VINTAGE SHOPPING NORTH PARK



URBAN SOLACE
NORTH PARK

      I have a friend, Jean, who lives in San Diego. She is really my “vintage friend” because we go back 64 years. On this fine day, we decide to have lunch at the highly recommended Urban Solace restaurant in North Park. We were not disappointed with the tasty vegetable pot pie, and warm spinach salad that we shared—the cheese biscuits added a nice touch to a perfect lunch. North Park is the new trendy area of San Diego with a lot of one-of-a-kind local shops and restaurants that you don't see at the mall. After lunch we decided to do some exploring.

2871 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, NORTH PARK

      We discovered a vintage shop called Hunt & Gather (I expect a lot of hunting goes into running one of these stores). I haven't found many “good value” vintage clothing shops and in my opinion this place qualifies. The front of the store is well marked with it's name and a display of vintage outfits for both men and women. I loved the old tiles below the large windows and the lovely tiled entrance floor. Signage on the lower window reads: “Reworked * Recycled * Reloved.”

      Hunt & Gather is located at 2871 University Avenue—the owners description of the merchandise is, “local designers, reworked vintage, one-of-a-kind jewelry, records, art & more.” Interesting description and quite appropriate. What I like the most is the fact that it offers a variety of one-of-a- kind vintage clothes as well as some new items—like cool Brazilian capris.

      My impression is that the sizes are a bit larger than some of the authentic old vintage clothes that you see in other shops. Perhaps they are not quite as old, which would account for slightly larger sizes, but they still have the vintage trendy look. Consequently, the prices reflect this—middle of the range and good value.

      Zoe Reynolds, one of the owners, is also a seamstress and designer—she is very friendly and has that “cool young vintage” look. Clearly she has a talent for finding the latest in trendy merchandise for this successful store. Zoe has a sewing machine, conveniently located in the back, for modifying her finds as needed. She and her husband, Lee, have run the business for four years.

      There are some lovely furs in this store—reasonably priced as well. The jewelry is unique and locally made. There are vinyl records for sale. The colorful pop-art on the wall, as well as the intriguing displays of shoes, boots, hats, and sunglasses, add to the ambience.



JEANS' COAT CHOICE FOR COLORADO

      Suggest you run—not walk—to this store if you need a reasonably priced vintage dress or accessories for your next event. I plan to purchase a sleek fitting vintage flowered dress for my next occasion—hope my conservative husband approves.

VINTAGE DOORS OF THE GASLAMP QUARTER

WILLIAM HEATH DAVIS HOUSE

    Today, I enjoyed a leisurely morning walk to observe the many architectural wonders in the Gaslamp Quarter. There are 94 historical buildings in the 16 block area in downtown San Diego. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  A walk along 5th and 4th Avenues, between Harbor Drive and Broadway, is the best route to observe the many Victorian-style buildings.
     One of the earliest residences is the William Heath Davis house, built-in 1850, which currently houses the Gaslamp Museum--if you need a rest, Pocket Park is right next door.
     In the late 1800s the Gaslamp Quarter was the heart of entertainment for the city--it was known for gambling, saloons, gunmen, prostitutes, and speculators along with hordes of tourists and sailors.

WYATT EARP

LOUIS BANK BUILDING &
GREELEY BUILDING

    
    


HORTON GRAND HOTEL

     Between 1885 and 1887, Wyatt Earp and his third wife Josie moved to the Gaslamp Quarter (called Stingaree district in the 1880s). They leased four saloons and gambling halls. The most famous was the Oyster Bar located in the Louis Bank Building at 837 5th Avenue. They lived in the Horton Grand Hotel, 311 Island Avenue, most of the seven years they were in San Diego. Earp and his wife left in the 1890s to travel the racehorse circuit.
     Today the Gaslamp Quarter is filled with hundreds of shops, restaurants, services, hotels, and nightclubs. It offers a great opportunity to look inside renovated 100-year-old buildings. Considered the entertainment center of San Diego, in the evenings it is crowded and a bit raucous. This "vintage traveler" prefers visiting in the morning with a cup of coffee in hand.


