Liberty Station

Liberty Station is one of my favorite spots in Point Loma. I used to work nearby at the naval base, so I was here ALL the time grabbing Trader Joe's snacks on my break, walking along the water, or meeting up with friends at the parks. Every corner has history: old Navy buildings, statues, memorials, even ships, sailors, and men and women in uniform. Afterall, it is a military town. What to do? Plenty!! For free you can just walk the waterfront, hang at NTC Park, people-watch, bring your furry friends, and kids can play on the open lawns. There's water sports like paddleboarding, kayaking and weekend activities. I've been to many picnics, birthday gatherings, all kinds of celebrations, and even just to soak up the sun while strolling. What to eat? As a vegan, the Liberty Public Market has something for everyone. I've had vegan bowls, veggie dishes, and sweet treats. Fig Tree Cafe has plant-based options and Nekter Juice bar is perfect for a quick juice or smoothie. Mama Made Thai, Slurp, Berry Fresh, and Mia Sorella Chimney Cakes has vegan options as well! WOOT! And YES, Trader Joe's is right there for snack emergencies! When to go? Mornings are more calm and afternoons are lively. Evenings are beautiful and can be a spot for a romantic date night. Parking is usually fine unless it's a summer weekend because it has become very touristy. The vibes? San Diego weather never misses! Nine times out of ten you have blue skies, ocean breeze, and sunshine. This spot feels good all year-round! Overall, Liberty Station is a go-to spot for food, views, history, and relaxing energy. As a local, it's a regular spot. For tourists, it's definitely worth a visit.

Liberty station is such a great place to hang out, so many places and events to explore here. Parking is limited but they do have street parking and parking lots. Restroom to use through out the stores, venues and events. Great place for date nights, family & friends hang out. Great photo op spots and a foodies dream.

Large spread of walkways, park space and unique foodie finds. Great place to stroll around and explore. Lots of parking throughout the area. Grocery stores, Wine garden, coffee, open green space. During the winter months there's an outdoor ice skating rink near the center of the station by the big anchor. During summer months the Hawaiian festival Ho'olaulea is at the park. Always a great stop to find good food and entertainment thats family friendly.

***This review is for a special event parking for 2025 Toray Major League Pickleball (MLP) Playoffs presented by Doordash only*** My first time attending a MLP tournament. It's their first time holding it in San Diego at Barnes Tennis Center. When both my daughters and I got to the center, their parking lot was full. We were directed to Liberty Station Lot J for the overflow parking. It was about an 8-10 minutes drive over here from the center. If I read the instructions on parking before heading over to the tourney, we could have saved ourselves that time. Anyway... Once we got here, we saw signs directing us to the MLP reserved parking lot. Even with the signs, I still had to ask for directions because Liberty Station is HUGE! We finally arrived at Lot J which had tons of parking spaces. Most of Lot J if not all was reserved for the MLP event parking. Parking was free. There were 2 average sized shuttles doing the pick-up and drop-off. There weren't a lot of people at the time. The wait wasn't too long. The ride was smooth. Thank you MLP and Liberty Station for partnering to provide free parking and free shuttle service for the event. Btw, for those who are curious, per Google, "Liberty Station is a large commercial development that sprawls across the grounds of a former naval training center. It's home to stylish bars, restaurants, and boutiques, as well as Liberty Public Market, filled with gourmet eateries and shops. There are also art galleries and several small museums housed in Spanish Colonial Revival buildings. Along the waterfront, NTC Park has grassy lawns and bike paths." We'll have to come back to visit and explore what Liberty Station has to offer. It looks like a neat place to spend time at either for a full day or just an afternoon when in the San Diego area. I will do an updated review for it when that time comes.

