My best friend is a thrift shop junky and has a North Park tip to share.  She swears by the Windmill Thrift Shop on University Ave.  It's close to the Bank of America at 3081 University Ave, (619) 291-2415.

She likes that it's small, well organized, and has a friendly staff.  But best of all, the prices are reasonable.  She nearly always finds little treasures when shopping there.  Everything from charming little chotchkies to regal victorian-era furniture.  One recent treasure she found is a mid-century salmon colored stool.  (To sit on or use as a foot stool.)  A favorite find was a sterling tiffany bookmark for 99 cents...in the shape of a maple leaf.    Wow, you can't beat that!  Also worth mentioning are several wonderful 40's era hats, gloves, and purses she's come across.

She occassionally finds interesting items at Pat's Corner (corner of 30th & Upas) as well.

Get out there and enjoy some North Park thrift shopping.

Like many San Diegans, I was pretty interested in the Mayor's Proposal for mid-year budget cuts.  Turns out, his plan also includes cuts in Fiscal Year 2011 (note: unlike most people, government budgets go on a "Fiscal Year" that goes from July 1 of one year to June 30 of the next year).  I was curious about how some of the Mayor's Proposals would impact North Park so I contacted Pam Ison in Councilmember Gloria's office.  Here's the Q & A:

An illness in the family kept me from going out this week.   Next week, it's ON!

Before I go any further, let me get this out of the way. I neither love, nor hate chain coffee. If you drink coffee, you've probably already got your opinion about Starbucks, and I won't try to steer you in any particular direction.

All I'll say is, the Starbucks at University & 29th Street is classy and comfy, fitting the neighborhood nicely. And I enjoyed my mocha very much.

There is a budget crisis in the City of San Diego.  Anyone with a pulse has probably heard that we have 200 million dollars less than we need.  Over the weekend there was a Town Hall meeting or something over at Hoover.  I went.  Sat amongst the crowd, kept my mouth shut, and observed...it would have been insanely funny if not for the subject matter.  Here's my top 10 list of moments...

I stumbled across a fun little new store yesterday; Home Brews & Gardens on Thorn & 32nd.  The ground floor of what had been a dull and neglected apartment building has been transformed into a smart-looking new business & store front.  Nice surprise!

It's owned and operated by a couple of friendly young guys.  (Well, anyone under 35 seems "young" to me.)  They stock organic gardening fertilizers, tools, seeds, and lots of supplies for doing your own hydroponic garden.  And unlike Home Depot, you can have an actual conversation with someone who knows a little something and can even recommend what to plant in this season.  (I usually stand in front of those seed displays scratching my head and wondering what the hell to try next.)

They also carry "brew your own wine" and "brew your own beer" kits and supplies.  I wanna make wine!

The store's grand opening is on Sunday, 12/6, 12-6, with live music and demonstrations.  Plus they're offering 10% off all purchases for the month of November.

If you enjoy beer, wine, gardening, or all three, do yourself a favor and stop in; 3176 Thorn Street,  619-630-BREW, 

If you're a coffee fan, you've most certainly been to Lestats in Normal Heights.

Lestats is the epitome of the eclectic local flair that is Normal Heights (a different link). It touts a quirky decor, diverse clientele and goth-y atmosphere... not to mention lots of live entertainment, including open-mic nights, stand-up comics and indie music acts.

This past Saturday we went from this

to this

It took a a few hours and some dedicated help from neighbors, but we were able to round out the year with another successful clean-up.  Here's a video.

I'm a long time North Park resident, but somehow never made it over to Crazy Burger, on 30th Street, until this weekend.  Have driven by millions of times, have heard it's good...but just never actually went.  Discovered it's perfect for a low-key evening when you need a hearty meal but don't want to dress; I wore the clothes I was gardening in and didn't feel out of place.  Fun and eclectic crowd, good atmosphere/energy, and decent food.  My partner enjoyed the veggie burger.  (Though I don't recommend the crab-cake burger.)  Great prices on beer & wine.  I like the whole "place your own order and seat yourself" model.  I'll definitely go back.