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Partner Content JULY 2, 2022

17 Best Natural Shampoos for Men in 2022

These shampoos are just as effective as the products you know and love, without all of the added harsh chemicals and ingredients.

17 Best Natural Shampoos for Men in 2022
Mens Shampoo.jpg

Mens Shampoo.jpg

Before we lay out our top picks for the 17 best natural shampoos for men in 2022, let’s first discuss why the switch to a natural shampoo is the best move for you. Here’s the thing: When we know better, we should do better, and that applies to what we consume in and on our bodies every day. With the technology we have today, manufacturers are able to create shampoos (as well as other grooming products) that are just as effective as the products you know and love, without all of the added harsh chemicals and ingredients.

Chemicals not only can cause potential skin irritation but they also get absorbed through our pores and can contribute to health complications. They also are so harsh that, over time, they may break down the protein in your hair or reduce the size of your hair follicles, causing way more damage than the benefits they claim to provide.

Natural shampoos use essential oils, plant extracts and other natural ingredients to provide your hair all of the healthy nourishment that it needs. Natural shampoos have gentle formulas that will keep your skin just as happy as your hair and are far less likely to cause an allergic reaction.  Another benefit is that natural shampoos are not as harmful to the environment, and oftentimes, natural shampoo manufacturers will also use recyclable bottles to further the good they are doing.

Understandably, it can be worrisome taking the leap into natural products, unsure of their effectiveness or ability to live up to your current favorites. However, we know that once you do, you will ultimately be thrilled with the outcome. To get you started, we have compiled the 17 best natural shampoos for men. Included in this list are products that we know you’ll love, and we also know will give you your best hair days, every day. Now, not all hair types are alike, so make sure to read through the descriptions and pick out a shampoo that aligns with your needs. If it’s not a perfect fit, don’t give up; try more until you find the perfect option for you. Now let’s dive in!

1.  Blu Atlas Shampoo

Blu Atlas.jpg

Blu Atlas.jpg

There was absolutely no way that we were not positioning Blu Atlas Shampoo at the very top of our list of the 17 best natural shampoos for men. This shampoo, and the brand in general, blow any other men’s grooming products out of the water. If you’ve found your way to this article, it means taking care of yourself is a high priority for you, and that is something to be proud of.

We can honestly say that if you start using Blu Atlas products, you will never need to search for a new grooming brand again. Blu Atlas is a premium grooming brand created for the modern man. They create affordable products without sacrificing luxury. Their collection includes everything you need: haircare, skincare, body care and fragrances.

Blu Atlas fully understands that men want to care for their bodies and skin the same way women do, so they created a product collection to help them do just that. Men have specific needs that may be different from the needs of women, so why should we use the same brands? The truth is that some variation in branding can help suit our needs better, and Blu Atlas understands that.

The Blu Atlas Shampoo has a sulfate-free formula that is 100% vegan and only contains healthy and helpful ingredients. A benefit to finding a high-quality shampoo is that you can trust they don’t contain any harmful ingredients. Blu Atlas Shampoo contains jojoba oil, a source of Vitamin E, A and D. Jojoba oil also is rich in beneficial antioxidants and fatty acids, all of which bring a huge boost of nourishment to your strands.

The inclusion of aloe barbadensis leaf works to provide a natural source of moisture, and sodium methyl cocoyl taurate is what creates a creamy and luxurious lather when you massage their shampoo into your scalp. With everyday use, you will find that your hair is stronger, healthier and shinier than you could’ve ever imagined, free from buildup and grime.

Here’s the best part. Blu Atlas is loyal to their customer base and hopeful that you will benefit from each of their products in the collection, so they created their very own subscribe-and-save program. If you choose to subscribe to it, you will receive 20% off retail pricing as well as a package containing all of your favorite products long before you use the last drops of your current stock. We all live busy lifestyles, so not having to worry about reordering is a giant perk that Blu Atlas provides.

2. Brickell Men’s Daily Strengthening Shampoo

Brickell.png

Brickell.png

Brickell Men’s Daily Strengthening Shampoo stands out to all who use it due to its signature scent that will have you feeling like you’re at a spa each time you massage it into your scalp.  The fragrance profile combines peppermint and tea tree oils. The fragrance isn’t the only reason you should purchase this shampoo, though. It is a strengthening shampoo that will have you wondering why you haven’t used it all along.

