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GENERAL ABBREVIATED LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Website: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sweepstakes begins on 11/30/2023 at 1:00 PM PST and ends on 12/7/2023 at 11:59 PM PST. Open only to legal U.S. residents residing in California who are 18+ yrs. of age at the time of entry. One (1) Grand Prize is available. See Official Rules […]
GENERAL ABBREVIATED LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
Website:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sweepstakes begins on 11/30/2023 at 1:00 PM PST and ends on 12/7/2023 at 11:59 PM PST. Open only to legal U.S. residents residing in California who are 18+ yrs. of age at the time of entry. One (1) Grand Prize is available. See Official Rules at https://linkin.bio/sandiegomag for prize description/restrictions and complete details. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: San Diego Magazine.
Instagram:
Giveaway will run from November 30 at 1 PM PST to December 7 at 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be chosen randomly and notified on December 8 via a tag in a pinned comment on this post. NoPurNec. Open only to legal U.S. residents residing in CA, 18+. This giveaway is not affiliated with or sponsored by Instagram. For full giveaway terms and conditions, head to the link in our bio or visit https://linkin.bio/sandiegomag.
Westfield UTC’s Ultimate Peppermint Beach Club Experience
Official Sweepstakes Rules
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Entrants are providing information to “Sponsor” (as defined below) and not to Instagram.
The following promotion is intended for participants in California only and shall be construed and evaluated according to the laws of the United States. Do not proceed in this promotion if you are not a legal U.S. resident residing in California. Further eligibility restrictions are contained in the official rules below.
Submissions may be posted on Westfield’s website and digital systems. If you do not want your Submission made public, DO NOT ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES.
1. DESCRIPTION: The Westfield UTC’s Ultimate Peppermint Beach Club Experience giveaway begins on Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 1:00pm PST and ends on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 11:59pm PST (“Sweepstakes Period“). The Sponsor of this Sweepstakes is San Diego Magazine, 1230 Columbia Street, Ste. 800, San Diego, CA 92101 (“Sponsor“). The administrator of this Sweepstakes is Westfield UTC, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite E-25, San Diego, CA 92122 (“Administrator“). Void where restricted or prohibited by law.
2. ENTRANT ELIGIBILITY: In order for an Entrant (“Entrant”) to be eligible to participate in the Sweepstakes and to be considered as a potential winner, the Entrant must meet the following eligibility criteria:
3. HOW TO ENTER & SUBMISSON REQUIREMENTS: To enter the Sweepstakes, Entrant must 1) be a registered user of Instagram, 2) be a follower of both the Westfield UTC [@WestfieldUTC] and the San Diego Magazine [@sandiegomag] Instagram accounts, 3) like the giveaway campaign promotion post, 4) publish a comment on the promotional post tagging at least one friend, and 5) have the ability to accept direct messages from the Sponsor (@sandiegomag).
All entries must be received by 12/7/2023 at 11:59 PM PST. Limit one (1) unique and original entry per person for the Sweepstakes Period. Any attempt by an Entrant to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple identities, registrations, logins, and/or any other methods will void such Entrant’s entry and that Entrant may be disqualified from the Sweepstakes.
Sponsor’s decisions are final in all matter relating to this Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant that Sponsor determines to be in violation of any term contained in these Official Rules. Sponsor’s decision not to enforce a specific provision of these Official Rules does not constitute a waiver of that provision or of the Official Rules generally. All information provided by Entrants becomes the property of Sponsor. ELIGIBLE ENTRANTS MUST ENTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES. NO OTHER METHOD OF SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Each Submission that is entered into the Sweepstakes must meet the following “Submission Requirements” (any Submission that, in Sponsor’s sole and absolute direction, violates the following criteria will be disqualified):
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Submission that is ineligible, incomplete, non-compliant or otherwise objectionable. Each entrant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold the Sweepstakes Entities and their successors and assigns harmless from and against any and all third party claims, actions or proceedings of any kind and from any and all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses relating to or arising out of any breach or alleged breach of any of the warranties, representations, covenants or obligations of entrant hereunder. IMPORTANT NOTE: Without in any way limiting the effect of the rest of these Official Rules, any entrant who incorporates any intellectual property owned by a third party into his or her entry without permission does so at his or her own risk.
4. WINNER SELECTION & NOTIFICATION: On or about Friday, December 8, 2023, the Administrator will conduct a random drawing from all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period to select one (1) potential winner. Potential winner will be notified in the form of a direct message from the Sponsor on Instagram. Potential Winner will be required to respond (as directed) to the notification attempt and provide an email address and/or phone number as directed within seventy-two (72) hours of first attempted notification. Failure to respond within the stated time period may result in forfeiture of the prize. Potential Winner will be required to verify address and return within three (3) days an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release (collectively, “Prize Claim Documents”) covering eligibility, liability, advertising, publicity and media appearance issues, unless prohibited by law. The failure to respond timely to the notification may result in forfeiture of the prize and, in such case, Administrator may select and attempt to contact up to three (3) alternate winners from the remaining eligible entries received. A prize will not be awarded until all such properly executed forms are returned. Administrator and/or Sponsor reserve the right to disqualify anyone not fully complying with the Official Rules; and, upon disqualification, prize will be forfeited without compensation of any kind. An IRS Form 1099 will be issued in the name of the winner for the actual value of the Grand Prize received. Winner must provide his or her Social Security Number in accordance with Internal Revenue Service regulations. The IRS Form 1099 will be issued for the calendar year in which the prize was delivered and fulfilled.
