You in all probability already know this historic district as a enjoyable vacation spot for day journeys and culturally immersive experiences. Nonetheless, when you haven’t but explored the eclectic assortment Outdated City San Diego outlets, you’re in for a deal with.
Distinctive items with model. Meals objects to fulfill any palate. Kids’s toys, house decor, blown glass, and colourful, one-of-a-kind presents to carry somebody cheer. Books that carry historical past alive. Attire that’s as elegant as it’s comfy. You’ll discover this stuff and extra if you spend time sightseeing and purchasing in what’s thought to be California’s birthplace.
A lot of the Outdated City San Diego shops listed under have concession agreements with the state-run Outdated City State Historic Park. This implies you may see employees members wearing interval clothes and making concerted efforts to present buyers a glimpse of life within the Mexican and early American durations of 1821 – 1872.
For this reason purchasing in Outdated City San Diego generally is a enjoyable a journey—a visit throughout cultures and time—and a chance to search out the proper treasures you’ll cherish effectively into the longer term.
1. Trustworthy Thrift Studio
- 2609 Congress St, San Diego, CA 92110
- (619) 485-4674
- Wednesday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m
- Closed Sunday via Tuesday
- honestthrift.com
The store’s tagline, “Boutique finds at thrift store costs,” describes this place completely. Trustworthy Thrift Studio brings you lovely antiques and different nice finds inside a beautiful little nook that’s alive with an abundance of indoor crops, making a welcoming house.
To maximise the looking expertise, just a few prospects can are available at one time. Inside, you’ll discover plant equipment (most of the vibrant crops surrounding you’re additionally on the market), furnishings, décor, and extra. You’ll by no means know precisely what you’ll discover, however that’s simply a part of the enjoyable of this store.
Trustworthy Thrift Studio would be the coziest, cutest, and most eclectic thrift store ever. Cease in for a novel, intimate purchasing expertise and chat with house owners who love what they do. If you’re achieved purchasing, go across the nook to the store house owners’ sister enterprise, Backyard Espresso, which is simply as vibrant.
2. Cousin’s Sweet Store
- 2711 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110
- (619) 297-2000
- Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Friday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- cousinscandyshop.com
Housed inside one in all Outdated City’s many historic buildings, Cousin’s Sweet Store is a paradise for each candy tooth in your loved ones. Inside you’ll discover candies of all shapes and flavors piled excessive in barrels, baskets, jars, bins, and circumstances. Strolling in, it feels such as you’ve stepped again in time to the 1800s, with staff wearing clothes typical of that period.
If you happen to love delicate, creamy fudge, you’ll discover scrumptious varieties right here. Craving jelly beans? A self-serve station helps you to take pleasure in 49 totally different flavors.
Different tasty delights embody saltwater taffy, licorice, goodies, rock sweet, and nostalgic specialty candies you may’t discover in common shops. Sugar-free candies are additionally offered, and the store makes a speciality of huckleberry merchandise, together with jams, syrups, fudge, and taffy.
The treats at Cousin’s Sweet Store are high-quality, with recent batches made day by day. Baskets can be found for gift-giving, or you may create your individual.
3. Toby’s Candles
- 2645 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110
- (619) 297-5426
- Monday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- tobyscandles.com
Greater than a candle store, Toby’s Candles is a sensory expertise providing fragrant candles and scented soaps. This family-owned and operated store sells high quality candles handmade with love. The unique enterprise co-owner, Toby, was a college professor when she started practising the artwork of candle carving. This new ardour grew right into a full-time enterprise for her, with the remainder of the household becoming a member of in.
As one of many Outdated City San Diego shops since 1992, Toby’s Candles immerses you in a peaceable, artistic ambiance as quickly as you enter. The employees is welcoming and useful whereas letting you browse freely at your individual tempo.
The store makes a speciality of kaleidoscope candle kits you may take house to make your self and handcrafted specialty candles that make fantastic items. Their bathe steamers are common alternate options to bathtub bombs, offering an at-home spa expertise everytime you take a bathe.
4. El Centro Artesano
As Outdated City’s largest pottery store, El Centro Artesano brings you nice concepts for including vibrant colours to your yard areas. With nice indoor and out of doors areas to browse, this store consists of a big out of doors courtyard with rows upon rows of Mexican pots of various sizes.
These things have distinctive, eye-catching designs painted by hand. To personalize your yard, you’ll additionally discover terracotta pots and varied décor, together with solar faces, wind chimes, and eccentric sculptures.
Inside, the massive present store is brimming with worldwide merchandise for all ages. You’ll discover Día de los Muertos collectible figurines, wall décor, colourful gems, hanging chimes and suncatchers, jewellery, magnets, and extra. It’s an amazing place to search out distinctive, themed items for associates and kinfolk.
El Centro Artesano offers a novel purchasing expertise for the entire household. Simply maintain little ones from working via the courtyard and present store to keep away from breaking any fragile objects.
5. Rust Common Retailer
- 2720 Calhoun St, San Diego, CA 92110
- (619) 295-7878
- Monday and Thursday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Friday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
- facebook.com/RustGeneral
Rust Common Retailer is a quaint, one-of-a-kind store with an old school really feel. Promoting connoisseur meals and specialty objects, it serves as a basic retailer and a espresso store with an 1860s ambiance. I like this retailer for items.
Along with searching for distinctive merchandise, you may seize a cup of espresso or tea plus a chunk to eat whereas taking a break within the enclosed out of doors seating space underneath giant shade bushes.