Value: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 This is one of my go-to places when we have family in town or we have a free weekend. It's dog-friendly, has restaurants for almost any taste and the activities offer a wide range in preferences (painting, 9 holes of golf, mini-golf, workout classes, pottery, etc) or even relaxing in the beautiful garden in the middle. We'll usually grab some food to-go and enjoy the views there. Just be warned that the airplanes go overhead every few minutes but you get used to it

I absolutely love Liberty Station. I've moved down here 4 years now and this place never gets old. The food and atmosphere is AMAZING. I love walking around the market especially and seeing all the different cuisines and food options. It's a very family friendly place, so it gets very crowded especially on the weekends and summer but I would 100% recommend going here. There's cafes around where you can sit, get a coffee, and do some homework too! The one thing I will say is that parking is quite difficult. There's not many spots out front and street parking and parking lots get filled up fast. I'd recommend going early in the day and spending morning-afternoon there. There's also lots of areas to sit in the grass and unique shops all within walking distance. Location is great and an amazing place to spend a morning or afternoon!!

This place is incredible, I can't wait to go back. We ate at Slurp and Momma Made Thai, and both were absolutely amazing. The beer selection is great too. The whole space just feels really cool, unique, and fun. Already looking forward to our next visit!

When you need a bite to eat, entertainment or just a place to people watch this area is always a good choice. You can even go for miniature golf. The area features a selection of restaurants, food stands, vintage store, and more. I popped in for the market for a quick bite, and there is a large selection of foods to try. Something for everybody. Just note the stands are not cheap. Also during prime time: weekends and events the parking can be tight and traffic bad.

Lots of different restaurants and shops located here! Plus many different organizations host events throughout the year. Plus park, grass areas, with the closeness of water to enjoy a relaxing paddleboard session. Liberty Station has it all! Check out the market for great food options. Grab a drink and chill in the outdoor patio to watch the planes fly overhead. And yes they are loud! Which might be the only issue. It's hard to have a conversation sometimes.

Very gorgeous place to spend your weekend. It's full of great breweries, and eateries. High vibe and it all about color. When I walked in to this place I got a New Mexico vibes. The color, the architecture and the vibe were same. I love walking through! Great place to eat and drink and have fun. Parking is lil bit hard to find specially if there is many events going in but i love this place so ill endure the pain for finding parking. No complaints!

What's not to love about liberty Station perfect for tourist great for a local when you just wanna go and get a little bit of everything joy the San Diego ambience liberty Station is so unique and eclectic such a variety of food choices. There's the food court, as well as many restaurants in great Little shops worth the walk. Parking can sometimes be crazy, but I've always found a parking spot and it's free.

Liberty Station is a great family or couples venue for a day in the sun, along the sea, for picnics, shopping, outdoor sports, dining, and enjoying beverages. Free parking, EV charging stations, jogging paths, as well as playgrounds and places to just sit and enjoy the blue skies. Once the home of the United States Recruit Training Center and Naval Training Center, the facility host many restaurants, breweries, wine pubs, food courts, shops, markets, schools and a 9 hole golf course. Highly recommended for a Saturday afternoon or evening.

This place is beyond-words-cool. Basically, this is its own little city full of every kind of restaurant, bar, jeweler, art gallery, dance place, golf corse, and so much more. The parking is free, and everything is wheelchair accessible. If you haven't been, this is an awesome place to come explore alone, on a date, with family, or friends. Some places are pet friendly, but not all. With summer here, I recommend leaving your pets at home because the ground temperature can get to be 140 and burn your dog's paws into open wounds.

I attended this event today !!! It was nice to visit all the booths and purchase some items from vendors that came from all parts of Mexico !! The event was free, free parking, free entertainment - mariachi and folkloric dancers !!! Amazing food options and artesanía Mexicana !!! I hope they are back next year - highly recommended!!!!

Recently came to Liberty Station for dinner at one of the restaurants. The station is decorated for the holidays with a large lit up Christmas tree. There's so many restaurants and shopping spots to check out while walking through the area!

Beautiful, scenic, serene. Whether you're visiting San Diego for the first time or just heading out for a night on the town, Liberty Station is a great option for shopping, dining, drinking, socializing, and so much more!

