I'd look at Del Mar, La Jolla, Point Loma or Mission Bay (ok, technically not the beach but has sand and water). Coronado is also great but high end. The areas where we have the most beachfront rentals however are Mission Beach and Pacific Beach - these have a very high concentration bars and a freshly just turned 21 drinking crowd - so I'm not sure how you feel about crowds and public drunkenness. Ocean Beach, which is the north end of Point Loma could also work - very close to Seaworld, lots of good places to eat, but can have pockets of funk with the headshops and marijuana dispensaries here and there (hey, it's legal). Of the recommendations above La Jolla will have the most dining options as well as a good supermarkets. You might not be on the beach per se, but it's a great village to walk around and the coast there is stunning (assuming you are not swimming as it will be freezing). Del Mar and La Jolla are also North of San Diego proper so it puts you closer to Safari Park and the racetrack (assuming that's where the Breeders' Cup will be). Sea World is a 15-30 minute drive depending on traffic from these areas. If you're not wedded to a beachfront condo the North Park area is very central and kid friendly - tons of places to eat and kid friendly breweries, lots of fun playgrounds and parks, it is also geographically central to everything. The zoo and major museums in Balboa Park is 5 minutes away by car and walkable from some neighborhoods, the beach at Coronado (which is my favorite beach) is 8 minutes away, Del Mar is 15-20 minutes away and Safari Park is 30-40 (all depending on traffic, of course). Have fun!