I found Bianca Poletti enjoying the San Diego weather while sipping tea outside Rebecca's Coffee shop in South Park. The 26-year-old recently moved to Seattle where she works as a visual merchandiser for the popular …
April 9, 2013
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Stories by Siobhan Braun
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Unique Accessories in South Park
Free Spirits in Golden Hill
C funk (that is the name he goes by), used to own an identical military issued jacket purchased from a thrift shop, but a couple of Marines made him hand it over. "They said it …
April 9, 2013
Beach Style: Artists and Greenpeace Canvassers
Tyrone Crawford spends most days with a clipboard attempting to educate people about the environment as a Greenpeace canvasser. I found him on the PB Boardwalk enjoying his day off. Crawford is a thrift shop …
April 4, 2013
Food-truck fight in Del Mar
Del Mar City Council delays permitting of food trucks within city limits.
March 27, 2013
Street style: prints and patterns
Spring is all about mixing and matching prints. Stripes with floral, polka dots with graphic prints, and animal print on animal print abounds. The only problem is combining patterns can be dangerous task. It’s a …
March 25, 2013
St. Patrick's Day: By no means sober
When The Fooks began their set at the Blarney Stone three hours prior to St. Paddy's day, singer/guitarist Kirk O’Brien slurred into the microphone, "We are by no means sober. This is our third show …
March 18, 2013
Tramp stamp your kid in Normal Heights
While scarfing down a bean and cheese burrito at Mauricio's in Normal Heights, I noticed something peculiar amongst the kiddie vending machines occupying a small section of wall space. Wedged between the bubblegum and sticky-hand …
March 15, 2013
Romance in Balboa Park
If I had my wedding to do over again, I would have it in Balboa Park. In my opinion it’s the most romantic setting in San Diego. It’s no surprise that the majority of those …
March 14, 2013
Ocean Beach Skaters
Ocean Beach isn't just for the hippies. They also have a large population of skaters. I ran into these guys at Robb Field. I was expecting the guy on the right to have an Irish …
March 12, 2013
Hippies everywhere
I have always been charmed by Ocean Beach. On Newport Avenue you can browse stores that offer a wide variety of wares. One store sells shells, the next bongs, nearby you can purchase a wetsuit …
March 11, 2013
Street Style: Mini Hipsters
When I was a kid, kids dressed like kids. We wore pastels, itchy sweaters, and Sesame Street themed overalls. In recent years toddlers have begun dressing like tiny adults. It’s not unusual to see 3-year-olds …
March 8, 2013
SDSU embraces the '80s
Stonewash, the one style trend I hoped would never make a comeback, reared its ugly head on the SDSU campus. While at SDSU I spotted a mix-match of trends pulled from both the 1980s and …
March 5, 2013
Little Italy Art Royalty
When I rolled into my parking space in Little Italy yesterday, I spotted this guy standing outside: "I think you'll be surprised when you figure out who I am. You should Google me," he said. …
March 1, 2013
Old Town: What the tourists wore
There is nothing worse than looking like a tourist. Out-of-towners tend to wear sensible shoes and sun hats. They’re usually pasty and constantly reapply sunblock. They like to order fish tacos coupled with oversized margaritas …
February 28, 2013
Oscar night fashion in North Park
In honor of the Oscars, the Junior League of San Diego in partnership with Path of San Diego, put on a red carpet event at West Coast Tavern in North Park. It’s moments like these …
February 25, 2013
Breakfast Club Inspired Style
While browsing the racks at Hunt & Gather, a vintage boutique on University Ave in North Park, I ran into the well-dressed duo of Issa Lozano and Domenik Grisanti. Both wore similar bags with very …
February 25, 2013
She Bangs
2013 is the year of the bang. Fringe hairstyles are showing up on everyone from Zooey Deschanel to Katy Perry to Jessica Biel. Below, four local ladies show off their fringes. 33-year-old Erin Jackson told …
February 21, 2013
Grown Men on Big Wheels
My brother-in-law lived in Mission Beach for five years. He lovingly refers to it as Neverland. Saturday night in MB, I witnessed two middle aged men riding big wheels. Also, I was nearly run over …
February 19, 2013
Menswear: The Denim Shirt
Remember a few seasons back when guys were plucked and waxed to oblivion? Thank god that's over. Menswear has taken a much more masculine detour into the world of work wear. Men have begun sporting …
February 15, 2013
North Park Leggings
Last night my dryer called it quits. We saw it coming. It had been making an alarming sound for weeks, a noise akin to a toddler shrieking. When I went to change out my clothes, …
February 13, 2013
Street Style: Marine Corps Birthday Ball
Friday night I ran into dozens of Marines at the Manchester Grand Hyatt downtown. They were attending the second installment of the Marine Corp Birthday Ball. The first was held October 13th, 2012 in celebration …
January 28, 2013
400 different brokerages in San Diego and 12,000 realtors
San Diego realtors have made do during years of a depressed market. They are optimistic in 2013.