One December we drove through Liberty Station to find the tree lighting at nite but we never got out of the car. Today we had a chance to see how huge and beautiful Liberty Station. It's the kind of place with so many options to meet up with a friend when you say Let's do lunch or dinner. Classy place, impressive for sure. We are visiting Doc this weekend and we both shared this event with each other Haven't been to an Art Walk or craft fairin a year or more. Pet friendly for sure. This place hums..,the good life!

I can't believe the number of years and times I've been to San Diego, I've never been to this place before. I can't believe my family that I visit have never told me, the creative artistic crafty person I am, until now. I love the reuse of space from having been a military base to being retail and restaurant space now. And it's used for good food and art studios or galleries. I wish I had more time to stay so I could paint some pottery but I only had time to meander and peruse some of the shops. Liberty Public Market was packed with diverse food options. I particularly enjoyed the empanadas. My sibling ate my entire first order so I had to go back and get more so I could try it. Haha! We also got a fried seafood platter from the Peruvian spot. I also tried the Boba. Everything was pretty good but the empanadas stood out to me. Yom! Loved all the little shop stands next to the food stops so you could shop and eat here.

Great place to meet when everyone wants something different. Between us we had pizza, Thai, Korean, açai bowls, and lots of desserts. We all enjoyed our dishes. I wasn't the one who tried the pizza but it smelled amazing and I'll definitely be getting that next time!

Great indoor market, galleries and food. Always visit when in town. I normally go on week days but this time we came on a Saturday. It was really crowded. But great atmosphere and plenty to see.

Sunday traffic conditions could use some improvement. There is a lack of traffic control past noon. It took over 25 minutes to be able to get out of the parking lot. 15 minutes to get out of my parking spot and that's me essentially backing my car out and hoping someone wouldn't honk or be aggressive towards me. It's weird because there are no issues with traffic coming in. It's certainly a safety issue if an emergency were to occur. Better safety and traffic measures should be put in place.

If you haven't visited this place in San Diego yet, you must find time to come and have a look. Liberty Station is a comprehensive area that combines history, culture and modern vitality. It was formerly the Naval Training Center San Diego established in the 1920s and was transformed into a cultural landmark integrating art, dining, shopping and leisure in the 2000s. It's like a huge open-air mall and also has a large grassy park. It's a great choice to have a picnic, relax, take photos, play with kids or go on a date here! There are over 20 local food vendors in San Diego. Food recommendations: Wicked Maine Lobster's fresh lobster rolls and lobster mac and cheese. Stuffed is a former food truck brand famous for its spicy Mac n' Cheese burger. Bottle Craft offers 24 local craft beers, echoing San Diego's title as the "Craft Beer Capital". Venissimo Cheese is also here. Besides food, there are flower shops, handicraft stores, and fresh produce stands. Visitors are allowed to bring their own alcohol and enjoy it freely indoors and outdoors. The outdoor dining area is decorated with small light bulbs and there are live music performances every Sunday.

I love everything about Liberty Station! It's a beautiful and historic park that has a gorgeous view of the waterfront. The water is clean and calm, perfect for paddle boarding or kayaking on a warm day. There are lots of great restaurants and a food hall, as well as cute boutique shops. They also have a large open field with lush green grass, perfect for picnics! For little kids, there is a playground area and also miniature golf. Liberty Station has so much to offer and is a place I frequent often, especially when considering a location to host MeetUp events for my Fun Diego Ladies group! What's also great about this area is the plentiful free parking.

I absolutely love Liberty Station, and it's a must stop each time I'm in San Diego. The beautiful historic buildings and the area is clean and safe. My family and I are always riding the motor scooters around just to see all the building, homes, and artwork. The food hall in the main building is an absolute plus we always try something different each time, and I also enjoy looking at the crafts during craft times. You can find various places to park and I've never had a problem finding parking.

