Strangely, I had never visited San Diego until a few years back and now I can’t seem to stay away from this gorgeous city. My friend was born and raised in San Diego and has a knack for finding out the very best parts of her city. Here is a guide to my two favorite neighborhoods; almost all of the locations were introduced to me by my friend. Within each neighborhood, all of the suggested restaurants and shops are within walking distance, so it makes for a fun day of exploring.
NorthPark
In addition to being a great place to explore any day of the week, North Park also hosts some fun events like farmer’s markets, food festivals, and live music. See this site for more info.
A low key place with lots of varieties of fresh ceviche, literally a stone’s throw from Holy Matcha.
Blush velvet seats, matcha horchata, flower covered waffles? Sign me up! There’s something about this place that makes me smile. See my previous post on this lovely cafe here.
This cute little nail salon is located right next door to Holy Matcha. Although it’s a little on the pricier end than other nail shops, their quality and service cannot be beat.
Beautifully curated shop that makes you want to live there. My favorites are the greeting card wall, their make your own terrarium station, and their jewelry section. They also have some really cute party supplies. They even have a plant wall photobooth station inside the store and a pink accent wall on one of the outside walls.
My favorite part about Hammonds is that they have ice cream flights. They even come with tiny little cones!!! This way, if you’re not feeling super hungry, you can just order a flight and share. I love being able to try a lot of different flavors without the choice paralysis that comes from having to commit to just one.
South Park
Like North Park, South Park has a whole slew of fun events going on, like their food festival and the Walkabout. But it’s also a fun place to spend the afternoon browsing the shops and eating.
Communal Coffee’s original location is in North Park, with a minimalist interior and a make-your-own bouquet station. and they opened a second location in SouthPark that I think is really fun, with its outdoor seating, and cute merchandise corner. Who doesn’t want cold brew coffee and avocado toast served out of a retro camper?
Two words, drinking chocolate. They also have chocolate-making classes here, and serve chocolate-inspired savory dishes as well for brunch and dinner.
Kindred’s interior design is a punk hipster dream, with it’s old-timey oil lamps, marble surfaces, and a giant acrylic demon head with plants growing out of it. They serve some pretty cocktails and vegan/vegetarian food.
Much like Pigment, you will want to live in this store. It’s perfectly curated and has a great balance of whimsical items for almost anyone/occasion. Their card wall is also quite impressive.
jennifernishngo 
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