The goal of this shampoo is to promote hair growth while reducing scalp irritation, and hydrolyzed wheat protein is the main ingredient that increases the thickness of each strand and strengthens the strand structure. Especially useful for those who have noticed hair thinning, Brickell Men’s Daily Strengthening Shampoo will give you fuller hair that smells fresh and clean.

3.  Maple Holistics Sage Shampoo

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Maple Holistics.png

Maple Holistics Sage Shampoo is a gentle cleanser that will rid your hair of impurities and buildup. It infuses all of the moisture your strands need through quality botanical extracts. Your hair will be nourished and healthy, and your scalp will be squeaky clean. If you have oily hair, Maple Holistics Sage Shampoo is a wonderful option for you to use every day; it will strip away any excess oils you have while replenishing any hydration you may be lacking.

This shampoo is free from parabens, phthalates, alcohol, synthetic fragrances or colors, silicones and any other harmful ingredient. The essential oil blend of sage, spikenard and rosemary all work together to clarify your strands and scalp. Jojoba and peach kernel oils give fine, dry and thin hair the volume and clarity that it deserves.

4.  Every Man Jack 2-in-1 Daily Shampoo and Conditioner (Sandalwood)

Every Man Jack.png

Every Man Jack.png

The Every Man Jack brand is naturally derived and outdoor-inspired. The creators have spent years rethinking men’s grooming care from the ground up, which is one of the many reasons it’s a favorite of millions of men. The fragrances used in each of their products are inspired by nature, and the ingredients used are clean, safe for skin, and naturally derived, with no harsh chemicals included. Created in a garage back in 2008, the founder, Ritch Viola, found that men’s grooming products were either too expensive or had far too many harsh chemicals included (or even worse—a combination of the two). Ritch started Every Man Jack and partnered with Target to launch a brand that used as many naturally derived ingredients as they could. Their 2-in-1 Daily Shampoo and Conditioner in Sandalwood scent is the one product you need to simplify your routine.

This duo will cleanse and moisturize your hair from root to tip. The formula includes coconut-derived surfactants that will cleanse your strands along with glycerin and shea butter to soften and condition your hair. The formula is 96% plant-derived and vegan, as well as produced in bottles that are made with 50% post-consumer recycled plastic.  Sandalwood is the top fragrance for good reason, and if you fall in love with it, couple it with the Every Man Jack Sandalwood Body Wash.

5. Jason Thin to Thick Shampoo

Jason.png

Jason.png

Thinning hair is becoming increasingly more common, and luckily, there are tons of brands on the market creating products to help. Jason Thin to Thick Shampoo has hair strengthening proteins and vitamins that will give your hair weightless volume and will help add body to your limp hair. The fresh, minty fragrance will alert your senses and invigorate your scalp. The clean formula ensures your hair receives everything it needs to promote growth and strengthen your hair, and it is free of irritants or damaging ingredients.

6. Dr. Squatch Fresh Falls Shampoo

Squatch.png

Squatch.png

Dr. Squatch wants to help you stay clean while you get dirty and will take you back to your roots through their natural shampoo formula. This brand has officially raised the bar on men’s grooming products through their natural ingredient formulas. It got started when the founder Jack started his own natural soap company out of his garage.

After realizing there were plenty of other men looking for better, natural products as well, he expanded the Dr. Squatch brand to include all of the products it offers today. Dr. Squatch Fresh Falls Shampoo blends together jojoba oil, oat protein, and honey to protect and replenish your hair.

7. John Masters Organics Scalp Stimulating Shampoo

John Masters Organics.png

John Masters Organics.png

The spearmint leaf oil and meadowsweet flower extracts in this shampoo will make your scalp come alive from the second you apply it. John Masters Organics Scalp Stimulating Shampoo works to stimulate and refresh your scalp and will eliminate unnecessary oil while also conditioning your hair.

The detoxifying blend will regulate your sebum production to keep you from getting oily hair mere hours after cleansing. You can expect your hair to be stronger and more radiant with regular use of this shampoo.

8.  Modern Mammals Minimal Rinse

Modern Mammals.png

Modern Mammals.png

Modern Mammals Minimal Rinse is easily the most unique product on this list but could be the secret ticket to bringing life back to your hair. They have created a low-maintenance product that will preserve the natural moisture and balance in your hair.