FUNKY GARCIA'S AT SUN CAFE

At 421 Market Street, there is the Funky Garcia's at Sun Cafe--originally a shooting gallery that served soup on the side. The soup became so popular that it became a restaurant owned by the Obayashi family. This Japanese family was sent to an internment camp in 1942. Fortunately, a friend operated it until they returned. The Obayashi's sold the cafe in the 1960s.
     Goorin Bros. Hat Shop on 5th Avenue is full of any kind of hat you can think of.
     The Cafe 21 on 5th Avenue is the busiest place in the morning (other than Starbuck's)--it gets good reviews for healthful food.

     There is almost no end to the interesting places you can take a peek at--especially when the San Diego sun is shining, and you have plenty of time to explore.

DUBLIN SQUARE

CHINESE MUSEUM

I.O.O.F. BUILDING

GOORIN BROS. HAT SHOP

SAMUEL I. FOX BUILDING

BAYSHORE BIKEWAY--CORONADO TO SAN DIEGO

*LOEWS CORONADO BAY RESORT

  It's another warm sunny morning in California. I decide to head out for a ride on my newly tuned-up bicycle. I started at our apartment which is near the Coronado Ferry Landing and continued on the Bayshore Bikeway down the Silver Strand Boulevard. I made a stop at Loews Coronado Bay Resort to enjoy a cup of coffee with a pleasant bayview and then treked over to the Pacific Ocean for a short beach walk. At this point I was about three miles from Imperial Beach—still not sure how far I was going to bike.

I checked with the doorman at Loews about possibly continuing my bike ride to Imperial Beach and then taking the loop around the bay—ending up in downtown San Diego. He said someone he knew biked the 25 mile loop all the time and recommended it. I decided to continue.

SAN DIEGO BAY VIEW FROM PATH

SAN DIEGO BAY VIEW FROM PATH

I have considered this bikeway many times, but I must confess that I have been uneasy about the fact that over half of it is a bike lane shared with motorized traffic. In addition, I wasn't sure about the 25 miles and the route sounded a bit confusing—depending on whom you talked to.

Once on the San Diego side, the bike path turned into a bike lane—shared with motorized vehicles and the sounds of Freeway 5. I am pretty much a bike-path-only kind of biker, so this definitely placed me out of my comfort zone. It was reasonably well-marked, even though there were a number of turns. Also, because the route follows the bay it would be difficult to go totally off in the wrong direction.

I found a very interesting stop on Bay Boulevard called Artesanos Gamez, Inc. It is a rather large building filled with hundreds of items produced in Mexico. I especially liked the bright multi-colored pots and some of the small wooden chests that would be perfect at the side of our bed. It is a wholesale company that is open to the public. No one ever came out to help me, so I'm not sure about the pricing but it was a much appreciated break.

I continued on and took the detour into the very beautiful Chula Vista Park. There were a couple of restaurants near the park which I passed on and regretted soon afterwards because I was starting to get hungry. The industrial area ahead did not look very promising for food. After a few more miles, I came across the Waterfront Grill at Pier32. This time I stopped and leisurely enjoyed my lunch sitting on the outside deck with a harbor view.

HARBOR DRIVE - BIKE LANE

Up until the point where Tidelands Avenue intersects with Harbor Drive in San Diego, I would unequivocally recommend the bike route. Even though there wasn't always a bike trail it was quite interesting and the traffic was light. Once on Harbor Drive, however, the next five miles were not very enjoyable because of traffic, many busy intersections, and a bumpy bike lane.(I recommend taking this route on a weekend when there would be less traffic.)

Once I arrived at the Convention Center, the bike trail started again. I boarded the 3 p.m. ferry back to Coronado. It was a good experience and one that I had been trying to get up the courage to do for awhile, so I felt good about my accomplishment. I allowed a full day for the trip and I was glad to travel at my leisure and stop along the way—traits of a Vintage Traveler.

I just returned home—Ron said he wants to go out for Happy Hour. We'd better head out quickly, because if I sit down on the living room chair I might not move again until morning. 