January 16, 2013
Cosplayers don't like the Reader writer coming in costume
Wardrobe malfunctions of the very stareable.
January 9, 2013
Bald eagles have landed in Ramona
A Ramona raptor hotspot attracts a pair of bald eagles.
January 9, 2013
New San Diego girl tries OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Christian Mingle, Match.com, eharmony
“I never thought I would actually meet someone I’d want to marry from one of these sites.”
December 26, 2012
San Diego's buskers try Gaslamp, downtown La Jolla, Encinitas farmers market
Danger and sometimes $100 an hour.
November 20, 2012
Elizabeth from Acapulco and Frank from Tepic glad to be back in Mexico
"The only good thing that America brought me was my son. I want to stay here in Mexico."
October 10, 2012
San Diegans love mixed martial arts – the promoter, the gym, the pros
Most mixed martial arts fighters don’t worry about brain damage.
September 12, 2012
Mesa College: Campus Style
I was surprised to discover that the students at Mesa Community College were better dressed than the SDSU students I came across on Tuesday afternoon. Perhaps it's because Mesa folks pay less tuition and have …
September 6, 2012
Tilted Kilt waitresses and other San Diego bar girls sound off
The girls kill them with kindness... Interviews with young ladies who frequent San Diego nightclubs.
August 29, 2012
Rapist attacks at gated Mission Valley condo
Victims talk of crimes visited upon them.
July 18, 2012
City Farmers proprietor Bill Tall raises plants and animals
Bill Tall smells like sawdust and dirt. He reminds me of my father. Bill always wears the same thing: a green City Farmers Nursery T-shirt, yellow suspenders that look like measuring tape, and jeans. At …
June 13, 2012
Who Buys and Who Sells at San Diego Farmers' Markets
Farmers regulate the markets in San Bernardino. In San Diego it's a free-for-all.
May 30, 2012
Jacumba trusts Dave Landman, the naked guy
"I am thinking about becoming the Duke of Jacumba,” Dave Landman jokes. We are sitting in the dining room at his DeAnza Springs Nudist Resort, a property in Jacumba that Landman has owned for 15 …
May 23, 2012
San Diego casinos don't like Christian card counters
Nate is unassuming. He has brown hair and an average build. He wears khakis and collared three-button shirts. He isn’t flashy. He makes Christian jokes. For instance: “We should just have barcodes tattooed on our …
April 11, 2012
The Marine recruiter in El Cajon loved me
When Tom (not his real name) decided to enlist with the United States Marine Corps in 2008, he had been renting a bedroom in his older sister’s El Cajon home for over a year. His …
March 14, 2012
After Ocean Beach, Santee, our bid was accepted in La Mesa
For my birthday, my husband bought me a house. I like to mention this nonchalantly to strangers because I think it makes us sound like the type of people who might own a yacht or …
November 16, 2011
Yeeee-haw, buckaroos! Time to head to the Lakeside Rodeo
If you drive north on State Route 67 until it becomes a two-lane road at Mapleview Street, you'll see the Lakeside Rodeo marquee to your right. It’s just past the Rodeo Round-Up truck dealership and …
April 13, 2011
In San Diego if you don’t have a DUI, chances are your neighbor does
It’s just past 3 a.m. on a Saturday night. Edward sits handcuffed in the back of an El Cajon police holding van. He watches through a smeared window while his black Ford Focus is hitched …
February 16, 2011
How a Trip to Tijuana Changed My Heart
Last November Conrad, my father-in-law, sent me an email, a long one, stating that he was in love. Considering that his studio apartment was situated in Point Loma, a short 15-minute drive from our home, …
November 23, 2010
Harvey
When we first moved in next-door to Harvey, I thought he was a busybody. Upon unpacking our moving truck, he came over immediately. I felt like he was scoping us out, sizing us up to …
March 31, 2010
In Memory of
Author: Siobhan Braun Neighborhood: Tierrasanta Age: 30 Occupation: Homemaker When I woke up this morning, I had an idea of how I would spend the anniversary of my father’s death. I imagined it to be …
November 30, 2009
My husband is slowly falling in love with San Diego
I always pictured myself in California. After my boyfriend Aaron received job offers in Oklahoma City, Topeka, and San Diego, we decided we would head to the land of fruits and nuts. Within a few …
September 23, 2009
The ’Burbs
Author: Siobhan Braun Neighborhood: Tierrasanta Age: 30 Occupation: Stay-at-Home Mom We moved to Tierrasanta from the heart of El Cajon. The townhome we rented in East County was three blocks away from the liquor-store double …
May 19, 2009