Tag: city life

Signs of the coming big winter storm.

Flags whip about in the wind at the stern of the USS Midway on San Diego's Embarcadero.
Flags whip about in the wind at the stern of the USS Midway. Signs of a coming storm on San Diego’s Embarcadero.

A big winter storm is set to dump a lot of rain on San Diego this afternoon. So I figured I’d get my walk in this morning.

All along the Embarcadero the wind had already picked up, as you can see in these photographs!

If you’re in San Diego, be safe!

Clouds above downtown precede a heavy winter storm.
Swirly clouds above downtown precede a severe winter storm.
Paul my painter friend was beginning to have a bit of trouble with the increasing wind!
Paul my painter friend was beginning to have a bit of trouble with the increasing wind!
Gulls circle beyond boats tied up to the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market pier.
Gulls circle beyond boats tied up to the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market pier.
What's a little wind and chilly weather when there's freshly caught fish waiting!
What’s a little wind and chilly weather when there’s freshly caught fish waiting!
Some light in the distance beyond the Coronado Bay Bridge as clouds deepen.
Some light in the distance beyond the Coronado Bay Bridge as clouds deepen.
The wind on San Diego Bay was really picking up by mid-morning.
The wind on San Diego Bay was really picking up by mid-morning.
A saw few people about during my morning walk. Everyone's hunkering down inside.
A saw few people about during my morning walk. Everyone must be hunkering down safely inside.
A Seaport Village banner twists in a gust.
A Seaport Village banner twists in a gust.
These colors were really flying at the Kite Flite shop!
These colors were really whirling and flying outside the Kite Flite shop!

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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!

One very cool “San Diego” graffiti mural!

A very cool graffiti-style "San Diego" mural at 20th Street and Imperial Avenue painted by Dyse One.
The very cool “San Diego” mural at 20th Street and Imperial Avenue painted by Dyse One.

Check out this cool mural painted on the south side of the Universal Radiator building at 20th Street and Imperial Avenue. Local artist and clothing designer Dyse One spray painted an immense “San Diego” in an elegant graffiti style!

The west side of the same building was painted by Dyse One and Haslr, and contains elements that represent America’s Finest City. I see images of the Coronado Bridge, a trolley, and the Padres’ mascot, the Swinging Friar!

Very cool!

A mural on another side of the same building pays tribute to America's Finest City. By street artists Dyse One and Haslr.
A cool mural on the west side of the same building pays tribute to America’s Finest City. By street artists Dyse One and Haslr.

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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!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Artwork next to 25th and Commercial trolley station.

Metal artwork at the 25th and Commercial trolley station honors labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.
Metal artwork at the 25th and Commercial trolley station honors labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.

While riding the Orange Line of the San Diego Trolley, I noticed several works of cool art in and around the 25th and Commercial station. So I jumped off, walked around and took photos!

The metalwork that honors Cesar Chavez can be found at the westbound platform. The 25th and Commercial trolley station is dedicated to the civil rights leader.

You might recall that both platforms of the split station also feature amazing tile mosaic benches. I posted those photos here.

We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. --Cesar E. Chavez
We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. –Cesar E. Chavez
A sign at the trolley station points to various locations of interest, including Villa Montezuma and Chicano Park.
A sign at the trolley station points to various locations of interest, including Villa Montezuma and Chicano Park.
A metal Don Quixote stands guard by a muffler shop.
A metal Don Quixote stands guard at a nearby muffler shop.
Colorful artwork on the back of the San Diego Police Department Central Division parking garage.
Colorful artwork on the back of the San Diego Police Department Central Division parking garage.
Cool street art on a corner utility box.
Mesoamerican iconography becomes street art on a corner utility box.
A fun heart in a mural on a neighborhood wall.
A fun heart in a mural on a nearby wall.
A cool car painted on a fence along Commercial Street in Logan Heights.
A cool car painted on a fence along Commercial Street in Logan Heights.

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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!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Help reopen Christine’s downtown coffee cart!

I’m not a regular customer of Christine’s Coffee, but I often walk down B Street past the downtown coffee cart, and I’ll grab a hot chocolate on super cold mornings. If Christine happens to see me as I pass by she always smiles and waves. She is the friend of many. She is an important part of the life of our city.

So it was shocking to see a notice on her boarded-up cart about a month ago that explained her cart had been torched by an arsonist. Apparently is was set on fire in the middle of the night by a transient.

A couple days ago I spotted another notice on her destroyed cart. It explains that she has a GoFundMe page, and has plans to reopen the coffee cart.

If you’d like to help Christine, please go to her GoFundMe page here.

