This morning the big annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in San Diego!
Almost a hundred separate entrants in the parade would entertain thousands of people lining sidewalks in Bankers Hill.
Can you believe it? Over the course of almost eleven years, this is the seventh (lucky?) time I’ve taken photos of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. And this year it was just as wonderful as ever!
What is it like before the parade begins, as smiling people gather for the joyful green spectacle?
These photos provide a glimpse…
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Superheroes and supervillains and other pop culture characters gathered this morning in San Diego to participate in the big annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade!
Members from several San Diego and Southern California cosplay groups gathered on Fifth Avenue before the start of the parade and posed for fun photographs! How many costumed characters do you recognize?
Hmm… I believe I see some sort of Green Lantern America, Alvin, Hermione, Spidey, Link, Elves from Middle Earth, Ghostbusters battling Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, good old Cap, a Black Widow, Obi-Wan Kenobi (and his apparent clone), Superman well-dressed in kryptonite armor, a bright green Irish Wookiee, Princess Peach, Batgirl, Gambit, the Jolly Green Giant (villains eat your vegetables or else!), a Tusken Raider, Dude Vader, and…
Super cool!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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Look what I spied this afternoon during my walk around San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. I believe this structure will be a huge electronic videoboard. It’s now being installed in Gaslamp Square!
I spoke to some people who’ve been observing the construction of this steel framework. They believe this will be an LED video display. One side faces the San Diego Convention Center; the opposite side is pointed toward the iconic Gaslamp Quarter landmark sign on Fifth Avenue.
I’ve seen no news concerning this apparent videoboard. If that is indeed what it is–how perfect for Comic-Con and other big events that are centered near the Gaslamp! If I discover more in the days ahead, I’ll post an update.
Feel free to leave a comment!
UPDATE!
Several days later a worker confirmed this will be a LED messaging board–or I should say boards! There are two of them…
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A gigantic baseball bat tower has been installed inside Gallagher Square at Petco Park!
Check it out! That huge bat is actually part of a new, super cool playground, which, as I understand it, will feature a slide and bridge that connect to those other elevated structures!
Whoaa! To be a kid again! Families living in downtown San Diego and those attending Padres games are in for a treat!
While walking through East Village around Petco Park late this afternoon, I also noticed some Padres players street lamp banners are up for the new 2024 season!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
An exceptionally beautiful work of public art was installed today in Normal Heights. Kaleidoscope of Butterflies now takes wing on a corner of the City of San Diego Adams Recreation Center!
The artwork, consisting of eleven interlocking mosaic panels, features combined elements of very different butterflies. It was created by artist Kim Emerson, who lives a few blocks away. She and her husband, Dennis Reiter, are founding members of Normal Heights Urban Arts (NHUA).
Kim Emerson’s mosaics and sculptures have already been enjoyed by many San Diegans. You can see a couple examples of her fantastic public art here and here.
Kim’s website has a description of her Kaleidoscope of Butterflies and the history of its creation. Read her words, and see photos of the mosaics being pieced together, then installed on the Adams Recreation Center here.
Here’s an inspirational article about the artist, her work with renowned artist James Hubbell, and her calling to create. As we each can do in life, she picks up broken pieces and combines them into new beauty. But that’s not all. When this project is finished, Kim has decided that it’s time to pass on her knowledge to other artists and agencies seeking qualified artists, to help elevate the awareness of contemporary mosaic art. She plans to mentor other artists, teach mosaic from her home studio and experiment more with her personal mosaic work.
If you drive east on Adams Avenue near 35th Street, you can’t miss the Kaleidoscope of Butterflies. Plus many other butterflies that have been painted on nearby electrical boxes by Normal Heights Urban Arts.
I arrived this afternoon after installation of the eleven panels had been completed. I took the following photos under overcast, drizzly conditions.
The art is like sunshine for the soul.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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Did you know today, March 14, is National Learn About Butterflies Day?
It is!
This evening I’ll be posting a blog that concerns new butterfly public art in San Diego. Stay tuned for that!
Meanwhile, enjoy a bunch of past photographs of colorful butterfly art discovered around the city!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Numerous old photographs and historical documents tell the story of how a few African Americans pioneers first came to Coronado in the late 19th century, and how their numbers would greatly increase beginning in 1944, because of the Federal Housing Project. The island had more than twice the African American population in 1960 than Chula Vista, El Cajon, Escondido, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, La Mesa and Vista combined!