The formula is slightly different from your typical shampoo. In fact, instead of calling it a shampoo, Modern Mammals has created a Minimal Rinse. It is free of fragrance and won’t produce suds as you massage it in, but your hair will be returned to its healthiest state with regular use.

9. Jack Black True Volume Thickening Shampoo

Jack Black.png

Jack Black.png

The Jack Black brand team might be small, but they are mighty in terms of their entrepreneurial spirit. Over 20 years ago, their team set out to create a men’s grooming line that was luxurious, efficacious and addressed the needs of the modern man. While their products are not complicated, they are far superior to other competing brands, which is why they have been voted the #1 Best Selling Men’s Skincare Brand. It could be because their products follow through on their claims but is also because they listen to what their customers want (and don’t want) and create accordingly.

Jack Black True Volume Thickening Shampoo is a sulfate-free formula that will remove dirt, product buildup and oils to leave your hair looking and feeling healthier. The bodybuilding blend of botanicals uses Jack Black’s Expansion Technology to help your hair follicles look healthier and fuller, thus giving the appearance of thicker hair. Creatine adds strength and volume while white lupine protein helps to maintain a healthy scalp.

Lavender deodorizes and soothes while sage leaf extract cleanses. Sunflower seed oil is the perfect addition to replenish hydration and soothe your skin. Your hair will be left clean, and your scalp will be itch free, which is why we know you will absolutely fall in love with this shampoo.

10. Huron the Hair Duo Shampoo and Conditioner

Huron.png

Huron.png

Huron was founded after a former athlete realized that he spent way too many years of his life not paying attention to the needs of his hair and skin. After years of neglect, he realized that he needed to change his ways and get his grooming habits back in line. Due to the fact that the founder knows firsthand how easy it is for men to brush off the act of caring for themselves, he created a brand that will help men get their confidence back as they look into the mirror.

The Huron brand has every product you might need, including hair care, body care, face care and more. Their shampoo is one of their most popular products, and after one use, you will surely see why. The Huron the Hair Shampoo and Conditioner Duo contains all of the nutrients that your hair needs to look its best. The nourishing oils and vitamins will give you fuller hair, stronger hair and the shiniest hair in the room.

The fragrance profile includes citrus, juniper and aromatic greens coupled with a clean and cooling menthol effect that will leave you feeling refreshed after every shower. Since we should all be committed to leaving the earth a better place than we found it, Huron is doing their part by producing their shampoo in 100% recyclable bottles.

11. Oars + Alps Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner

Oars + Alps.jpg

Oars + Alps.jpg

Oars + Alps is a brand that believes you can get easy skincare, naturally. Through their products, Oars + Alps allows you to create a skincare regimen that works for you, rather than you working for it. Through powerful and natural ingredients, each of their products promises to deliver powerful, natural results.

They also promise to leave any of the harmful or nasty stuff where it belongs (in the dust). You won’t be bogged down reading fine print with Oars + Alps products. However, what you will find are reasonably priced, powerful products that are simple to use. Each product in their collection has been engineered, tested and re-engineered to ensure that you are receiving the best of the best, every time.

What is interesting about this brand is that it was started by two women, each of which are married to ultimate outdoorsmen. After becoming well versed in what sun, sweat, pollution and wind can do to a man’s skin, they set out to find grooming products that would actually work for their husbands after a long day outside.

After finding that most brands on the market were either too expensive, or jam packed with chemicals, they decided to take matters into their own hands, ultimately creating the Oars + Alps brand. They quickly succeeded, producing a brand that is simple, natural and at a reasonable price point.

Oars + Alps Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner work in tandem to be incredibly moisturizing and nourishing for your hair. Both include kelp and algae extracts that are powerful ingredients that penetrate your hair and infuse moisture and nutrients, leaving your strands healthier than ever. The grapeseed and olive extracts were included in the conditioner to leave lasting strength and shine long throughout your day. The fragrance profile of this duo is a fresh ocean scent with notes of crisp water that are ultra-refreshing and cool.

12. Everyone Nourish Shampoo

Everyone.png

Everyone.png

The name of this shampoo says it all: It is a highly nourishing shampoo that will provide all of the ingredients that your hair has been longing for. It blends creamy coconut with tangy lemon to create a refreshing tropical fragrance.