A past blog post featured the friendly wave of Christine at her coffee cart. That smile and wave need to be restored! Please click the link to her GoFundMe page and help out!

UPDATE!

Christine’s Coffee has reopened!

Cool art at Broadstone Makers Quarter.

During my Sunday walk along Broadway toward Golden Hill, I passed the new Broadstone Makers Quarter apartments.

I noticed some artwork on display in a few of the leasing office windows, so I took photos. I don’t know the artists, but I thought their creations were definitely cool!

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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 street art memories for a rainy day.

Cool mechanical shark on parking lot wall behind Undisputed Fitness Center in East Village.
Cool mechanical shark on parking lot wall behind Undisputed Fitness Center in East Village.

It’s going to be a rainy day in San Diego . . . with even more heavy rain coming later in the week.

Instead of walking about in the cold, I plan to stay warm and dry under a roof!

Meanwhile, for your viewing pleasure, I’ve assembled the following links. They will take you to photos of awesome street art that I’ve spotted over the years! Unfortunately, some of these works, including truly amazing murals, have been damaged, defaced or no longer exist. Time marches on…

Cool San Diego Sights is now over five years old, so these links represent just a fraction of all the street art I’ve photographed. But I think you might like these!

Click away!

Imperial Beach

Welcome to Earth and Imperial Beach!

Chula Vista

Cool art along Third Avenue in Chula Vista!

National City

Cool–and funny–Star Wars street art!

Japanese video game characters in fun street art!

Downtown San Diego

Cool mechanical shark street mural in East Village!

Weird, bizarre animal discovered at old warehouse!

Bart Club street art on a San Diego corner.

More cool murals in San Diego’s Little Italy!

Even more cool street art at SILO in East Village!

Golden Hill

A walk up Broadway, from downtown to Golden Hill.

Sherman Heights

Bold, colorful street art in Sherman Heights.

Barrio Logan

Mind-blowing Ancestors mural near Chicano Park.

Cool street art: The Nest Murals near Chicano Park.

Logan Heights

Cool comic book and superhero street art!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles street art!

City Heights

Super cool street art in City Heights!

San Diego’s outdoor, drive-through art gallery!

El Cerrito/College Area

Cool street mural celebrates human imagination.

Ocean Beach

Cool faces encountered on the streets of Ocean Beach.

History of Electricity on a cool OB mural!

Pacific Beach

Colorful (and funny) street art in Pacific Beach!

Mission Beach

Lots of cool street art in Mission Beach!

Mission Valley

San Diego River wildlife in a Mission Valley mural.

Fun street art along Fenton Parkway!

Lemon Grove

Art and history at Lemon Grove Trolley Depot!

La Mesa

Fun street art found around La Mesa.

University Heights

Art along Park Boulevard in University Heights.

Normal Heights

Street art along Adams Avenue in Normal Heights.

North Park

Sexy space warriors and aliens in North Park!

Cool mural in North Park remembers good old days!

More fun photos of street murals in North Park.

Hillcrest

Photos of street art on University Avenue in Hillcrest.

Creative trashcan art adds fun to Hillcrest streets.

Point Loma

Carefree street art on Shelter Island Drive!

La Jolla

Photos of cool urban art in the Village of La Jolla.

Street art on Torrey Pines Road near UCSD.

Mira Mesa

Happy street art in Mira Mesa!

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This blog now features tens of thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!

Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts.  If you’re using a phone or small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!

To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Giant seashell sculpture is a Growing Home!

A child of San Diego sits in an enormous sculpture of a living seashell, a Growing Home.
A child of San Diego sits in an enormous sculpture of a living seashell, a Growing Home.

Some amazing public art was installed in East Village about a week ago!

Growing Home is an enormous stainless steel sculpture of a sea snail’s living shell. Laser-cut into the upward coiling shell are notable events from San Diego’s history. The sculpture can be found on the east side of Park Boulevard near Petco Park and the downtown Central Library. It stands at the new Park 12 – The Collection luxury apartments.

Growing Home was created by Joe O’Connell and Creative Machines and is made of stainless steel with LED lighting. Creative Machines produces interactive and monumental art for clients around the world. They are based in Tucson, Arizona.

The shell represents the ever-growing city in which we live. As history has progressed, the shell has grown and grown.

I took these photos after a rain shower, so the large wet stones arranged next to the seashell seem to lie glistening on a beach!

