Should you walk along Main Street in Barrio Logan, you might see this inspiring mural. It depicts a heart sprouting butterfly wings.
The mural is painted at The Chrysalis: Monarch Center for the Arts, a 6,000 square foot arts space in Barrio Logan with a dedicated 100-seat theatre, dance studio, visual art classroom, and storefront gallery.
Before the butterfly comes the chrysalis. According to their website: We envision a world where youth and adults use the tools and resources of the arts to help imagine, create, and build the vibrant and successful life they desire and deserve.
The Chrysalis is home to Creative Youth Development and Community Programs. As the beautiful mural suggests, it is a place filled with positivity and hope.
A poster in the window encourages people to “Host your next event in our space!” Why not support people who strive to help youth and the community?
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An effort at urban revitalization is underway in Mission Hills. The Mission Hills Business Improvement District is beautifying electrical boxes with its Birds of Mission Hills Wayfinding Art Box Project!
Last weekend artist Becca Dwyer painted three utility boxes at the intersection of Goldfinch Street and Fort Stockton Drive. Bright goldfinches now appear on the corner near the Meshuggah Shack!
The Mission Hills Business Improvement District aims to repaint many of the boxes in the community.
Walking around today, I noticed most of the electrical boxes I photographed nine years ago along Washington Street are badly faded and really could use a refresh. The cool thing is, the street art that is coming will reflect Mission Hill’s bird street names. Yes, from Albatross to Dove to Goldfinch and etcetera, birds will be the subject!
I look forward to seeing the new art!
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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.
If you maintain a garden in San Diego, or would love to learn more about plants or gardening, you need to know about a very special library that is open to the public in Balboa Park. The San Diego Floral Association Library, located in Room 105 of the Casa del Prado, contains over 3,500 books filled with horticultural and gardening knowledge!
The San Diego Floral Association Library and Office is located down a short hallway beyond Balboa Park’s Senior Lounge. On a table just outside its entrance, one comes across an informative bulletin board and a table covered with all sorts of free printed material. I once was lucky and found the book-like California Garden Centennial Compilation 1909-2009, which is jam-packed with San Diego history and articles from past decades–a real treasure!
The San Diego Floral Association is home of California Garden magazine. It is the oldest horticulture magazine in continuous publication in the United States!
Inside the library you’ll find shelves full of books and valuable references. You’ll also see walls covered with beautiful paintings!
Looking around, I recognized several images of Kate Sessions, one of the San Diego Floral Association’s founders. Because she was instrumental in making Balboa Park a botanical wonder, she is commonly referred to as Mother of Balboa Park. (The book The Complete Writings of Kate Sessions in California Garden is also available for purchase. It would make a great gift!)
The smiling lady with whom I spoke was so very welcoming. She explained how the San Diego Floral Association hosts many fun and educational events, plus they have a gardening outreach program with San Diego schools.
If you are so inclined, become a member! Perhaps assist their efforts and volunteer! Members have the privilege of checking out library books for home use.
To see everything they have to offer, I encourage you to visit the San Diego Floral Association’s website by clicking here.
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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.
Carved wooden camel of the Balboa Park Carousel is being lovingly restored.
The restoration of the Balboa Park Carousel’s carved wooden animals is an ongoing project. William “Bill” Brown, who has been operating and tending this historic carousel since 1972, showed me four animals that are being restored in 2025.
The first–a camel–you can see above. Feast your eyes on the amazing sculptural detail!
The Balboa Park Carousel was originally built in 1910 by Herschell-Spillman, whose factory created many of these same animals for different carousels.
Restoring the carved animals involves removing layers of paint, repairing dents and scrapes caused mostly by dangling feet, then returning these true works of art to their former glory. Bill accomplishes this by using images he obtained from the archives of the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, which he once had the opportunity to visit.
Bill was very kind and showed me the animals undergoing restoration during a brief lull in the carousel action.
The Persian Cat, in the next photo, is the animal nearest completion.
Here’s an image of how the Persian Cat might have appeared as it left the Herschell-Spillman factory over a century ago. (Through the years, the basic design would undergo certain changes, including coloration.)
The restoration pays close attention to original details.
Next is the carousel’s War Horse, now stripped of old paint…
Many of the animals have “side images” such as a warrior with shield in this case.
A carousel goat is also being restored!
Bill also showed me several carved animals whose restoration was completed last year! They look absolutely fantastic!
