I was recently notified that I am now the Baron of Kensington. I had better review my barony before…read moreI get usurped. I am the Duke of the following: Kensington-Normal Heights Branch Library Refer to my separate review. This place is too cute. Stehly Farms Market I reviewed this place, too. I was once the Duke of Kensington Mini Park This one, too! In addition to the above, I can also recommend Kensington Club, Earthwell Refill, and Stella Jean. The Ken Club is one of the oldest bars in San Diego and they are old school. Cash only! I have seen bands here and I have sung Louis Prima and Faith No More during Sunday night karaoke. Check out their calendar of events. Earthwell Refill is a zero-waste shop that sells household and hygiene products. Bring in your empty bottle or purchase or borrow one from the shop. We get our shampoo here. Stella Jean has good ice cream. They do a few vegan flavors. I want to try the Date Shake Cake. Warning: Burger Lounge uses beef tallow to cook their French fries and their onion rings. Enjoy your visit to my barony, a community in which I would never be able to afford to live!

From the many travels that I have taken there is one place that when you walk through the many…read moreparts of the town there have been many places that have been places that have been stuck in time and the places that have the great food and he many smaller places that you can sit outside. The history of one place that has the many places that have the many places such as a cheesecake factory that was only used by Merv Griffin which is one place you may say is what is the place and the many things to discover. There are many that like to take trips through the many older neighborhoods which can be declared as some of the older neighborhoods are some of the many where the older times of San Diego can be found. I had taken the bus from the SDSU neighborhood and wanted to see the many other parts of San Diego that had remained hidden for many for some you have to take the bus to get to. To have taken the bus the travel to the area was a time of 25 minutes I had seen the many stops that when you travel on the San Diego Transit route 11 to the area of Kensington Adams Ave parking you can't find much. From the many years that when you look at Kensington the history of Kensington was the history and the background of Adams Avenue that had a Spanish background in the many house that were during the years of 1926. For many that knew Adams Avenue was streetcar row that in 1913, a massive trolley car barn was built, to store and perform and complete minor services to several hundred trolley cars would exit and enter if through a series of switches off. When you take a look at Adams Ave you are seeing the many areas that was the main track system that would take you to the many stops that would be along the many stops from the Antique Row and further on down Adams Avenue. With the many areas of Kensington, you are on a history walk that takes you to the many areas of the park and the many areas of the neighborhood that you see many of the art works that are still on the walls you see from the tattoo shops and the Lastat's coffee shop no that's not the Vampire it might be. The city of Kensington is one place that you can take a bus up to the area you can walk amongst the many locations and take connecting busses that can take you downtown and over to the area of North Park the many areas people do drive by and not know they have passed by history of the North Park area. As a Yelp Elite is take a day and take the bus you can save gas and time where you can visit the park and the many shops of Kensington and the many areas of Hillcrest you can ride the city bus number 11.

The Baron is back!…read more Now that the Baroness and I are freeholders, I feel that my review needs an update, so here we go: Bosforo - Haven't been, but heard good things. Turkish pizza? Worth a try. Get a reservation; this place is always crowded. Sahara - Mediterranean takeout (with a couple of sidewalk tables). Decent beer selection, but read the label. They sell some NA brews. Caveat emptor! Nozaru - Their vegan ramen is on my list to try. Thai Joint on Adams - This jawn never disappoints. Their roots go back to Plumeria in University Heights, but they have vegan as well as omni menus. Dos Palmas Cafe - My sister said that this was the best breakfast sandwich that she has ever eaten. Hopnonymous Brewing Company - A welcome addition to the neighborhood. See my review. Rosie O'Grady's - They are back, and so are $5 draft Tuesdays! But, do they have live music anymore? Miss Shelly's Shack is slinging the grub, but if you are vegan, don't come hungry. See my review. Ska Bar - RIP Uptown Bicycles - Game Over Community Fridge - A free resource where we can share food and other resources with those of us who are less fortunate. It is in front of Normal Heights United Methodist Church. Adams Avenue Theater - Event space that sometimes hosts free comedy shows. I love Normal Heights. Normal Heights loves cool visitors. The Baron has spoken!

