First-time San Diego/PETCO visitor

If I were you, I’d do the following:

1. Stay at the Comfort Inn Gaslamp. It’s cheap and in a perfect location.
2. Get tickets for the Thursday game. Just buy through the team.
3. Get lunch at BASIC, then pregame at Proper.
4. Go to the game. It’s a 3:35 start “Throwback Thursday” where the team wears cool vintage jerseys and the ballpark has organ music and stuff.
5. Get dinner at Neighborhood.
6. Drink heavily at any other fine establishment in the Gaslamp.
7. Sleep

The Gaslamp area right around the ballpark is fairly snazzy and has lots of restaurants and bars to visit. If you’re not stuck on foot (or if you’re a hardy walker), Balboa Park just north of downtown has the Zoo and gobs of sweet museums.

I wager you have about a 25% chance in any given game of seeing a Stairs PH appearance. And about a 75% chance of seeing him strike out in that AB.

Also, I would go for the day game Thursday. Night games tend to be on the cool and chilly side but if the sun is out Thursday it will be absolutely gorgeous and the awesome throwback unis will be on display.

and here‘s the feedback I got (bonus: the undoubtedly greatest unicorn pic in history). Also worth a read is Mr. box’s classic A Cheapskate’s Guide to a Padres Game.

take a trip down to historic Old Town, especially if you get into town on Tuesday,
Destination: Old Town Mexican Cafe —$2 tacos, $2.50 Margaritas, $2.50 Tequila Shots, $2.50 Tecates*Dine In Only*. Their corn and flour tortillas you can watch being handmade through the glass windows on the street. I am a fan of their Carne Asada dinner which comes with rice and beans, and your choice of the before mentioned fresh corn or flour tortillas. I recommend the 1 800 Cadillac Margarita, described as exceptional richness and smoothness: contains:1 800 Reposado Tequila and Grand Marnier. What also seals the deal is that it is open from 7am-2am Daily!

Sit in the Omni Club seats. Mmmmm.

If you get the right seats in the $61 section, you can put yourself right next to a team dugout. Like RIGHT next to a team dugout. No kidding.

http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/ballpark/petcopark_tours.jsp

If it makes a difference to you, Thursday will be a Throwback Thursday. So more old timey time from back yonder in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Padres wear one of their old school uniforms and they play organ music.

your in the top level, but you can see the whole feild and you look right over the plate so you can see if it’s a strike and you can also watch the break of the ball.

Always loud and crowded over there.

You can use your new knowledge of the place to make an informed decision. But if you have to choose sight-unseen, follow Dex’s suggestion of 108 or 109 if money is no object but if you want GREAT bang for your buck, get front row, top deck. You are looking right down on the field. Section 312 looks right down on third base, 311 looks down on first base, the smaller the number the closer to home plate you are. The Padres web site has screen shots of the view from each section, by the way.
And stay in Old Town and take the trolly to the ball park. The Holiday Inn Express Old Town is reasonably priced and just a few blocks from the Old Town Transit Center, and you have breakfast covered, but there are a several good hotel options over there. You can hang out at any of the gazillion places around Old Town or around the Gaslamp District next to the ballpark for hours and hours of entertainment. Google both areas for ideas where.
And if you go to the Wednesday game, I’ll be in 311, row 1 seat 16. Come on by and say Hi. Hope you enjoy our fair city.