South Park resident Joe Grant always wished that the rundown liquor store near his home at the corner of Beech and Dale streets would someday be turned into a specialty market stocked with gourmet cheeses, fine wines and Italian coffees. Little did he know that he’d be the person to make it happen.

His business, Grant’s Marketplace, reflects a culinary advent occurring in a neighborhood known for its gentrified housing and hip little storefronts. Just several blocks north, in the so-called heart of the district, the recently-opened South Park Bar & Grill gives foodies a new venue to chomp on Veggie Burgers and Crab Cake Sandwiches while soaking up live musical entertainment presented on weekends. Located at 1946 Fern St., just blocks from the gay-friendly Whistle Stop Bar, the restaurant offers an intimate, polished setting that might otherwise appear drowned if flanked by the neon hues of Hillcrest.

And sitting at South Park’s northern gateway, on the corner of 30th and Juniper, resides an established family-owned trattoria known as Mazara, which has seemingly kept its front lights burning for neighborhood newcomers to discover. In true mom-and-pop style, the 20-year-old business operates as a market in the front and an informal restaurant in the back — and features a dizzying selection of pastas and pizzas.

Residents of South Park and its bordering communities — Golden Hill, Burlingame and the southern sector of North Park — proclaim the area is finally on the up and up. “The quality of life has improved tremendously around here over the past decade,” says homeowner Jake Hagey. “There’s a harmonious dynamic of gay and straight that is leading to more cool restaurants and shops.”

Mark Fraser agrees. A former volunteer coordinator for San Diego LGBT Pride, he and his partner, Michael Ambrose, have contributed to the area’s renaissance with their Market on Myrtle, a quaint and attractive store dating back to 1932, which they revitalized for selling organic food products and produce. “It’s getting nicer and nicer around here all the time,” says Fraser.

Grant particularly enjoys the neighborhood’s “small-town feeling,” pointing to an old-fashioned produce scale toward the back of his store. “Parents sometimes bring in their newborn babies and weigh them on it,” he quips. “I’ve never lived anywhere in San Diego longer,” he adds. “Although we could use more ethnic restaurants and food purveyors since this is definitely a neighborhood where people like walking.”

Since opening the market in late 2002, Grant has fulfilled his dream of carrying everything from artisan breads and caviar to French cheeses and specialty wines. He and his wife are currently adding to the floor plan a meat deli that will feature Boar’s Head cold cuts, scheduled to open in early February.

Concludes Hagey: “We’re no longer solely about the Big Kitchen and Turf Club anymore,” referring to the new food merchants and smattering of trendy coffeehouses that hover around those popular eateries, such as Santos Fine Coffees and Krakatoa Coffee Shop. “The choices are expanding. It is shaping up into a neighborhood where you can find a lot of friendly bites.”