North Park is one of the liveliest and quirkiest sections in the entire region around San Diego, and it is a far cry from the overlooked and forgotten neighborhood that it used to be years ago. It is now an eclectic community which will have something to offer to everyone in your group, whether that’s shopping, entertainment, fine dining, or nightlife. Here are five of the most appealing activities which you can undertake to appreciate the North Park scene.
Art appreciation
If you’re an art lover, the North Park section of San Diego will be a huge thrill for you. There are any number of studios, art galleries, street art, performing arts venues, wall art, and even some very impressive architecture which you’ll be able to appreciate while you’re there. There are a number of festivities and forums sponsored by the North Park Main Street vendors, and these draw in huge numbers of people from all around greater San Diego. It’s no exaggeration to say that walking through North Park is practically like browsing through an outdoor art gallery.
Dining and drinking
There is a particular section of North Park, at the intersection of 30th St. and University Avenue, which claims to be the best beer neighborhood in the country. If you’re a beer lover, you can quench your thirst at any number of microbrewery establishments, each with their own proprietary beer flavors. There are also a ton of restaurants where you can find virtually any kind of eating that appeals to you, including vegetarian and vegan hotspots, dessert cafés, fine dining, sushi bars, brunch spots, and gourmet coffee shops. Virtually anything you can think of in the way of dining can be found in the North Park neighborhood.
North Park specialty stores
Quite a few specialty stores are situated in North Park, including a number of boutiques, home décor shops, costume shops, rare record retailers, and even dog photographers. The neighborhood is dominated by small businesses, and shopping local at all these small businesses not only supports the economy of the community itself, but it gives all visitors a sense of belonging to that community.
Produce shopping at the Thursday market
Every Thursday there is a Farmers Market which convenes in the North Park community, and this event occurs regardless of the weather. It’s a family-friendly event where farmers and vendors host nearly 100 tents, chock-full of produce which is grown locally, prepared foods, artisan grocery items, and jewelry which has been hand-crafted. A number of local brands are offered for sale here, including products such as gourmet cookies, pickles, tamales, smoothies, and even hot sauce. Residents of the community turnout in big numbers every Thursday for this event, and visitors to the area also find it tremendously appealing.
Live entertainment
Within the North Park neighborhood, there’s a performing arts center known as Observatory North Park, which has been converted from an old theater into a modern, red velvet seat concert venue and live theater center. Every year, hundreds of shows, private parties, concerts, and events are staged at this Observatory. Patrons have access to the West Coast Tavern, so that cocktails can be enjoyed before or after the performance. In addition to the Observatory North Park, there are a number of bars and nightclubs where local music and lounging are the order of the day. At some of these locales, you can find entertainment ranging from poetry readings all the way up to the San Diego Lyric Opera, as well as a number of local musicians. Whatever your taste might be, you’ll find some live entertainment in North Park which appeals to you.
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