Due to its natural makeup, the fragrance is derived from pure essential oils, not fake synthetic fragrances. This nourishing shampoo will remove impurities and oils but won’t strip or dry out your strands. It has a vegan cruelty-free formula that is free from parabens, sulfates, perfumes or dyes.

13.  Prose Custom Shampoo

Prose.png

Prose.png

Prose is in a league of their own as they have created a completely new standard in beauty and grooming. The creators of Prose were turned off by the way that mass haircare is designed for everyone without regard to their specific hair needs. This means that the products on the shelves of mass merchandisers are created for anyone to use, when realistically if you want your hair to be the healthiest, you need to find a shampoo for your specific hair type.

Those with tightly coiled hair should not be using the same products as those with color-treated straight hair. Prose makes custom haircare a reality by designing products with individuals in mind. Their company stands behind the desire to deliver extraordinary care for each of their customers.

Another benefit to the Prose brand is that they know progress is an evolving process, meaning they continually update their products with new complexes and ingredients, as well as seasonally adjusting formulas to fit the season your zip code is in. Each of their formulas is natural and high-performing, created by chemists who masterfully combine natural ingredients in innovative ways.

To find your perfect formula, Prose will walk you through a quiz to determine what your hair needs. If quizzes aren’t your thing, don’t worry; just send a few pictures to their specialists, and they will do the rest. You will be left with a shampoo that will be exactly what your hair needs. If your scalp needs cleansing, Shikakai Extract will be included. If you need volume and moisture, you’ll find honey and pro-vitamin B5 in your blend. All in all, this is one of the most impressive shampoos on our list of the 17 best natural shampoos for men.

14. Public Goods Shampoo

Public Goods.png

Public Goods.png

A news flash courtesy of Public Goods: You don’t need to be a superhero to save the planet.  What an awesome thought, although somewhat overwhelming. However, Public Goods is a brand that is here to help us turn small choices into big impacts. Each of their products is simple and minimalist in both design and ingredients. They have developed a membership model that allows them to produce high-quality products with a low price tag.

Public Goods realizes that some of our largest battles are a result of the products we choose to consume. Therefore, they have made it their mission to make healthier and more informed choices easier and accessible to each of us. Public Goods runs the gamut in sustainable, healthy essentials that you can trust. They have everything from household cleaners, groceries and wine to pet products, CBD and personal care products.

Let’s take a look at their shampoo. Public Goods has created a very gentle formula that is free from harsh detergents and chemicals. This shampoo will help strengthen your hair to give it a radiance and shine that will have everyone wondering what products you use.

The essential oils used in this shampoo are geranium, cinnamon, orange, nutmeg, mandarin, petitgrain, celery seed, rosewood, grapefruit and vetiver. All of those essential oils work together to provide nourishment to hair and give you a fragrance that is bright, fresh and fruity. The shampoo bottle is true to the minimalist style of Public Goods and will be the perfect addition to your shower shelf.

15. Byrd Purifying Shampoo

Byrd.png

Byrd.png

The Byrd Brand was inspired by the “gentleman surfer” and will transport you back to the era of the classic ‘60s surf culture, a time when grooming was an essential part of a man’s daily routine. The creator of Byrd grew up in Newport Beach, California, spending his days surfing.

This has given him the base knowledge that sun, salt and surf are three of the key ingredients for healthy hair and skin, so that is why Byrd uses them in their products. As he began his journey starting the Byrd brand, he found out that his great grandfather owned and operated a barbershop, so hair care and grooming is ingrained into Byrd’s DNA.

The fragrance of Byrd Purifying Shampoo will take you on a trip to a day at the beach, it combines notes of salt and coconut that will instantly relax your senses. It is a sulfate-free, gentle purifying shampoo that can be used daily. Sea kelp, green tea, vegetable-derived glycerin and aloe vera provide all of the moisture and nourishment your hair needs while also protecting your strands from UV rays and environmental pollution. Sea salt is included to give your hair that desirable beachy texture and added volume. Vitamin B5 and red algae work to prevent breakage.

