Shopping in National City

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.

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.

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.

Specializing in outdoor products, Adventure 16 provides daring travelers with a large selection of high-quality apparel and gear that is not only built to last, but also designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Trailblazers can charge confidently through cactus fields or scorpion pits with a pair of durable The North Face Paramount convertible pants ($65), which can be morphed from pants into shorts. Protect built-in binoculars with a pair of Native polarized sunglasses ($89) and further deflect UV rays with a fashionable Tilley Airflo hat ($76). Spelunkers will be glad for the company of a Nalgene Tritan water bottle ($9.50) that keeps thirst quenchers tightly bottled, as well as a Black Diamond Cosmo headlamp ($29.95) to light the way out of any cave, dense rainforest, or haunted house.

The Art of Framing's skilled craftspeople protect and prolong the life of treasured paintings, photographs, and three-dimensional artifacts by encasing them behind thousands of frame designs. Outside of their standard framing services, technicians also stretch mats and fabrics; heat-mount delicate documents; and mend scratched, chipped, and shrink-rayed framework. More than merely preserving personal collections of photos and posters, The Art of Framing promotes the area's thriving art community, hosting a show once a year as well as selling local artists' work in the gift shop.

Along with his sister Darcie and their parents, Jason Huggins began his journey into retail in a cozy 300-square-foot space that sold toys and a small selection of streetwear. Huggins discovered it was actually the clothes—not the toys—that were rolling out the door, and so the family changed its focus, upgrading to a larger space and a brand new concept that showcased hip men's clothing, men's and women's accessories, and skateboards. Today, the store's rich hardwood shelves are lined with fresh graphic tees by brands such as Honkey Kong and The Condolence Co., a cutting-edge collection that earned it a nomination for Best Men's Clothing in CityVoter's 2011 awards. While the family fashion hounds continuously track down newcomer designers such as San Diego–based Dyenomite N' Hippo Apparel, Huggins's own line of T-shirts, pins, and pillows is growing more and more popular as the shop’s signature logo––a handlebar mustache––continues to catch the eye of shoppers and passing Wyatt Earp impersonators.

The storefront bills 5&A Dime as a "haberdashery," and the eccentric antique décor and rows of Brixton fedoras reflect the old-timey feel. A stuffed buffalo head adds a touch of rustic charm to the vintage vibe, and offers sage clothing advice to anyone who beats it in a staring contest.