My San Francisco trip left me deeply inspired, invigorated and refreshed on so many levels. It blows my mind to see so much creativity and such passionate individuals making things happen. I was especially taken with all the new parklet's or outdoor mini parks I saw all over the city! And all the amazingly designed and highly functional bicycle parking made me smile as well. Both things made me miss living in a larger city and I yearn so badly for people in Ventura to one day embrace some of these city elements, on a smaller scale of course.
This trip reaffirmed some dreams and desires that both Toby and myself have been kicking around lately. It's much too soon to even really talk about them, but I am so happy about our future and its possibilities. Lets just say that Santa Cruz especially stole our hearts. Both Santa Cruz and San Francisco had some wonderful little places that I fell in love with and was so inspired by, I just have to share!
First up is a little place in my old neighborhood in the City called
General Store. Tobes and I lived by Ocean Beach the whole time we lived in San Francisco. We loved the small beach town vibe, the stillness of the morning fog, the empty beach with an abundance of sand dollars and the quirky little shops, cafes and restaurants that were there. Since we have moved, more amazing local, one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants have sprang up. We would always stop into Java Beach to grab coffee, which is located on Judah Street, where the Muni train ends at the beach. Judah has blossomed and now has a fun stretch of shops & eats right by the beach and in earshot of the fog horns that I love so much!
General Store is located right next door to Trouble Coffee (yummy local coffee) and beckons you to come in with their simple shop window logo. I like how the shop reflects its surroundings, taking inspiration from the beach neighborhood. Lots of the local artists hold true to this same aesthetic, often times using found wood and other materials from the neighborhood streets. The shop is carefully and beautifully curated with all sorts of small scale craft goods, designers and unique vintage oddities. The design of the shop itself will blow your mind! On the morning we rode by, the shop was closed (major sad face) so I could only drool over all the loveliness from that light filled window. The whole vibe reminded me of another San Francisco treasure in our old neighborhood, Mollusk Surf Shop (which we did go into & I will be featuring it this week). If you find yourself near Ocean Beach while visiting the City, please stop into this little gem of a shop & relish in the charm that is the Ocean Beach community.
I was so smitten with the lovely changes in my old hood that I have a few more great spots to share with you in the upcoming weeks! So, come meander with me in the Outer Sunset...next stop, Mollusk Surf Shop.
