Ok, lets start by the reason I decided to go to Old Town on a sunny Sunday morning instead of…read morediverting my attention and my GPS towards the coastal area...another gift certificate! (I got the 3rd price at a Frida Kahlo look alike contest and one of the prizes was a $25 certificate to purchase something at the Bazaar del Mundo in Old Town). So excited to go back to Old Town with no traffic, not too many tourists and not too many expectations. And then found Ariana. Nice name for a woman and not bad for a store filled with surprise after surprise. If you like colorful and different type of clothes, this is your place. My first thought was that they were mostly catering older ladies, but the pieces are very versatile and several age groups friendly. They all have in common cool colors, pattern and whimsy! I spent a long time in the second floor (where the sales are, trying to maximize those $25!) and tried out wonderful dresses with no pressing, no hassle, all the time of this world. What a pity that everything I liked was either too small or too large, but equally pretty. Eventually I got a very cool tote bag with inspirational messages (by artist Kelly Rae Roberts, coincidentally one of my favorites) that was 50% off plus the cutest pair of socks depicting a very funny (who would say considering she always posed so serious) Frida Kahlo! Prices are touristy but check the upper floor for deals. The ladies working there are amazing, very helpful and have all the time the customer wants. I felt like I was invited to a home party surrounded by beautiful objects with warm women. Only missing thing for me there was a cup of tea and some cookies...I would have stayed even longer. So grateful for this prize and for discovering Adriana. I will come back and check the collection of lavender, purple and fuchsia wallets and also the Mexican silver jewelry. It was a feast for my eyes.

While browsing I came across a necklace I thought my daughter would like so I send her a pic. The…read morelady working at the store promptly & curtly came over to let me know there are no pictures allowed in the store. Wow! Not buying it now that's for sure! Rude!

Bazaar Del Mundo is the shop next to Casa Guadalajara restaurant and it's the best place to walk…read moreoff the mexican meal and drinks and do some shopping without trekking to Mexico. There is free parking on their lot. Walking through this shop is always amazing and I'm always tempted to buy something whether it's for gifting, for myself or for my pup Fendi, who loves a stroll through the shop. There's usually a one person staffer who's not really helpful, but leaves you alone and doesn't bother you as you browse through many eye catching wide selection of stuff most probably over priced, but at least you didn't need to fly to Mexico Although Bazaar Del Mundo means Bazaar of the World, most of the contents are of Mexican origin, various regions of Mexico, but still within the country of Mexico. So save yourself a trip to Mexico for gifting ideas. Recommend

I could get lost in this store for hours! So many beautiful Mexican art pieces. I got a gorgeous…read morebracelet I know I'll enjoy for years to come. I loved the furniture so much and wish I could've flown it home to me.

I love visiting this shop whenever I am in Old Town. They curate such beautiful and interesting…read moreitems, jewelry, and accessories. I've bought some lovely pieces throughout the years and they are still in wonderful condition. The wonderful staff and associates here are always so kind and welcoming too! They also give great suggestions if you are looking for any particular style/item.

This has always been a nice little store in which to look around. But I never bought anything until…read more12/24/25. Yes. Christmas Eve 2025. I moved away from San Diego 10 years ago, so I was in SD to spend Christmas with my mom. While in town, I wanted to go to Old Town to pick up my favorite food at one of the restaurants in Old Town, but I thought I'd look around at some of the shops since I've been away for so long. I stopped into the Johnson House and immediately wondered why I had never bought anything there. Everything in there is so fabulous. There was a purse there that was so shiny and pretty, and it kept calling to me: "You want me. Buy me. I'll be your Christmas present. I love you and I know you love me." Well... how could I deny that little purse a forever home? I bought it and used it that very night at a Christmas Eve dinner party. From now on, whenever I visit my mom, I'm going to go to the Johnson house and make a purchase. I can't wait to see what I'm going to buy the next time I'm in San Diego. :) P.S. My mom and I had Christmas buffet at Humphreys on 12/25 and I put my little purse on our table as a centerpiece. It was so pretty! The best part is that within five minutes, a customer walked past our table and told me that my purse made the perfect centerpiece! And it did! It really did! I LOVE my colorful gem purse. Thank you, Johnson House!

