Zzymzy @ Cosmopolitan Hotel

This dance opportunity is a secret San Diego jewel hidden in plain sight. A major drawback: bring your own dance partner, the crowd is way too thin. It is a weekly occurrence, although this announcement is for a particular event. Overall, this is a better version of Panama 66: more space, more shade, better seating, more class, less crowds and noise. In other words, if you like Under the Dome or Panama 66 and can bring with you someone willing and able to dance , this is a must-visit-at-least-once type of place just to see if it fits.

Location: the restaurant of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the Old Town. Hotel sits on one of the main streets of the Old Town, (Calhoun St.) the restaurant is tucked away in the back on the Mason St. The place is a large patio covered with gazebo that shields from the afternoon sun. There is plenty of seating. The dance surface is not large (more than enough for the small crowd), fragmented and covered with concrete - do not bring your good dance shoes.

Music: the Zzymzy quartet. Here it plays mellower than usual - and very danceable - tunes with its isual (first-rate) sound. Nusic is not loud.

Time: weekend afternoon (either Saturday or Sunday). The exact day changes week to week and depends on a whim of the restaurant, check either sdswingcats.com/calendar/ or facebook.com/people/Zzymzzy-Quartet/100086597405651/ . The show starts at 2PM (on time) and goes until 4:45PM, with a long break after the first hour,

Logistics: the parking in Old Town at 2PM in summer is tight but possible; allow yourself 10 minutes to find a spot. At the break time (3PM) parking situation is much better. There is no cover charge and no sales pressure: indeed, if you want food or drink, you have to walk back towards the street and interact with restaurant staff there. Naturally if we want to keep it going, we need to order. Prices are very reasonable (for the Old Town).

The crowd: almost nobody. You will be lucky to see 1-2 other couples dancing. There are not too many spectators either, so - at this time - there is no high-energy vibe of Panama 66.