Wow this place is amazing. There is so much to see and do here. From restaurants, food hall, golf course, park, and shops to choose from. We even found some museums tucked on the park side near the Navy memorial. I definitely hope you all check them out because I saw some pretty cool stuff in the exhibits especially the ofrenda for Dia de Los Muertos. They had a huge tribute to Chente, Vicente Fernandez. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes because of you want to explore the whole grounds, you will be walking. It's a great walk and lots to see so definitely worth it. Bring your cameras or phones to capture some great shots while you are at it.

I really like Liberty Station ... for its rich history as the West Coast Naval Training Center and for how it was transformed into its present center for food, retail shopping, arts, and recreation. I truly appreciate the preservation of its Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture, as well as its multiple plazas. When you drive on base -- er, enter Liberty Station -- you literally enter a piece of living history that goes back to 1923. There's plenty of parking. Be prepared to walk quite a bit in order to take in the breadth and scope of this center

Really awesome place to go n hang out for the day. There's stores, restaurants, a huge park, plus ur next to ocean so views r fantastic. U can fish of bridge. Took a ride on scooters down the bike trail. Park is huge, alot of ppl out n about. Parking is easy n not impossible to find a parking spot. Nice area to hve a picnic, or dine in 1 of the many restaurants u can choose from.

Best place to eat at when you don't know what you want to eat or can't make up your mind. They have everything there.

The time and the many actions that you see the many jeeps and staff cars as they speed past you the sounds of the jeeps you see the many naval cadets and the many naval officers; with the thunderous sounds of the fighters overhead as they land at the nearby station. Hello, Sailors, welco0me to the Liberty Island Station once you come through the main gate you can see the world of the station when it came to life so many years ago the history was one that changed the world and the city of San Diego. From the days travels I wanted to take the weekend to see Liberty Island Station and the many areas where the many naval ships parked and docked at the many berths. The many areas which housed the many servicemen and the marines that readied their departures the many cranes that would be loading ships and the sounds of the marching men in the early morning workouts. When the United States had entered the war the many bases around the United States were fully into the manufacturing and the world of aircraft that was sent to the many Islands and the many carrier pilots that trained here in San Diego. The many areas that showed so much history from the artillery that was located at the center park they were having a large event showing the many groups of people celebrating the 100-year anniversary. Liberty Island was used at the many areas with the filming of the Top Gun from the many offices and the restaurants that serve some of the greatest food with a great Vons Store with one of the large outside areas you can have lunch at your lunch. From the many that had watched the Top Gun Movie you saw the motorcycle ride out of Liberty Island showing of the many places of the station made one of the best locations. The many areas of the Liberty Island you can find such places as the Classic art and the music center you can see the students hard at work creating the most beautiful pieces seeing the many art pieces on display. San Diego has so many great history areas with Liberty Island Station it was one place you can see the many places on the bay with many ships that come and go. From the mighty Aircraft Carriers, and the many ships of the fleet which many other ships that come to the Naval Base San Diego. The food at the Vons store has the best flavor going to the station gave me time to get great hot food and some of the best bakery. Liberty Island Station has such a great feel when you walk the halls green trees you see through the many areas the years back you saw the many soldiers the jeeps and staff cars bringing the Commanding Officers to the base and out to the many docks so the ships could get underway. Large Golf Courses they have where you can have the morning golf and with the best Athletic Clubs that you can get the morning workouts from the cyclery with the best weight you come early and still have a great workout and to cool down in the plunge effect or if you like the warm effect, you can work out the many muscles pulls, and the strains. So many great places you can visit at Liberty Island Station with the many great drinks and the food you can have for the evening or to have a group party. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer, the many places the great feel of travel and the historical feel of the restaurants I have found so many things with the start of food and places which made some of the basics that helped the many men and women in the Armed Services. My time at Liberty Island Station was the to see the many historical and the many which helped to win the war.

