Mysterious gold lettering on a door in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter reads: Law Office Eddie O’Hare, Esquire. It’s actually the sneaky entrance to a speakeasy, the underground, 1920’s themed Prohibition Lounge!
Here’s another batch of cool door photographs, taken during my walks around San Diego.
Some of these doors are rather odd, as you can plainly see! Others have interesting historical significance. Most are just plain fun!
To learn a bit more, read the captions!
Nautical-looking door of the American Tunaboat Association on the Embarcadero near Tuna Harbor.Interesting detail above the door of the 1906 Hearne Surgical Hospital Building in downtown San Diego.These old wooden doors to the patio of Indigo Grill in Little Italy are enormous! I don’t know their origin.A very odd metal door in Little Italy. Seems to me it would quite easy to step around it!Not sure I’d want to follow the arrow and step through this door in the Gaslamp Quarter. Looks dangerous!In San Diego’s small Chinatown one can see a cool sight that traces back to early San Diego history. The door to Quin Produce!The unusually tall stained glass door of the Philippine Library and Museum in the Gaslamp. I’ll probably visit one day!It’s what meets you at the front door of Mexican Fiesta in Seaport Village that’s out of the ordinary. A sculpture of a bandito sitting on a bench!Step through the front door of Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills and you’re met by Hollywood movie stars!
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People gather near the beach to watch the 2nd Annual Ocean Beach Pier Surf Classic.
Here come some cool surf photos!
I went to the 2nd Annual Ocean Beach Pier Surf Classic today and enjoyed walking around and watching the action from atop the OB pier.
What a beautiful, perfect day. Check it out!
The OB Pier stretches into the Pacific Ocean on a beautiful morning in early February. A fun surf competition is underway.I believe these guys were signing up people for a beach cleanup.Catching a football on the beach while two surfers head toward the water.Considering the event is only two years old, a nice turnout was evident along the boardwalk.A musician plays in OB during a surf community celebration.I believe the winners in different categories would take home one of these small surfboards.Hanging out on the sea wall and the sand berm. The latter protects the nearby street and businesses from high water during winter storms.A horn sounds. The 10:30 heat is starting out across the beach! May the best surfer win!The surf competitors enter the water.One of the surfers has caught a nice wave. The surf was high today and not terribly choppy, making for some pretty good rides.Pacific Beach and La Jolla can be seen in the distance.Two surfers tackle a good breaker!OB is a haven for Southern California surfers. It’s fun to watch from the pier.A nice shot. This local surfer went under the pier and emerged near the competitors.A fun surf photo. (About the best my little camera can manage at a distance.)People on the pier look out across the foamy water.Keep having a good day!More cool action at the 2nd Annual OB Pier Surf Classic.A line of pelicans flies overhead.People enjoy a warm San Diego winter day on the OB pier. One of my favorite places.Leaning over the rail watching surfers below.The guys surfing the south side of the pier were catching some fairly big waves.Today San Diego beaches were under a high surf advisory. Perfect for experienced surfers!Surfer in a wetsuit about to paddle under the pier.Some photographers and videographers were recording the action.Wow! Check out this pic of the surf competition! Very cool!Riding smoothly in toward the shore.Meanwhile, along the beach people were simply enjoying life.An artist was displaying some colorful surf art at the competition.An announcer calls the action so everyone can follow along.A wonderful day at the 2nd Annual Ocean Beach Pier Surf Classic. Here’s to many more years of success!
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
A lady with flowers in her long flowing purple hair.
Late this morning I went to the San Diego Tet Festival at Mira Mesa Community Park. (I’ll blog about that shortly.) Hoping to avoid crowds, I parked a distance from the park before the festival opened, then spent a half hour or so walking around the area.
I was happy to spy a whole bunch of cool street art in the vicinity of Mira Mesa Boulevard and Camino Ruiz! Naturally, I had to take some photos!
