Neighborhoods

Downtown, The Gaslamp & Little Italy

Space is at a premium in the Gaslamp Quarter, and high rents have led to the influx of deep-pocketed chains and brand names, such as Adidas, 925 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/615-0287), Urban Outfitters, 665 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/231-0102), Quiksilver, 402 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/234-3125), and G-Star, 470 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/238-7088). A few intrepid boutiques can still be found among the big retailers and the area's multitudinous eateries, though.

For hip and glamorous women's clothing and a great selection of jewelry, Villa Moda, 363 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/236-9068), is a Gaslamp standout; men get in on the fashion action at Buzz, 630 10th Ave. (tel. 619/269-3764). Bubbles Boutique, 226 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/236-9003), is where you'll find all manner of handmade soap products, from Mary Jane hemp soap bars to banana shake-flavored bath "bombs."

You can spoil your little ones with some new threads from the children's store Pout, 701 Eighth Ave. (tel. 619/255-6506); or pamper your pooch with something from Lucky Dog Pet Boutique, 557 Fourth Ave. (tel. 619/696-0364), where you'll find supplies swank and chic: collars, snacks, soaps, bowls. Kita Ceramics & Glassware, 517 Fourth Ave. (tel. 619/231-9902), stocks fine Japanese pottery and colorful Italian glass products. Although it can be found in many cities, Design Within Reach, 393 Seventh Ave. (tel. 619/744-9900), is just too cool to pass by. DWR offers modern furniture and accessories from names like Knoll, Miller, and Eames.

You can continue your search for serious art, design, and home furnishings in Little Italy. The conglomeration of cool stores and galleries along Kettner Boulevard and India Street, from Laurel to Date streets, has become known as the Art & Design District (TADD). Throughout the year, TADD throws Friday evening open-house parties known as Kettner Nights; for information call tel. 619/546-5121 or go to www.taddsd.com. Among the district's highlights are Vetro (tel. 619/546-5120) for vintage glass art; Mixture (tel. 619/239-4788) and Disegno Italiano (tel. 619/515-0191) for modern furnishings and accessories; and David Zapf Gallery (tel. 619/232-5004) and Scott White Contemporary Art (tel. 619/501-5689), two of the city's most prominent galleries.

As the number of downtown condos multiplies, watch for shopping to diversify. Otherwise, browsing is primarily concentrated in two destination malls.

Hillcrest & Uptown

Compact Hillcrest is an ideal shopping destination. As the hub of San Diego's gay and lesbian community, swank inspiration and chic housewares rule. There are plenty of establishments selling cool trinkets, used books, vintage clothing, and memorabilia, and of course, bakeries and cafes. You'll also find a plethora of modestly priced globe-hopping dining options, too.

There's no defined zone in which shops are found, so you may as well start at the neighborhood's axis, the busy intersection of University and Fifth avenues. From this corner the greatest concentration of boutiques spreads for 1 or 2 blocks in each direction, but farther east on University -- between 10th Avenue and Vermont Street -- you'll find another aggregation of good options, especially in the home furnishing category. Pomegranate Home, 1037 University Ave. (tel. 619/220-0225), has got you covered for modern home accessories; Co-Habitat, 1433 University Ave. (tel. 619/688-1390), has colorful decor and textiles from India; and fun Ace Hardware, 1007 University Ave. (tel. 619/291-5988), has more than just nuts and bolts. Across the street from Ace is a small shopping complex where the best bet is the little contemporary clothing store Studio 1220, 1220 Cleveland Ave. (tel. 619/220-7344).

Street parking is available; most meters run 2 hours and devour quarters at a rate of one every 12 minutes, so be armed with plenty of change. You can also park in a lot -- rates vary, but you'll come out ahead if you're planning to stroll for several hours.

If you're looking for postcards or provocative gifts, step into wacky Babette Schwartz, 421 University Ave. (tel. 619/220-7048), a pop-culture emporium named for a local drag queen, and located under the can't-miss HILLCREST street sign. You'll find books, clothing, and accessories that follow current kitsch trends. A couple of doors away, Cathedral, 435 University Ave. (tel. 619/296-4046), is dark and heady, filled with candles of all scents and shapes, plus unusual holders.

If all this walking is wearing a hole in your shoes, you can get a pair of urban-fabulous sneakers at Mint, 525 University Ave. (tel. 619/291-6468). Headgear -- from straw hats to knit caps to classy fedoras -- fills the Village Hat Shop, 3821 Fourth Ave. (tel. 619/683-5533), whose best feature may be its minimuseum of stylishly displayed vintage hats. Also on this street is Plasticland, 3940 Fourth Ave. (tel. 619/692-3291), with edgy clothing for women and juniors, including shoes, handbags, and accessories.

