Mike Nelson's View of San Diego--North Park

Another Stop On Mike Nelson's Virtual Tour of San Diego

North Park is quite an eclectic community. It is beginning to go through the rebirth that its neighborhood to the west (Hillcrest) went through 10 or 15 years ago. There are a lot of businesses which have been here for decades and a bunch of new upstarts. Among a lot of the upstarts are the so-called 99-cent discount stores. 30th and University Avenue is a major city bus stop (buses that run north/south and east/west stop here). As a result there is a great deal of pedestrian traffic at the intersection. So without further ado, there is a rundown of a few of the establishments in the community. Some of the businesses look almost the same as when I first came to San Diego in 1974 while others have kept abreast and expanded or moved as they grew. You can click on most of the pictures to get a bigger view. Please be patient while this page loads as it has a lot of pictures.

Of course, every community has their flagship landmark. For North Park, it is the North Park Theatre. It has been vacant for quite some time. Fortunately, the owners keep it painted. For several years back in the 1970s, the theatre was used by New Horizons Fellowship as their church. They would offer free Moody science movies on Friday nights and put on Christian concerts and other activities to the public. They moved to Clairemont. I understand that the theatre is now vacant because of the fact that it may not be able to meet earthquake standards. This situation represents one of the major problems for communities: How do you maintain a sense of the history and ambiance it possesses yet continue to look forward? The theatre imposes its presence but is not suitable for occupancy.

According to a sign in the store, the North Park Barbecue Pit is celebrating its golden anniversary this year. I have to be honest. I just LOVE The Barbecue Pit -- and for a lot of reasons. First of all, I like the food. The beef and ham are exquisite. You get a great simple no-frills meal. The standard combos give you either barbecued beef or ham along with your choice of two sides. I usually go for the coleslaw and baked beans. However, I really like their fries as well. The fries are bigger than the type you get at McDonald's or Burger King -- almost like a wedgie. And they are not greasy, either! Secondly, when you walk into the place, it's almost like stepping back to another place and time. The decor is very much like the midwest in the 50s. It simply makes you feel like you left a metro madhouse and went to a time and place where things are quiet and rustic.

The Pekin Cafe is a major landmark on University Avenue. It's been there since 1930 and it's only a couple of doors down from the North Park Theatre. I'm pleased to say that it was recently repainted and spruced up and shines again! One of its hallmarks is the use of neon lights to accent its exterior trimmings. I regret that I haven't been inside for a number of years but I remember the interior as being quite stylish of an older era. As I remember, it was a true Chinese restaurant, not an Asian restaurant. It, too, seemed like taking a time warp to another time and place..

Evangelical Bible Book Store is now in its third location since it opened for business in 1974 or 1975. The first location was a small storefront a block and a half south of University Avenue on 30th St. As it grew, it moved a second location a couple of storefronts further south with twice the square footage. Now it is located 1/2-block south of University Avenue on Grim St. They also have a branch location on the Westminster Seminary campus in Escondido. There are several things that makes Evangelical unique among Christian bookstores. The first is their commitment to conservative Christian views. Virtually all of their books and literature reflect those views. You won't find a Christian bestseller simply because it is a best seller--it must also fit in with the emphasis of their viewpoints. Another is how knowledgeable everyone is in the store about the literature they carry. They also have one of the best selections of Christian reference materials in the country. And lastly, they discount their merchandise. This was virtually unheard of back in the 1970s. When I was going to the University in the midwest in the 70s, several of my friends and I did quite a bit of mailorder business with Evangelical.

Although this storefront on Ray Street is currently empty, I included it because it hold some very fond remembrances for me. For many years, an older Christian couple ran a small Christian bookstore in here. I know that the man was well into his 80s and was in failing health. The last time that I can remember that they were still operating was in 1977 or 1978. I moved back to the midwest for a year and a half in 1978 and 1979 to go to school and when I came back, the store was gone. I bought most of my Ralph Carmichael, Otis Skillings and other Christian LPs here. I still have some refrigerator magnets that I bought there. I miss the small store charm.

