Nicolle Monico | Editor & Writer

Nicolle Monico, digital editor at San Diego Magazine, is a writer and editor with more than 16 years of experience in the industry. 


Formerly, the Sr. Web Content Editor for American Addiction Centers, writing and editing medically-reviewed content centered around drug and alcohol addiction. She is also a member of the American Medical Writers Association.


As Sr. Digital Editor of PodiumRunner (formerly Competitor Running) and Travel Editor of JustLuxe, she has garnered an extensive background in online media, copy editing, HTML formatting, SEO best practices and developing content strategies to further create brand recognition. In 2014 she was voted by USA Today 10Best readers as the #1 Best Luxury Travel Blogger in the nation.


Nicolle specializes in luxury travel, endurance sports, healthcare, interviewing high-profile subjects, feature profiles and content creation for an array of brands. 

San Diego Magazine

San Diego Magazine •

The Good, the Bad, and the Ridiculous Covers of SDM's Past

Over the span of 75 years, San Diego Magazine has produced more than 800 covers. From early illustrated classics of the ’40s and ’50s to fever-dream Photoshop nightmares of the early ’00s, we’ve run the gamut from timeless to outright cringe. Our editors have spent a lot of time in the archives as we celebrate three-quarters of a century of SDM, and looking back at old covers has become a favorite pastime in the office. Some we love so much we might use them as tattoo inspiration, and some we’r
San Diego Magazine •

12 Reader-Submitted Love Letters to San Diego

We asked locals to share their stories about finding love in the city—whether that be with a life partner, a fur baby, or themselves. These are their words, kicked off by our digital editor’s own love letter to SD. San Diego, I wasn’t sure I’d like you. You with your bright eyes, pink sunsets, and strangers waving hello. Me with my cynicism, whiskey neats, and Sylvia Plath quotes. It wasn’t love, not at first. I came here from the walkable streets of San Francisco—the Kerouac fostering, Dolore
San Diego Magazine •

The Luxury of Escapism

As I enter the lobby, a life-sized stand-up banner showcases a couple in love, welcoming guests to their wedding weekend. The hotel is buzzing with the sounds of their guests checking in. Each is presented with a small white gift bag before heading up to their room. The celebration, hosted by Shaadi Destinations (an Indian destination wedding agency), is a four-day ceremony at the five-star Garza Blanca Cancun along Costa Mujeres. The young couple is empirically attractive. I’m at once curious
San Diego Magazine •

Seaside in Monterey

I packed too many shoes. Beige wedges, brown platform sandals, black ankle boots, Nike sneakers, Rainbow flip-flops—you’d never know I’d be spending 16 hours out of my 72-hour vacation in a car. But that’s the beauty of a road trip, a whole backseat dedicated to soles. Skies the limit on the open road and I’m aiming for the stars. It’s a Thursday night. My friend and I hit the road at 7 p.m., headed to the Malibu Beach Inn. We’ll set off for Monterey tomorrow. As we drive through LA, the cars
San Diego Magazine •

Raising the Bar on Stadium Food in San Diego

Petco Park is known for having some of the best food in baseball. They were even one of the first stadiums in the nation to bring in iconic and emerging local restaurants, craft beers, wine, and cocktails for a more upscale experience (we still love a good, classic hot dog). On this episode of Happy Half Hour, co-hosts Troy and David get the inside scoop on the ballpark’s food and drink scene at Alesmith’s 394 bar inside of Petco. With a stadium that holds nearly 50,000 visitors, vice president
San Diego Magazine •

Lessons on Regenerative Travel From a Luxury Hotel

I have a confession. I’ve never been a particularly big fan of Hawaii. Don’t get me wrong. It’s holy-crap!! beautiful, has epic surf breaks like Pipeline, and the fresh poke anywhere you go is worth a trip on its own. But it’s rarely (if ever) at the top of my vacation list. To me, it’s always felt like season one of The White Lotus: a place for wealthy, white Americans. Truth is, the islands aren’t for me. They’re not for tourists—rich or otherwise; a sentiment I (we) often forget. When Covid
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