A guide to local favorites in Normal Heights
- By Nina Garin
- Photos by Sandy Huffaker
You know how Iceland is actually green and Greenland is icy? Apply that theory to this neighborhood, because there’s nothing normal about Normal Heights. Founded in 1906 and named for a teaching college, it’s evolved into an area with (relatively) affordable apartments, dive bars, antique shops and markets. It’s one of the few neighborhoods that actually reflects the city’s ethnic makeup. And if you’re a fan of the TV show “Veronica Mars,” you just might recognize the building that housed Mars Investigations.
Meet Nina Garin
Nina is a San Diego native who was also partly raised in Baja California, Mexico. She’s an arts journalist who, as a reluctant stage mother to two daughters, spends more time in theaters than the outdoors. Although she lives a few blocks from the ocean, she’s never been surfing and is too terrified of rip currents to try.
Want to get in touch?
Email bytheway@washpost.comNormal Heights