16. ArtNaturals Argan Oil and Aloe Shampoo

Argan Oil + Aloe.png

Argan Oil + Aloe.png

If shiny hair is what you’re after, then look no further than ArtNaturals Argan Oil and Aloe Shampoo. The infusion of Moroccan argan oil into your strands will give you a shine that you have craved and desired. Say goodbye to dry, frizzy hair and enjoy silky, soft hair that is manageable and healthy. ArtNaturals Argan Oil and Aloe Shampoo will alleviate dry, flaky scalps, as well as dandruff, flyaways and split ends.

This formula is perfect for damaged or overprocessed hair and will restore your hair health after only a few uses. You will feel like you’ve just gotten out of the salon after cleansing your hair with this shampoo, and your hair will reap the benefits long after you finish your morning routine.

17. Avalon Organics Thickening Shampoo

Avalon Organics.png

Avalon Organics.png

Avalon Organics Thickening Shampoo is EWG Verified, which means it has met the Environmental Working Group’s ultrastrict criteria for transparency, ingredients and health. That is exactly why it deserves a spot on this list of the 17 best natural shampoos for men. The formula blends together biotin, saw palmetto, quinoa protein and vitamin E, all ingredients that benefit your scalp and hair.

This pH-balanced blend will build body for your fine or thinning hair, strengthen your strands and nourish and cleanse your hair from your scalp to your ends.  Avalon Organics Thickening Shampoo will energize your scalp to support growth of thicker and fuller hair.

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Studio S OCTOBER 22, 2026

Milan Design + Build Helps San Diegans Remodel With Confidence

The San Diego home remodeling company works on full homes, kitchens, bathrooms, home additions, ADUs, garages, landscapes, and hardscapes.

Milan Design + Build Helps San Diegans Remodel With Confidence
Courtesy of Milan Design

Most homeowners want two things before they commit to a remodel: a realistic sense of cost and a clear picture of what the finished space will look like. Milan Design + Build helps deliver both through its online remodeling estimator and personalized design consultations, supported by a showroom experience and 3D renderings.

“The online estimate gives homeowners a starting number in about a minute, and the showroom and 3D renderings let them see materials and layouts before anything is built,” says David Noriani, CEO of Milan Design + Build. “Keeping design, permits, and construction with one team helps us manage expectations and keep everyone working toward the same vision.”

Courtesy of Milan Design

Modern design is a particular focus for Milan, with an emphasis on clean lines, natural light, functional layouts, and carefully selected materials. The team adapts each design to the homeowner’s lifestyle and the character of the property. Milan Design + Build combines thoughtful design with construction expertise, creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.

The online estimator covers kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, full-home remodels, and ADU construction. At Milan’s showroom on Carroll Road, visitors can review real materials, finishes, and design options, meet the design-build team, and discuss project scope, budget, and timing. Consultations can also be held virtually for homeowners who prefer to start remotely.

At Milan Design + Build, one integrated team works on the entire project. Design and construction aren’t divided between separate firms. The process begins with a consultation and feasibility review, followed by design, space planning, and 3D renderings developed from detailed measurements and digital scans. The team also coordinates architectural plans, structural engineering, city approvals, and material selection, with construction overseen by a dedicated project manager.

Homeowners can explore their remodeling options, get an initial estimate, or request a design consultation at MilanBuild.com.

Courtesy of Milan Design

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 10, 2026

La Jolla Institute for Immunology Announces $55 Million Fundraising Campaign

The Campaign for La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) will fuel scientific innovation and medical advances

La Jolla Institute for Immunology Announces $55 Million Fundraising Campaign
Courtesy of La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Philanthropists and Scientists Join Forces for a Bold $55 Million Campaign

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is going public with a bold bet: a $55 million campaign to propel medical research into a new era. The Campaign for LJI will fuel discovery, empower scientific innovation, and expand the impact of immunology on human health. 

The Institute quietly kicked things off in 2023, guided by its Board, campaign volunteers, and early believers. Nearly 80% of the $55 million goal is already in hand. Now LJI is opening the doors and inviting the whole community to carry their visions across the finish line and back discoveries that change how LJI researchers understand, treat, and prevent disease. 

And there’s a bonus. To mark the public launch, LJI Board member and Campaign Honorary Chair Anthony R. Carr is offering a special matching gift so new donors can double their impact. Full details are here. 

The Promise of Immunology

Immunology has already rewritten human history. Advances in immune science helped wipe out smallpox, pushed polio to the brink of elimination, and revolutionized how we prevent and treat infectious disease. Today, immune-based therapies are opening doors for patients with cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other serious illnesses once considered untreatable. 