Lovely street art painted on a transformer box in Mira Mesa.A tree behind a white fence seems to bear pencils.Are mushrooms sprouting from the nearby grass?A seeming dream takes the form of mazy images. This street art is on a utility box near the intersection of Mira Mesa Boulevard and Camino Ruiz.Just a big heart and simple blocks of bright color.Looks like a Chargers bolt. Unfortunately, San Diego’s NFL football team bolted.One Love and many symbols atop a utility box in Mira Mesa.A painted Asian landscape. Mountains rise from turbulent water.Another side of the same dramatic box.A happy mug of coffee gives a wink near muffins, beneath musical notes.Happy food and drink!A happy face on a blue teacup!Kid with phonograph sits at base of a pagoda in this unique street art.A bunch of colored circles.A red, geometric, minimalist bit of street art.Colors pieced together like stained glass, and a rising koi on this utility box.Koi, water, sun and clouds.I can’t quite make out the beginning of what is written. I can read: Mira Mesa remain Strong, Brave and Proud!Two colorful electrical boxes along Mira Mesa Boulevard.Looks like a hip hop kid with a big funky cap.An old school phonograph!Looks like one of those trick squirting flowers.Two beautiful flowers.This puzzle-like street art looks both ancient and alien.A touching image of a young girl. She seems to sit alone on the sidewalk.Abstract hills, trees and blue beams of sunshine.More cool street art in Mira Mesa.A flying saucer cat and an orange tabby that doesn’t appear amused.A smiling girl astronaut among happy colorful stars.A dog in a space helmet joyfully rockets above a ringed planet.
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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!
Some happy street art in National City. A high five, pink rabbit and heart.
I found even more cool street art while walking around National City! Check out these photos! Colorful utility boxes and transformers seemed to pop up wherever I turned!
Transinfinite Gems. Love Your Soul. Blessings and Love.A creatively painted utility box near a National City street corner. Is that a can of soda?Someone just let loose with many strokes of color on this transformer box!This cool street art definitely attracts the attention of people walking down the sidewalk!An abstract human figure that drips ink into a river. This fantastic image appears to be full of symbolism.More cool designs on a series of electrical boxes. National City, in San Diego’s South Bay, has lots of great street art!A contrast of real leaves and painted leaves.Barren trees in a purple-blue sky.Another side of the same box.Branches from sky and ground, like grasping, skeletal fingers.
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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!
These arches in National City’s Morgan Square Plaza delight the eye with their colorful tiles and designs.
Check out this cool public art in San Diego’s South Bay! These colorfully tiled arches can be found in Morgan Square Plaza right next to the National City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. As you can see in one photo, the plaza isn’t far from Heritage Square and historic Brick Row, which I recently covered on this blog.
It appears these mosaic arches debuted along with the plaza itself in October 2007. I searched the small pocket park for a plaque, and later for information on the internet, but can find almost nothing about this unique public art. I did see that the bust of former National City mayor Kile Morgan was created by the talented San Diego sculptor Richard Becker. According to Becker’s website, he created the POW Monument at the US National Cemetery, busts for The Emmys in Hollywood, and a bronze sculpture of Homer Simpson for Fox Studios.
Cool art in the public square next to the National City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.Visible beyond the brick arch is one end of Brick Row, one of several historic buildings in Heritage Square.Across Morgan Square Plaza is a monument to a former National City mayor.The bust of Honorable Kile Morgan, mayor of National City from 1966 to 1986. He established the Mile of Cars and Plaza Bonita. Sculpture created by San Diego artist Richard Becker.Another photo through the arches. The Southwestern College Higher Education Center stands across National City Boulevard.The beautiful patterns on this wall-like artwork are composed of many brightly colored tiles.The National City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center is located near the public art arches.Fun photo of one arch within another.Cool public artwork in National City at Morgan Square Plaza!
UPDATE!
During a walk in 2019 I discovered a plaque describing this Streetscape Project, titled Portals in Time. The different arches are called Brick Row, Hispanic Portal, Filipino Water Wall, Kumeyaay Water Wall, Agriculture and Ship Building, and The Bay.
Click the following two photos and they will enlarge for easier reading:
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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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Another storm today. Enough outdoor drenchings for me. A good day to watch football and reorganize shelves. And maybe order a large pizza. And watch a DVD. And maybe sort through more photos!
Join me, says Darth Vader. Never, replies Luke Skywalker. An epic lightsaber battle commences.
Here’s more super cool street art! A classic battle between the dark and the light, and iconic movie characters recognized around the world are painted on two utility boxes in National City! You can spot them near the intersection of 8th Street and National City Boulevard.
