Books, vintage & resale · University Ave from Fourth Ave to Park Blvd
Hillcrest
University Ave and Fifth Ave.
Hillcrest is the walkable uptown neighborhood around University Ave and Fifth Ave, with used bookshops, vintage and resale racks, record stores and gift boutiques between bars and cafes. It suits browsers who like independent shops and a Sunday market.
Used books · Vintage · Sunday market
Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- In our directory
- 22 shopseach one verified
- Where
- University Ave from Fourth Ave to Park BlvdBooks, vintage & resale
- Right now
- Typical hours10am–6pm
- Getting here
- BusMTS Route 10 runs along University Ave through Hillcrest; check MTS for current routes.
Insider guide
Shopping Hillcrest.
The story
Hillcrest's shops run along University Ave from Fourth Ave to Park Blvd and on Fifth and Fourth Aves from Washington St to Robinson Ave, between bars and cafes. It is a neighborhood for browsing: used books, vintage and resale, records, hats and travel goods, with thrift stores and grocers in between. Most of the independents sit within a few blocks of the corner of Fifth Ave and University Ave, so it is easy to cover on foot.
Books, Vintage and Resale
The 3800 block of Fifth Ave packs in the books and vintage. Bluestocking Books (3817) has sold mostly secondhand titles since 1967, along with vintage pulps, antique ephemera, cards and journals, and it takes special orders for out-of-print books. Luigi Vera's Buy, Sell & Trade (3823) deals in higher-end secondhand handbags, clothing, shoes and belts. Flashbacks (3849) sells vintage clothing, shoes and accessories with a focus on bold 1960s and 1970s colors and prints, and TAANG! Record Store (3834), tied to the TAANG! Records label, sells vinyl across a range of genres.
Buffalo Exchange (3862) buys used and vintage clothes any time it is open, with no appointment: scan the QR code to join the line and bring a government ID. Gioia's Room (3870) is a women's boutique with handmade accessories and work by local artists, and it includes free alterations with a purchase.
At the Park Blvd end, Footnote Books has bought and sold used and rare books since 1989, with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a well-known wall of crime fiction. Much of its stock isn't listed online, so it rewards a visit in person. Oates General next door (1625) mixes vintage finds with gifts, and Next Step Treasures (3789½ Park Blvd) sells collectibles, tableware and vintage pieces from the homes of a senior downsizing company's clients. For thrift, Father Joe's Villages Hillcrest Thrift Store sells clothing, housewares and collectibles to fund the charity's homeless services, and Goodwill is a large store for clothes, furniture and housewares.
Hats, Travel Goods and Menswear
Fourth Ave has two specialists a few doors apart. Village Hat Shop (3821) stocks fedoras, western hats, berets, beanies and caps for men, women and kids, including Stetson, Kangol and Jaxon Hats. Index Urban Travel Shop (3833) carries luggage, backpacks and packing organizers from Briggs & Riley, Tumi, Bellroy, Peak Design and Osprey, and it does luggage repair and leather personalization. On University Ave, Sir and Son (1475) sells its own private-label clothing with art and grooming products, and HUMANITY! (1435) sells men's underwear, clothing and gifts. Toward the west end, the Hub shopping center holds The UnOptical for sunglasses and prescription frames, Dirty Dog's & Meow for natural pet food and grooming, and a Trader Joe's.
Eating Between Shops
Trust is an industrial small-plates room with a wood-fired grill and a big patio, at the east end of the strip near Footnote Books. Great Maple is a 1950s-style diner a block north of University Ave's west end, with brunch, Wednesday burger nights and Friday prime rib. Both are MICHELIN Recommended (2026). For a bigger dinner, Fort Oak cooks over fire in a former car dealership in Mission Hills, about half a mile west of Hillcrest.
When to Go
Most shops open around 10–11am and close 6–8pm, with shorter Sunday hours. Bluestocking Books is closed Wednesday and Footnote Books Tuesday. Index Urban Travel Shop closes at 5pm Monday to Saturday and 3pm on Sunday, while Village Hat Shop is open daily 10am–6pm. Flashbacks, TAANG!, Luigi Vera's and Gioia's Room don't post hours, so call ahead.
Sunday is market day. The Hillcrest Farmers Market runs 9am–2pm with 175+ vendors selling produce, flowers, crafts, clothing and international prepared food, with live music. It is temporarily at 1601 University Ave, between Herbert St and Park Blvd, while the Normal St Promenade is built. On market day the DMV lot at Normal St and Lincoln Ave is free. Otherwise, metered street parking runs along Fifth Ave and University Ave, with paid lots on Sixth Ave and Robinson Ave; check posted signs for meter hours.
The directory
22 shops, all in one place.
Tap a shop or a dot on the map to see it.