The Liberty Station area of Point Loma, is always a fun way to spend an afternoon in San Diego. This former US Naval Training Center is not too far from the Downtown and very close to the Airport, as the overhead flight path would indicate. LOL. If you've been to Faneuil Hall in Boston, or Harborplace in Baltimore, then you'll be familiar with the old Rouse Company's tourist setup. But unlike those commercial places, Liberty Station is somewhere I could easily go every day and never get tired of exploring the history. In the Fall, they even have an ice skating rink, which is lots of fun. And when you get hungry, there's always nearby Liberty Market, or the Fig Tree Cafe, or Stone Brewery. There's a lot of choices here. Liberty Market has a huge retail space too, where you could browse the various food or retail stalls. Or, you could also just sit there all day, just drinking a delicious French pressed coffee, having a macaroon or two (or three). Enjoy!

Great selection of food vendors, lots of places to sit, very clean and welcoming. Great experience!

I loved visiting here after becoming a recent resident of San Diego! It reminded me so much of Chelsea market in New York City! There is an excellent bao bun place! Don't miss going here for a fun evening!

Many choices, great place to wander around!! The food and souvenir selections are vast and awesome!

Not really certain what the draw is... Old Navy Barracks haphazardly refurbished as a shopping center? Most of the area is esthetically pleasing, storefronts are poorly advertised (if at all), maps are ineffective, and parking is centrally located with horrible traffic patterns. Google claims this is a hub for shopping, dining, history... I walked away from my visit wondering: where are the museums? Gifts shops? Basic sundries shoppes? Picnic areas? Who knows. It's really too bad because it's a beautiful place with so much opportunity to bring the city and visitors together even closer

What a nice weather here!! Never knew about this place. Great picnic park with bunch of restaurants and dessert shops and also retail stores. You can spend so much time browsing here. They have the dining theater the Lot too.

Great food and great atmosphere. Enjoyed the drinks as well. We were not rushed which was perfect for our reunion.

Great place to eat, walk, shop, and look at rainbows! A beautiful part of San Diego!!

I absolutely LOVE LS!! It's right by the Rock Church. This is a great place to take your friends or out. -of-towers ... there's a variety of shops and restaurants here and the public market is one of my favorite stops. Some of my favorite shops/restaurants here are The Fig Tree Breakfast Republic The Presley White Rice Pigment Bracelet stand inside the PM (owned by an African gentleman) Plenty of outdoor seating, perfect place to relax, break out your outdoor mat and lay on the grass. I can def spend a good part of the day here at the Liberty Station!

Beautiful grounds with lots of dog friendly spaces! Dog waste bags are even provided around the grassy areas.

I love everything about Liberty Station except that traffic to drive around. Liberty public market is a great place to walk around and grab some food, nice live music usually playing outside. Stone brewery is great, Spark Cycle is a great spin studio and there's even a pottery paining place. Trader Joe's is convenient especially if you're already in the area for a restaurant/gym class etc. This review is mostly for - Kanaka Landing - a place to standup paddleboard from. My second time standup paddleboarding from this location. There's no rental place at this lot, so you need to bring your own board. Came on a weekday evening and the lot was pretty empty, and I got a spot close to the launch. Came on a weekend (mid winter, but a nice 68 degree day) and the lot was packed, but managed to find a spot. Blew up my board next to my car and carried it over the short walk to the launch. Had a lovely calm paddle in the water, I like this spot for the winter because it's so calm (no wake zone) so you don't really need to worry about falling in. Paddled out to the bridge (under the bridge into the mission bay area) and then back. Took our time and hung for a while and it took about an hour.

Formerly known as Naval Training Center (NTC) San Diego, Liberty Station is now a popular place for locals and tourists alike. It's located near the San Diego Airport in Point Loma. There are many options for parking here, with no fees. I've been here a few times, and each time I go there's always something to see, eat or do. NTC Park is located nearby, where you can kayak, paddle board or cruise on a boat. Came out once to paddle board and that was a great experience as the waters were calm and easy to maneuver. It's where I mastered the art of standing up on my board! =) In addition to the nice outdoor spaces, there are shops, restaurants, bars, art galleries and even a golf club! You'll get your exercise in while strolling around and discovering all that it has to offer. In the evenings, it's well lit and now that the holiday season is here, the decorations and lighting makes it even prettier! During the day, the weather is beautiful about 95% of the time. There's a nice lawn outside the Public Market where you can listen to live music while grubbing away or getting your drink on. The grounds are well kept, and properly maintained. Just like every other public place, due to covid19, masks are required here unless you are eating and/or drinking at a restaurant. All employees are masked as well. If you have never been here, swing on by! I recommend it for anyone and everyone. If you don't live nearby, I promise it's worth the drive (or flight)!

