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San Diego Neighborhood Hidden Gems: Explore Mission Hills Food, History & Scandals
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items This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 💎 I’ve lived in San Diego for over ten years, and in Mission Hills since 2018. This list is my favorite Mission Hills hidden gems — rich with history, gr...
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💎Current Happenings in The Hills💎
💎 History of The Hills 💎
💎Mission Hills Top Restaurant Hidden Gems 💎
💎Shopping Hidden Gems 💎
💎Fun Hidden Gems💎
💎ClassPass Gems 💎
💎Current Happenings in The Hills💎
💎These are the upcoming events that are expected to be held, I have links for all and the association that is holding the event💎
Highly recommend following them on socials and checking their website for the events that are happening.
Coming up in October, experience an evening of palate-pleasing tastes in Mission Hills, one of San Diego’s premier dining destinations. Our Res...
Mission Hills Business Improvement District : Taste of Mission Hills
I recommend making reservations for restaurant week. This September, enjoy an 8-day edible extravaganza from Sunday, September 14th through Sunday, September 21st, featuring 100+ restaurants from Oceanside to Chula Vista offering variations of multi-...
Mission Hills Restaurant Week | SD Food Events
If you like to garden, or want to learn, I recommend following The Mission Hills Garden Club is always hosting fun events, a lot of them are free and I encourage you to attend an event ! Most are hosted at The Mission Hills Nursery, however they some...
Mission Hills Garden Club - October 24th : Gardening on decks, balconies, and patios
Mission Hills Heritage is having upcoming events, nights in Espana and 18th annual Historic Home Tour. If you don’t live in the area, you can always donate. I also have a book recommendation listed with the historical photos!
Mission Hills Heritage Events upcoming are Nights in Espana and 18th annual Home Tour. If you no longer live in the area, you are able to donate as well. Additionally, I added a book recommendation with photos of these homes!
This is my favorite event! Blessing of the Pets, Saturday October 4th.
This is wonderful church, that is mission oriented and has lots of events, volunteer opportunities and food distributions.
Mission Hills United Church of Christ (@missionhillsucc)
💎 History of The Hills 💎
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
It’s always best to start with Antiquity. Here’s some recommended readings if you would like to know the history of Mission Hills.
#ad 📚This is a great coffee table book for some historic images of Historic Mission Hills! I love these books, and have way too many to count unfortunately. I have traveled and lived all over so I do like to collect them!
Prices subject to change;...
Mission Hills (Images of America)
#ad 📚Female founder Kate Sessions (1857–1940) was a horticulturist and landscape designer who played a major role in shaping San Diego’s early environment. In 1910, she purchased land in Mission Hills and established the Mission Hills Nursery, which...
Kate Sessions: Pioneer Horticulturalist
#ad 📚 The True Story of a Female Founder. Unearth the true story of green-thumbed pioneer and activist Kate Sessions, who helped San Diego grow from a dry desert town into a lush, leafy city known for its gorgeous parks and gardens.
Katherine Olivi...
The Tree Lady: How One Woman Changed a City
#ad 📚 Another Mission Hills Female Founder, but also a Femme Fatale. Meet Gina Champion-Cain, whose legacy is being the female founder behind the largest Ponzi scheme ever run by a woman in American history.
When I first met Gina, I was enthralled,...
I Did It: Largest Woman-Run Ponzi Scheme
#ad 📚Pioneer Park (Mission Hills Park) was once Calvary Cemetery, founded in 1876. In 1968, the land was converted into a public park, and while most of the headstones were removed, the bodies remain buried beneath the grounds — more than 800 in tot...
Cemeteries of San Diego
💎Mission Hills Top Restaurant Hidden Gems 💎
The best Restaurants in sunny San Diego, California Historic Mission Hills neighborhood. There are many hidden gems, and great restaurants to explore like, Vegan Thai, Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, Italian and New Mexican Cuisine.
🔥Another San Diego, CA Hidden Gem. This restaurant is Located in the heart of historic Mission Hills, Fort Oak sits inside a beautifully restored 1930s Ford dealership 🔥They kept the same character and charm, and made it into a beautiful bar.
The ...
Fort Oak
🌶️ Another San Diego, CA Hidden Gems is Wolf in the Woods. A Mission Hills favorites, New Mexican–inspired bistro from Johnny Rivera, co-founder of the famous Hash House A Go Go and Great Maple 🌶️
The space blends Santa Fe–style design with warm ...
Wolf In The Woods
🍝Best happy hour! Don’t be late, get there at 5 pm to get a seat at the bar Tuesday through Sunday enjoy $7.00 wines & Negroni $9 and my favorite, lamb chop lollipops.
