Take a look at one of the most unique, fun and inspired pieces of public artwork in San Diego!
You can find it at Barrio Logan Fire Station #7 facing Cesar E. Chavez Parkway.
Students attending nearby Perkins Elementary School created this awesome tile mosaic artwork. A sculptural fire hose decorated with firefighting imagery spurts water on burning flames!
This was a project of Rebuilding Together San Diego back in 2005. See their website here.
The organization’s mission is: “Bringing our volunteers and the community together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners who are in need, and help revitalize neighborhoods throughout San Diego.”
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Yesterday I observed two firefighters sliding down a fire pole outside San Diego Fire-Rescue Station 44 in Mira Mesa.
Yes, I said outside!
Strangely, the two rapidly descending firefighters never reached the ground. Why? Because they’re life-size bronze figures and part of an extremely cool sculpture titled Firefighters at 44.
Firefighters at 44 debuted at the new fire station back in 2002. The monumental sculpture was created by artists T.J. Dixon and James Nelson, whose work can be enjoyed all over San Diego.
(You can see more of their amazing sculptures by checking out certain old blog posts. To do that, click here.)
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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!
Have you ever walked or driven past Fire Station 1 near the center of downtown San Diego and seen a gigantic bell out front? Have you wondered about it?
A few days ago I walked down the sidewalk past “The Big House” fire station and paused to snap some photos!
Words on the bell read:
W.T.GARRATT & Co SF CAL 1885 PRESENTED TO SAN DIEGO ENGINE CO NO 1 BY BRYANT HOWARD SAN DIEGO
A plaque above the huge bell reads:
THIS BELL WAS PRESENTED TO THE SAN DIEGO FIRE DEPT. ENGINE COMPANY NO. 1. IT WAS CAST IN SAN FRANCISCO IN 1885 AND HUNG IN A 50 FOOT TOWER ON FIFTH AVENUE, BETWEEN BROADWAY AND C STREET, WHERE JESSOPS JEWELRY STORE NOW STANDS.
(Jessops moved from that location many, many years ago.)
According to the City of San Diego website: Fire Station 1 was originally opened at 865 Second Avenue in 1904. That station was closed and relocated to the current building (at 1222 First Avenue) in January 1971.
I’d love to hear that bell ring! (Without a fire, of course.)
Thank you to all firefighter heroes!
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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!
Many electrical boxes have been painted with street art on San Ysidro Boulevard, just northwest of Cottonwood Road. It appeared during my Saturday walk that some of the boxes were painted long ago, and others this year.
Por tu salud. (For your health.) We love our community. Street art painted in San Ysidro during the coronavirus pandemic.
Firefighters of Fire Station 29 in San Ysidro.
A local firefighter at work.
Purple and lavender flowers.
Butterfly rises near a hot air balloon.
Bicycle by a fruit tree, and a trolley in the background.
Trolley windows full of passengers.
Trolley driver emerges from a painted electrical box.
A little land and a living. Un poco tierra y una vida.
Working the land.
A family on a sweeping, colorful landscape.
Handfuls of good earth.
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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!
In San Diego we are proceeding with the gradual reopening of society as the coronavirus pandemic seems to slowly subside. Today restaurants were allowed to open for dining. Strict guidelines must be followed such as maintaining super sanitary conditions and safe social distancing.
Some say the reopening of society is proceeding too quickly; others say not quickly enough. But the future is a tricky thing to predict. There are so many variables. So many different risks. All I know is that at some point we’ll look back and see what actions in the final analysis were most wise. And our knowledge will increase.
On another hopeful note, during my walks in the past couple weeks I’ve observed more signs around town celebrating unity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other signs express thankfulness to essential workers. You’ll see that one billboard I photographed about a week ago concerning restaurants now seems dated, but no matter.
That so many people have demonstrated an urge to stay positive during this terrible crisis seems a good sign for the future of humanity in general.
At least, it appears that way to me. I’m an optimist.
San Diego strong.
To restaurants still delivering meals, thank you.
Thanks (transit driver) heroes.
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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!
A large building wrap thanking heroes during the coronavirus pandemic has appeared on Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.
A large building wrap has appeared on Petco Park thanking heroes during the coronavirus pandemic. The huge graphic expresses gratitude to essential workers, firefighters, healthcare professionals and law enforcement who sacrifice to keep the public fed and safe.
