5 places to eat, drink and explore in the North Park from an artistic director

Veronica Murphy has witnessed a lot of transformation in North Park over the past two decades.

“I’ve lived in North Park for 22 years, since my grandson was 8 years old and now he’s 30,” Murphy said. “I think it’s become a really great place for families. You can now find pretty much everything in North Park: parks to take your kids, artwork and murals throughout the neighborhood, restaurants, lots of small businesses to shop at, coffee shops and several canyons where you get beautiful views of San Diego.”

Murphy is the artistic director and co-founder of Write Out Loud, a performing arts organization featuring literature read aloud. Her role is to oversee all aspects of the company, including programming, community partnerships and liaison.

Since 2007, Write Out Loud has produced various shows, such as story concerts where the audience listens to professional actors and actresses read classic and contemporary literature in a theater. The organization also hosts a festival of poets, monthly story time sessions for older adults and educational programs, including free poetry workshops. Plus, Write Out Loud, through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, organizes an annual multi-day NEA Big Read event that promotes reading through author panels, book discussions, student art shows, performances and writing workshops.

Murphy said she started Write Out Loud with her partner Walter Ritter after she met a woman in Colorado who went to a show called Stories on Stage, which organizes events around reading books and literature on stage in front of a live audience.

“This inspired me,” Murphy said. “My partner and I are both actors and both of us love to read, and we very often read to each other.”

Murphy added: “My grandmother read to me and my siblings a lot growing up, and as we got older, me and my brothers and sisters would read to each other… I didn’t go to bed without a book.”

So when Murphy told Ritter about the shows in Colorado, she wanted to figure out a way to do similar literature readings out loud in San Diego.

“It’s really about just a real personal passion about literature and the importance of story and the importance of the impact it can have on the people around you,” she said. 

Murphy is also passionate about North Park. She said she loves to walk around to explore her neighborhood, because it’s constantly changing. Here are her favorite places right now.

Q: Where is your favorite dining option?

A: The best coffee in all of San Diego is at Caffè Calabria. Whether sipping a cappuccino or picking up beans to brew at home, it is the closest to true Italian coffee that I have found, and it’s just a few blocks from (my) home. There is every form of coffee to be had and a variety of great pastries, paninis and more. They also have a dinner menu, but I’m definitely a morning customer.

Q: What is your favorite small retail business or pop-up vendor to support? 

A: I love buying flowers from Everbloom Flowers on the corner of 30th and Redwood. The selection of fresh flowers is beyond abundant, especially for the size of their footprint. The people seem very hardworking and are always friendly and helpful. It’s the type of tiny enterprise I like to support.

Q: Where is your favorite open space?

A: Bird Park at Morley Field, just steps from my door, is a place I regularly walk. You can find a new path to follow every time you go. With tennis courts, a playground, archery, baseball fields and lots of open space, it seems to have something for everyone. And, while I haven’t tried the newly restored pool yet, it is on my list for this summer. 

Q: Where is the best piece of artwork?

A: One thing North Park has in abundance is public art, especially paintings on the sides and fronts of buildings. It seems like they surprise and delight at every turn. In particular, it makes me happy to drive by the mural work (at) Verbatim Books. The art is so eclectic, and, as a leader of a literature-based nonprofit, what better place to find artwork that includes images of books, than on the side of a bookstore.

Q: Where is your favorite entertainment attraction or historic landmark?

A: There is an iconic building at 3823 30th St., formerly Urban Solace, that I have been watching for years in hopes of it reopening and once again becoming a centerpiece for North Park Culinary Arts. The whimsy in the building, which looks like it was dropped in from the New Orleans French Quarter, with beautiful metal work, a balcony (and) shuttered double doors, seems like a sure draw for our North Park community.