Windmill Thrift Shop in North Park, San Diego, California

It is not usually windy in North Park area of San Diego (north of Balboa Park and just east of Hillcrest), but the wind of good will has its outlet in unlikely places. Unlike the definitely-used looking goods and disinterestedly partially organized merchandising feel you get when walking into a Goodwill Store or a Salvation Army Store, Windmill Thrift Shop on University Avenue just east of Grimm in North Park is always kept spotlessly clean and well organized. Better yet, it is also well staffed with interested people rather than indifferent volunteers.

I happened on the place while walking about North Park looking for a new sweater and some used book to take home (was going to raid the library's book sale, but it was a Wednesday morning and the library wasn't going to open until 12:30PM). I should admit that I only walked in this place after having first failed to find anything buyable at the Rescue Mission Thrift Shop nearby... What a fortunate thing that turned out to be! The merchandise at the Windmill Shop is of much better quality (really lightly used indeed!) and the pricing very favorable. Better yet, they actually have a good and large selection of men's clothing (at the Rescue Mission Shop there was only 2 short rows of just-a-few-steps-newer-than-rags stuff).

Everything is very well organized with clothing dominating the center of the main room of the store, household appliance and kitchen items to the left and front, entertainment media at the front of the right room, followed by furniture, and books (organized by genre and authors' surname) at the back. The clothing racks aren't organized by size, though there is plenty for shoppers large and small. I found a good brown cardigan that would pass for something quite new for only $2.50... Needless to say, I ended up buying more items than what I had on my shopping list and walked up to the counter 20 minutes later with a sweater, two shirts, and 3 books for a grand total of $17. A killer of a bargain!

The clerks here are very helpful and courteous. There was a rather obnoxious man shopping for new shirts when I walked in who got quite unpleasant with a young Asian guy who was minding his own business browsing at the coat section. As soon as one of the store ladies spotted the trouble she took charge and politely asked the rude customer to leave, earning herself some abuse in the process. But once things settled down again she turned to take care of the next customer in line as if nothing untoward had happened! Checking out here is so smooth you hardly have to wait to be served at all even when the store is busy (which is definitely not something I can say of the Salvation Army Stores I've patronized over the years).

Windmill Thrift Shop is a public benefit corporation store where all profits go to Vista Hill and the Senior Community Center, two of the San Diego area's most prominent non-profit organizations working to help seniors and people with developmental disabilities deal with everyday life. So, shopping here not only nets you good goods for good price. It also helps your local disabled and senior folks! If you have too much lightly used stuff at home and don't know what to do with them, consider donating them to the store, too. One man's trash is another's treasure. Literally.

I'm afraid this is a small shop and there is no parking lot. It is usually quite easy to find street parking on Grimm or the next cross street, though. You can also get here via MTS bus #7 and #10.

Windmill Thrift Shop (in North Park): 3081 University Ave (just east of Grimm), San Diego, CA 92104. Tel (619) 291-2415
Hours: 11AM-7PM daily
Website: www.windmillthriftshops.org/index.html