For nearly four decades, LJI scientists have stood on the front lines, driven by one insight: the immune system shapes disease in virtually every organ in the body. By decoding how the immune system works and how to harness it to prevent and treat disease, LJI researchers are chasing the Institute’s ultimate mission: Life Without Disease®. 

To make that mission real, the Institute pairs world-class scientists with cutting-edge technology, speeding up breakthroughs and turning discoveries into transformative new therapies that ease suffering worldwide. 

The Campaign for LJI supercharges that momentum, uniting the vision of the Institute’s scientists with a community that believes in research. Focused on advancing LJI’s most promising areas of study, the campaign aims to help build a future free from the burden of disease, a goal that demands bold ideas, lasting partnerships, and generous philanthropic support.

The Campaign for LJI will advance research across three critical pillars: 

1. President’s Priority Fund. Flexible, unrestricted dollars let big ideas move now, not later. Scientists can launch high-risk, high-reward projects, bring experts together across disciplines, build transformative technologies, and train tomorrow’s scientific leaders. 

2. Center for Sex-Based Differences in the Immune System. Male and female immune systems don’t respond the same way, and LJI researchers are tracing the fundamental differences down to individual cells and molecular pathways. The Campaign will speed up this pioneering work, revealing hidden drivers of disease and paving the way for more precise, biologically informed therapies for autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, cancer, and beyond. 

3. Center for Vaccine Innovation. Immunologists, bioengineers, and vaccine experts are teaming up to design the next generation of vaccines and immune-based therapies. With donor support, LJI scientists can engineer longer-lasting and more personalized vaccines, pinpoint the cellular mechanisms driving protective immunity, and refine delivery methods to prevent autoimmune disease and treat cancer. 

A Lasting Impact

As the campaign enters its public phase, LJI welcomes new partners and supporters to join this landmark initiative. Community support is essential to accelerating scientific discovery, and there are many meaningful ways to help shape the future of immunology. Donors may direct their gifts to any campaign priority or other area of interest. As a comprehensive campaign, all gifts to LJI count toward the campaign goal, regardless of designation. Join the campaign, and multiply your impact with our limited-time matching opportunity. 

To explore the campaign, visit imagine.lji.org.

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 9, 2026

Paving the Way for New Knee Treatments

Scripps orthopedic surgeons are investigating stem cells as an alternative to joint replacement

Paving the Way for New Knee Treatments
Courtesy of Scripps Health

Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education at Scripps Clinic recently received a $12.7 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to investigate whether they can transform stem cells into tissue that can repair some types of knee injuries. Currently, if a patient has lost most, if not all, of the cartilage in their knee, then their doctor will recommend a total joint replacement. Joint replacement is safe and effective, but patients who’ve only lost part of their cartilage often don’t qualify. A stem cell-based treatment would provide these patients an option that doesn’t involve donor tissue. Click here for more on the preclinical trial process. 

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 9, 2026

Healing by Design

Artwork throughout the Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas promotes hope and healing

Healing by Design
Courtesy of Scripps Health

The recently opened Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas is a state-of-the-art addition to the hospital staffed by dedicated team members who’ve helped make Scripps one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems. Complementary to that medical excellence, the Lusardi Tower also represents the latest expansion of the Scripps Arts for Healing Program. The philanthropic initiative strategically places nature- and community-based artwork throughout the hospital to support health and well-being. Both Scripps Encinitas and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla have healing arts programs as part of new building projects and growth on the campuses. Click here to read more about the Healing Arts Program and how residents from a nearby retirement community showed their support. 

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 4, 2026

A Guide to South Park

From century-old Craftsman homes to vegan fantasy bars, dive bars, and a tiki room built for exactly two people, this is one of San Diego’s great little neighborhoods

You may not realize it, but Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park (in fact, 1.5 times larger). Pressed right up against its southeastern edge is a little architecture farm built on old trolley bones, where houses look like someone was collecting architectural styles and local businesses are still run by people who seem personally invested in keeping this place interesting.

This is South Park. 

To understand why it feels the way it does today—less like one commercial strip and more like a handful of tiny villages—you have to go back to the trolley.