5. ODDS OF WINNING: Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period.
6. PRIZE: One (1) Grand Prize is available. The Grand Prize includes private access to either upper rooftop deck or lower level interior of Santa’s Villa at Westfield UTC’s Peppermint Beach Club for 1.5 hours for up to six guests featuring drinks and appetizers, a hosted meal experience at Queenstown Bistro (valued up to $750.00), sweet treats to-go from Hanna’s Creamery & Café (valued at $30,00), a $250 gift card for use at Westfield UTC, and complimentary parking (valued up to $120.00). The experience must be enjoyed between 10:00 AM PST Monday, December 11, 2023 and 11:00 PM PST on Thursday, December 21. Date and time selection to be coordinated in collaboration with Westfield UTC Management, pursuant to availability at Santa’s Villa. Upper deck and lower level of Santa’s Villa are similar in size and offer seating, lighting, and seasonal décor. The lower level is ADA accessible via ramp. Alcohol is available to guests who are 21+ only.
Gift card may be subject to separate terms and conditions imposed by issuer. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, AND ANY OTHER COSTS AND EXPENSES, ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. No cash alternatives or prize substitution is allowed except at the discretion of the Sponsor. If the prize cannot be awarded due to circumstances beyond the control of the Sponsors, a substitute prize of equal or greater retail value may be awarded. No refunds, credits or exchanges are allowed. The prize is awarded WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, express or implied, without limitation. Neither sponsor nor Administrator will replace any lost or stolen gift card. Other restrictions may apply. Administrator reserves the right to disqualify anyone not fully complying with the Official Rules.
7. PUBLICITY RIGHTS & RIGHTS RELEASE: By entering the Sweepstakes, each Entrant hereby grants to the Sponsor and its designees the non-exclusive, irrevocable, fully paid, universal license to use, copy, edit, sublicense, make derivative works, transmit, distribute, publicly perform, publish, delete or display each Entrant’s Submission, and to use each Entrant’s Instagram handle, or image, photo, video, text, name, likeness, biographical data, city, state of residence and quotations (the “Materials”) in advertising, marketing, programming or promotional materials, worldwide in perpetuity in any media now known or hereafter devised including, but not limited to all forms of electronic media, print media and all forms of internet and wireless protocol and, in the case of the confirmed winner, on a winners’ list, if applicable, without further compensation unless prohibited by law.Each Entrant understands that his or her name and Materials may be posted on the Sponsor’s website, social media profiles and in digital media. Entrants agree that the Sponsor and its designees have no obligation to post any Material. Entrants agree to release the Sweepstakes Entities, and their assigns and licensees, from any and all claims or liability (now known or hereafter arising), including but not limited to any claims for defense and/or indemnity, in connection therewith.
8. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may designate the Administrator to handle winner selection, notification and fulfillment tasks on Sponsor’s behalf. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. By participating, each Entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Sweepstakes Rules and the decisions of the Sweepstakes Entities, which shall be final in all respect.
9. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES; RELEASE; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: By participating in this Sweepstakes and/or by accepting any prize, each Entrant agrees to release the Sweepstakes Entities and each of their respective advertising agencies, successors, employees, agents, representatives and assigns (collectively, the “Released Parties“) from any and all actions, claims, losses or damages arising in any manner, directly or indirectly, from participation in this Promotion and/or acceptance or use of a prize, including any travel related thereto. The Released Parties shall not be liable for: (i) any injuries, losses, liabilities or damages of any kind including personal injury or death caused by the prize or resulting from acceptance, possession, use or misure of a prize including participation in any activity related thereto, or from participation in the Sweepstakes, including any travel related thereto; (ii) telephone system, telephone or computer hardware, software or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) late, lost, delayed, stolen, misdirected, postage-due, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, garbled or unintelligible entries, communications or affidavits, regardless of the method of transmission; (v) any inability of winner to accept or use any prize (or portion thereof) for any reason and such prize or portion thereof shall be forfeited; or (vi) any printing, typographical, human administrative or technological errors in any materials or activities associated with the Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes Entities disclaim any liability for damage to any computer or mobile system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes Entities reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes (or any portion of the Sweepstakes) at any time for any reason or should fraud, a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention, extenuating circumstance or other problem/cause corrupt or inhibit the administration, security or proper play of the Sweepstakes and, in such situation, will select the winners from eligible non-suspect entries received prior to and/or after such action or in such manner as deemed fair and appropriate by the Sweepstakes Entities. Sweepstakes Entities may prohibit Entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines Entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair practices or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other Entrants or Sweepstakes Entities representatives.