First up, this tiger. Look how bright and colorful it now is! Remember the famous 1882 short story The Lady, or the Tiger? That explains the side image.
Then there’s a beautifully restored stork, with a baby ready for delivery!
And look how amazing this restored stag appears! A hound appears on its side.
Bill, by carefully tending and restoring the Balboa Park carousel, has been bringing joy to generations of San Diegans. Thank you!
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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.
The Clairemont Town Council is for the birds . . . in a good way!
This fun street art can be found in Clairemont on electrical boxes at the intersection of Balboa Arms Drive and Mt. Abernathy Avenue. Painted seagulls are shown lounging at the beach, boating, biking, and otherwise enjoying the Southern California lifestyle!
As I looked at this art, I noticed it contains an emblem indicating it’s a project of the Clairemont Town Council.
This web page describes how the Clairemont Town Council Foundation has a Public Art Program, which includes the painting of transformer boxes in San Diego City Council District 2.
One of CTC Foundation’s aims is to encourage the development of vibrant residential communities. This particular neighborhood behind a shopping mall features many apartment complexes and, I’m sure, residents who smile at humorous street art!
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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.
The Sportfishing Legacy monument can be found steps from the docks at Fisherman’s Landing in Point Loma. If you’ve ever gone on an ocean fishing charter in San Diego, you might have departed from here and seen the remarkable bronze sculpture of a man.
I saw the monument for the first time last month during the Day at the Docks event. I’m finally getting around to sharing these photographs.
A plaque states:
SPORTFISHING LEGACY
DEDICATED TO CAPTAIN BILL POOLE AND ALL THE DEVOTED CAPTAINS WHO HAVE MADE SAN DIEGO HOME PORT TO THE WORLD’S FINEST SPORTFISHING FLEET.
THE PIONEER OF LONG RANGE SPORTFISHING, CAPTAIN POOLE EXPLORED THE OCEAN FOR THE FISHING GROUNDS AND ESTABLISHED INNOVATIVE FISHING TECHNIQUES. AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, HE INSPIRED NUMEROUS SUPPORT BUSINESSES INCLUDING LANDINGS, FUEL DOCKS, AND A BOAT YARD, WHERE HE BUILT MANY OF THE NEWEST HIGH TECH SPORTFISHING BOATS.
THIS MONUMENT SERVES AS A TRIBUTE TO ALL WHO HAVE ENJOYED THE MAGICAL MOMENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED ON THESE DOCKS AND AT SEA. THE FLEET CONTINUES TO ENSURE THAT SAN DIEGO IS THE PREMIER DESTINATION FOR SPORT FISHERMEN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
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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.
There’s a very beautiful mural on a long wall at the 7-Eleven in Leucadia. Look for it at 1766 North Coast Highway 101.
The mural, celebrating Encinitas and some of its landmarks, was painted by Kevin Anderson. The artwork is set back from the Coast Highway, behind the 7-Eleven store and its gas pumps. It’s easy to miss.
The mural shows the world-famous Swami’s surf break, the Self-Realization Fellowship’s iconic Golden Lotus Towers, and other sights one might find in Encinitas!
Enjoy some photos…
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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.
How can you not love this colorful mural at Point Loma’s Liberty Station? It was created in 2023 for the arched passage between Barracks 14 and 15.
The over 2,500 square foot mural, designed by local Chicana artist Scarlett Baily, is titled Home. The installation was painted by many in the community.
According to a nearby plaque, it bridges the history of the Naval Training Center with regional indigenous maritime culture. Native flora and fauna stage the celebration of San Diego’s heritage and acknowledge the generations that have called Point Loma home…
You can’t help smiling as you walk up to and through this lively artwork!
I see faces, flowers, a whale, seagulls, a heron, even a sea lion!
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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.
A little over two years ago I posted a blog about a project that was being undertaken in Coronado. A bronze statue was to be created by artists Chris Slatoff and Elisabeth Pollnow that honors military spouses.
Yesterday, as I walked into Star Park for the Coronado Memorial Day Service, I was excited to see the finished League of Wives Memorial Statue!
The beautiful sculpture was surrounded by chairs for the Memorial Day ceremony and a few people were already sitting nearby, so I self-consciously, very quickly took only three photographs.
You can learn more about the project by revisiting my old blog post here. It includes the statue’s plaque verbiage.
Here’s from March 2023, when money was being raised for the project:
And here’s the finished sculpture, from yesterday:
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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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 