I had read other reviews that said it was a quiet place... arrived on a Friday night and there was a LOT of noise on the street for about an hour or so... turns out there was a Padres game that night. Other than right after the game, it WAS a quiet place! :) Convenient to many, many restaurants and the convention center (which is why I was in town.) Warning: although Chiefy's Cafe downstairs is DELICIOUS and the people are so FRIENDLY, it is also very SLOW. So if you think you're just gonna "grab a coffee to go" on your way somewhere, leave yourself a lot of time! (Is that all of San Diego, or just this place? I don't know.) Seriously, a croissant with fruit and Nutella and a plain ol' coffee took about 30 mins. I think they may have been overwhelmed with conference attendees. But great place, I would recommend it!