I've been here a few times to meet friends while in town for lunch or brunch and have always enjoyed it. It's a large and sprawling complex that used to be the NTC and is now offices, shops, art galleries and restaurants. The architecture is beautiful with 1950s exteriors and long covered awnings. Signage is everywhere and easily shows you which section you are in (it's huge) and what is nearby. My husband, who had never been, really enjoyed walking around on the well-kept grounds and we probably only covered 15% in the 30 minutes we walked. We saw plenty to do and people were outside with pets abs playing games on the lawns. Def worth a visit if you're in San Diego.

Walking around liberty station is so much fun. There are food options for everyone, drinks and desserts. I loved seeing all the different cuisines that were offered. This is a FOODIE paradise!!

Great place to hang out. Restaurants and some shopping. A nice little courtyard for peace and quiet or for children to run around. Clean. Well maintained.

This use to be military barracks here before..So now they turn it Liberty Station I wanted to meet outside with my family again and introduce them to Liberty Station. They haven't see the beautiful green lawns and fountains here an walk around to the water..to walk by such a open space to see kids runny and their pets walking with a Leash, and water bowls for dogs to drink in front of shops. And just be outside with masks on We always enjoy walking around this beautiful station the atmosphere is great here the shops are trying to stay a float. We stop by to pick out a few gifts for birthdays a just because gifts now there's a spin class now too outside. We would stop to get lunch or dinner. Before we would bring family and friends to enjoy the beauty views & music and shops This is my 1st. pick to bring people to enjoy Liberty Station...we'll be back even just for coffee & dessert!

So much to do and see! From museums, art, restaurants, theaters, shops, public market and plenty of outdoor parks for picnics, exercise or just sunbathing. So much military history as well as venues for weddings, parties, church and memorial services. I always love coming here. I would recommend.

This is a great place to spend some time social distanced with a friend or two. The park area is huge. One can sit here and watch the planes continually land or take off (which is what we saw on a cloudy day). Saturdays seem to be a lot more busy and the gyms are open etc and people are out having picnics, and playing sports for those who are more wary of crowds during the pandemic. Sundays is a quieter day if you are looking to just hang around and go for a stroll. It's right by the water too so it is scenic. Plenty of free parking to be had - I love this aspect about it, day or night there is always parking. I came here last year and roamed around the Liberty Station Market and though there isn't a huge selection, I liked the various options of food and little shops. Also, walking around looking at the different art studio studios and the workshops is a treat and I would recommend it to people who enjoy art. A large kids playground for those who have small kids and want to take their children to play a bit after a heavy meal is a nice option too. A great place all around to visit, and think it's worthwhile to walk around and take in the sights and sounds.

Historical- check! This used to be a Naval Training Center. Food - check! Variety and good quality! Check out Fig Tree and Moniker (cafe) & farmers market Shopping. - check! Cute boutiques! Check Pigmemt . Events - check! Seasonal events as well as event spaces available (ex. Junk in the Trunk) Pet friendly - check! Please clean up after your fur child. Open spaces - check! Green grass for picnics and lounging areas in common spaces plentiful! Instagrammable (is that even a thing? Uhhh...yea!) - check!! Beautifully curated throughout! Parking - check! Plentiful! This place ticks off a bunch of things I like to look for. 5/2020

Perfect for the times we live in. A fair amount of eating options with tempting bakeries. Oh, and drinking stations nearby. A few accessory shopping booths. What captivates me is the outdoor seating with partial views of the skyline. Also, the park is nice pre or after meal stroll.