Girard Avenue and Prospect Street
Girard Avenue and Prospect Street
Girard Avenue and Prospect Street
4.5
About
Fashionable streets in La Jolla that offer expensive shops, boutiques, art galleries and elegant restaurants.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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4.5
293 reviews
Excellent
132
Very good
119
Average
39
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Traveler161
13 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
We stayed at the Grande Colonial, right in the heart of the village. We had no car on this trip. One in our party has walking issues, so everything we did was geared toward that. The hotel currently only has room service breakfast due to COVID so we ate breakfast at Richard Walkers right across the street. Very friendly, short wait, and good typical breakfast food. We had dinner at The Spot. Great salads and burgers, and good vibes. Gerard Street has an Indy book store, Warwick’s, a hardware store to putter around in, and lots of other shops. Lots of coffee shop choices too, with plenty of outdoor seating. Less than a mile up Gerard is a farmers market, only open on Sunday’s. Going toward the water, Seal Beach is 5 minutes away and follows along the coast to La Jolla Cove and more seals and sea lions.
Written 2 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edwelsh
North Canton, OH7,220 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
This may be the heart of La Jolla. Nice variety of stores and restaurants. We spent a few hours walking around, strolling in and out of shops, reading menus, people watching, fancy car watching and just enjoying the nice San Diego weather.
Written 12 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Perry_from_SoCal
Orange, CA114 contributions
Apr 2012 • Family
Many shops don't have public restrooms, and if you have someone that needs to go, find these shops and enjoy what they have to offer as well. GIRARD STREET: Waricks is a GREAT place: lots of stationary, travel items, books, jewelry, and 1 toilet...Across the street is the Anthenium (a music library). Admission is free, and the restroom has 2-3 stalls, but you'll want to spend some time here since there are only 11(?) Antheniums in the world so I was told. PROSPECT STREET: the La Jolla Financial Building (parking Structure) 2nd floor has a restroom but there are no signs indicating that. When you exit the elevator, go right then left, and you'll see the door with a restroom sign on it. It's rough out there people.
Written 30 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2beans2000
San Diego, CA3,836 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
A lovely area to stroll and window shop or find great gifts, books, or clothes whether you are looking for beautiful shawls and cashmere (Sigi Boutique or J McLaughlin), hip teen attire (LF or Zia) athleisure (Lulu Lemon or Lorna Jane).
Toys at Gepettos and taffy/candy galore at Balboa Candy Store. Jewelry at many stores but be sure to visit the long-standing Bowers Jewelers, a Village tradition.
Coffee and a cookie at Girard Gourmet or around the block to Brick and Bell Cafe for a walnut scone or acai bowl. Peets Coffee is next to Sigi on the west side of the street at Wall Street and Girard or Elixir is on the east side tucked in on the bottom level of the shops at the corner of Wall Street and Girard.
Do your shoes need a fix or polish? Stop by to see Turin at Cinderella Shoe Repair in Silverado just steps off of Girard. Or perhaps you’ve decided you need new comfortable walking shoes... then visit Eurocomfort Shoes on Girard. They have the most comfortable walking shoes in so many styles. I go there before every international trip to get walking shoes.
Feeling like cooking tonight, or need a hostess gift for your dinner at a friend’s hone? Stop by Sur la Table at the south end if Girard Ave. Always so many fun items as gifts or to finish off your own kitchen. They teach great classes there, also so sign up for your free night if you are visiting La Jolla!
Girard Avenue has so much to offer. By now you must be hungry.... interested in more than a cookie/coffee? How about the greatest diner in San Diego? Harry’s Coffee Shop, a family run, neighborhood diner beloved by all! It’s on the south end of Girard Ave open 6:30am-3pm.
Maybe a bit more elegant than a diner? Bistro du Marche is a fabulous French bistro open for lunch and dinner just a few more blocks south. They have the most amazing mushroom ravioli.
For something between diner and French bistro, there are Spice and Rice, a Thai restaurant and next door is Isola, an Italian restaurant... both are casual and offer a wide range of delicious appetizers and entrees.
By now you are ready to enjoy a passegiata, a leisurely stroll after your meal, so saunter back down Girard Ave to the north and you’ll happily find yourself walking down a small hill to the Cove park and watching the ocean waves break along the coastal rocks. It’s beautiful, breathtaking at high tide, and calming. Watch at sunset and you’ll close the afternoon with shades of blue, violet, orange and red.
Gaze north and you’ll see the famous sandstone cliffs of Torrey Pines State Preserve. That can be tomorrow’s adventure to explore!
Enjoy!
Toys at Gepettos and taffy/candy galore at Balboa Candy Store. Jewelry at many stores but be sure to visit the long-standing Bowers Jewelers, a Village tradition.
Coffee and a cookie at Girard Gourmet or around the block to Brick and Bell Cafe for a walnut scone or acai bowl. Peets Coffee is next to Sigi on the west side of the street at Wall Street and Girard or Elixir is on the east side tucked in on the bottom level of the shops at the corner of Wall Street and Girard.
