Here are photos of two colorful, super fun benches in National City’s Pepper Park!
Both painted concrete benches were created in 2006 by Doug Snider, member of the San Diego Potters’ Guild. He produces all sorts of amazing art at his Studio 15 in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center. Step into his studio and you’ll feel as if you’ve entered a fantasy world full of whimsy and imagination!
I believe Doug has created four of these fantastic benches. In the past I photographed one of two that are located in Coronado. The one I saw is in Tidelands Park, and you can see it here!
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A van wrapped with many colors stands at one corner of the National City Marine Terminal on San Diego Bay!
You don’t see this every day!
Under Wraps is unusual public artwork that now stands at one corner of the National City Marine Terminal. It’s best seen by walking out onto the small Pepper Park fishing pier.
Under Wraps is a sculptural intervention on an old work van, which has been wrapped about with colorful nautical fiber. This unique artwork was created by Randy Walker, who also used nautical fiber in his “Sweet Contents” at San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. I recently blogged about that here.
The National City Marine Terminal in San Diego Bay is where up to 400,000 imported cars arrive by immense roll-on/roll-off car carrying ships every year. The 180-acre facility is operated by Pasha Automotive Services.
According to a sign on the pier, Under Wraps will be on view through February 2019. So if you plan to be in San Diego’s South Bay, go check it out while you have the chance!
Under Wraps, an artwork by Randy Walker, is best seen from the Pepper Park pier. A work van is wrapped with colorful nautical fiber at the National City Marine Terminal!Fishing from the Pepper Park pier near public artwork that was commissioned by the Port of San Diego.A kid got super excited when these guys caught a mackerel from the pier!Now that’s something you don’t see every day! Under Wraps is colorful public art that adds a splash of character to the National City Marine Terminal.
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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 former Caltrans building at Taylor Street and Juan Street is being torn down, to make room for the expansion of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
One of the most visited state parks in California will soon undergo a major expansion!
I noticed during a recent walk that the old Caltrans building, located at the corner of Taylor Street and Juan Street, is being demolished. A banner hanging at the construction site informs passersby that this land will be added to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and will open to the public in Fall 2019!
I spoke to a state park employee and learned that initially the expansion will feature trees and benches. There are plans to eventually have interpretive exhibits or structures in this area that help visitors understand what life was like for the Native American Kumeyaay people, who inhabited this area for thousands of years before European explorers arrived. According to this informative web page, California State Parks is now working with tribal members representing the Kumeyaay Nation to “interpret their culture and their connections to the San Diego River and Old Town San Diego”.
I can’t wait to see the completed expansion!
Banner at demolition site. The former Caltrans District Office will be replaced with a new outdoor public space for Old Town San Diego State Historic Park in Fall 2019.
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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!
Sweet Contents is the title of public art that has added color to three storage tanks at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.
Surprising public art now decorates three large storage tanks at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal just south of downtown San Diego!
Sweet Contents, by artist Randy Walker, adds color to several old, unsightly tanks that used to store molasses and palm oil. The public art was commissioned by the Port of San Diego for their Port Spaces program and will be visible through February 2019.
The three storage tanks have been draped with strands of nautical fiber. From a distance it looks like strings of many different colors are dangling down from the top of each cylindrical structure.
I took these photos from a spot by the gate of the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, Cesar Chavez Park and the adjacent pier. A friendly guard at the gate told me he met the artist, that the individual strands are about an inch wide, and that the colors are about as vibrant today as when they were installed last May.
According to a sign, which I photographed near Cesar Chavez Park, similar public art, titled Under Wraps, can be seen at the National City Marine Terminal. That particular artwork is best seen from the Pepper Park pier.
I’ll have to go check that out in the weeks ahead!
Port of San Diego sign describes Sweet Contents, an artwork by Randy Walker. Nautical fiber in many colors hangs over the exterior of the old molasses and palm oil storage tanks.A view of Sweet Contents from the grass in Cesar Chavez Park.I took this zoom photo of Sweet Contents over a wall at Cesar Chavez Park.Photo of Sweet Contents from the pier at Cesar Chavez Park. Downtown buildings are visible beyond the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.
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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!
Today I enjoyed a late autumn walk in Mission Trails Regional Park, a large open space preserve located in the City of San Diego.
I moved along the Visitor Center Loop Trail, gazing at mountains and trees and fluttering yellow and brown leaves.
The relatively easy 1.5 mile trail follows the San Diego River for a short distance. Just right for a thoughtful little hike through nature’s infinite beauty.
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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 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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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 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 lush linear park on Cortez Hill, called Tweet Street, has become more and more beautiful with the help of community volunteers!
People who live in downtown San Diego up on the top of Cortez Hill are lucky. We live next to a wonderful refuge: a garden-like linear park called Tweet Street, which runs along several blocks of Date Street and a couple blocks of Tenth Avenue.
Since my last blog post concerning Tweet Street Park, many improvements have been made. And it’s even more beautiful.
Much of the credit goes to the Friends of Tweet Street Park, a group of community volunteers who work to maintain and improve this neighborhood gem. I often see members of the organization out landscaping, raking, pruning, planting flowers, watering, removing litter, and enjoying San Diego’s sunshine as an added bonus.
Thank you.
If you live on Cortez Hill or simply love San Diego, you might want to check out the Friends of Tweet Street Park page on Facebook by clicking here.
You might also want to visit their brand new Go Fund Me page by clicking here. Your tax deductible donation goes toward buying plants, mulch, decorative bark, gardening tools and other necessary items.
I’d like to share some of that new beauty that I enjoy on many of my walks. Here are a few photos which I took today…
A small section of Tweet Street Park near Eighth Avenue and Date Street which has been improved recently.The hard work of the Friends of Tweet Street Park make this neighborhood garden a more inviting place!A bit of beauty planted with human hands.Here’s another improved area along Tenth Avenue, near Cedar Street. This was finished just this weekend!A generous heart and a little bit of muscle make the world a better place for all.
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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 baseball windglyphs of local artist Lisa Schirmer fly above diners under umbrellas at Lane Field Park.
I was walking along the Embarcadero today when I saw a whole bunch of activity over at Lane Field Park. I soon discovered that today was the debut of a weekly “artisanal showcase of the creative food, drink, art and craft scene in San Diego”, otherwise known as Lane Field Park Markets.
Every Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm, look for the tents and happy people inside Lane Field Park at the corner of Broadway and Harbor Drive!
Lane Field Park Markets debuted in downtown San Diego near the waterfront today.Lots of people were enjoying the sunny, grassy, outdoor farmers’ market-like setting.I saw tasty food to eat and lots of crafts and other good stuff.Kids liked checking out the Dang Brother Pizza fire engine.Those look pretty yummy!A guitarist provided live music, too!
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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!
Cool San Diego Sights! 