Vintage6 places
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Buy-sell-trade store for used and vintage clothing between Robinson Ave and University Ave; sellers can bring clothes in any time the store is open without an appointment.
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Vintage clothing, shoes and accessories from many eras, with a focus on bold 1960s and 1970s colors and prints. A long-running stop on the Fifth Ave vintage stretch.
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Resale shop for higher-end secondhand handbags, clothing, shoes and belts, with one-of-a-kind pieces bought and traded over the counter on Fifth Ave.
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Resale shop run by a senior downsizing company, selling collectibles, tableware and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces from clients' homes; new stock is posted on Instagram.
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Large thrift store on University Ave for pre-owned clothing, furniture and housewares, with daily donation drop-off from 9am to 6pm.
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Charity thrift store and donation center selling clothing, housewares and collectibles, with proceeds supporting Father Joe's Villages homeless services.
Specialty4 places
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Travel goods shop with luggage, backpacks, briefcases and packing organizers from Briggs & Riley, Tumi, Bellroy, Peak Design and Osprey, plus luggage repair and leather personalization.
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Large hat store stocking fedoras, western hats, berets, beanies and caps for men, women and kids, including Stetson, Kangol and Jaxon Hats.
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Independent eyewear shop selling sunglasses and prescription frames in the Hub shopping center, with sister stores in Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe.
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Pet shop and grooming salon selling organic and natural dog food, shampoos, toys and the same products its groomers use, open seven days a week.
Food & drink4 places
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Spice merchant selling herbs, spices and seasoning blends individually or packed as gift boxes, on the busy middle stretch of University Ave.
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Sunday market with 175+ vendors selling local produce, flowers, crafts, clothing and international prepared food, with live music; temporarily on University Ave between Herbert St and Park Blvd.
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Hillcrest branch of the organic grocery chain at the west end of the University Ave strip, with prepared foods and housewares alongside groceries.
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Neighborhood Trader Joe's in the Hub shopping center on University Ave, stocking the chain's own-label snacks, frozen foods, produce and flowers.
Books2 places
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Used bookshop selling since 1967, mostly secondhand titles plus select new books, special orders of out-of-print books, vintage pulps, antique ephemera, cards and journals.
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Used and rare bookstore buying and selling since 1989, with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a well-known wall of crime fiction; much of the stock is not listed online.
Boutiques2 places
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Women's boutique carrying clothing, handmade accessories and work by local artists. Free alterations come with a purchase, a rare perk for a small shop.
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Lifestyle boutique selling men's underwear, clothing and gifts on the stretch of University Ave lined with Hillcrest's bars and restaurants.
Records & music1 place
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Record store tied to the TAANG! Records label, selling vinyl across a range of genres from a small storefront on the Fifth Ave shopping block.
Gifts1 place
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Small University Ave shop mixing vintage finds with gifts, next door to Footnote Books on the eastern end of the strip toward Park Blvd.
Menswear1 place
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Private-label lifestyle brand selling its own clothing alongside art and grooming products from a University Ave storefront.
Furniture1 place
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Mid-century modern furniture showroom on Park Blvd that also offers interior design services and lists inventory on 1stDibs.
No shops in that category here yet.
This week
In Hillcrest this week.
Typical hours
Most shops keep the hours below.
Hours vary by individual store. Always check with specific retailers.
Eat, drink, stay
Between shops, close by.
Top restaurants nearby
All of Eat →- TrustMichelin pickAmerican, International · Industrial small-plates room with a wood-fired grill and a big patio. On Park Blvd at the east end of the University Ave strip. MICHELIN Recommended (2026).$$$
- Great MapleMichelin pickAmerican · Busy 1950s-style diner with flair; brunch, Wednesday burger nights and Friday prime rib. On Washington St, a block north of University Ave's west end. MICHELIN Recommended (2026).$
- Curry NationIndian · New curry spot on Fifth Ave that finished its soft opening in February 2026.
- Fort OakMichelin pickSteakhouse, American · Brad Wise's fire-cooked menu in a former car dealership with a horseshoe bar. In Mission Hills, about half a mile west of Hillcrest. MICHELIN Recommended (2026).$$$$
- Soichi★ Michelin starJapanese, Sushi · Intimate sushi bar serving omakase and à la carte; finishes with house-made green tea ice cream. In University Heights, about a mile northeast of Hillcrest. One MICHELIN Star (2026).$$$$
Ratings are the scores saved in our directory and are not live. Check the listing for the current score.
Getting here
Parking and transit.
- PParkingMetered street parking runs along Fifth Ave and University Ave, with paid lots on Sixth Ave and Robinson Ave; check posted signs for meter hours. On Sundays the Hillcrest Farmers Market points drivers to free parking at the California DMV lot at Normal St and Lincoln Ave.
- SBusMTS Route 10 runs along University Ave through Hillcrest; check MTS for current routes.
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Guides for Hillcrest
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