around san diego

neighborhood watch: university heights + normal heights

March 20, 2013

In an effort to get to know my city better, I’ve started venturing to different neighborhoods where I spend hours (literally) in checking out stores, talking to local business owners and trying new food. I must annoy my friends and boyfriend enough — making them wait to eat until I photograph their food, asking them to move out of a shot or filming them for my videos — so I also figured this would be a way to give them a break. It gave me some alone time, too.

Truth be told, I love shopping alone and actually hate shopping with company. Anxious thoughts run through my mind: Am I holding them up? Are they bored? I’ll come back and spend more time in this shop later. Sometimes, a girl wants to spend 2 hours in one shop and 5 minutes in another. Am I alone here?

Anywho, I knew where I wanted to go first: Adams Avenue. We’ve driven down this street in University Heights/Normal Heights/North Park/Kensington (the neighborhood boundaries change as you go east and are in turn, hotly debated) a few times but there are so many small local shops that I told myself a by-foot exploration was in order. San Diego neighborhood divisions aren’t as drastic as they are in, say, New York, but each ‘hood does have a slightly different flavor. Adams Avenue, also dubbed Antique Row for its handful of vintage shops, feels like Old Town, U.S.A. One store owner told me that people liken it to what Greenwich Village was back in the day. Most businesses are mom-and-pop operations, traffic is virtually non-existent and bikes are a popular mode of transportation. In the last few years, the area has witnessed an influx of noteworthy shops and a burgeoning food scene. It’s no surprise that it’s becoming a new favorite.

Let’s take a stroll down Adams, shall we?

I started my day at Dark Horse Coffee. The small-batch roasters, who are new to the area, specialize in pour-over coffee, but I went with an iced latte sweetened with their homemade vanilla syrup. The coffee is legit, but what’s even better is the intimate, unpretentious vibe.

Continue east and you’ll hit Adams Avenue Book Store, an airy and bright used bookshop that’s library-level quiet. There’s also a chess set and some seating if you want to kick back.

Mission Outreach Thrift Store is quickly becoming one of my favorite thrifting sources in the city. Like any of its kind, you have to be lucky, but I’ve been done well on two consecutive visits. The first time we scooped up a beautiful vintage nightstand and on this particular visit, I scored a dainty locket necklace. Above all, it’s clean, organized and doesn’t have that stale smell a lot of thrift shops carry.

Scarlet Letter Books and Cards is a quirky bookshop with feminist titles and other hard-to-find titles. I got a kick out of the category labels.

Citrine is one of those girly boutiques that draws me in like a magnet, and not just because of its cheery yellow exterior. The lovely owner, Ashley, stocks her well-edited boutique with beautiful natural bath products, mens’ grooming supplies, Rifle Paper stationery and even a vintage stove that I’ve wanted to haul home on more than one occasion.

I was starving after all this exploring — and probably sunburned from the high-noon heat, so I sought refuge at Cantina Mayahuel, a Mexican restaurant with a small menu and a great happy hour special: Weekdays from 12-6pm, get 3 tacos for $6 and margaritas for $5. If the tacos are indicative of anything, I need to come back to try the rest of the menu. (The ceviche is a popualr choice.) There’s a relaxed patio in the back where you can get some air and your drink on.

And then Eaman met me for ice cream at Mariposa, an all-natural scoop shop that makes all its flavors in house. (No added sugar!) Fun fact: It’s a favorite among many celebrities — check out the fan wall — and in particular, Kristen Bell, who’d frequent Mariposa while Veronica Mars shot nearby. (And you can spot the necklace I bought at Mission Outreach in this picture!)

…and more pictures to transport you to Adams Avenue.

Next time, a new neighborhood!

7 thoughts on “neighborhood watch: university heights + normal heights

    1. Archana Post author

      Hey, Chelsea! So glad you found my blog and thanks for your kind words! I’ll be doing more neighborhood walkabouts, so stay tuned!

      Reply
  1. Ashley

    Archana, it was so great meeting you! Love your blog & thanks for including me in your write-up. Hope to see you again soon :)

    Ash

    Reply
  2. Kristen

    What a fun blog you have! I am a SoCal girl too living in Orange County. I totes feel you on the whole shopping alone thing I only shop with other people when I know I’m just browsing and going with the flow. If I actually need to buy something I go alone.

    Reply
    1. Archana Post author

      So glad you can relate to my solo-shopping tendencies. I really get so much more done that way! Thanks for reading, Kristen!

      Reply
  3. Rhiannon

    I feel your pain on the shopping with company! The same thoughts run through my head! LOL! I always worry if they are bored or if they think I’m taking too long! I could seriously shop for hours. I find it relaxing.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

* Copy This Password *

* Type Or Paste Password Here *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>