This is my last week working in the San Diego Magazine offices—don’t get me started or I may will cry—and though I’ll still be freelancing for them regularly, I won’t have an office that helps separate work from home, co-worker chatter to bask in (I may miss this the most!), and the public bus full of crazies to entertain me.
I also won’t regularly stroll the East Village neighborhood where the offices are located. (The location is in a bit of a gray area between East Village and downtown, but let’s call it East Village for all intents and purposes.) Granted, for a work-heavy downtown area, the lunch options are meager, but I have found special places I’ll miss. Here’s an abbreviated neighborhod tour of my favorites:
When I started going to farmers markets in San Diego, I didn’t know where to begin. Everyone has his/her own version of what it takes to feel at home in a new city, and for me the idea of knowing the farmers in my city well enough to have favorite vendors sounded downright cozy.
Flash forward to a year later, and whenever I’m produce-hunting, Suzie’s Farm is my first stop. Their tomatoes are the most flavorful, their snap peas are perfect even when raw, their spinach is tender, and…the list goes on. The farm hosts seasonal events, and this past Saturday was the annual strawberry jam, a family-friendly fruit fest that includes music, food trucks (like the adorable Calexico Creamery ice cream trailer), games, and organic strawberry U-picking by the pound ($2.50/per pound).
It was a blast. Positive vibes, kids giddy over the prospect that fruit grows out of the ground (“this area’s a goldmine!” one said), and so many of the farm’s dogs roaming around in search of belly rubs and food scraps. We went home with seven pounds of strawberries, which sounds excessive, but you try passing up giant, palm-size, dark red berries. I’m freezing half (instructions below), and we’re savoring the other half this week. You know those people who say “fruit is nature’s candy”? I usually want to smack those people—except in this case. Suzie’s strawberries are sweet, juicy, little precious rubies. It’s the first time I’m totally OK skipping dessert in the name of fruit.
Last night West Elm San Diego launched its local shop, a pilot program that brings local artists and their handcrafted goods to a bigger spotlight. A few locations across the U.S. have already launched their own iterations, but yesterday I got to see San Diego’s curated collection, which includes home decor, accessories, and gifts from all over California.
Ever since moving to San Diego and becoming invested/inspired by the city’s creative community, I’ve had a big urge to shop local and support small businesses. West Elm Local is such a cool way to bring these brands to the forefront.
Here are a few of my favorites:
These air plants by Bird and Feather, comprised of San Bernandino-based Marianne Gardner and Sean Maginity, come in the coolest hand-painted containers.
For most 20- and 30-somethings, having your birthday fall on a Saturday is the perfect opportunity for a crazy night out. For me it meant brunch, a picnic, Mexican food, and falling asleep before 11 p.m. It was my idea of perfect.
At the start of the weekend, I had given myself one goal: Do not think about work, errands, exercise, or fussing over the dog. Lately I’ve had more trouble focusing on enjoying the moment, and it often feels like I’m moving from one errand to the next, without absorbing a thing. My mission was to live in the present, forget about to-do’s, and remind myself that all those “pressing” things could wait.
But even on my own birthday I couldn’t relax! I woke up knowing the dog needed adequate exercise before being crated throughout the afternoon. And then, “I should really go to yoga tomorrow,” followed by “We should really finish that DIY project by Monday.” Ugh, I couldn’t even sit still on the day where I have full license to be a waste of space. Ay carumba. I struggle with this ADD and guilty feelings more and more lately, and I know it’s something I need to work on. Maybe I should start taking baths or meditating or something. Ideas are certainly welcome.
But I am happy to say that, whether I finally made good on my goal or the previous day’s calorie assault did me in, I was quite the couch potato on Sunday. I watched maybe five episodes of Locked Up Abroad and ate Tex-Mex leftovers for breakfast. Gross-sounding in retrospect but quite delicious on a lazy Sunday.
After basking in some morning sunshine in Pacific Beach this past weekend, starved and adequately toasty, we stumbled upon the charming Cafe 976, located a few blocks from the beach. Set in what used to be a 1920’s home then a school then an antique store (!), this restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, smoothies, coffee, and plentiful workspace. Seriously, nearly half the patrons were pounding away on their MacBooks.
This place is definitely a hidden gem, but I can’t decide what I love more: the rose-filled garden outdoor seating or the fact that their vegetarian sandwich actually contains so many veggies. Hey, other restaurants, lettuce and tomatoes does not a veg sandwich make.
San Diego unveiled its new Central Library in November, and since then the landmark has quickly established itself as a place that’s about so much more than books. Beyond the bay views, art exhibitions, and sleek architecture, the Library Shop is a great boutique of home goods, accessories, pet needs, and, of course, books. This ain’t your musty regional library with stale, boring gifts. At San Diego’s Library Shop, you’ll find everything from Rifle Paper Co. to handmade jewelry and artistic bookends—and all proceeds benefit the San Diego library system.
What’s more, the Library Shop also hosts awesome events. This past weekend, I went to the Shop’s morning yoga class run by downtown studio Hale Holistic. We set up our mats outside the shop, and even though the morning was a bit chilly—we can be wimps in San Diego—the sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful day. With the PA system, it was easy to hear the instructor, and the class was a perfect medium level. Sometimes as these types of free events, the classes can be a bit basic, but for someone who does yoga once to twice a week, it was just challenging enough. To top it off, they served James Roasting coffee (for free) afterwards, so what’s not to love?
Here’s a look at the yoga class and other goodies from the Library Shop. And for updates on their upcoming events, including a calligraphy workshop on May 31, check out their Facebook page for more info.
I haven’t spent all that much time in Pacific Beach, a typical SoCal coastal neighborhood with surfers, skaters, party hoppers, and the like. But I have spent enough time there to know about the famous Slomo, who frequents the boardwalk on roller blades… on one leg… and in slow motion.
As it turns out, Slomo is actually 69-year-old John Kitchin, a former neurologist who decided to leave his life of materialism and working himself “into oblivion” to, quite simply, do what he wanted. And what we wanted to do was skate.
In this New York Times documentary, filmmaker Josh Izenberg gets to know the man behind Slomo, who talks about taking the other fork in the road, the neurological pleasures of skating, and why he used to be a self-proclaimed asshole. It’s a very cool film that serves as a great reminder to step back every once in a while, evaluate the day to day, and decide if what you’re doing in life is as fulfilling and thoughtful as you’d want it to be.
Say what you will about social media, but sometimes it can lead to really wonderful things, like discovering Young Hickory, a part-cafe, part-beer bar spot in North Park. I had seen an Instagram of their acai bowl, which first piqued my interest, but once I found out they brew Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, I was sold. It didn’t hurt that their logo and decor scheme are totally amazing, too.
