Girard Avenue in La Jolla

La Jolla's first general merchandise store opened its doors in 1894 in a tiny gabled-roof building with a false front. The once one-store town, visited weekly by a number of traveling wagons that supplied meat and produce to its residents, has mushroomed with rows of distinctive shops.

Originally known as Grand, the broad avenue in the downtown business district was renamed in 1900 after American naturalist and zoologist Frederic Girard. Girard, La Jolla's main commercial artery, is lined with rows of relatively small specialty establishments that boast both friendly atmosphere and personalized service. While socializing with the town's oldest merchants, shoppers can pick up goods to supply every conceivable need - a spool of thread, a fresh orchid, the latest best-seller or a five-carat diamond.