It’s a wonderful sight.
We in San Diego are accustomed to seeing huge, colorful building wraps affixed to Petco Park and buildings surrounding the convention center during Comic-Con. But this wrap doesn’t promote popular entertainment. It’s simply a heartfelt Thank You.
Know what would be really cool? If Comic-Con followed suit with their own Thank You wrap! Having multiple wraps around downtown would be a little like Comic-Con, even though the world-famous pop culture event has been cancelled this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
San Diego could have a visual Thank-You-Con for the real superheroes.
We need you. We thank you.
San Diego frontline heroes… Thank You.
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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!
First Responders in San Diego will be celebrated this Saturday, August 4th in Little Italy. The event will be held in Piazza Della Famiglia beginning at 5pm, and a special concert at 6pm will feature Marine Band San Diego.
This morning as I walked through Little Italy, I happened to see several banners stretched above the piazza honoring our community’s First Responders, including our Lifeguards, Sheriff, Firefighters and Police.
Superman enters a phone booth. When he comes out, who will he become?
Today I headed down to Imperial Beach to enjoy the Sun and Sea Festival. The annual summer event is famous for its popular sand sculpture contest near the pier. You might’ve seen photos I took in past years.
In 2018 the theme for the sand sculpture competition was Superheroes In The Sand.
A big crowd turned out on a sunny summer Saturday in Imperial Beach to enjoy the annual Sun and Sea Festival.
Poster looks like a comic book cover! A surfer wears a cape for the 2018 Sun and Sea Festival in Imperial Beach. The original sandcastle competition!
A big sand sculpture near the event’s entrance greets one and all to the Sun and Sea Festival. That caped hero seems to be holding a surfboard.
I found my first superhero on the beach. It’s Wonder Woman!
Here’s a tribute to a young superhero. A young lady named Angela had her wish made true by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Titans Collide, a sand sculpture by the Sculpintures. Thanos and Hulk are ready to do battle. I hope Thanos doesn’t have that gauntlet on.
Watch out Thanos! Hulk is finally really angry and ready to smash.
The Coastal Carvers were creating the IB Bears. I’m not sure how exactly this fits with the superhero theme.
Howie’s Crew was creating Gotham City out of sand. I see the Bat Signal and the Bat Cave!
And I see Wayne Manor, too!
Scooby Doo is a superhero, right? The Guardians of the Sandlot had scenes from that favorite cartoon. Here’s the Mystery Machine!
And here’s a super scary creature! It’s probably an old disgruntled lighthouse keeper in a yellow slicker somehow cleverly disguised as a big monster. Just my wild guess.
According to the San Diego Sand Castles, you don’t need a cape.
Wonder Woman has no cape, nor She-Ra.
A local guy working on sand art that celebrates She-Ra. You’ll see why, shortly.
A variety of heroes gathered in Imperial Beach the week before 2018 San Diego Comic-Con.
Archisand was crafting a sandcastle fantasy and a beautiful sleepy face.
There were sand sculptures on either side of the Imperial Beach Pier. Lots of surfers out today, too.
Sandytales was creating Dreaming, an imaginative sand sculpture with another sleepy face and whimsical castle.
Here’s the castle and a smile. Creating that looks like fun!
Team Sandstorm was creating their sand sculpture just north of the IB Pier.
Forever Heroes. It’s a big Purple Cross.
Sand spheres are sculpted to become helmeted war heroes.
Many heroes behind the medal.
The Sandcastle Man Team was creating a fantastic Star Wars setting.
A sand sculpture rendition of a far distant world. Rebels and Resistance.
The I.B. Posse created a new chest emblem for Superman. It features a firefighter’s helmet.
Superman entered a phone booth in my very first photo . . . then emerged as a true hero firefighter!
Here are some hero lifeguards.
Why do several local sand artists like the heroine She-Ra?
This sculpture by the Sand Squirrels honors a former member. I believe her name was Shera. Her surviving brother works with sand for the first time.
My Heroes, by the I.B. Family Posse, has Batman and Spiderman ready side by side.
A kid is surrounded by Superman and other imaginary superheroes. He wears a fireman’s helmet.
My Heroes.
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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!
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