The Quartyard in East Village has moved to this new location at the corner of Market Street and 13th Street.
During my walk around East Village yesterday I swung by the Quartyard, a cool container park where neighbors can gather to eat, drink, talk and enjoy live events.
About half a year ago the unique container park moved a couple blocks east from its old location, to the corner of Market Street and 13th Street. While the new space is a bit smaller, it’s a friendly, cozy nook just perfect for neighborhood gatherings.
A bit of colorful artwork can be seen inside Quartyard. I learned more art is planned for some of the surrounding containers.
In addition to Burgers and Bites by the small live event stage, Quartyard features picnic tables and this outdoor bar.Colorfully painted utility boxes just outside Quartyard.This small fenced area in one corner of the container park Quartyard is perfect for dog lovers who live in the neighborhood.A beautiful mural by local artist Gloria Muriel just inside the entrance to Quartyard in East Village.A quick snack or drink can be purchased at the Seahorse Coffee shack out on the sidewalk.Look at the super friendly people you’ll meet!
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A small sign with an ostrich welcomes those walking up Park Boulevard in University Heights.
Last weekend I walked along Park Boulevard in University Heights. I headed north from El Cajon Boulevard to Adams Avenue, then back south on the opposite sidewalk. I saw all sorts of fun art during my journey!
Why so many ostriches? University Heights has adopted the ostrich as a unique and memorable symbol. Back in 1903 this neighborhood was the home of Harvey Bentley’s ostrich farm, where visitors could ride the large birds!
Artistic mural painted on south wall of Park Blvd Artworks.Wall painted by New Zealand artist Cinzah for the PangeaSeed Foundation informs passersby that each year 100,000,000 sharks are killed for their fins.Electrical box floral street art near the Diversionary Theatre.People walk up Park Boulevard’s sidewalk toward the University Heights landmark sign.Some small colorful tiles in a stucco wall.Transformer box painted with an image of The Pavilion at Mission Cliff Gardens.Streetlamp banner with ostrich proclaims University Heights – Founded in 1888.Faded flowery street art on a utility box.A small, peaceful sculpture in front of Buddha’s Light Bookstore.Spiritual image above front entrance of San Diego Buddhist Association’s Hsi Fang Temple.Part of the cool mural painted on a store wall at the corner of Park Boulevard and Monroe Avenue.
I photographed the above mural four years ago. See more images of this street art here!
Some beautiful but faded street art.Silly faces!Love Your H2O, a mural painted by local artist Gloria Muriel for the Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans project.
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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!
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Last weekend I enjoyed an easy walk through University Heights. My small adventure included a close look at an architectural landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Teacher Training School Building–San Diego State Normal School. Today the monumental old building, located inside the San Diego Unified School District’s Education Center Complex, is officially designated Teachers Training Annex 1.
The 1910 building, built by engineer Nathan Ellery and architect George Sellon, is in the Italian Renaissance Revival Style. According to the Save Our Heritage Organisation website: “It is the only structure remaining from the 1897 San Diego State Normal School’s University Heights campus, the forerunner to present day San Diego State University. Originally functioning as a living laboratory for student teachers, it was transferred to the City of San Diego Schools in 1931 and served as the original Alice Birney Elementary School until 1951.”
Many in the community hope to see the historic building renovated and transformed into a new University Heights library, replacing the small branch library on Park Boulevard a couple blocks to the south.
Here are some exterior photos…
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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!
The 2nd Annual Day of the Dead North Park Festival had a couple blocks of Ray Street overflowing with color and life!
Today I checked out the Day of the Dead festival in North Park!
The annual festival, which is only in its second year, was held on two blocks of Ray Street just south of University Avenue. I couldn’t believe the size of the crowd enjoying this relatively modest event celebrating DÃa de los Muertos!
All of the cherished Day of the Dead traditions could be found, including a large, beautiful altar and lots of face painting, and, of course, some elegantly dressed Catrinas strolling about. There was also abundant Mexican music, themed artwork and yummy food!
This is definitely a festival that should grow in popularity!
Many costumes celebrating DÃa de los Muertos (and also Halloween) could be seen about the fun North Park festival.Boy poses for photo as a Day of the Dead skeleton with top hat.A traditional DÃa de los Muertos altar remembers loved ones who’ve passed from this life.Kids and adults could color a calavera, or decorative skull.Lots of Day of the Dead merchandise could be found at various vendor tables about the festival.Some DÃa de los Muertos items for sale included Catrina dolls, orange marigolds and colorful calaveras.Many faces at the festival had been painted to resemble sugar skulls.Characters from the popular culture have been transformed into these Day of the Dead refrigerator magnets!I see a hanging shirt printed with the image of a Mexican lucha libre mask. Seems appropriate in this photo!Another small altar (or ofrenda) includes photos of deceased loved ones, papel picado, and pan de muerto.Mariachis performed joyful music for the crowd at one end of the city block.DÃa de los Muertos is celebrated in North Park. It’s a new local tradition that promises to grow even more popular!
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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!
Historical exhibit during Archives Month includes an old photograph of the City Clerk’s office in San Diego, circa 1890.
Through the end of October an interesting exhibit can be viewed inside the lobby of the San Diego City Administration Building, in one corner of the City Information Center. A collection of documents and historical objects has been placed on public display, to celebrate the City Clerk’s 2nd Annual Archives Month.
The theme in 2018 is The Framers. The exhibit focuses on the history of San Diego from the 1850s through 1905, a formative period that included multiple city charters and changes in type of government.
Not only can visitors see official city documents from that period, but there are many interesting historical artifacts, including objects that were once commonplace in the lives of San Diego residents.
