“Living In The City” is The San Diego Sun’s feature Q&A with downtown San Diego residents. It’s a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who live here. This is number 44 in an ongoing series.
Names: Gabriella & Alessandra Elicone
Residence: Hawthorn Place in North Little Italy–above Puerto la Boca
Personal deets: We’re San Diego natives. Gabriella, 26, went to school in San Francisco for seven years and has lived with her sister in Little Italy for a year. Alessandra, 24, has lived downtown for two years.
Best part of your building: Location, for sure! We have Mona Lisa’s and Assenti’s Pasta for all of our Italian needs, and a handful of places to grab drinks or wine. Our building is very safe and quiet. Even under the Lindbergh Field flight path, airplane noise is never an issue.
Worst part of your building: Limited parking.
Parking advice: If you’re coming downtown, try to find parking before 5 p.m. Apps like Park Smarter are super helpful. They can show you meters that are open/unoccupied and let you pay for your meter on your phone, so you won’t need to move your car every two hours.
Best reason to live downtown: The hustle and bustle! You can never be bored living here. There are tons of concerts, Padres games, Farmers Markets, amazing food, fun bars, the list goes on! Everyday is a new adventure. It’s so much fun to walk around the bay and take in amazing city views. As young adults, it’s a great area for going out, grabbing food and drinks and meeting new people.
Padres games: One of the best parts of living downtown! Going to a day game is so much fun. They’re generally not as busy, which gives you the opportunity to try more of the delicious eats at Petco Park and explore the stadium.
Worst aspect of living downtown: The parking. And if you’re walking around at night, sometimes it can be scary–be sure to walk with a friend.
Streaming/watching: Love Island (UK); the new season of American Horror Story: Delicate; anything on Bravo; the new Barbie movie!
Transportation breakdown: 70% walking, 30% driving.
Scooters: The few times we rode them they were super slow. It’s scary riding around downtown with all the traffic. Scooters also take up the limited parking spaces on the streets. And for some reason, people love to knock parked scooters over so it looks like a huge mess.
Cool coffee shops: Alessandra has her faves in Barrio Logan: Cafe Moto and Por Vida. At Cafe Moto she orders an iced Matcha Latte with oat milk. Or, a classic cold brew for those days when she needs that extra oomph! Cafe Moto is busy but the wait is sooo worth it. Por Vida recently reopened. A huge Frida Kahlo mural invites you in for the perfect place to sip on a Mazapan Latte (nut flavored coffee topped with the traditional Mexican candy). For cold days, there’s a Cafe de Olla Latte, a traditional Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon, orange peels and clove.
Gabriella likes walking down the street to Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, to order the Left Coast Latte with oat milk. Bird Rock is an awesome place to get some work done, or to just sit and enjoy a book and watch the planes come in.
Let’s do lunch: Gabriella favors Mona Lisa’s sandwiches. The pick: The #12 smoked turkey. Pro tip: add artichokes and provolone. While you wait for your sandwich, shop around and pick up imported Italian goodies or some wine. We also love grabbing their cured meats and cheeses to make a tasty charcuterie board.
Dinner faves: Alessandra loves Cloak and Petal for the sushi and amazing happy hour deals. On a cold day, nothing’s better than Underbelly, and sipping on a warm bowl of the classic Underbelly Ramen. Don’t forget to add an extra egg for protein. Dinner places in Little Italy close pretty early. For those late night cravings you can rely on Landini’s to be open for a slice of pizza!
If you don’t mind losing your parking spot (and trust me, I have, but it’s so worth it) you can drive down the street to El Indio for some of the best Mexican food in San Diego. Gabriella’s favorite is the mini chicken chimichanga combo (a perfectly portioned, crispy golden chimichanga and a delicious side of rice and beans). It’s her go-to meal for curing bad days or for a special, yummy treat.
Best bars: Bad day? Hungry and thirsty? Girls night out? Head to the Waterfront Bar & Grill! Along with the drinks, the ambiance is unbeatable. They have a DJ on the weekends. And if you partied too hard the night before, the Waterfront is the spot for brunch and some “hair of the dog.” Try the breakfast shots: whiskey, OJ, bacon, chilaquiles or the Eggs Americana.
☀️Ballots close October 1 in The Sun’s Downtown Dining Readers’ Poll. Win an SD Bay cruise!☀️
Places to avoid: We generally don’t walk under the tunnels on Hawthorn or Grape street. There’s usually a lot of trash blocking the sidewalk making it impossible to use.
Homelessness: We make sure we’re extra aware of our surroundings. If we go out at night we never walk alone.
Favorite memory: Alessandra’s night she will never forget was seeing Bad Bunny perform at Petco Park last summer .
Parting advice: We wish the bars would stay open later–the weekend nights are young! SDSun