How the Trolley Built South Park

The land that became the original South Park Addition (the subdivision’s original name) was surveyed in 1870 and officially filed in 1890, but the neighborhood really started becoming a neighborhood in the early 1900s. The Bartlett Estate Company began developing and marketing the tract in earnest around 1906, pairing lots and new homes with something extremely useful if you lived outside Downtown in the horse-and-buggy era: an electric streetcar.

On May 1, 1906, the South Park and East Side Railway made its first trip. Developers didn’t just build near transportation; they helped pay for the transportation, then used it to sell the dream. Downtown had industry, noise, and congestion. Out here were palms, sidewalks, utilities, room to breathe and a four-cent ride back to the city.

It worked. Homes began filling in around the streetcar route, and little commercial clusters grew around the places where people got on and off. That transportation pattern is still written into South Park’s geography. Some of the neighborhood’s odd street geometry is also due in part to the trolley—the old line cut across parcels instead of politely obeying the grid, leaving behind pieces of land that later businesses learned to build around. Places like Station Tavern sit on the former easement and station site of San Diego’s No. 2 trolley line.

Then San Diego went big for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in neighboring Balboa Park. The exposition transformed much of the park and helped push the city through another burst of building and growth. South Park was right there to absorb some of that momentum.

And the people building houses here had taste.

Walk the residential streets now and it can feel like somebody planted an architectural sample garden: Craftsman, Prairie, Mission Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival. Creedence Clearwater Revival. All the revivals. The neighborhood includes work by Irving Gill, one of the defining architects of early modern California; Gill-designed Prairie homes still stand along Granada Avenue.

The city formally designated the South Park Historic District in 2017, recognizing roughly 400 properties and a period of significance stretching from 1906 through 1949. In other words, a lot of what makes the place feel old is actually old.

South Park Today

While the trolley eventually disappeared, the basic idea behind it didn’t. South Park is still a neighborhood organized around little pockets of human activity: a couple blocks where you can buy a record, drink a beer, find a 60-year-old lamp, eat a vegan burger beneath gothic beasts, browse a bookstore, and walk home past a century-old Craftsman.

The 30th-and-Fern area may be the clearest example. Several surviving buildings there date to South Park’s early development, including the old Fire Station No. 9, Rose Grocery building, and Burlingame Garage. What began as infrastructure for a young streetcar suburb became the neighborhood’s commercial heart.

That history is also partly why buying a house here can be competitive. There isn’t some endless supply of vacant land waiting around the corner for another subdivision. Much of the neighborhood filled in generations ago, and the architecture itself is part of the appeal.

San Diego Mag’s been documenting the city for 78 years. And we’ve been looking for a partner who loved the city enough to help us tell its stories. Redfin is that partner. They’re helping us tell the story of some of the city’s most unique neighborhoods. They launched Redfin Early Access this year to get their people in first and to see certain coming-soon and exclusive listings on Redfin before they appear on other major real-estate sites.

First up: South Park.

Here are some of the people and places worth knowing here:

Whistle Stop Bar

Big Kitchen Cafe

Start with Judy “the Beauty” Forman, because it’s difficult to explain South Park without her. The former social worker bought Big Kitchen in 1980 and turned a neighborhood breakfast joint into a gathering place for artists, musicians, activists, politicians, eccentrics, and pretty much anyone who needed somewhere to belong. As Judy puts it, “I built this for people who others passed over.”

One of those people was a young single mom named Whoopi Goldberg, who worked as a dishwasher here before the Whoopi Goldberg part of her career happened. Today Big Kitchen still serves breakfast and lunch Thursday through Monday.

3003 Grape Street

Whistle Stop Bar

Whistle Stop reopened in 2001, right as South Park’s little independent-business ecosystem was finding a new generation. Owner Sam Chammas—also connected to Live Wire and, later, Station Tavern—helped turn it into the kind of neighborhood bar where the calendar can jump from a DJ night to live bands to some strange communal event nobody at a normal sports bar would propose.

The room still has that laid-back, slightly sweaty house-party quality. Check what’s happening before you go, because Whistle Stop changes personality depending on the night: sometimes neighborhood beer, sometimes everyone dancing beneath the disco ball like work tomorrow was canceled.

2236 Fern Street

Station Tavern

Station Tavern may be the most literal example of old South Park becoming new South Park. It opened in 2009 on land once crossed diagonally by the No. 2 trolley line, and architect Lloyd Russell incorporated that history into the design rather than pretending the weirdly shaped lot wasn’t weirdly shaped. The project won the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Grand Orchid Award the same year it opened.

