I’m a 3rd generation native San Diegan. Meaning, my grandpa was born here, my dad was born here and I was born here. I’ve lived all over San Diego county throughout my three-ish decades of life. Before you @ me, yes, I will get to the beach! San Diego has so many adorable, must-see spots, I couldn’t possibly squeeze them into one post. So beach lovers, your time is coming. But for now, I want to share with you the seven cutest (in my opinion) spots to visit in San Diego, city edition. Make sure you’re Instagram-ready, because you’ll want to take lots and lots of pictures.
1. Holy Matcha
Look, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t really like matcha. What I do dig is the vibe and aesthetic of this place. It’s basically what my brain looks like in the form of a cute cafe. This place is very Instagram-worthy, but they also have lots of yummy treats, even for us non-matcha lovers. If you can’t get down with the real stuff, I highly recommend the strawberry matcha horchata drink that I had!
2. Pigment
Fair warning, don’t plan on going to Pigment if you’re on a spending freeze. Because you will want everything. This local cornerstone is full of plants, local goods and a ton of small brand finds all perfectly curated in its sunny location.
Come for the plants (you can do it right there in the plant lab!), or check out the party supplies, jewelry and kids sections. Fun fact: The day before my wedding, I decided I hated the centerpieces we had planned so I drove in a panic over to Pigment and the girls helped me create 25 new centerpieces right then and there. Love this spot.
And say you’re broke and don’t want to tempt yourself, they have not one but two perfect photo-op walls on the side of the building.
3. Shop Good
After you’ve taken a few pictures at the pink Pigment wall, turn left and head just a few doors down to Shop Good, the cutest new clean beauty and wellness shop.
Not only is it darling inside, but you can stock up on some of our favorite clean beauty brands like Ilia, Beauty Chef, rms Beauty and more! Plus, I hear the facials are amazing with its on-site esthetician and I’m dying to try one.
4. Maven
Maven is another local favorite that I frequent often. The owner, Alex, really knows how to curate a beautiful space and she has some of the best finds in San Diego. I’ve mentioned my love of this spot before when we shared 10 Small Business We Love To Shop At.
It took everything within me not to walk out of there with all of the BlockShop Textiles goodies, to be honest.
Whenever you visit San Diego, make sure to swing by. The inventory is always changing and there’s always something new and beautiful to take home. Plus, the corner location gives it the dreamiest light and makes for some seriously Insta-worthy photos.
5. Communal Coffee – South Park
Coffee + Flowers, what could be better? For me, I love this outdoor location just as much, if not more, than its original counterpart in North Park. It’s an adorable little trailer with a full coffee bar. Lots of outdoor seating make for a great mid-day stop.
Just like the North Park location, you can also grab some blooms (dried or fresh!) from Native Poppy. You can’t beat that coffee and flowers combo.
6. Vinyl Junkies Record Shack
If you’re hitting up Communal Coffee, you have to swing into Vinyl Junkies. Record shopping is one of my favorite pastimes and this fairly new record shop is the love child of two of the biggest names in the San Diego music scene. I promise it’s legit.
7. Brooklyn Girl
We’ve had coffee, we’ve done some shopping, now it’s time to eat! Whenever I have friends visiting from out of town, or it’s a special occasion, Brooklyn Girl is always my first choice.
The food is delicious, the cocktails are tasty and the décor is always on point. I love that it swaps out the art (life-size Carrie Bradshaw paintings, anyone?) and it has a super welcoming vibe.
Stay tuned for part two when I travel up the coast to share with you all the must-see beach spots in San Diego!