FINAL STRETCH --BIKE TRAIL

*Photo from Loews photo collection

VINTAGE CLOTHES & ART IN NORTH PARK

RAY STREET AT NIGHT

We picked the second Saturday in January to head up to North Park's Ray at Night.  This is a monthly celebration of the arts featuring galleries, vendors, food and music on Ray Street. I think we visited most of them. There was a variety of art on display which included ceramics, mosaics, crafts, and paintings. The live music added to the festivity and fun of the evening. It was cold for San Diego and once again my winter coat came in handy. We ended the night at The Ritual in North Park for a pleasant drink.


VINTAGE COUPLE AT THE RITUAL TAVERN

VINTAGE HATS

   The next day we enjoyed a great Sunday brunch prepared by my daughter, the ClassyCareerGirl, and then went on a short walk to visit a couple of vintage clothing shops that we missed the night before. I really enjoyed The Girl Can't Help  shop on Grim Ave. The clothing and accessories were upscale and looked like they had barely been worn. The shop specializes in ladies and men's quality mid 20th century clothing and accessories. They were also "well-priced" with dresses costing up the $500 or more. This was originally a London shop that moved to San Diego.

VINTAGE DRESS

   I did find a pink patterned dress that I loved--I didn't bother to try it on because I have no idea where I would wear it. (No doubt it was too small anyway because the vintage ladies of the 50's and 60's tended to weigh less than today's women.)  Studies  indicate our heads are getting bigger as well (maybe we're smarter).

THE GIRL CAN'T HELP - VINTAGE DRESS

 I love to look at vintage clothes, and this shop was a gem.  Another clothing boutique, Ms Vintage, is located nearby in North Park and is loaded with vintage clothes and accessories--well worth a visit. 

STORE DISPLAY

   One last stop, just for fun and curiosity was
Vintage Religion--a unique shop inspired by religion and cultures of the world. It was filled with a variety of figurines, jewelry, t-shirts ranging from the "day of the Dead" to Buddha. The owners' hearse (clearly marked Vintage Religion) is parked on the street outside the store for advertisement.
   

 

 



 

EXCURSION TO LOS ANGELES

I could not refuse an invitation from my favorite friend to join her group for a bus ride to Los Angeles to see a live viewing of "The Doctors" at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.  In addition, we would be given lots of free time to visit the Original L.A. Farmers Market and nearby Groves shopping area.  The bus was to leave from the Curves in Poway--I drove up to my friends' house the night before so we could make the early 6:30am free ride to L.A.

The trip started out a little shaky because we had to wait in pouring rain for over an hour for a late bus (Yes, it does rain in Southern California). Once we all boarded, we experienced water leaking from the roof of a not so clean bus.  Also, the windshield wipers looked a little suspect. Finally, we were on the road to L.A. in less then perfect conditions.

Fortunately, they ordered another bus for the return trip which turned out to be fine. About two hours later, we were dropped off at the Farmers Market and everyone made a beeline for the restrooms.  The sun came out and we had a lovely time walking, shopping, eating and people watching.

We quickly walked through the Market and headed for the more upscale Groves Mall. Our first stop was Anthropologie--I love the Vintage displays and clothing in these stores. It was during a visit to an Anthropologie store a few years ago that I came up with the name for this blog--My Vintage Journeys.

Fortunately, one of our Curves friends needed to visit The American Girl Place to shop for her granddaughter. We spent a lot of time looking at the gigantic selection of dolls, clothes, accessories and even books (yes, they can learn about history from these books)--interesting that the books were only $6.95--I say "only" because everything else is over the top.  Speaking of dolls, it makes me wonder what will become of my daughter Anna's Molly and other dolls that are currently boxed up in our Minnesota basement.



We returned to the L.A. Farmers Market which is quite a contrast to the upscale Groves Mall because more than 90%of the shops and stalls are independently owned and operated. The Farmers Market started in 1934. At lunch time, we all congregated at the old tables and chairs in the central food court to eat and discuss the many food choices. I highly recommend reading the "78 facts" about the Market which is on their website.