Sam Chammas built the place as an open-air burger-and-beer spot with big communal tables, a backyard, room for kids, and room for dogs. It still works exactly that way: get a burger, get the tots, let everybody spread out, stay awhile.

2204 Fern Street

Kindred + Throne Room

Kindred arrived in late 2015 looking nothing like the beige-and-leafy vegan restaurant stereotype. The place went full gothic fever dream—heavy music, wild cocktails, decadent plant-based food—and eventually collected national vegan accolades plus local Restaurant of the Year and design honors.

And in 2026, it got even weirder. Hidden behind a chain-mail passage inside Kindred is Throne Room, a medieval-fantasy cocktail chamber whose mythology grew out of a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired map the Kindred team created for a 2017 Coachella pop-up. The 90-minute experience has scroll menus, plant-based mezze, cocktails and zero interest in pretending restaurants need to behave normally.

1503 30th Street

Bad Madge & Co.

Vinyl Junkies Record Shack

Vinyl Junkies has good music-scene DNA. Founder Eric Howarth previously ran indie label Hi-Speed Soul, whose roster included acts like Nada Surf and Swervedriver, then teamed with Casbah owner Tim Mays after the pair had spent years putting on Vinyl Junkies record swaps.

They opened the South Park brick-and-mortar shop in 2017, and it remains a buy-sell-trade temple for people who understand that owning music on a physical object is irrational in exactly the right way. Go flip through the new arrivals. Leave holding something you had absolutely no intention of buying.

2235 Fern Street

Bad Madge & Co.

Bad Madge is what happens when “vintage store” doesn’t quite explain the situation. Owner Tanya McAnear and her team fill the shop with furniture, clothing, barware, records, art, jewelry, collectibles, and various objects that seem like they may know things about their previous owners. The shop opened in 2011 and has made reuse and upcycling part of its identity ever since. Go in without looking for anything specific—specificity will only slow you down.

2205 Fern Street

Thread + Seed

Across the neighborhood’s vintage-and-vinyl universe sits Thread + Seed, a local boutique built around clothing, denim, gifts, and personal styling. Its South Park shop has an especially deep denim program—petite, tall, wide-leg, straight, flare—and the store also offers one-on-one styling built around color and body type. In other words, this is where you go after deciding the jeans currently on your body have betrayed you. South Park understands that sometimes personal renewal begins with pants.

2220 Fern Street

The Book Catapult

Seth Marko started The Book Catapult as a book blog in 2006. In 2017, he and his wife, Jennifer Powell, turned it into an actual bookstore in South Park, specializing loosely in fiction, local interest, and children’s books while maintaining the more important bookseller skill: putting something into your hands that you didn’t know you needed.

There are staff picks, author events, signed books, and the dangerous possibility of walking in for one title and emerging with four. Because no one ever died thinking, “I shoulda read less.”

3010-B Juniper Street

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Partner Content NOVEMBER 3, 2026

Tastemakers Fall 2026: Valle

Chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and craft mixers - meet our 2026 Tastemakers, the minds behind the magic.

Tastemakers Fall 2026: Valle
E-SDM—Valle-2026—Tastemakers_WEB

Roberto Alcocer, Chef

Chef Roberto Alcocer showcases all that Mexican cuisine and culture has to offer at Oceanside’s Valle. The Michelin-guide recommended restaurant takes inspiration and techniques from all over Mexico—with a heavy Baja influence—and blends them with local San Diego ingredients to create original and delectable contemporary Mexican cuisine. The seasonal tasting menu allows Chef Alcocer to experiment with the freshest available ingredients, creating dishes that defy guests’ expectations, while the wine list features more than 100 labels from Mexican artisans. Even the restaurant’s walls are a celebration of Mexican culture, all decorated with work from artists of Baja.

“My favorite part of being a chef of Valle is being able to showcase the Mexico that I know to everyone who visits,” Chef Alococer says. “Not only through the food, but with the design, culture, and welcoming service.”  

Try This!

Lobster Taco: Flour sourdough tortilla with lobster shell bisque and local red spiny lobster

Valle

222 North Pacific Street, Oceanside, California 92054
866-723-8906  | valleoceanside.com

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