Lovers of rare and used books will want to poke around the used bookstores on Fifth Avenue, between University and Robinson avenues. Though their number has decreased with the advent of online shopping, you can always find something to pique your interest. This block is also home to Shwoomp!, 3827 Fifth Ave. (tel. 619/574-2535), which looks like a deli but in fact provides "adventures in bathing" products like apricot-and-oat face masks and tomato-mint foot scrub (all made in the on-premises kitchen), and, of course, yellow rubber duckies. A few doors down is Wear It Again Sam, 3823 Fifth Ave., north of Robinson (tel. 619/299-0185). This classy step back in time sells quality vintage clothing -- for both men and women -- from the 1920s through the '50s.

North of Hillcrest, running east from where Park Boulevard t-bones Adams Avenue, is Adams Avenue Antique Row. It doesn't have the concentration of shops it once had, but antique and collectible stores, vintage-clothing boutiques, and dusty used book and record stores still dot the street. It stretches a couple miles from Arizona Street to Normal Heights, so it's best tackled by car; but there are plenty of coffeehouses, pubs, and small restaurants to break up the excursion. For more information and an area brochure with a map, contact the Adams Avenue Business Association (tel. 619/282-7329; www.adamsaveonline.com).

Old Town & Mission Valley

Old Town State Historic Park is a restoration of some of San Diego's historic sites and adobe structures, a number of which now house shops that cater to tourists. Many have a "general-store" theme and carry gourmet treats and inexpensive Mexican crafts alongside the obligatory T-shirts, baseball caps, and other San Diego-emblazoned souvenirs. Plaza del Pasado, 2754 Calhoun St. (tel. 619/297-3100; www.plazadelpasado.com), maintains the park's old Californio theme, and features nearly a dozen specialty shops, and three restaurants. Costumed employees, special events and activities, and strolling musicians add to the festive flavor.

Mission Valley is home to two giant malls (Fashion Valley and Mission Valley), with more than enough stores to satisfy any shopper, and free parking--both can be reached via San Diego Trolley from downtown. Book lovers will find local outposts of Barnes & Noble, 7610 Hazard Center Dr. (tel. 619/220-0175), and Borders, 1072 Camino del Rio N. (tel. 619/295-2201).

Mission Bay & The Beaches

The beach communities offer laid-back shopping in typical California fashion, with plenty of surf shops, recreational gear, casual garb, and college-oriented music stores. If you're looking for something more distinctive than T-shirts and shorts, you'd best head east to Mission Valley.

For women in need of a new bikini, the best selection is at Pilar's, 3745 Mission Blvd., Pacific Beach (tel. 858/488-3056), where choices range from stylish designer numbers to suits inspired by surf- and skate-wear. Across the street is Liquid Foundation Surf Shop, 3731 Mission Blvd. (tel. 858/488-3260), which specializes in board shorts for guys. For affordable shoes, check out the Skechers Footwear Outlet at 4475 Mission Blvd. (tel. 858/581-6010), at the corner of Garnet Avenue.

In Pacific Beach, Pangea Outpost, 909 Garnet Ave. (tel. 858/581-0555), gathers 60 ethnically diverse shops under one roof; while San Diego's greatest concentration of antiques stores is found in the Ocean Beach Antique District, along the 4800 block of Newport Avenue, the community's main drag. Several of the stores are mall-style, featuring multiple dealers under one roof. The hundreds of individual sellers cover the gamut -- everything from Asian antiquities to vintage watches to mid-20th-century collectibles. Although you won't find a horde of pricey, centuries-old European antiques, the overall quality is high enough to make it interesting for any collector. Highlights include Newport Avenue Antiques, 4836 Newport Ave. (tel. 619/224-1994), which offers the most diversity: Its wares range from Native American crafts to carved Asian furniture. Ocean Beach Antique Mall, 4847 Newport Ave. (tel. 619/223-6170), has a more elegant setting and glass display cases filled with superb American art pottery and china. Names like Roseville, McCoy, and Royal Copenhagen abound, and there's a fine selection of quality majolica and Japanese tea sets. The 600-pound gorilla of the bunch is the Newport Ave. Antique Center, 4864 Newport Ave. (tel. 619/222-8686), with 18,000 square feet of retail, and even a small espresso bar. One corner is a haven for collectors of 1940s and 1950s kitchenware (Fire King, Bauer, melamine); there's a fine selection of vintage linens and chinoiserie. This is also where you'll find Quakehold Gel, to hold your crystal in place in the event of a rumble (only in California, right?). Most of the O.B. antiques stores are open daily from 10am to 6pm, with somewhat reduced hours Sunday.