Cardellino
🍷 This is where I used to take my grandma when she came to visit me. There’s a comfy booth with lots of pillows, and the chef comes around to your table to chat. It’s a really homey and cozy spot with great food.
The Red Door
🍦 Another one of San Diego, Ca Hidden Gems is Wild Child! Formerly known as Mr. Trustee, same place different name and much cuter aesthetic. This is a colorful, walk-up ice cream parlor by Trust Restaurant Group the same team behind Fort Oak and Ca...
Dessert at Wild Child
💎Shopping Hidden Gems 💎
Shopping recommendations Mission Hills neighborhood. There are many hidden gems, like record stores, apothecary’s, florists, stationery, nursery’s and much more. Enjoy your day shopping local, and supporting small businesses.
🪻 Another one of San Diego, CA historic Mission Hills neighborhood Hidden Gems is Mission Hills Nursery. This is my favorite nursery in San Diego and one of the neighborhood’s most iconic landmarks and historical gems. 🪻
Founded in 1910 by Kate S...
Gardening at Mission Hills Nursery
🫧 Another one of San Diego, Ca Hidden Gems is Located in historic Mission Hills. This shop Lavish Aromatherapy is a female-founded luxe boutique 🫧
The shop is owned and run by Carly Lodkey, who opened the shop over 20 years ago out of a passion fo...
Shop at Lavish Aromatherapy Store
💐Another one of San Diego, Ca Hidden Gems is female founded small business in Historic Mission Hills💐
Once a public storefront, Backbone Floral is now an appointment-only studio it’s still worth strolling past.
While we miss shopping inside, I al...
Window Shop at Backbone Floral
A great grocery store with a smoothie bar, hot-bar and salad bar! I love poking around in here they usually have unique seasonal items and a great skincare and wellness selection. I love getting my Christmas ornaments from here around Christmas when ...
Lazy Acres Market - Mission Hills
💎Fun Hidden Gems💎
Mission hills has lots of things to do and boasts its own open air movie theater, pickle ball, parks, a unique cemetery, great hiking trails and a golf simulator.
🎥Did you know Mission Hills has its own neighborhood movie theater? 🎥
Since 1991, Cinema Under the Stars has been showing a mix of classic favorites, cult hits, and seasonal gems in a charming open-air courtyard. The space is intimate and comforta...
Cinema Under The Stars
🏌️♂️Brand new to Mission Hills, Long Ball is a modern venue that combines sports, entertainment, and a lively community vibe 🏌️♂️
The space features a high-quality golf simulator where you can practice your swing or play a full virtual course, m...
Longball Cocktail Club & Golf Simulator
🌳I walk my dog to the park a few times a week. It’s such a nice park and they have events throughout the summer like bands and a Fourth of July party.
Great place for a picnic.
Looking for something in spooky with fall and Halloween just around ...
Mission Hills Pioneer Park - San Diego, CA
🏓Mission Hills has lots of things to do! At Pioneer Park Tennis and Pickle ball court you can play tennis and pickle ball! This state park is equipped with two courts. These court do not have lights and is open Monday to Sunday, Dawn to Dusk.
Mission Hills Tennis Courts
🎤 The Lamplighter is Mission Hills night life ! This is truly a hidden gem, from the outside it looks like a typical dive, very inconspicuous. However, once you step inside, everyone is a popstar! This is the best bar that has karoke that I have eve...
The Lamplighter
There’s a few of these hidden in Mission hills:
2153 Pine St.
2341 Whitman St:
Hidden San Diego | Hidden Gems, Hikes & Things To Do
The Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Harley & Bessie Knox Library is located at 215 W. Washington Street, between Front and Albatross Streets. It was opened on Jan. 26, 2019, and serves the communities of Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, Middletown, Mission Hills...
Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Library
💎ClassPass Gems 💎
A list of all my favorite Mission Hills studios on ClassPass. From yoga, strength and Pilates.
#referralbonus 💎 Check out ClassPass and try out some local hidden gems. I love ClassPass because I don’t have to be tied down to one single gym. Also, when I travel, I just open my app and I can find a place to work out, get a message, pedicure, ma...
ClassPass
This is the newest edition to our ClassPass line up in Mission Hills! They are offering discounts for sign ups on their website also.
Lagree Red
💪🏻This is my favorite gym in San Diego, it’s quick and effective, great for working professionals. They have early morning and late night classes. This is HIIT, safe effective and fun. They are LBGTQA+ owned 🏳️🌈
Hillcrest and Mission Hills #1 Group Fitness Gym
🧘🏻♀️ The best HOT yoga in San Diego. I had a Membership at Core, loved it but it’s so corporate and can be boring. YB is not corporate and stale, it’s always changing routines and music. The lighting is a vibe…
I ❤️ this studio! Same owners as re...
Yoga Box