Growing Home rises as public art at Park 12 - The Collection, new luxury apartments in San Diego's East Village.
Growing Home rises as public art at Park 12 – The Collection, new luxury apartments in San Diego’s East Village.
Growing Home, 2018, Joe O'Connell and Creative Machines, stainless steel and LED lighting. A city's history grows like the shell of a marine mollusk.
Growing Home, 2018, Joe O’Connell and Creative Machines, stainless steel and LED lighting. A city’s history grows like the shell of a marine mollusk.
History becomes an essential part of an ever-growing city--a city that is home to many.
History becomes an essential part of an ever-growing city–a city that is home to many.
Growing Home features headlines of events that have shaped San Diego history.
Growing Home features headlines of events that have shaped San Diego history.
The lattice dome of the San Diego Central Library rises beyond Park Boulevard.
The lattice dome of the San Diego Central Library rises beyond Park Boulevard.
Moments in history are preserved as words written in the growing shell.
Moments in history are preserved as words written in the growing shell.
Moments in San Diego history become part of our lives. The city is our home.
San Diego history become part of our lives. The city is our home.
The coiled, elongated shell of a sea snail is a Growing Home. Sit inside on a small bench for a fun photo!
The coiled, elongated shell of a sea snail. Sit inside on a small bench for a fun photo!
Growing Home rises at Park 12 - The Collection, in San Diego's East Village near Petco Park.
Growing Home rises at Park 12 – The Collection, in San Diego’s East Village.

UPDATE!

Seven years later(!) I took a photo at night…

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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!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

San Diego’s drive-through art gallery expands!

The right half of one wall at University Avenue and Laverne Place has been painted by artist Matthew Perdoni.
The right half of one wall at University Avenue and Laverne Place has been painted by artist Matthew Perdoni.

On Sunday I enjoyed another walk through San Diego’s expanding “drive-through” art gallery in City Heights. And I spotted more murals!

The first time I checked out the murals of #theavenuemuralproject was four months ago. I was given a tour by members of Love City Heights, and learned about their ambitious plan to create an outdoor, drive-through art gallery along University Avenue from I-805 to I-15. To see those first murals and learn much more, you can read my original blog post here.

These murals provide proof that good people can make a huge positive difference in their community. Many wonderful artists, students and neighbors are coming together to make this amazing vision a reality!

The left half of the wall was painted by San Diego muralist Gloria Muriel.
The left half of the wall was painted by San Diego muralist Gloria Muriel.
Students from an Experimental Processes in Art class at SDSU painted a mural on the wall of 7-Eleven. The design was inspired by the nonprofit United Women of East Africa Support Team.
Students from an Experimental Processes in Art class at SDSU painted a mural on the wall of 7-Eleven. The design was inspired by the nonprofit United Women of East Africa Support Team.
Left half of the colorful mural depicts female members of the East African community in San Diego.
Left half of the colorful mural. which depicts female members of the East African community in San Diego.
The right half of the mural. Joyful art created by students at San Diego State University adds life to City Heights.
The right half of the mural. Joyful art created by students at San Diego State University adds life to City Heights.
Fun artwork on the wall of Fruteria Disfrutalas at University Avenue and Cherokee Street.
Fun artwork on the wall of Fruteria Disfrutalas at University Avenue and Cherokee Street.
More fun artwork on another side of Fruteria Disfrutalas.
More fun artwork on another side of Fruteria Disfrutalas.
All these happy images were created by Isaias Crow and his 14 year old apprentice Andrew, who designed the fun artwork.
All these happy images were created by Isaias Crow and his 14 year old apprentice Andrew Greyeyes, who designed the fun artwork.
This Andrew! I met him during a later Love City Heights event.
UPDATE! Here’s Andrew, the mural’s designer! (I met him and took this photo during a Love City Heights event almost a year later.)
Silly, creative public art produces smiles in City Heights!
Silly, creative public art produces smiles in City Heights!
A beautiful new graphic on the wall of Sunset Kava in City Heights.
A beautiful graphic on the wall of Sunset Kava in City Heights, by artist Zuzana Vass.
On the same Sunset Kava wall a very cool abstract design was painted by artist Mary Jhun.
On the same Sunset Kava wall a very cool abstract design was recently painted by artist Mary Jhun.

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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!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

How to paint light in the city.

I finished writing another short story. This one is titled Light at the Edges.

I don’t know how to paint, but I do like to watch artists animate their canvases with small dabs of color. I also observe people, and the effect of light upon the human heart.

How does one paint light?

I hope this little story, about living in the big city, and human generosity, makes you smile.

Read it here.

More visual complexity downtown.

My camera was busy yesterday.

Not only did I take some magical photos of Balboa Park after work, but before work I snapped cool, complex images of downtown San Diego.

My eyes were searching everywhere as I walked from Eighth Avenue on Cortez Hill west down Ash and Beech Street.

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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!