A new exhibition is coming to the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park. It’s called San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods.
The exhibit is now being installed in the museum, and will have its Opening Reception on September 25, 2025. The new exhibit is being produced in collaboration with the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art.
San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods will concern communities in the city that have been substantially changed due to freeway construction, development and other causes. Over the years, these changes have forced some long-time residents and businesses to move.
Yesterday I peeked into the San Diego History Center gallery that will contain the displays.
Time sweeps us all along, and people who have the means like to reshape their world. Change happens for better, or for worse. That’s history.
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During my walk through Balboa Park today, I came upon a quietly smiling gentleman in a lawn chair with a poster in front of him. I had stumbled upon the Listening Project.
Joshua was very welcoming as I asked him about his Listening Project. He said his only intention was to listen to people if they decide to engage. He’ll listen politely to absolutely anything you might say.
Joshua believes everybody needs to be heard, and that listening is a gift we give to other people. Our listening lets people know that they matter.
Our listening also helps us to grow as human beings.
Actually hearing and considering the thoughts of other people, I have to agree, is an essential part of being thoughtful ourselves–no matter what that other person might say. Nobody is exactly alike. We are all fallible, complex and have our own unique life experiences.
In these days of social media, which seems to reward division, deceit, name calling and unabashed rudeness, polite, thoughtful one-on-one listening seems more important than ever.
Sadly, it also seems we human beings can be a bit self-absorbed. Sometimes when we converse we are more concerned about what we will say, rather than what the other person is saying. We talk over each other. I can be guilty of this, myself.
Joshua listens confidentially and doesn’t judge. As his website explains: The idea for the Listening Project first came to me around three years ago. The idea was very simple: set up a couple of chairs in public places and offer people the opportunity to speak uninterrupted about anything they wished for five or ten minutes, with the promise that if they did so I would really listen.
Does he have some ulterior motive or hidden agenda? Merely this: I believe that through listening and connecting we can: shed fears or anxieties we hold about reaching out to ‘strangers’; cast off the stereotypes we live with; build bridges across the boundaries that we have created and which divide us; reduce the loneliness that many of us feel; and gain insight into what it might take to create broader ‘communities’ in our lives.
Yes, Joshua is out of the ordinary. In a very, very good way!
He wouldn’t mind if others followed in his footsteps, but he’s very humble about his “experiment” and wishes only that people choose their own path.
Are you curious about the Listening Project? I urge you to check out its website 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.
More than 500 heroes were assisted this weekend during the 37th Annual Stand Down event, organized by the Veterans Village of San Diego.
Unhoused and at-risk veterans, their families, and active-duty service members could receive all sorts of free assistance at Stand Down. The event this year was held at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Free services were offered by a wide variety of organizations, including housing assistance, medical, dental and vision care, legal services, food and clothing, and educational workshops. There was plenty of love and support from San Diego’s military and civilian communities.
I wandered about the event, feeling inspired by all that I saw. Perhaps this blog post provides a little help in its own way.
If you happen to be a Veteran in need, first, thank you for your service. I deeply appreciate the liberty you have helped to defend.
I encourage people to check out the Veterans Village of San Diego website by clicking here. We all need a little help now and then. I know that from my own personal experience.
Veterans Village of San Diego supports America’s Veterans and their families in overcoming homelessness, addiction, unemployment, barriers to health and mental healthcare, and related challenges.
Their vision: A future where no one is left behind.
A smile at the Adjoin Veterans table in the above photograph. Adjoin has a housing-first strategy that secures permanent housing for every Veteran family they proudly serve.
Another smile at the San Diego Rescue Mission table. They provide meals, shelter, clothing, education and job-skills training for men, women, and single parents with children experiencing homelessness.
And here we have three smiles! Reading Legacies, located in San Diego, teaches families the importance of reading with children.
Many members of the City Heights community came together today for a special event. After arriving at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park, the volunteers would spread out along University Avenue to clean and beautify their neighborhood. The event was called Beautify the Block!
A large number of people showed up! Some would pick up litter; others would paint sidewalk trashcans, planters or storefronts; and artists would paint utility boxes. Many of the volunteers represented SDG&E.
This was the first ever Beautify the Block event, and it’s hoped that it will grow and become an annual undertaking!
After reminding the volunteers to do their work safely, all were were given important encouragement. They would be showing the community that they care, and that the community matters.
This inspiring, super positive event was created by the City Heights Business Improvement District and the Maintenance Assessment District in partnership with local businesses and community members.
Every volunteer is a hero.
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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 are several beautiful rose gardens around Liberty Station in Point Loma. One that visitors might miss is located along the path that follows the edge of the nearby boat channel. It’s called the Hugh Story Memorial Rose Garden.
This garden is situated not far from the 52 Boats Memorial, which honors the ultimate sacrifice made by men aboard U.S. Navy submarines that were lost at sea during World War II.
Those who read the Hugh Story Memorial Rose Garden’s marker can understand why.