We randomly and luckily stayed at an Airbnb in this neighborhood…read more There are great coffee shops, breakfast sandwiches at Lestats, ice cream and plenty of craft beer and hard liquor bars. Look carefully and there are custom painted electric boxes around this walkable neighborhood. Plus, there is a grocery store and pharmacy at the east end of the neighborhood. The name Normal Heights cracked me up every time I saw the sign. Why be normal?! Life is good!

It's quick and fun. Actually 111 Steps. Nothing crazy but if you're in the area. La Mesa has…read moremore but this is just off the freeway.

Challenging and it's definitely steep. As 68 years old, this is doable. Slow & steady. 02Sept24read more

The wife and I came here in 2018 and liked it so much that we returned. Thus, I decided to update…read moremy review. This time in 2025, I avoided food poisoning and did not go back to the restaurant that made me deathly ill in 2018. It is still open and still serves gelato. My impression this time was much more favorable. There are so many restaurants to choose from, it is hard to imagine how we made our choices last time. It's a pizza lover's dream. I think you could eat pizza at a different restaurant every day for half a year. There are cute little shops and food stores that sell Italian foods and pasta. The Little Italy is quite large, I think larger than the one in NYC, so you can spend a lot of time walking, eating and drinking, and people watching.

Little Italy was *truly* the perfect spot to stay as first-time visitors to San Diego. We were…read morecentral to so much by staying in the La Pensione. The farmer's market was right outside on Saturday, and there were dozens of top-tier restaurants and bars within short walking distance. I'm so glad we stayed in this neighborhood over Gaslamp, as that was on my radar too but sounded like it may have been too wild. We didn't have a car, so parking wasn't a problem, and public transportation was close by. It was also easy to call for a Lyft. I also appreciated how close it was to the airport. I'd absolutely stay in Little Italy again in the future if the price permits!

I don't even know how to start this... Adams north at its finest has it's utmost pinnacle here. The…read moreview over mission valley is unmatched, the gardens and homes are each lovely, quaint, and unique in their own right, and obviously the monastery is amazing. It's a perfect walking neighborhood; no doubt why the rick n roll half is hosted here. Hawley point was the reason that my husband and I fell in love with this neighborhood, and the beautiful garden and unmatched hospitality of the local Carmelite nuns made our home purchase all the more sweet. Best secret neighborhood in San Diego, hands down!

Hawley Point is a wonderful hidden look out spot! Went with a friend tonight and was amazed of the…read moreview; the houses you see driving 8 East on the freeway that look ridiculously large are nestled within Hawley Point. New construction is popping up amongst the charmer Normal Heights classic homes, but does not take away from the views. Great place for photography or just learning a different view of the city layout below. Qualcom stadium looks like a dollhouse below and it's really intense. I hear there used to be benches and grass up on the hill before the homes were built, but with all developments, that goes away. Take a moment to stop and admire this look-out point next time you are cruisin' the 92116.

When people think of California, they immediately conjure up all their favorite memes about Los…read moreAngeles and especially San Francisco. However, having lived here for decades, I think the real story is the treasure trove to be found in San Diego. This is truly the gem of the West Coast with its balmy and mild Barcelona-esque weather all year 'round and the visceral influences of sea, sand, and most of all, it's colorful, vibrant, richly cultural neighbor, Mexico. Nowhere is this more apparent than historic Old Town. It may be a tourist attraction, but every time I have gone, I have fallen in love with it and San Diego all over again. I will keep my comments to a minimum and simply share some photos I shot with a Nikon full frame camera, the last time I visited. No one should visit California without spending some quality time in San Diego, and no visit to San Diego is complete without spending a day or night in Old Town. What do you think?

