A gigantic cow wandered into City Heights a couple weeks ago. Drivers heading down University Avenue, a block west of the Euclid Tower, might spot the enormous bovine standing against the old Chinatown Bar building!
The cow mural was painted by Ground Floor Murals (@groundfloormurals). You can see the artists creating this eye-catching artwork on their Instagram page here.
The building is now home to Key and Cleaver, a sustainable farm-to-table burger restaurant. I can see why that gigantic cow is cautiously watching its back!
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I Love My Park Day is coming up this Saturday, May 13, 2023!
The City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department invites one and all to enjoy entertainment, inflatables, crafts, games, music, community resources, food, and lots of other fun stuff! The free event is organized by the San Diego Parks Foundation.
I Love My Park Day can be enjoyed at these four locations in San Diego, between 3 pm and 6 pm:
City Heights at the City Heights Recreation Center, 4380 Landis Street.
Linda Vista at the Linda Vista Recreation Center, 7064 Levant Street.
Logan Heights at the Dolores Magdaleno Memorial Recreation Center, 2902 Marcy Avenue.
Skyline at the Skyline Hills Recreation Center, 8285 Skyline Drive.
Also, this same coming Saturday, May 13th, bring the entire family out to Teralta Park in City Heights between 2 pm and 3:30 pm and experience San Diego’s favorite Fern Street Circus!
It’s all free!
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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 Twitter!
Something extraordinary happened today. Members of the City Heights community came together to celebrate the completion of monumental public art. A ceremonial ribbon cutting was performed for one of San Diego’s most amazing murals!
Unity in the Community is a 270 foot long mural painted along a wall at the south end of Teralta Neighborhood Park. The mural has been six years in the making. I’ve posted several past blogs as I’ve observed the artwork’s creation.
Have you driven on I-15 where it passes underground in east San Diego? If so, you’ve driven under Teralta Park and this fantastic mural.
Today’s celebration not only brought together members of the City Heights community, but many organizations and city leaders who’ve played an important role in the planning, approval, funding and making of this mural. I couldn’t possibly name everybody, and I haven’t closely followed the complicated process, but you can learn all about the mural’s history at this dedicated website.
Three local artists have played big roles in creating Unity in the Community. I once blogged about Sake, who produced the initial rendering and the first stage of the painted art. (I met him here.)
More recently, the mural was completed by artist Karl Gindelberger aka GMONIK, and Melody De Los Cobos, artistic director of Love City Heights. Both were present for today’s ceremony and ribbon cutting.
Several speeches told of how, with the work of many, a once neglected and crime-ridden park has been reclaimed and revitalized. We all celebrated how this mural, with its many positive images, will build pride and a sense of ownership in the community. How this mural conveys diversity, harmony and acceptance. How this mural will become a backdrop for future community events, such as a proposed Taste of City Heights!
Everyone in attendance today could plainly see how, in the coming years, this wonderful mural will positively impact many lives.
If you want to see the entire Unity in the Community mural, I took lots of photographs last month and posted them here.
Walking along one section of the long, amazing community mural.GMONIK, one of the mural artists, posed for a photo!People talked and enjoyed the moment before the ceremony would begin.A fun photo with a skateboarding dog!Thanks is given to the many community leaders and parties responsible for the completion of the inspiring mural.Gratitude to those who boldly forge ahead and make our world better.Cutting the ribbon. Finally passing the finish line!A bright vision realized.
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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 Twitter!
An absolutely amazing 270-foot mural has been completed in San Diego’s diverse City Heights neighborhood!
The colorful mural, titled Unity in the Community, has been painted along the long wall at the south end of Teralta Neighborhood Park.
This epic mural was begun by San Diego graffiti artist Sake, then very beautifully finished by artists Melody De Los Cobos (@chicanalilly) and GMONIK (@gmonikart)!
Melody explains her experience painting the mural:
The mural has been 6 or 7 years in the making. I only joined the project the last 6 months. In that time we ran into many challenges. The biggest was about a month in. I had a stroke while painting the end section of the wall in early October. In trying to find why I had a stroke so young, doctors found also a hole in my heart. So after a few procedures I was able to get back to the wall. I was out about 3 weeks. It could have been much much worst but I’m grateful to be alive and am able to walk and talk… While I was out, GMONIK had to move forward with the mural which in turn put a lot of pressure on him. In the end, we completed the mural December 23rd, 2022.
This mural, as you can see, is extra special.
Today I walked through Teralta Neighborhood Park and took these photographs. I began on the left end of the long mural and worked my way right.
There are many outstanding murals all around San Diego, but in my opinion this ranks right up there as one of the very best. And one of the most inspirational!
