 619/531-2000, or 619/531-2065 for the hearing impaired).

Eyeglass Repair -- Optometric Expressions, 55 Horton Plaza (tel. 619/544-9000), is at street level near the Westin Hotel, downtown. They can fill eyeglass prescriptions, repair glasses, and replace contact lenses. The major shopping centers in Mission Valley also have eyeglass stores that can fill prescriptions and handle most repairs.

Hospitals -- Near downtown San Diego, UCSD Medical Center-Hillcrest, 200 W. Arbor Dr. (tel. 619/543-6400), has the most convenient emergency room. In La Jolla, Thornton Hospital, 9300 Campus Point Dr. (tel. 858/657-7600), has a good emergency room, and you'll find another in Coronado, at Coronado Hospital, 250 Prospect Place, opposite the Marriott Resort (tel. 619/435-6251).

Hot Lines -- HIV Hot Line tel. 619/236-2352. Alcoholics Anonymous tel. 619/265-8762. Debtors Anonymous tel. 619/525-3065. Mental Health referral and Suicide Crisis Line tel. 800/479-3339. Traveler's Aid Society tel. 619/295-8393, ext. 10.

Liquor Laws -- The drinking age in California is 21. Beer, wine, and hard liquor are sold daily from 6am to 2am and are available in grocery stores.

Newspapers & Magazines -- The San Diego Union-Tribune is published daily, and its entertainment section, "Night & Day," is in the Thursday edition. The free San Diego Weekly Reader is published Thursdays and is available at many shops, restaurants, theaters, and public hot spots; it's the best source for up-to-the-week club and show listings (a visitor-friendly version called The Weekly is available in tourist areas). San Diego magazine is geared to the elite audience (which explains all the ads for face-lifts and tummy tucks), and is plumped with social news and dining listings. San Diego Home-Garden Lifestyles magazine highlights interior design, and also includes articles about southern California gardening and the local restaurant scene. Both magazines are published monthly and sold at newsstands. The Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and USA Today are widely available.

Police -- The downtown police station is at 1401 Broadway (tel. 619/531-2000). Call tel. 911 in an emergency.

Post Office -- San Diego's main post office is located at 2535 Midway Dr., just west of Old Town; it is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, and Saturdays from 8am to 4pm. Post offices are located downtown, at 815 E St. and at 51 Horton Plaza, next to the Westin Hotel. There is a post office in the Mission Valley Shopping Center, next to Macy's. These branch offices are generally open Monday through Friday during regular business hours, plus Saturday morning; for specific branch information, call tel. 800/ASK-USPS.

Restrooms -- Horton Plaza and Seaport Village downtown, Balboa Park, Old Town State Historic Park in Old Town, and the Ferry Landing Marketplace in Coronado all have well-marked public restrooms. In general, you won't have a problem finding one (all restaurants, including fast-food outlets, are required to have one). Restrooms are usually clean and accessible.

Smoking -- Smoking is prohibited in nearly all indoor public places, including theaters, hotel lobbies, and enclosed shopping malls. In 1998, California enacted legislation prohibiting smoking in all restaurants and bars, except those with outdoor seating.

Taxes -- Sales tax in restaurants and shops is 7.75%. Hotel tax is 10.5%.

Time Zone -- San Diego, like the rest of the West Coast, is in the Pacific Standard Time zone, which is 8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight saving time is observed. To check the time, call tel. 619/853-1212.

Transit Information -- Call tel. 619/233-3004 (TTY/TDD 619/234-5005). If you know your bus route and just need schedule information, call tel. 619/685-4900.

Useful Telephone Numbers -- For the latest San Diego arts and entertainment information, call tel. 619/238-0700; for half-price day-of-performance tickets, call tel. 619/497-5000; for a beach and surf report, call tel. 619/221-8824.

Weather -- Call tel. 619/289-1212.