I must admit that I haven't been in this store for more than 20 years. But it looks the same as it did 20 years ago. Even in the 70s, it was like walking into the 50s. There's just something about hardwood counters and shelving that is timeless. Metal racks just don't compare. And just dig that stylish architecture. They simply don't build shops like this anymore. The Bargain Center is one of the surviving remnantsof the post-WWII military surplus outlets. It's located at the corner of North Park Way & Ray St. A final note: Back in the 70s, I used to park near the Center. The old woman who lived in the house just south of the store was often in her yard. We would chat. She claimed to be nearly 100 years old and from what she told me, I'm sure she was.

Paras News has been on the corner of 30th and University Avenue for decades. They have the widest selection of periodicals that you'll find anywhere in San Diego. They carry tons of Sunday newspapers from cities all over the US so you can get a touch of home if you are a San Diego transplant. For many years, it was this really narrow shop with racks that went nearly all the way to the ceiling. They expanded a few years ago when the location beside them became available. Now they have a larger selection of periodicals and newpapers as well as a somewhat larger paperback section and a snack and chilled drink cooler. Every now and then you can see them featured on a news story on one of the local TV stations as a source for a certain publication.

George's Camera has been doing business at the same location just south of University Avenue on 30th Street for decades. I first started buying black and white 35-mm equipment and supplies from them in 1975. They were one of the few full-line photography stores then. Back then, the store was only 1/2 as wide as it is now and it was known as George's Camera Exchange. With the growing popularity of electronic cameras and VCRs, they expanded their name to reflect their wider product line. The last time I was in there was right at Christmas and they were so busy with customers that you could hardly walk into the store. I still have the Vivitar photo enlarger that I bought from them in 1977.

I've put this building on this page for two reasons: 1) It is an example of how a business area adapts to a changing neighborhood and economy. With the proliferation of shopping malls, most of the small neighborhood shopping districts in San Diego have fallen on lean times. At one time, there was a Mode O'Day women's clothing store and shoes chains across the street from this building. As the neighborhood has changed demographics, businesses follow suit. The neighborhood surrounding North Park has become increasingly lower income. Many of the residents don't maintain checking accounts with ordinary banks because the banks charge too much for their checking accounts. Locations like this prosper because they offer a service that banks charge much more for. And the banks do feel the competition. Union Bank of California across the street also offers to cash checks under similar terms as this business. To the best of my knowledge, that branch is the only branch in San Diego that publicly advertises to cash checks for customers who don't maintain an account with them. 2) The other reason I have put this building on this page is because it used to be a Tandy Leather shop until it moved further down University Avenue. Many are the leather kits that I bought from there in the 70s. I still have my old leather wallet that I made from the kit.

Years ago, JC Pennys used to put their stores in neighborhoods as anchors. When I came to San Diego nearly 25 years ago, Pennys had such locations in North Park, Pacific Beach, National City, and College Grove. They shut most of them down in the late 70s and early 80s as they focused their operations on their 'superstores' in the big shopping malls such as Fashion Valley and Plaza Bonita. Many of these stores sat empty for a time. The old Penny's stores in Pacific Beach and National City were opened for a brief time as Savers, a subsidiary of the San Diego based Walker Scott stores. About 8 months later they were converted to Walker Scott stores. Both locations were shut down when Walker Scott liquidated in the late 80s. But I digress. The North Park location became an REI sporting goods store for several years after Penny's moved out. REI abandoned the location and Pic N Save moved in.

Finally, I've included a small sample of other building to complete this stop on the tour. I picked the Oddfellows building because it, too, is a landmark. It was recently spruced up -- as the picture shows -- although I'll bet it was never these colors originally. The Post Office on Grim & North Park Way is a beautiful example of the classic architecture of the first half of this century. Compared to the bland government buildings of the 70s, 80s and 90s, this building simple reeks style. I've included the sign to Stern's gym. The gym has been in its same location with about 1949 if memory serves me correctly. And, last of all, is Big City Tattoo on University, just a hop, skip and a jump from 30th St. It is one of the newer businesses in North Park and I picked it for this collection since it blends the past with the present. You can see a larger image of each picture if you select "view image" with your browser.

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