Such a historic place. I got of work early and was walking distance from the hotel…read more Cute gifts, candies, museums, and restaurants galore! So much to explore and wander around. I went twice during my work week and found something different and interesting in every walk!

I love a good food hall, and this one doesn't disappoint. A great collection of various cuisines,…read moreincluding yummy dessert options. This is a perfect choice for when you're traveling with a group and have a lot of differing preferences. Seating can be a little tricky, especially when you have a group larger than 6 people, but when the weather is nice, outside seating is lovely.

I love a good public market! This is a perfect spot to go with a group of friends or coworkers so…read moreeveryone can get what they want. I always recommend doing a quick walk through to see all the options available. They have over 35+ vendors and a great variety of food from pizza to BBQ to ramen to empanadas to Latin to sushi and seafood. I tried Wicked Maine Lobster and ordered a crab sandwich with fries. This was the perfect portion and the crab tasted fresh, and the fries were perfectly seasoned.  The market has plenty of seating inside and outside. We opted to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather! The market is located near the airport and you can see the plans overhead. It was a little loud for talking sometimes but you get used to the plane noise quickly.   I always enjoy visiting this spot when in San Diego!

Tasting Event We…read morewanted to combine my birthday and my friend's birthday by having a September birthday celebration! I've been seeing these tasting events throughout San Diego so we decided to check out the Taste of North Park. North Park is in hipster neighborhood with fun energy. They have really cute boutiques, cozy coffee shops, trendy bars, and craft breweries. Each restaurant has so much character and charm! We only managed to complete 32 out of 50 restaurant tastings in 3 hours before tapping out. It was such a fun experience exploring each place and seeing what kind of food they have to offer. Now I'm intrigued to check out the other neighborhood tasting events too!

Pleasantly surprised with Taste of North Park. The event was incredibly organized. People are given…read morewristbands and a passport book that includes a map that shows all participating locations. It was even color coded if the business was giving out food or drinks. Pros: -great way to visit and sample different venues in North Park -lots of businesses were really generous with their portion sizes -there was a good mix of food and alcoholic beverages -although I am not vegan, I appreciated that they had places that gave out vegan friendly items -some venues were a little further than others so I was happy that they had a complimentary EV ride that came on a regular basis. Cons: -none Overall, solid event! In the future, I'll need to remember to bring water.

Spent about an hour in Balboa Park after landing in San Diego, and I'm glad we made the stop…read more We parked at the Lower Inspiration Point parking lot for free, and the shuttle arrived within 5 minutes to take us to the main entrance. Our driver was nice enough to give us a short tour on the way, which was a nice touch. We ended up seeing the Botanical Building and lily pond area, and both were lovely and picturesque. I honestly felt like I was in Europe with the architecture of the buildings. Next, we made our way to the Spanish Village Art Center, and it felt like I had stepped into a movie set, very surreal and colorful. I would highly recommend Balboa Park for any first-time visitors to San Diego!

Yes - park and museums are lovely, but for me, I just didn't love Balboa Park…read more Didn't hate it but if you are someone with just a weekend in town, I think there are better options for afternoon activities in the zillions of things there are to do in SD. All I'm saying is don't get fooled making this a top of your list, must do-thing. Go if you REALLY want to, but don't feel like you missed out if you made a different selection.

There's a new weekly international market in town, and I have a weird feeling it might not last…read morelong. I went yesterday and saw about 20 vendors but less than 20 people attending. I had never heard of any of the food vendors, so I tried one randomly. I was able to get some sort of Mexican dish I've never tried for $3, which is a hell of a bargain for the amount of food that I got. I'll probably go back here semi-weekly to try new food vendors out. There are a few clothing/knick knack vendors, but nothing amazing. And a guy was playing guitar and singing when I stopped by. Could use a bit more press, but would be a nice addition to San Diego if it stayed.

This is such a fun fair! Delicious food and games for kids (and adults). Happy to have it in the…read moreneighborhood!!