Welcome to North Park
Hip neighborhood with trendy businesses next to Balboa Park
North Park is a hip neighborhood named for its location at the northern end of sprawling Balboa Park. Along with access to the many attractions and amenities within San Diego’s signature 1,200-acre urban greenspace, North Park offers trendy bars, restaurants, art galleries, and live music venues. North Park is at the epicenter of San Diego’s thriving craft beer scene, and the neighborhood offers a wide choice of breweries and tasting rooms.
North Park has a distinctive real estate mix with a historic district featuring Craftsman bungalows designed by famed San Diego architect David Owen Dryden. Other historic properties in the neighborhood include pretty California bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revival homes built in the 1920s and ‘30s. North Park’s eclectic housing options also include mid-century modern homes and townhouses and contemporary condo developments.
What to Love
- Eclectic real estate
- Many craft beer spots
- Trendy boutiques
- Balboa Park
People & Lifestyle
North Park is a trendy neighborhood with some of San Diego’s coolest places to dine, drink, and shop. Balboa Park is a wonderful place to explore, with beautiful landscaping and lots of attractions and amenities. North Park’s combination of hip businesses and expansive greenspace is hard to beat.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
30th Street and University Avenue intersect in the center of North Park. These main streets and the streets surrounding them feature a great selection of craft beer breweries and a dynamic dining scene. The industrial-chic Belching Beaver Brewery is known for its inventive flavors, with award-winning ales including Peanut Butter Milk Stout, Me So Honey Blonde, and Here Comes Mango IPA. North Park is also home to the main production facility and tasting room of celebrated Mike Hess Brewing. Coin-Op combines craft brews and cocktails with classic arcade games. The Modern Times Flavordome has 20 outstanding brews on tap. North Park’s extensive choice of craft beer spots also includes North Park Beer Company, Pretzels & Pints, Second Chance Beer Lounge, Original 40 Brewery (Brewpub on University Street) and Thorn Street Brewery. Many neighborhood restaurants offer craft brews alongside thoughtful and creative cuisine. Encontro pairs craft beers with seasonal American fare, including flame-grilled meats and hearty salads. U31 is an upscale French-American bistro with chef-driven entrees served in a stylish farmhouse setting. Underbelly serves delicious bowls of authentic Japanese ramen alongside yakitori grill items, small plates, sake, and local and global beers. Dunedin New Zealand Eats offers mouthwatering lamb and grass-fed beef burgers, meat pies, and fish and chips. North Park coffee shops and cafes include artisanal fair-trade roasters Holsem Coffee. Caffe Calabria pours delicious South and Central American roasts alongside tasty pizza and tempting desserts. Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream is another fantastic choice for satiating your sweet tooth, with over 300 flavors of premium Hawaiian ice creams and sorbets. Boutiques and independent retailers in North Park include artistic home décor and gift stores Pigment and Kaleidoscope.
Things to Do
North Park’s proximity to Balboa Park is a huge draw. San Diego’s signature urban greenspace features gorgeous gardens containing over 350 plant species and many sports and recreation facilities. The area of Balboa Park contains the Morley Field Sports Complex. Amenities here include golf and disc golf courses, bocce ball and tennis courts, an archery range, swimming pool, and the San Diego Velodrome. Balboa Park’s most famous attraction is the San Diego Zoo. The zoo exhibits more than 3,500 animals from over 800 different species. Star attractions include polar bears, lowland gorillas, orangutans, African elephants, and giraffes. The Observatory is one of the top live music venues in San Diego. Housed within a beautiful 1930s theater, The Observatory attracts a diverse lineup of premier touring acts along with theatrical performances, film screenings, and other events. The Ray Street Arts District is a hub of galleries and studios which hosts the popular monthly Ray at Night Art Walk. October’s North Park Festival of Arts & Music is a huge celebration featuring six performance stages and blocks devoted to art and craft beer. The North Park Toyland Parade is a holiday tradition in December featuring colorful floats, marching bands, vintage cars, and Santa riding atop a fire truck. Every Thursday, North Park Farmers’ Market features vendors selling fresh produce, specialty foodstuffs, and handicrafts alongside live music performances.
Schools
North Park is served by the San Diego Unified School District.
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McKinley Elementary, Public, K-5.
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Jefferson Elementary, Public, Magnet, K-5.
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Edison Elementary, Public, K-5.
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Alba, Public, Alternative, 1-12.
