Downtown on Beech Street there’s a glass building with zigzagged sides. The varied reflections of nearby buildings make for a very cool sight!
A few odd reflections on Beech Street.
Tag: architecture
A few glimpses upward around San Diego.
Life at eye level can be so darn busy that I often forget to look upward. Occasionally I remember there’s a world above me. Here are a few recorded glimpses.
Early morning light touches East Village.
These photos were taken a few weeks ago in the early morning. I was on the way to work and feeling energized, so I walked about the 12th and Imperial trolley station to enjoy the views.
History at Horton Plaza Park construction site.
A large area between Broadway and the Horton Plaza shopping mall is fenced off for construction. One end of the downtown mall has already been demolished and leveled to the bare ground. The long-neglected Horton Plaza Park is being enlarged!
On the fence surrounding the construction site are a number of interesting old photographs showing the park’s history.
When real estate developer Alonzo Horton built the Horton House hotel (now the U.S. Grant Hotel) in his “New Town” in 1870, he included a small plaza on the hotel grounds. In 1895 he sold the half block plaza to the growing city of San Diego, stating his objective was “to provide a central, commodious and attractive place for public meetings, public announcements, public recreation and for any other proper public purposes, a place where all public questions might be discussed with comfort, where public open-air concerts might be given, where the people might rest, and where children might play in safety.” In 1909 the first fountain in the United States to feature electric lights was installed in the park.
Over the years, the small park has seen a whole lot of history, as the following photographs at today’s construction site demonstrate. Horton Plaza Park was designated a historical landmark by the City of San Diego in 1971.
The streets were crowded with a spontaneous celebration when World War II finally ended.
On November 2, 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy spoke at Horton Plaza Park, seeking votes in the upcoming presidential election. A huge crowd turned out.
The beautifully renovated park will include lots of space for public events, including outdoor concerts!
Here’s a pic I took on January 31, 2015…
Cool pedestrian bridge over Harbor Drive.
This cool new pedestrian bridge spans Harbor Drive between the San Diego Convention Center and Petco Park.
The unique suspension bridge took longer to build than anticipated. According to media reports I saw, the firm that designed it originally miscalculated how much weight it could hold!
Here are a few more pics!
Clock tower at 12th and Imperial trolley station.
I got some unusual photos of the clock tower that stands next to the transit center at the 12th and Imperial trolley station downtown. The clock is one cool San Diego sight that can be seen from many points in the city.
You can stand inside the base of the tower and look outward!
Colorful art on a downtown San Diego street.
You can find this colorful artwork on the side of a building on Tenth Avenue as you enter downtown San Diego from Highway 163.
Looks to me like the artist has inserted architectural elements from the California missions into a Mediterranean scene.
The Headquarters opens by Seaport Village.
Several weeks ago a cool new small shopping center opened up adjacent to Seaport Village on downtown San Diego’s waterfront. It’s called The Headquarters at Seaport District, and it’s located in the old police headquarters.
I remember visiting the San Diego Police headquarters here back in the early eighties, before it moved. For a couple decades these historic and beautiful buildings sat empty and unused. I’m glad that they’ve finally been restored!
Across Harbor Drive to the north you can find an interesting historical marker. First established as an Army supply depot, this was the location of the San Diego Barracks from 1850 to 1921.
I took the above photo on a sunny Sunday afternoon!
The barn-like Farm House on Bankers Hill.
This big red barn-like house can be found on Bankers Hill, near Laurel Street and First Avenue, just north of downtown San Diego. A small sign in front indicates that this fun structure is the “Farm House”. Many other interesting Victorian homes abound in the neighborhood, but this cool sight always hogs my attention!
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Shakespeare lives at the Old Globe Theatre.
Now back to our walk in Balboa Park!
You’re looking at the Old Globe Theatre. It’s modeled after the original Globe Theatre in London, where Shakespeare enjoyed watching many plays that he’d penned. This beloved building is a popular San Diego landmark.
The Tudor-style building was originally constructed in 1935, and was first used for the California Pacific International Exposition to stage Shakespearean plays. In 1978 it was burned down by an arsonist. A nearby festival stage was quickly erected so that performances could go on, then the Old Globe was rebuilt with the generous help of many San Diegans.
Since 1949, The Old Globe has hosted an annual summer Shakespeare Festival. During the summer and winter, the theatre puts on about 15 different shows including modern plays, comedies, musicals and classics.
Many productions that originated here have gone on to Broadway. These shows have won nine Tony Awards and almost 60 nominations!
Cool San Diego Sights! 