As I approached Civic Center Plaza along B Street, I watched someone changing the sign at the San Diego Civic Theatre.
Just a quick blog post. These photos are from my morning walk downtown.
I didn’t pull my camera out until I spied that guy above changing the San Diego Civic Theatre sign. After steering my feet through Civic Center Plaza, I proceeded west along C Street.
Over the past few months, I’ve been observing the construction of a new Courthouse trolley station on C Street. Beginning April 29, 2018, it will be the final stop of westbound Orange Line trolleys.
Until further notice the Blue Line will still terminate at America Plaza. Once the San Diego Trolley’s extension up to La Jolla is complete, I believe the Blue Line (and possibly the Green Line) will be reconfigured.
Workers prepare the new Courthouse trolley station on C Street. Starting April 29, 2018, the Orange Line will terminate here.As I proceeded west on C Street, I turned my camera skyward for a shot of the fascinating new San Diego Central Courthouse.Here comes an eastbound trolley, approaching the new Courthouse station that is presently under construction.Buildings to the north catch early morning light.I’m passed by a westbound Blue Line trolley as it enters America Plaza.A morning delivery and more sunlight on buildings. These days one can see a whole lot of construction throughout downtown.I’m nearing the Santa Fe Depot, which stands across Kettner Boulevard from America Plaza. Increasing clouds would produce rain a few hours later.Almost to Santa Fe Depot, where I’ll catch a Green Line trolley for work on the other side!
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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!
Beautiful roses planted between the Town and Country Hotel and busy Fashion Valley Road in Mission Valley.
This morning, after I took photos of the funny sign at the Town and Country Hotel (see my previous post), I walked north up Fashion Valley Road and turned east on Riverwalk Drive, following the San Diego River. I then passed under Highway 163 via the San Diego River Trail, and arrived at the Hazard Center shopping mall. From there I followed several streets to work.
During my walk between the Town and Country and Hazard Center I took a series of interesting photographs. When I reviewed my photos this evening, I realized they presented complex and thought-provoking contrasts.
Morning sprinklers have irrigated another perfect rose.A duck in the San Diego River, as seen from the pedestrian bridge between the Town and Country and the Fashion Valley Transit Center.Dozens of tame river ducks like to gather by the bus station to eat crumbs offered by humans.Continuing east along Riverwalk Drive, looking at native greenery by the San Diego River.Wild, ragged sunflower blossoms ablaze in morning light.Fresh green sycamore leaves by the walking path.I’m approaching some major construction near the place where Highway 163 passes under Friars Road north of the river. The project is calculated to ease traffic flow.Wild grass and urban development.Heavy machinery sculpting the Earth.Construction worker by stacked security fencing.Ants work busily on a nearby native flower.A perfect bloom planted near the Hazard Center shopping center, contrasted with bare concrete.A mural on the south side of Hazard Center shows people flocking to the mall.Bronze sculpture at Hazard Center of Bruce R. Hazard – Everyone’s Friend. For almost a century R.E. Hazard Contracting Company has helped build many of San Diego’s freeway, road, commercial and subdivision projects.Another nearby sculpture of Bruce’s father features this plaque. “Pappy” R.E. Hazard, Sr. 1880-1975. A man’s man, paper boy, businessman, horseman, hunter, fisherman.Be Just and Fear Not. Pappy Hazard, founder of a major construction firm in San Diego, collected old wagons and stagecoaches. Today you can find much of his collection at Seeley Stable, a museum in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
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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!
Images from the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego decorate a construction fence at their La Jolla campus.
During my walk through La Jolla last weekend, I noticed some graphics on a construction fence in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. As I approached the fence, I read signs that provided an explanation.
This cool, temporary Inside-Out Gallery features images of works that are in the museum’s permanent collection. An expansion of the museum’s La Jolla campus is underway. Please read to the photo captions to learn about MCASD’s very bright future!
