New York
From San Diego, you would most likely fly into JFK. If you haven't booked yet, look at Jet Blue. They have the most comfortable coach seats around, and their Even More Space seats are as big as the first class seats on some Continental flights. To get a really good idea of what size seat you get on every single plane, go to www.seatguru.com. That's a great site a colleague turned me onto.
As far as places to stay...if you are planning on working and want daytime traffic, your best bet is Midtown East or Midtown West. I personally think Midtown East is more accessible to the banks and finance guys who will want to see you, so look there. Midtown West is too easily confused with Times Square, and you don't want to stay there (visit, yes, but stay, no). Check out www.kayak.com to see what's available in Midtown East, but be prepared to see rates around $400 to $500 a night in some places. Also, NYC hotels are notoriously small and dinky in size, so set your expectations accordingly.
Feel free to PM me if you need more information. I know a little bit about San Diego, as well. 