Hugh Story Memorial Rose Garden
Dedicated To The Memory Of HUGH GOODMAN STORY, SR. 1920 – 2006 Creative Leader – Motivator
Hugh served his country within the submarine service during World War II, making 5 war patrols in the Pacific and earning a Bronze Star and Combat V Unit Citation.
After the war, he remained in the Naval Reserve, attaining the rank of Commander. In civilian life, he spent thirty years building and managing refineries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Hugh is revered by this community for his twenty-four years of full-time volunteer service to Point Loma and San Diego. He is especially loved for the hundreds of trees that he and his fellow volunteers planted, and for the streetscape improvements they brought to the sidewalks, streets and boulevards of Point Loma. As past president of the Point Loma Association and its Beautification Committee, he formed the “Mean Green Team” to care for the Committee’s many undertakings. He inspired people of all ages, from Boy and Girl Scouts to retirees, to create, install, and maintain the urban projects that enliven Point Loma.
Hugh was equally unflagging in the time and effort he devoted to the Navy League, the Submarine Veterans of WWII, the San Diego Maritime Museum and Friends of the Point Loma Library.
Hugh Story made a difference. He did so in many ways, but always by improving life for those he touched through his selfless service to the community.
Friends and family of High Story provided funds for this garden which was dedicated March 19, 2010.
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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.
Have you seen these electrical boxes in Bay Park, on Ingulf Street, just east of Morena Boulevard? Colorful street art painted on the boxes concerns the Clairemont Garden Tour, which is held each Spring.
It appears this street art was the project of the Clairemont Town Council, and I believe it was created in 2024. An artist signature I found is @cuttingsedgeart. That would be Grace Bagunu. She’s a community leader who makes art out of succulents, upcycling Comic-Con bags and creating sustainable art for a more beautiful world.
All sorts of plants and flowers are depicted. Those passing by are encouraged to Grow Your Own Way!
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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.
Driving into Escondido on West Grand Avenue, it’s possible you glimpsed this mural on the side of Hawthorne Country Store.
The last time I enjoyed a long walk in Escondido, I made it a point to have a look at the mural and take several photographs.
The colorful artwork seems a bit faded, so I increased the contrast for my first and third photos. The artist is Tristan Pittard (@taggtristan). I see he has worked with Esco Alley Art.
Five words in the mural form the trunk of a tree: History, Diversity, Identity, Pride, Community. From the upper left corner of the mural sunshine beams down. Written inside the bright sun is the phrase: Community creates the future.
I love the fun image of a child and happy dog!
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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.
I’m fortunate to be fairly healthy and active. I know that if I couldn’t enjoy my sunshine-filled walks, meeting friends–if I had severe mobility difficulties–I would become seriously depressed. That’s the way I’m made.
Knowing this, I was excited to learn about AbleGamers today at San Diego Comic-Con. AbleGamers is an organization that fights social isolation by making it easier for the disabled to participate in gaming. Here’s their website.
AbleGamers has been around for around 20 years. They have helped countless numbers of people find more joy and connection in their lives.
Their mission:
Creating opportunities that enable play in order to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
With your help, we are working every day to make sure people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else for positive experiences through play. With our two decades as pioneers in inclusive play, thousands of hours working with people with disabilities, leading developers and engineers we create opportunities for players to find inclusive places to play and connect with family and friends.
AbleGamers partners with various organizations, including hospitals and rehabilitation centers, to reach more people with disabilities and provide them with a nearby location to assist in setup to enter the world of gaming.
No matter how severe the disability, today’s technology allows anyone to fully connect with other gamers. Gaming controls are made in such a way that even those without use of their hands can join the online community, having fun. Many of the major video game developers work with AbleGamers to make play more accessible.
I hope you are as inspired as I am. Please check out The AbleGamers website and perhaps help these good people in their mission.
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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
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.
Those who give blood at this year’s Comic-Con blood drive get a special added inducement. You’ll get to meet a bunch of super cool cosplayers!
Costumed members of the San Diego Causeplayer Community will be on hand at the 49th Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive, San Diego Blood Bank’s largest and longest-running blood drive. (With all that blood sucking action, I wonder whether Blade or Dracula will be there?) Donors will also receive a free Fantastic Four T-shirt from Marvel Studios and other goodies!
If you’re interested in donating blood this year, head down to Grand Hall A at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel during San Diego Comic-Con. Better yet, follow this link to make an appointment.
Look who I saw today in Gaslamp Square! Dude Vader and several of his cosplaying friends!
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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
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.
What’s more fun than borrowing a book from a little lending library? Borrowing a stick from a Dog Stick Library!
Canines have the opportunity to borrow a stick to carry in their mouths while walking with their human companions in North Park. An innovative Dog Stick Library is open on the sidewalk near the intersection of Upas Street and 29th Street!
Is this clever, or what?
The absurdity–and sheer originality–had me stop in my tracks the other day. I love it!
How many dogs take advantage of this little lending library box? It was stocked up with a fine selection of sticks. Whether your four-legged best friend is a large Great Dane or a little Pomeranian, there appeared to be a stick perfectly sized for any mouth.
Now, the question must be asked: Do responsible dogs return the sticks? In good condition?
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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! 