The Inside-Out Gallery features images from the museum’s permanent collection. The La Jolla location is closed for new construction. The gallery space is being greatly increased.Red Blue Green, Ellsworth Kelly, 1963.An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Collar of Thorns), Yasumasa Morimura, 2001.Terms Most Useful in Describing Creative Works of Art, John Baldessari, 1966-1968.No Splash, Ramiro Gomez, 2013.Bottles, Philip Guston, 1977.Sinjerli 1, Frank Stella, 1967.Under the Table 2, Nicole Eisenman, 2014.Pool Party, John Valadez, 1986.The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is expanding its La Jolla campus. The gallery space will be quadrupled from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet.A rendering shows the future museum after expansion. The design by New York City-based Selldorf Architects will offer dramatic views of the nearby ocean and coast.Another rendering depicts a front corner of the museum after its expansion.The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla is currently closed due to the construction.A plaque near the museum’s entrance is In Memory of Ellen Browning Scripps. The original building whose facade is still visible was designed by famed architect Irving J. Gill and considered one of his masterworks. The building was commissioned by Scripps and became her La Jolla home.Flowers, Andy Warhol, 1967.
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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!
Anyone can create a beehouse for their garden. All you really need is a drill!
Before my hike through the Sweetwater Marsh on Saturday, I took a stroll through the Native Pollinator Garden just outside the Living Coast Discovery Center. After reading a variety of informative signs, I paused in the garden to look at some very cool beehouses!
As I read about the beehouses, it occurred to me these would be extremely easy to make.
I took photographs just in case anyone reading this blog would like to make a beehouse for their own garden! Read the captions to learn more about the habits of ground-dwelling solitary bees and the materials you can use to make them a beehouse!
The Native Pollinator Garden just outside the Living Coast Discovery Center includes a couple of very cool beehouses!Bees are extremely important. More than two thirds of the world’s crop species rely on pollinators.A large Feed a Bee Pollinator Habitat in the native garden provides shelter for solitary bees and information for the curious.The rear of this bee condo! Holes have been drilled in a variety of materials, including logs, lumber and bricks.Solitary bees don’t live in colonies. They often seek out hollows of fallen logs, bark and branches. They make up a majority of the 4000 bee species in the United States.A close look at the fun beehouse. I think even I could make one of these.Creating various hiding places attracts solitary bees, which can be as small as an eighth of an inch.Feeling inspired? Handy with a hammer and nails? Fashion your beehouse into a unique work of art!
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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!
An old pile once used to support Anthony’s Fish Grotto on San Diego’s Embarcadero is removed with a large crane.
Here’s a quick, fun post . . . about posts!
I got off work early this afternoon, so I took a slow walk along the Embarcadero. By sheer chance, today happened to be the day that old piles from the now demolished Anthony’s Fish Grotto were being extracted.
After watching a large crane on a barge lift one pile skyward, I asked a nearby worker to describe what I was seeing. He explained that the long concrete piles had been installed in 1964, and had supported the old Anthony’s Fish Grotto structure for half a century. I stood for a while and watched the crane do some more heavy lifting.
My friend Carlos, who shows his cool artistic creations near the water, had watched this activity for much of the day. He told me that in the morning some powerful machinery had gripped and violently vibrated each pile for 30 seconds or so, in order to loosen them prior to extraction. I wish I had seen that!
Many extracted piles were already stacked on the barge beside the crane when I walked by.Several construction workers were making ready for a new project. The Portside Pier will include a Brigantine restaurant, several smaller eateries and a public observation deck. I believe the supporting structures you see in the water will remain.My friend Carlos points toward some fascinating activity on the bayfront. I see the Star of India and the Maritime Museum of San Diego in the distance.A gull circles overhead as a long, dripping wet pile is carefully hoisted skyward!
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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!
The fountain at the east end of Piazza della Famiglia.
The new Piazza della Famiglia in Little Italy is finally open to the public!
Yesterday morning I took a slow stroll through this amazing community gathering place. As I snapped photos I was awed by the space’s beauty. The European-style piazza is designed for pedestrians; it connects India Street and Columbia Street at Date Street. The delightful setting includes a tile fountain and lots of welcoming tables with umbrellas.
I noticed the apartment homes on either side of the Piazza della Famiglia aren’t quite completed. Construction workers were busy applying the final touches. I’ve also learned that eateries and other businesses along the piazza will be opening later in the year. Once the entire project is finished, the Piazza della Famiglia is sure to become one of the most popular destinations in downtown San Diego!
The illuminated fountain and nearby planters add touches of beauty to the European-style piazza in Little Italy.Construction workers were busy as I passed by with my camera.Someone walks through the piazza on a late March morning. There’s still construction fencing for one of the new buildings.One of many seats at the tables in Piazza della Famiglia.Flowers, warmth and beauty await one and all in Little Italy.Someone else enjoys the peaceful, sunlit piazza.Another very cool sight has debuted in downtown San Diego!
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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!