Do your shoes need a fix or polish? Stop by to see Turin at Cinderella Shoe Repair in Silverado just steps off of Girard. Or perhaps you’ve decided you need new comfortable walking shoes... then visit Eurocomfort Shoes on Girard. They have the most comfortable walking shoes in so many styles. I go there before every international trip to get walking shoes.
Feeling like cooking tonight, or need a hostess gift for your dinner at a friend’s hone? Stop by Sur la Table at the south end if Girard Ave. Always so many fun items as gifts or to finish off your own kitchen. They teach great classes there, also so sign up for your free night if you are visiting La Jolla!
Girard Avenue has so much to offer. By now you must be hungry.... interested in more than a cookie/coffee? How about the greatest diner in San Diego? Harry’s Coffee Shop, a family run, neighborhood diner beloved by all! It’s on the south end of Girard Ave open 6:30am-3pm.
Maybe a bit more elegant than a diner? Bistro du Marche is a fabulous French bistro open for lunch and dinner just a few more blocks south. They have the most amazing mushroom ravioli.
For something between diner and French bistro, there are Spice and Rice, a Thai restaurant and next door is Isola, an Italian restaurant... both are casual and offer a wide range of delicious appetizers and entrees.
By now you are ready to enjoy a passegiata, a leisurely stroll after your meal, so saunter back down Girard Ave to the north and you’ll happily find yourself walking down a small hill to the Cove park and watching the ocean waves break along the coastal rocks. It’s beautiful, breathtaking at high tide, and calming. Watch at sunset and you’ll close the afternoon with shades of blue, violet, orange and red.
Gaze north and you’ll see the famous sandstone cliffs of Torrey Pines State Preserve. That can be tomorrow’s adventure to explore!
Enjoy!
Written 15 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lazy_curmudgeon
Mpls, MN6 contributions
Girard & Prospect is the key corner in downtown La Jolla, a very upscale part of San Diego. Spending a leisurely afternoon walking down Girard, then Prospect, and the side streets, then down Coast Boulevard past Scripps Park is truly a pleasure. There are too many great little shops and restaurants to name, many of them unique to La Jolla but of course they have some chain options. Great people watching, and car-watching for that matter since every other car is a Mercedes, BMW, or Range Rover.
Written 19 May 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
illinois travelere
1,565 contributions
Aug 2016 • Friends
1. parking; two-hour spaces on the street; $5 garage on Herschel Avenue.
2. stores: something for every taste and wallet. Don't miss Warwick's -- one of the best gift selections around and the oldest family-owned bookstore in the COUNTRY.
3. food: again, something for everyone -- chain and independent businesses.
2. stores: something for every taste and wallet. Don't miss Warwick's -- one of the best gift selections around and the oldest family-owned bookstore in the COUNTRY.
3. food: again, something for everyone -- chain and independent businesses.
Written 21 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2beans2000
San Diego, CA3,836 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
Girard and Prospect are two of the main streets of beautiful coastal La Jolla. Delightful boutiques such as Sigi and Francescas offer options for the cashmere/classic range to the hip/teen crew. Many new restaurants keep arriving and yet our classics are still my favorite... Brick and Bell for coffee/scones/sandwiches is a busy place for locals; Harry's Coffee Shop is a long-time tradition and everyone goes for home-style breakfast/lunch and friendly diner service and great food. Bistro du Marche by Tapenade provides classic French Bistro cuisine and is excellent on upper Girard. George's on Prospect is haute cuisine but pricey and generally full of tourists. Restaurant 910 in the Colonial Hotel is fabulous and has creative cuisine with fresh ingredients from Chino Farms.
Come to La Jolla and enjoy the people, the coastal walks, our wonderful boutiques and small business restaurants. Enjoy!
Come to La Jolla and enjoy the people, the coastal walks, our wonderful boutiques and small business restaurants. Enjoy!
Written 4 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tubetop
La Jolla, CA148 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
Girard and Prospect is a great walk around area with some nice shops and great little restaurants. This is one of San Diego's premier neighborhoods and feels like you could be strolling through a beachside community in France.
Written 2 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mammoth56_13
Menifee, CA58 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
Unique boutiques, shops, galleries and restaurants abound in La Jolla Village. One can purchase both San Diego souvenirs and high end fashion items. Diverse restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets are widely-available, some with ocean views, and several with outdoor dining areas. If one wearies from shopping and dining, it is just a short walk down to the wonders and beauty of scenic La Jolla Cove.
Written 26 December 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aLITTLESpoiled
Laguna Beach, CA283 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
C'mon, People! What about Etceteras, Girard Avenue Collection, Warwick's, Robina...??? Lovely local boutiques! And coffee at Pannikin, lunch at George's, music at Eddie V'S, a Marilyn margarita and Happy Hour at The Hake? Girard and Prospect Streets, while hit by the recession, offer a choice apart from international chains you find in every other city. These are hard-working small business owners, not some hoity toity folly-makers. Buy local, get to know the shopkeepersfor win-win pleasure.
Written 30 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Inn by the Sea at La Jolla is the one that is closest to the beach around this area. They were renovating in March. Not really sure how it is though as we stayed at Grand Colonial Hotel which is a little up the hill from the beach but only about a 5 minute walk.
Written 10 June 2017
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