After a pleasant lunch at the Farmers Market, we hoped back on the bus and drove to a live showing of "The Doctors".  I find it very interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes of a live production. They herded us in, and then we needed to patiently sit while they "warmed us up" with jokes, trivia questions and instructions on when to clap and laugh during the production. Finally, the show began and I learned a few interesting facts like men having fewer wrinkles then women because they shave. There were a also celebrities on the show--Latoya Jackson and Denise Austin. Everyone in the audience received a free copy of Austins' recent book, Side Effect: Skinny.

The bus trip back to Poway was long because of traffic (we left during rush hour) but the Poway group managed to bring wine and hor d'oeuvre so all was well.  Once we arrived back at Curves, I had the pleasure of a side trip through a Poway neighborhood that has about 50 homes extensively decorated for Christmas.

Finally, about 10pm we were dropped off at my friend's home and I still had to drive back to Coronado on the San Diego freeways which I am still learning to navigate. Fortunately, I made it home safely.

Thank you, Jean, and her special friends that I've had the privilege of getting to know through the years.

 

AMERICAN GIRLS

GROVES SHOPPING AREA

FRIENDS IN ANTHROPOLOGIE STORE

POWAY XMAS DECORATIONS

MERRY CHRISTMAS & CONGRATULATIONS TO BEN

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!  I really appreciate your taking time throughout the year to follow my "Vintage Journeys". 

In addition to our holiday celebration this year, we had the added benefit of honoring our son, Ben, who recently graduated witha BS degree from the University of Ashford. Friends and family took a short break on Christmas Eve for a champagne toast to Ben. Here is the proud "Vintage Mom" speech: 
"We all know that achieving a college degree is not an easy feat--it requires a lot of perseverance and determination--we are very proud of Ben for this achievement.

Unlike most of us, Ben has managed to accomplish getting his formal education while at the same time experiencing life in many other ways.  He has traveled the world including nine visits to Iraq, toured with a band throughout western and eastern Europe, visited every state in the US and most provinces of Canada--along with Central America and Argentina.  He has played guitar and back-up singer in a traveling band, been a sound technician to numerous groups, set up stages and managed national and worldwide tours.  In addition, he has done it all with class--impressing many along the way with his good nature, hard work and humor.  Never does Ben let the ways of the world influence him--he does it his own way.



BEN IN SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CHAIR

Currently he is employed by Americorp, managing projects that allow underprivileged people to live in their dream homes.  We have to believe he is on his way to far greater accomplishments in the future.  Ben has done a great job of keeping life interesting while moving on to bigger and better things as needed.  Ron and I will continue to learn from our children which is one of our greatest blessings."


 

VINTAGE CHRISTMAS IN CORONADO

 

SANTA
 HOTEL DEL CORONADO  IN BACKGROUND





GRAHAM MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN

This is the first year I've had the privilege of living
 in Coronado to enjoy the holiday season. 

Coronado takes pride in organizing numerous events--mostly free for residents and visitors. There are Christmas parades (on land and water), concerts, glittering trees and decorations everywhere.  The Hotel del Coronado is a fascinating place to visit any time of the year, however, it is spectacular at Christmas. They build a very popular outside ice skating rink directly on the Pacific Ocean.  To give you an idea of all that is going on here, I just counted 29 holiday events listed in The Coronado 2012 Holiday Guide.  I have not had the time to experience all of them but so far my favorites have been a leisurely weekday visit to the Hotel Del (built in 1888) to observe the lovely Christmas decorations, watching the Christmas Boat Parade from our apartment window with friends, and viewing the beautifully decorated trees along Orange Avenue.  The variety of  homes and churches built in the early 1900's add to the magical charm of Coronado.  

DECORATED VINTAGE HOME

I do love it here, however,  the best part of  Christmas will be the celebration in Minnesota with family and old friends.

ANNA  IN VINTAGE RACOON COAT

(As usual I will need to wear my moms'  vintage racoon coat on Christmas Day--it fits so well in Minnesota.)

LIVINGSTON HOUSE-1144 ISABELLA AVENUE

 


VINTAGE HOME CORONADO

SANTA AT THE HOTEL DEL CORONADO

CORONADO VINTAGE HOME