These photos provide a small sample…
History comes to life in the lobby of the San Diego City Administration Building. The Framers, City Clerk Archives, National Archives Month, October 2018.One document on display is the Charter for the City of San Diego by the Board of Freeholders elected December 5, 1888.Record of Common Council no. 22, May 1, 1905 – October 2, 1905. Typed Minutes.Petitions to the Common Council, 1872-1916. Historical Preservation of San Diego’s History.Old photos and letters concerning the infamous rainmaker Charles Hatfield, engaged in 1915 by San Diego’s city council to fill the Morena Dam Reservoir.Pink and white dress, circa 1900. From the San Diego State University School of Theater, Television, and Film Historical Collection.Exact replica of the Bicentennial Key, 1776-1976, Independence Hall. It was presented by the California Locksmith Association to The City of San Diego.Mexican Coat of Arms. Gift from Sister City Tijuana.Numerous documents and articles recall the history of San Diego city government in the second half of the 19th century.Free Holders Agreement, January 10, 1889 and Letter for Charter to be Published in Newspapers, March 4, 1889.Douglas Gunn Mayor’s Message, November 25, 1889.More documents from the late 19th century provide examples of early council letterhead.
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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!
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The new Piazza Giannini, at the corner of India and Cedar Street in downtown San Diego.
A new public space opened last month in downtown’s Little Italy neighborhood. Piazza Giannini, located at the corner of India Street and West Cedar Street, is a community gathering place that pays tribute to a famous Italian American who invented many of the conveniences of modern banking.
Born in San Jose, A.P. Giannini was a big believer in California. He started the Bank of Italy in San Francisco, and dedicated it to ordinary middle class Americans and hardworking immigrants that other banks wouldn’t serve. Believing in equal access to all, the Bank of Italy opened hundreds of branches throughout the state. Eventually it became Bank of America.
A sign at Piazza Giannini explains how donors can purchase plaques in this new public space.Amadeo P. Giannini was born in San Jose to Italian immigrants. He believed California and its citizens could lead the country to prosperity.. . . we should bend increasing efforts to demonstrate the equality that underlies the American philosophy.. . . No man actually ever owns fortune–it owns him.Serving the needs of others is the only legitimate business today.A streetlamp banner in San Diego’s Little Italy pays tribute to Amadeo Giannini, father of modern banking.A banker should consider himself a servant of the people, a servant of the community.The bronze bust of Amadeo Pietro Giannini at Piazza Giannini in Little Italy.
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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!
A large, welcoming Love City Heights mural greets people along University Avenue near Interstate 15.
There’s a surprising, rapidly expanding outdoor art gallery in San Diego that anybody can freely enjoy. The huge canvases of this unique gallery are the walls of buildings in City Heights, on the stretch of University Avenue between I-805 and I-15.
Eye-catching works of art by noted San Diego and Southern California muralists have recently been painted all along this “drive-through” gallery. And many more will be appearing soon!
I recently enjoyed a walking tour of the colorful murals, led by Carlos Quezada and Edwin Lohr, two members of Love City Heights, an association affiliated with the City Heights Town Council. Carlos and Edwin are both visionaries who are working with local residents, community leaders and businesses to bring new life to this extraordinarily diverse San Diego neighborhood.
An important part of their effort is #theavenuemuralproject. The Avenue Mural Project is using the magic of art to transform University Avenue, which contains City Heights’ Business District, into a vibrant place full of culture, creativity and community pride.
I learned that Carlos has a definite goal. He’d like to have one new street mural painted every month. His hope is that eventually three works of public art will be easily seen from any random spot along “The Avenue”.
I also learned that Love City Heights is collaborating with the City Heights Development Corporation and Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network) to create even more murals east of I-15 through their youth program.
In addition to filling the streets with cool art, Love City Heights is working with business and property owners to transform their historic San Diego neighborhood into a dynamic place where people from all over will come to dine, shop and enjoy themselves. City Heights is the most diverse community in all of San Diego, and is centrally located, with many unique ethnic restaurants that can be found nowhere else. City Heights is uniquely qualified to be an authentic cultural attraction in San Diego.
Would you like to learn more about San Diego’s colorful, rapidly growing “drive-through” art gallery?
Are you an artist, resident or local business owner who’d like to participate in the revitalization of City Heights?
Do you live in San Diego and want something fun to do? Hop in your car or put on your walking shoes, then embark on a voyage of discovery along University Avenue between I-805 and I-15, where you will enjoy an ever-growing gallery of murals!
Here are a few . . .
The first mural painted by The Avenue Mural Project in City Heights contains joyful swirls of many colors! Endless Summer was designed by artist Erin Bowman.The warm San Diego sun shines above stylized waves.The Endless Summer mural was painted by local school children, whose names appear in one corner, along with many positive messages.Earlier this year I posted a photo of this mural on my blog. I hadn’t realized it’s part of a cool outdoor drive-through art gallery in City Heights!Compassion in a City Heights alley. I was told this Amor mural, by @inkpaint and @fabianafoca, is a work in progress.The beautiful tile mosaic “A” is not quite completed.VISUAL painted the wall of a MetroPCS store with a cool image of kids communicating with tin cans and a string.One business along University Avenue had their building painted with a pleasing mural containing elements of nature.Another local store now has happy, inviting murals painted on a side of their building.This fun image depicts kids breaking open a piñata.A mural titled The Garden Party by artists Althea Rose Neff, Gilbert Cota and Alex Malone.A closer photo of The Garden Party mural, on the wall of popular Mexican restaurant Super Cocina.Los Angeles muralist Ruben Rojas, co-founder of Beautify Earth, painted LOVE on the side of 7-Eleven in City 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!