La Jolla

It's clear from the look of La Jolla's village that shopping is a major pastime in this upscale community. Precious gems and pearl necklaces sparkle in their cases, luxurious Persian rugs await your caress, crystal goblets prism the light -- even if you're not in the market for any of it, it makes for great window shopping.

Women's clothing boutiques tend to be conservative and costly, like those lining Girard and Prospect streets (Ann Taylor, Armani Exchange, Polo Ralph Lauren, Nicole Miller, and Sigi Boutique). But you'll also find less pricey venues like Talbots, Banana Republic, and American Apparel.

Recommended stores include Blondstone Jewelry Studio, 7925 Girard Ave. (tel. 858/456-1994), for creative, one-of-a-kind baubles; the venerable Ascot Shop, 7750 Girard Ave. (tel. 858/454-4222), for classic men's apparel and accessories; and La Jolla Fiber Arts, 7644 Girard Ave. (tel. 858/454-6732), where hand-woven creations make the store something of an art gallery, as well as a fashion outlet. Other places worth noting are My Own Space, 7840 Girard Ave. (tel. 858/459-0099), where midcentury modernism meets Hello Kitty; Ligne Roset, 7726 Girard Ave. (tel. 858/454-3366), where minimalist furniture is on display in what was one of the last single-screen theaters in San Diego; and Spirals, 7906 Girard Ave. (tel. 858/551-8199), which has hand-painted ceramics and whimsical folk art. History buffs should not miss Ruderman Antique Maps, 1298 Prospect St., Suite 2C (tel. 858/551-8500), which sells maps, atlases, and books that date from the 15th through 19th centuries.

There are also 25 art galleries in La Jolla. Although most won't appeal to serious collectors, there are plenty of crowd-pleasers like the rock photography at Morrison Hotel Gallery, 1230 Prospect St. (tel. 858/551-0835), and Africa & Beyond, 1250 Prospect St. (tel. 858/454-9983), with its contemporary and traditional African sculpture, textiles, jewelry, and furnishings.

A unique experience awaits at the Cave Store, 1325 Coast Blvd., just off Prospect Street (tel. 858/459-0746). This clifftop shop is equal parts art gallery and antiques store, but the main attraction is the Sunny Jim Cave, a large and naturally occurring sea cave reached by a steep and narrow staircase through the rock (admission $4 for adults, $3 for kids 3-16, free for 2 and under).

Coronado

This rather insular, conservative Navy community doesn't have a great many shopping opportunities; the best of the lot line Orange Avenue at the western end of the island. You'll find some scattered housewares and home-decor boutiques, several small women's boutiques, and the gift shops at Coronado's major resorts.

Coronado has an excellent independent bookshop, Bay Books, 1029 Orange Ave. (tel. 619/435-0070), which carries a selection in many categories, plus volumes of local historical interest, books on tape, and Mexican and European magazines. La Provençale, 1122 Orange Ave. (tel. 619/437-8881), is a little shop stocked with fabric, tablecloths, pottery, and tableware items from the French countryside; nearby In Good Taste, 1146 Orange Ave. (tel. 619/435-8356), has a small but choice selection of gourmet and food gift items -- in addition to a tempting display of luscious truffles and sweets. And, if you're in pursuit of swimwear, poke your head into Dale's Swim Shop, 1150 Orange Ave. (tel. 619/435-7301), a tiny boutique jam-packed with suits to fit all bodies, including rare European makers seldom available in this country.

Elsewhere in San Diego County

The Cedros Design District, along the 100 and 200 blocks of South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach, is an outstanding place for designer interior decorating goods. Many of the shops are housed in a row of Quonset huts that were constructed for a company that made spy plane photographic equipment. Today, you can find more than two dozen chic shops selling furniture, original art, imported goods, home decor, antiques, and clothing, plus a couple good cafes. The strip is located just northwest of the Del Mar racetrack; reach it by taking the Via de la Valle exit off I-5 and going right on Cedros Avenue. The Coaster commuter train stops at the Solana Beach station next to the district.

Garden fanciers will find North County the best hunting grounds for bulbs, seeds, and starter cuttings. North County nurseries are known throughout the state for rare and hard-to-find plants -- notably begonias, orchids, bromeliads, succulents, ranunculuses, and unusual herbs.