The exhibition features stories of families through many generations, telling of their struggles and triumphs.
Some of Coronado’s earliest African American pioneers migrated west looking for opportunity, following Elisha Babcock, who would develop the once-barren island and build the Hotel del Coronado. In its early years, Coronado was considered more accepting of African American residents and visitors than most San Diego neighborhoods.
Members of the segregated United States military would also settle in Coronado–Civil War veterans, Buffalo Soldiers, and veterans of the two World Wars.
The exhibition explains that many African Americans in those early years worked as maids, cooks, nurses, butlers, housekeepers, gardeners, laborers, coachmen and chauffeurs. The pay was low and life could be difficult–many residents of Coronado would persist in supporting segregation for decades. Surprisingly, Coronado’s local schools were integrated from the beginning.
Visitors to the museum will learn how African American graduates from Coronado High School during the Civil Rights Era went on to successful careers and achievements in the arts, military, private business, and government. That success in the community continues to this day.
If you ever find yourself in beautiful Coronado, head to the The Coronado Historical Association‘s free museum and experience An Island Looks Back: Uncovering Coronado’s Hidden African American History.
You will be inspired by the life stories and accomplishments of African Americans who’ve called Coronado home.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
In 2023, a long mural was created in the alley behind Bread & Salt in Logan Heights. Transmutation – Exploring art & Healing is the title in English. It’s by San Diego artist May-ling Martinez.
The artwork combines various elements, including geometry, anatomy, natural forms and design. It seems that creativity is in our human DNA.
I saw this mural for the first time a few days ago when I explored the old Weber’s bread bakery, the historic building in which the Bread & Salt cultural center is located.
In late 2020 I walked around the same building and through the same alley, taking photos of different murals, many of which remain today. See those here.
Looking at the artist’s website, I see she created fun art that I photographed almost ten years ago in East Village. It’s the closet-like mural titled Inside Outside that you can see here!
Here are more photos of Transmutation, taken along the alley as I walked from left to right…
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
The Hawthorne Historic Inn in Bankers Hill is a picturesque old Victorian. Built circa 1900 in the Dutch Colonial style, the building attracts the eyes of those passing down 1st Avenue.
A public tour of the Hawthorne Historic Inn was offered last weekend, as part of the San Diego Architectural Foundation Open House event, and I took full advantage of the opportunity!
Not only could visitors explore the interior, with its long, bright skylight and beautifully furnished rooms for rent, but we learned that the building has a very rich and surprising history!
A handout provided by the property owner explained how Mr. Jones, a movie starring Richard Gere, was filmed here in 1993. You might recall scenes of Richard Gere’s troubled character on the rooftop.
It also recounted how Mohammed Ali and Sammy Davis, Jr. stayed at the inn in the 1960s and 70s. Back then, unfortunately, African Americans had difficulty obtaining rooms in other establishments.
Another tidbit that interested me is that in the 1980s, the Hawthorne Inn was one of three officially haunted places in San Diego! (I saw no ghosts during my tour.)
The inn was originally called “The Plainsman” in an old classified ad. It was a boarding house. It is one of the few Working Man’s hotels remaining from the turn of the 19th century.
The second owner, last name Warren, was a women who was a Theosophist. She was likely involved in the founding of Lomaland, the Theosophical community located in Point Loma.
I learned the property has had its ups and downs, but is currently on the upswing. Today it’s a fine apartment building with great views of downtown and San Diego Bay from its upper floor and an outside balcony.
The Hawthorne Historic Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a California State Historic Landmark.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
The Fan Zone outside Snapdragon Stadium was alive with excitement before the start of today’s Women’s Gold Cup Final. The winner of the game would be historic first champion of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup!
Which team would prevail? USA or Brazil?
Soccer fans from around the United States and the world were arriving in droves, streaming in from parking lots and the Stadium trolley station. I saw flag capes, crazy hats, colorful scarfs, enthusiastic fans holding handmade signs, and many smiles. A lot of red, white and blue was visible. Some yellow and green, too!
Inside the Gold Cup Fan Zone, families took part in many activities. Kids dribbled soccer balls, tried to score a goal. Fans posed for pictures with the Gold Cup. San Diego’s own soccer teams–San Diego FC and San Diego Wave FC–had booths and greeted everyone.
Fans were pumped!
Who would win?
Who would win? USA!
Guess who scored the winning goal?
Lindsey Horan!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 