This bold street art is an homage to the original Star Wars trilogy. The final four images might make you laugh!
Like a comic book or graphic novel, the right side of this utility box is painted with two more panels of Star Wars street art. I see good old R2-D2 and the white helmet of an Imperial Stormtrooper.Bounty hunter Boba Fett, a popular Star Wars character, makes for some super cool street art! I photographed this image on the left side of the same utility box.Pop culture icon C-3PO from Star Wars movies, television and other media has also been painted on the side of this utility box.Wannabe Stormtrooper on a second National City utility box seems to idolize Darth Vader and his mastery of the Dark Force.Live Set Stormtrooper likes listening to tunes while battling the Rebel Alliance. Perhaps that’s why those lasers never seem to hit anything.Poker Face Stormtrooper has beer hoses entering his helmet and a hand of cards.Selfie Stormtrooper thinks he looks good. Some funny Star Wars street art in National City!
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
A wide-eyed face on a building wall in North Park, surrounded by cosmic imagery.
Here’s even more North Park street art! Check out these photos!
This spray painted mural was signed by the artists DEXR, ARMOR, EYEMAX and SADE. Full of cosmic imagery, the panoply of swirling forms and symbols evokes wonder. The universe it seems to depict is vast and mysterious. All I know for sure is that the artwork is really cool!
You can find this colorful street art on El Cajon Boulevard, just east of 30th Street.
I first spied this street art from the intersection at 30th Street and El Cajon Boulevard.The mural on the Supercuts building contains many complex, colorful elements. Like a magnet it drew me in.Two fused female faces, or one seen in two glances. I get the impression that time, space and information are being affected by that shining object on the left.Whether that’s a black hole, the origin of the universe, a star, or something else–the theme seems to be the mystery of Creation. And I see a dragon at the fractured boundary, a symbol of Chaos.A face seems to gaze from another place behind a transparent window at the unspeakably vast and wonderful cosmos.
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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 fun photos for you to enjoy!
Vernell Jones III, also known as Machinecore, creates a very cool, completely new Star Wars character in Balboa Park.
I was walking through Balboa Park’s lively Plaza de Balboa, not far from the Bea Evenson Fountain, when my eyes suddenly fell upon a truly fantastic work of art.
I learned from the artist, Vernell Jones III, also known as Machinecore, that the unusual Star Wars character he’d created was some sort of futuristic Stormtrooper. My first thought was that the helmet kind of resembled General Grievous. My second thought was that this great artwork should be on the cover of a graphic novel. It’s that good.
Cool female face on one side of a utility box on 30th Street in North Park.
In the past I’ve posted dozens of street art photos from San Diego’s hip North Park neighborhood. But here come even more!
I spotted these cool street art faces (mostly human faces, that is) along 30th Street, between University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard!
Enjoy!
(To see lots more North Park street art, look for the “Related” links at the bottom of this blog post. Or simply click the “street art” tag in my website’s sidebar to see hundreds of examples from all around San Diego! And, as always, feel free to use the share buttons! Have fun!)
Another face, same box.A third red face looks down the North Park sidewalk.A blue face with a faint smile. Minimalist street art by Alex Avila.A funny pink stretchy blob face covers its eyes and yells!Another side and another funny face.Street lamp banners along 30th Street in North Park feature imaginative faces. Explore Art.There is certainly a lot of urban art to explore throughout North Park!Funny graffiti faces on an electrical box.More multi-colored faces on the other side of the box. And some fun figures, too!Not a face here. Just a hand.A bare pink face on a painted mannequin. Abstract street art in North Park.The regal face of a tiger. Grand Prestoz.Yes, even flying pigs have faces.Jumbled eyes, lips and faces in this cool street art at the Thrift Trader in North Park.Two funky faces watch people walking down the sidewalk from a window above a bin of CD’s.The face of a Belching Beaver isn’t something you often see. Unless, perhaps, you drink lots of their beer!Not street art, but an artful face in a window on 30th Street. This is VIP Paints – San Diego, a special studio where the public can go to learn and create art!The head of a pink flamingo painted on a utility box!Artistic collage on a public telephone includes the printed word, and various stencil faces and figures.Creativity can be found up and down the streets of North Park!
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