This place reminds me of Olvera Street in Los Angeles. There are several restaurants to choose…read morefrom. I even passed by a place where two ladies were making tortilla from scratch. I even got to try one. Even though I wasn't told what kind of tortilla was that, I knew it's made of corn because I could really taste the corn on it. There are several shops that carry traditional Mexican products such as ceramics, ponchos, home decor etc. I also watched the live entertainment where I watched performers dancing. I really enjoyed the show.

A really cool area of OldTown. They have a restaurant, various stores and a small stage for…read moreperformances. The stores contained a lot of folk art and merchandise from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Howzit that San Diego hasn't yelped Le Bel Age yet?!? Well then to all you fashionistas out there…read morein the 619, I'm about to make you discover a real jewel of a place. It's a small funky boutique called Le Bel Age, smack dab in the middle of Mission Hills shopping district on West Lewis. I'm a fan for the simple reason that my wife loves this place. She always picks up some funky jewelry, and the place generally makes her happy. And you know what they say, right? Happy wife, happy life. Ok, so in short, they've got cool women's fashion, cool handbags (my wife picked up one of these too), and lots of fun and cool trinkets to buy. I always let her spend some money here with the implicit understanding that I'll get laid that night, so how can I possibly not be a fan of Le Bel Age? ;)

I just ordered a T-shirt from this shop and I was so excited to receive it. When I did I was so…read morehappy with it. It was a unique piece made out of good material. I started following the Instagram account and I love it! This shop is the cutest and has the best most unique pieces!

Can't believe I haven't left a review yet! I happened upon…read morethis thrift in Old Town over a year ago. Yes it's tiny but they get some of the best donations to sell! Clothes = $4 yes, ALL adult clothes are $4 (some special items may be higher, like the $30 wedding dress...) Plants = yes, this thrift also sources AMAZING plants to sell and they pair it with follow up care / advice, so if you get it home and forget how to care for it, send a message and they'll happily help. Trinkets, treasures, small household items, shoes in REALLY great condition? Yep, they've got all that! Fun events? That too! Plant Bingo and propagation swaps to name a few. Hannah and Hanna are amazing.

I haven't been here since the new ownership and I've alway quite loved this place. I think I've…read moredecided that I may actually love it a little more now! The team is so delightful, uplifting and the place is a total vibe. The owners engaged with each person on some level or another and were super friendly (not the fake kind). They knew so much about plants, and as a plant girlie myself, I was diggin' it. They are all about community and care about what they put out to sell. Honest Thrift has options for everyone. Trinkets, clothes, shoes, plants, music, art etc. The pricing is affordable and fair, and their plant selection is beautiful and properly priced for a boutique style premium selection of plants of very well maintained and cared for. Heck, what you save on buying clothes for $4, splurge on your plant. If I didn't have nearly 100 plants in my own house and own my own plant business, I'd get mine from here. Do know, I'll buy cutesy things for my home and gifts for others.

Every time I visit San Diego (former hometown) I visit Moon & Sun. Love the products but…read moreunfortunately not the staff. I like to take a really good look around.. was there for 20 minutes and Ashlyn, the employee, did not say one word or look up at me and my kiddos! Another customer came in and she welcomed her! Had a full on conversation with her during check out. Soon as I came up for my purchases, crickets. Sadly I won't be going back anymore.

Not sure if the shop keeper got the memo from previous reviews or not but I felt very welcomed, was…read moreimmediately asked if I needed anything. I was in a hurry to get a gift while on a break from work and she helped me pick something out quickly that was perfect for what I was looking for. A little pricey / upscale for shopping for my own child but for buying a nice gift for others where you know it's good quality, I'll be going back for sure.

TJ Maxx has been a constant in my life for a long time. It's the best place to buy things like…read moreluggage, cookware, gift bags and Skincare. I especially like this location because they have an excellent selection of Korean skin care brands that I have already like to use. They also have a lot of seasonal items without being overwhelming like HomeGoods. Don't get me wrong. I love HomeGoods, but sometimes I go in there and my head just starts spinning. I've consistently found that TJ Maxx has the best prices on these items consistently. Sometimes the line at the register is really long, but they are generally pretty efficient and you can get through it without too much pain.

There's plenty of parking even though right now during the holidays it can get pretty busy. It's a…read morereally big store with tons of options for luggage and clothing. Typically this is a cleaner store, but I think it's messy recently because of all of the holiday shoppers. They do have a restroom which requires a code for entry.