Barrio Logan

The biggest "gallery" in Barrio Logan unfolds under a series of freeway overpasses in Chicano Park — a community park where some 100 historic murals grace the concrete pillars and walls. The artworks in Chicano Park represent the largest concentration of Chicano murals in the world, spread across seven acres dotted with sculptures, gardens, picnic tables and playgrounds. The park's powerful murals sprang from political action beginning in 1970, when the community rallied against plans to build a law-enforcement substation in an area that had been promised as future parkland. (While you're there, don't miss a visit to the Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center, which celebrates the park and all the artists who have made it such a vibrant place.)

With deep connections to San Diego’s historic Barrio Logan community, Mujeres Brew House celebrates heritage, home and much more through its creative lineup of craft beers. A Latina-owned and -managed craft brewery ("women" is right there in the name), Mujeres serves up its suds in fun and colorful surroundings, complete with vendors selling everything from tacos to art (on market days). The brewery also offers weekend tours and other events, all with an eye toward celebrating the neighborhood and local culture.

Bread & Salt is a sprawling former bakery space that's now a popular spot for cutting-edge art shows, music performances and the occasional immersive theater piece. It also serves as home to Mujeres Brew House, Provecho Coffee and multiple art spaces and studios. 

Every April, the free Chicano Park Day in Barrio Logan celebrates the art and culture of San Diego's Latino residents with traditional music, dance, a lowrider car show, vendor booths, kids' arts workshops and more. 

With a focus on representation and accessibility in literature, Libélula (whose name means "dragonfly") lends wings to words in Barrio Logan. The shop offers reads ranging from contemporary poetry to Queer lit to graphic novels and more, with a self-professed emphasis on indigenous, black and Chicanx history and narratives.

Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski was all but born to make clothes: Her dad owned a denim factory in the San Fernando Valley and her mom sewed clothing for the whole family. Now, the Chicana designer is making her own mark in fashion with Sew Loka, her “slow fashion clothing brand” founded in Barrio Logan in 2013. Rodríguez-Biezunski’s creations, which revolve around reclaimed fabrics, are aimed at (in her words) “breaking down barriers, blurring societal norms and proudly welcoming BIPOC and underserved communities through affordable, edgy, and upcycled handmade goods.”