Shopping in Chula Vista

Eclipse Eyewear fashions chic sunglasses from a selection of 1,500 frames from high-end brands such as Chanel, Prada, and Versace. Luxurious shades stand against walls and look out from display cases, eager to slide over patrons' eyes to shield them from harsh rays or pigeons' attempts to make eye contact and demand breadcrumbs. Though some Eclipse Eyewear locations vend purely UV-protective shades, the Tempe, Arizona store and Seaport Village store in San Diego, California also sell prescription sunglasses.

Jacquez Art transforms photographs and furniture into distinctive pieces of home décor with framing, canvas reproduction, and upholstery services. The skilled staffers can custom-frame pictures in mouldings, glass, and fabrics, or transfer digital photos to gallery-wrapped canvas complete with UV protection and scratch resistance, making them ideal for display on a wall or homey sand dune. The shop also maintains a variety of colored and patterned fabrics to upholster furniture, and kids’ rooms are made 100% more grammatically correct with brightly colored letter trains made by Maple Landmark Woodcraft.

The staffers at Cruiser King help pedalers to stay on the road with an impressive supply of bikes for sale or rent, handy cycling gear, and comprehensive maintenance services. At Cruiser King’s two locations, employees oversee a steady supply of the latest bikes from Hampton Cruisers and Fuji, doling them into the waiting hands of new owners or riders borrowing them for excursions, which can range from one hour to one week to cross-Atlantic cruises. Though the shop is known for its top-shelf beach cruisers, it also rents out mountain bikes, inline skates, and surfboards.

Glasses frames have come a long way from the clunky, squarish black frames that were originally used to punish children for squinting in church. Choice Vision offers a plethora of sophisticated, stylish, and comfortable frames from designer brands such as Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Dior, Gucci, and the guiding light of global fashion, SpongeBob SquarePants. Ladies will find the perfect design to adjective their vocation of choice with "hip," while dudes can score some retro frames that surround their head in a glittering haze of irony. Frames range from $75 to more than $500.

In a way, Mo Karimi stumbled upon the idea for San Diego Bike Shop. In early 1998, Mo opened a pedi-cab business. At the time, pedi-cabs were starting to be seen as an alternative to cars, buses, and pogo sticks for getting around congested downtown streets. However, as Mo soon found out, there was an even greater demand for bicycle services and parts. So he quickly converted his space into San Diego Bike Shop, connecting with a neighborhood that needed a bicycling business. Ever since then, Mo and his staff have set customers into motion with bicycle sales and rentals, as well as tune-ups, repairs, and friendly, expert advice.

Mission Hills Nursery draws from a long tradition of horticulture, as it was founded in 1910 by renowned green thumb and urban-green-space advocate Kate Sessions. Year after year, rows of roses, shrubs, and vegetables have sprung up under the staff's doting hands and dangled morsels of plant food. A section for gardening accessories equips yard workers with trowels, thorn strippers, and organic fertilizers to motivate crops without scourging them with caustic chemicals. In addition to tending to its plants, Mission Hills Nursery's staff arranges landscapes with garden-design services and teaches clients to arrange their own through gardening classes.