As a condition of entering, Entrants agree (and agree to confirm in writing): (a) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and participant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential, or any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses; (b) all causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; and (c) any and all claims, judgments, and award shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, excluding attorneys’ fees and court costs.
10. GOVERNING LAW/DISPUTES: This Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the United States and the State of California, without respect to any choice of law or conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than that of California. As a condition of participating in this Sweepstakes, Entrants agree that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with this Sweepstakes, shall be resolved individually through binding arbitration, without resort to any form of class action, in accordance with the arbitration provision set forth below.
11. ARBITRATION PROVISION: By participating in this Sweepstakes, each Entrant agrees that any and all disputes the entrant may have with, or claims Entrant may have against, the Released Parties relating to, arising out of or connected in any way with (i) the Sweepstakes, (ii) the awarding or redemption of any prize, and/or (iii) the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, will be resolved individually and exclusively by final and binding arbitration administered by the National Arbitration Forum (the “Forum”) and conducted before a sole arbitrator pursuant to the Code of Procedure established by the Forum. The arbitration shall be held at a location determined by the Forum pursuant to the Code of Procedure, or at such other location as may be mutually agreed upon by the participant and Sponsor. The arbitrator’s decision shall be controlled by the terms and conditions of these Official Rules and any of the other agreements referenced herein that the applicable participant may have entered into in connection with the Sweepstakes. There shall be no authority for any claims to be arbitrated on a class or representative basis; arbitration can decide only the participant’s and/or Sponsor’s individual claims and the arbitrator may not consolidate or join the claims of other persons or parties who may be similarly situated. The arbitrator shall not have the power to award special or punitive damages against the participant or Released Parties. For more information on the Forum and/or the Forum’s Code of Procedure, please visit their website at www.arb-forum.com. If any part of this Arbitration Provision is deemed to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, the balance of this Arbitration Provision shall remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with its terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.
12. PRIVACY POLICY: Any personal information supplied by you to Sponsor will be subject to its privacy policy posted at https://www.westfield.com/privacy-policy. By entering the Sweepstakes, you grant Sponsor permission to share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the other Sweepstakes Entities for the purpose of prize fulfillment.
13. SPONSOR: San Diego Magazine, 1230 Columbia Street, Ste. 800, San Diego, CA 92101
14. ADMINISTRATOR: Westfield UTC, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite E-25, San Diego, CA 92122
15. WINNERS /OFFICIAL RULES: To view a copy of these Official Rules, visit https://linkin.bio/sandiegomag. For a list of the winner(s), mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Westfield UTC, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite E-25, San Diego, CA 92122 by March 1, 2024.The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram. Instagram is completely released of all liability by each Entrant in this Sweepstakes. You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Instagram.
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The San Diego home remodeling company works on full homes, kitchens, bathrooms, home additions, ADUs, garages, landscapes, and hardscapes.
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.”

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.

The Campaign for La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) will fuel scientific innovation and medical advances
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.
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.
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.
Scripps orthopedic surgeons are investigating stem cells as an alternative to joint replacement
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.
Artwork throughout the Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas promotes hope and healing
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.
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.
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.
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:

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 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 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 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

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 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
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
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
Chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and craft mixers - meet our 2026 Tastemakers, the minds behind the magic.
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.”
Lobster Taco: Flour sourdough tortilla with lobster shell bisque and local red spiny lobster

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