North Park San Diego
I keep a running list of my favorite neighborhoods in the US. Lakeview & Lincoln Park, in Chicago, are right at the top. Silver Lake in LA is another favorite. Plus South Congress & the 2nd Street District in Austin, the West Village in NYC, Georgetown in DC, 3rd Street South in Naples, the list is extensive but selective. To make my list, a neighborhood must include incredible coffee shops & bakeries, entertaining daytime bars with outdoor dinning, a handful of ace restaurants, undoubtedly fun mom & pop shops, super cute tree lined residential areas and a slew of street art. If there are hip hotels and/or a body of water nearby, you've got perfection! Another lovely neighborhood that fits the bill, North Park in San Diego.
Matt and I love San Diego. Some friends have lived in the city on and off through the years (soon to be on again, yay) so we've spent a bit of time in town. SD was one of the first trips we took as a couple and we celebrated our 2nd anniversary there years ago. We've seen a substantial amount of the city over the last few trips, but this time we really fell in love with North Park. A handful of Insta-worthy coffee shops drew us to this area but the fun boutiques, delicious tacos, and keen street art kept us occupied between stops on our coffee crawl. First stop in North Park was Native Poppy. We browsed the gift selection, ogled at all the pretty flowers, and then dropped by Communal Coffee to check off our first coffee stop. What's not to love about a gift shop, flower market, and coffee café combo? Everything was divine.
For all the best indoor plants & the most charming décor, head to Pigment. They possess everything you could ever want in a gift shop and it's all packaged in a beautifully decorated, visually pleasing, light filled space. I still follow Pigment on Instagram years later because all that they create is esthetically pleasing (pluuuus I'm obsessed with plants!). Even the outside of the building has various snippets of beauty; from the pink neon California Dreaming sign to the color block pink wall, to the living-wall plant installation. It's impossible not to be happy at this store (unless you're Matt who hates shopping and plants and doesn't even notice esthetically pleasing! haha).
Art is on display throughout North Park. Murals are popping up often and displays can change, so keep your eyes peeled and check down every side street and alley. You never know what you may find! Many artists call North Park home and the neighborhood is also home to assorted art galleries and installations.
Hungry and in the mood for amazing tacos with a side of kitsch? You've come to the right place, Lucha Libre Taco Shop! We waited in quite a long line, but it was worth it for delicious food and photo opts around every corner.
A store where the art is just as impressive as the knick-knacks & gifts, visit Artelexia. I wanted every one of the Mexican themed cookbooks, greeting cards, and house wares. The space was filled with vibrant commodities, art and people.
Gotta love the Vegas-style neon welcome sign. No confusion what neighborhood you're walking into!
Pink, pink, and more pink! Grab a hot drink, a cool snack, or one of the other many matcha options! I love all lattes so couldn't resist the signature drink, and Matt can't say no to ice cream, but the toasts and yogurt bowls looked stunning as well. Holy Matcha is the most darling space on University Ave.
Over the last few years, breweries have become a staple for us to visit while traveling. We love to taste the local craft beers and compare flavor profiles. We also like to just hang out and have a beer. In North Park we visited Modern Times and enjoyed the diverse flavors. We're also fans of reduce, reuse, recycle, so could really appreciate the old lamp shades on the ceiling.
There is no shortage of breweries so check out a few others or swap your coffee crawl for a beer crawl! It's been a few years since we've been to San Diego, so I'm excited to see what's new and what has changed about one of my favorite American neighborhoods. What neighborhoods do you love?
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