A big Mural Dedication and Celebration event is coming up on March 25th at 1:00 pm in Teralta Neighborhood Park. Speakers will give the history of this mural and explain how the City Heights community contributed to its creation. The neighborhood’s diversity and progress will also be celebrated!
Check it out!
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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 Twitter!
A beautiful work of metal art now stands in the City Heights Tierra Central sculpture garden. It was created by local artist Spenser Little (@spenserlittleart). The sculpture honors Jim Bliesner, Visionary Community Advocate.
Jim Bliesner was a driving force behind the creation of Tierra Central, an outdoor event space on University Avenue, just east of Interstate 15. For 40 years he’s worked for the betterment of his community, from planting trees to starting a local newspaper. He’s a founding member of the City Heights Community Development Corporation.
Jim is both activist and artist. His works of public art can be seen around City Heights and our Southern California region. You might recall some past blog posts featuring his work. Here and here and here!
I was so surprised and gratified to see this amazing new sculpture honoring such a wonderful person and inspiration to many!
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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 Twitter!
Today the City Heights Multi-Cultural Festival of Love was held in Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park. The annual event roughly coincides with Valentine’s Day.
City Heights is one of San Diego’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods, and the heart-filled festival celebrates all the many people who make this community so vibrant!
Not only was there a diversity of entertainment on the main stage, but one could see in the crowd so many unique lives, backgrounds and stories.
During the festival everyone came together, making new friends, enjoying the unity that is found in community.
The parade through City Heights that preceded the festival ended with the Hoover High School marching band taking the stage. Then, at eleven o’clock, the festival officially began with opening comments by those who’ve made this wonderful event possible.
I stayed for a good while, looking at cool cars, exploring the booths of local organizations, and enjoying performances by Majesty in Motion, the Vietnamese Youth Dance Group and the Fern Street Circus.
Drummers Without Borders then invited kids in the crowd up onto the stage to learn how to drum and play tambourine! Then, with the help of the San Diego Guild of Puppetry, many participated in a small parade through the festival!
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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 Twitter!
Before the start of today’s City Heights Multi-Cultural Festival of Love, there was a parade!
Smiling faces headed west down University Avenue, starting from The Neighborhood Cafe and Youth Print Shop. They arrived at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park near the City Heights Library just in time for the Festival of Love to begin!
The parade was a celebration of the City Heights community’s rich cultural diversity. And, of course, a celebration of love!
Surprised onlookers, standing on the sidewalk and in front yards, were urged to follow the parade to the fun Valentine’s Day themed Festival of Love!
I first spied the parade as it headed along University Avenue. I saw the Hoover High School marching band, lowriders and classic cars, the Fern Street Circus, and other local organizations from around the neighborhood.
My camera captured the excitement!
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City Heights is possibly San Diego’s most diverse neighborhood. So it isn’t surprising that people from many walks of life have converged in City Heights for the 2023 SD Lunar New Year Festival!
Today I headed to east San Diego to experience the weekend event. This celebration of Tết is presented by Little Saigon San Diego. It’s free to the public at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park.
I wandered about looking at traditional displays. I sat down to watch several excellent cultural performances on the big stage. The audience applauded energetically and often.
I read that this popular event is helping to raise funds for the creation of a Boat People Garden mini park, to be built somewhere near the festival site. I attempted to gather information about the coming mini park, but all I could ascertain is a groundbreaking ceremony will take place this Wednesday.
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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 Twitter!
City Heights Square Mini Park opened at 4061 43rd Street in 2014. It’s a beautiful urban refuge where neighbors can talk, relax, read, eat lunch, play a game of checkers or chess.
The pocket park features trees, ample sunshine and public art, including a large mural that is alive with many faces.
The vast tile mural is a visual story best read by wandering eyes. The story presents momentary scenes in the life of the community.
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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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Tierra Central in City Heights is a special place filled with life.
Outdoor sculptures abound, created by community members and local artists. The Fern Street Circus performs and teaches students under their big tent. Fun events can be enjoyed here throughout the year.
I’ve been to several such events in the past. Here and here and here.
It had been a while since I walked past Tierra Central. Last time I don’t believe it had that name. But it did have many sculptures.
Yesterday I noticed at least three new sculptures have appeared, and there was artwork on the surrounding fence that I hadn’t seen previously. The dynamism in this creative space is unstoppable!
Please enjoy a few photographs taken from the sidewalk.
Tierra Central is located on University Avenue just east of Interstate 15. I’ve been told that one day this lot will be developed into affordable housing, situated right next to the City Heights Transit Plaza.
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Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.
You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 