For his series Portraits on Kettner, local photographer Israel “Iz” Castillo snaps medium-format film photos of people simply as they are—no glam squad, no FaceTune, no filters. It’s an intimate look at the locals we pass everyday, often standing in the middle of the road in Little Italy during traf

Every year, after the shopping fervor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, comes Giving Tuesday, a global initiative encouraging people to use their dollars for good. There’s no specific charity or organization tied to the movement—instead, you’re welcomed to choose the cause that lights you up and don

In 2020, Kat Alexander experienced a serious mental health crisis that would last more than a year. In 2022, she and her best friend, author and beloved San Diego Magazine contributor Mara Altman, began chronicling the crisis and its aftermath in what would eventually become EPISODES: The True Story

San Diego, with its gorgeous coastal views and year-round sunny weather, is a golfer’s paradise, offering an impressive array of courses that cater to all skill levels, whether your scorecard usually consists of eagles or bogies. For locals and out-of-towners alike, exploring these courses will not

They say “nature is the best medicine,” and luckily, that’s more than just an old adage. Studies have shown that spending time outdoors has tons of benefits, including mental health and physical advantages. s a San Diego resident, we’ve been blessed with plenty of opportunities to get the sun on our

Determined not to flip the kayak, I paddle hard, straight into the swell, following my guide Lillie Mulligan’s lead. The offshore wind drives a brisk fog atop the San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area, challenging our forward momentum. “Paddle harder,” Mulligan yells as our kayak

This past weekend, my relationship with Caleb* passed the six-month mark. We’re growing closer—and, as we do, it’s getting a bit more challenging to share our experiences in this column. Let me explain.I promised myself and readers that I’d be open and honest when it comes to writing about my dating

“I am the queen of hats,” Claude Rosinsky says. It’s a fitting title, considering how many she’s worn in her 82 years. The daughter of a royal physician in Morocco, she grew up in the capital city, Rabat. She went on to work for the United Nations and, later, with fashion icons like Christian Dior.

“I didn’t think I was an inventor for years,” says robotics engineer Danielle Boyer. But the 23-year-old Ojibwe creator embodied the title long before she embraced it—she designed her first robot at 17. That initial prototype became EKGAR (which stands for “Every Kid Gets a Robot”), a $20 remote-con

Monica Montgomery Steppe has always had two interests: music and public service. When she has time, she still occasionally sings at church, but it’s her devotion to public service that eventually led her to work for several San Diego city officials, including former San Diego City Council President

Now that Halloweekend has passed, we are on the cusp of Christmastime, but we can still revel in the pumpkin spice coziness of fall for a bit longer. So why stay cooped up inside when there’s so much to do around the city? Food lovers will have much to feast on, including Ambrogio by Acquerello’s fi

A handful of teenage girls share this bedroom. Posters of their favorite singers and notes from their friends paper the walls, and piles of stuffed animals populate the beds. One girl sits quietly at the vanity, brushing her hair and touching up her makeup. Juana Ortiz, her legal guardian, mentions

Meg Ferrigno had already been living and working among nomadic Tibetans for years when she went on the service trip that would change everything. “I was translating for a midwife,” Ferrigno recalls. “We saw over 100 patients and every single one of them was reporting severe infections and horrible s

Six days before 9/11, Dilkhwaz Ahmed arrived in the US from the Kurdistan region of Iraq to attend a conference. Ahmed, who had opened one of the first women’s domestic violence shelters in Iraq, applied for asylum after the attack, knowing she couldn’t go back. She already received threats at home

La Jolla is getting delicious. Over the past few years, the tony enclave has bumped up its food and beverage prowess, with openings like Wayfarer Bread, Marisi, Paradisaea, and Le Coq lining up one after the other in a culinary competition that frankly, we’re all winning. That’s not even mentioning

Donna DeBerry moved to San Diego from Austin to “hang at the beach and have a good time,” she says. After a successful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) career spanning several cities and prominent corporations—Indeed.com, Starbucks, Nike, Wyndham—DeBerry thought she was ready to retire. But th

“The goal is always to create spaces of belonging, where all guests can feel respected, be themselves, and form connections, while cultural learning is happening,” says Lauren Garces, the creative mind behind event production company Social Artistry. “I constantly ask myself, ‘How can I intentionall

It’s the most spooky time of the season, Halloween is here and Thanksgiving plans with your in-laws are right around the corner. San Diego is bustling with events for food lovers including the San Diego Beer Week; Ramona’s Art, Wine & Musical Festival; and the inaugural San Diego Coffee Festival. Th

It’s the most spooky time of the season, Halloween is here and Thanksgiving plans with your in-laws are right around the corner. San Diego is bustling with events for food lovers including the San Diego Beer Week; Ramona’s Art, Wine & Musical Festival; and the inaugural San Diego Coffee Festival. Th

Ann Najjar didn’t set out to be on the cover of magazines. Didn’t have dreams of acting in movies. Wasn’t itching for an Adidas sponsorship or hoping to garner the attention of more than a million followers on her Instagram account. She merely wanted to support her brother’s passion.Fame came anyway