It’s a enjoyable place to buy when you get pleasure from discovering hard-to-locate meals stuff you ate if you had been a child, plus stuff you’ve by no means heard of however are sport to attempt at the least as soon as—every little thing from lavender sweet to pickled quail eggs.
From the bistro part of Rust Common Retailer, you may order a beverage of your selection—scorching, iced, or bottled—together with a snack or a candy deal with. Menu objects embody café mocha, chai latte, iced tea, Bavarian pretzel, mini panini sandwich, fresh-baked pastries, and ice cream.
6. Miner’s Gems and Minerals
- State Historic Park, 2616 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110
- (619) 688-1178
- Monday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- minersgemsandminerals.com
Whether or not you’re visiting this historic district only for enjoyable otherwise you’re right here to do some bona fide Outdated City, San Diego purchasing, Miner’s Gems and Minerals is a must-see. This geological treasure home comes with a extremely educated employees that is aware of its stuff in gemology and mineralogy. It’s a museum and a store multi function.
If you happen to’re prepared to purchase a gem, you’ll discover top-quality specimens on the market right here. The shop sells polished gems, together with items that may be fitted into jewellery, together with crystals, tough stones, and even fossils.
A visit to Miner’s Gems and Minerals might be instructional for the entire household. Whereas the youngsters try wooly mammoth hair and fragments of raptor eggs, the adults can admire lovely bicolor tourmaline extracted from San Diego’s personal Himalaya Mine—do you know our county has a number of lively gem mines? You’ll study much more if you go to this store.
7. Kosay Kumeyaay Market
- 85472 Calhoun St, San Diego, CA 92110
- (442) 899-8051
- Friday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Closed Monday – Thursday
- kumeyaaymarket.com
Lengthy earlier than the Spaniards got here to the area, the Kumeyaay lived right here. They had been the primary individuals to settle in what’s now San Diego, protecting a large space from Ensenada to Oceanside.
Kosay Kumeyaay Market pays tribute to the unique individuals of this space by that includes conventional art work created by expert artists. Kosay Village was the identify of what’s now referred to as Outdated City, San Diego.
Purchasing right here, you’ll discover genuine arts and crafts made by members of the Yuman teams of Native American origin, together with varied communities of the Kumeyaay, Cucapah, Kiliwa, Pai Pai, and Cochimi Nations.
Buying from this market helps help artisans in Mexico and the U.S. and teaches you one thing concerning the cultures that lived right here way back—and proceed to reside within the area right this moment.
Carry house an genuine, handmade masterpiece from Kosay Kumeyaay Market—it should add a lot to your dwelling areas whereas serving as a reminder of the cultures which were right here since lengthy earlier than San Diego was integrated.
8. Fiesta de Reyes
- 2754 Calhoun St, San Diego, CA 92110
- (619) 297-3100
- Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Sunday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- fiestadereyes.com
Outdated City, San Diego additionally has a number of bigger purchasing zones, every with its personal assortment of retailers price visiting. With 19 regionally owned outlets, Fiesta de Reyes is one in all these marketplaces. Whereas perusing right here, remember to cease in these nice shops.
Geppetto’s Toys
Discover traditional toys that encourage creativity: puppets, puzzles, video games, building units, arts and crafts, books, and far more. Geppetto’s is a high quality toy retailer that’s been in San Diego for over 40 years.
Tienda de Reyes
That includes Mexican folks artwork and Day of the Lifeless merchandise, this thrilling present store provides a big collection of enjoyable souvenirs, festive housewares, and colourful clothes.
The Loopy Pepper
Whether or not you want your salsa scorching or delicate, step into this store for a number of the most flavorful condiments round. Browse the broad collection of salsas, scorching sauces, BBQ sauces, and extra.
9. Outdated City Market
With over 40 outlets and eating places in a single place, Outdated City Market is a historic indoor and out of doors market that can draw you in with its colourful choices and vibrant ambiance. Take a look at these outlets.
Better of Outdated City
You’ll discover superbly crafted wares and clothes from Ecuador, Peru, and Guatemala, together with ponchos, blankets, sandals, and purses.
D&O Imports
See the genuine Vietnamese souvenirs offered right here, together with lovely steel artwork designs, different handmade items, and all kinds of Asian imports.
Mi Casa Es Mi Casa
It’s a veritable fiesta with all of the colourful, genuine Mexican objects on show, from maracas and piñatas to festive margarita glasses. Seize a scrumptious Mexican soda whilst you’re right here.
10. Bazaar del Mundo
- 4133 Taylor St, San Diego, CA 92110
- (619) 296-3161
- Monday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- bazaardelmundoshops.com
No Outdated City, San Diego purchasing expertise is full and not using a go to to the Bazaar del Mundo. Right here’s the place you’ll discover a number of the greatest one-of-a-kind items for your self and others. Benefit from the shiny, cheerful setting and nice locations to buy, like these.
Artes de Mexico
Fastidiously chosen objects make this retailer a pleasure to buy in. You’ll discover Oaxacan hand-carved picket animals, Huichol beaded artwork, hand-painted Talavera ceramics, and far more.
Guatemala Store
Uncover treasures and delightful textiles from Guatemala. This store brings you conventional Latin American crafts, together with ceramic figures, rain sticks, Peruvian artwork, Guatemalan materials, and distinctive toys.
Kitchen Store
If you happen to’re prepared to show your kitchen into the colourful coronary heart of your property, cease by the Kitchen Store for lovely dishware and kitchen décor. You’ll additionally discover an amazing collection of cookbooks and mouthwatering Mexican spices, soup mixes, and preserves.
The place do you wish to buy groceries in Outdated City San Diego?
