The building at 2905 Commercial Street in San Diego was recently spray painted with a huge, very cool mural by graffiti artist Qvo (@qvo_one). The graphics depict various space ships and Yoda from Star Wars using The Force!
Check it out! Do you see the upside down Darth Vader helmet?
The proximity of cars parked by the narrow sidewalk made photography awkward, resulting in some odd angles. I took the photos into the sun, which explains the less than ideal lighting. Contrast was increased for most of the photos to bring out the colors.
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Reclaiming wood from demolished structures or trees whose life had ended, then transforming the once-living wood into furniture, art and other uniquely beautiful products, is inspired. That’s what Old Fashioned Lumber in Barrio Logan does!
I visited Old Fashioned Lumber a couple weekends ago during the San Diego Architectural Foundation Open House event. The public was allowed to peek into the inner workings of the place. These photographs represent much of what I saw.
Old Fashioned Lumber sells their handcrafted furniture and other artistic objects directly to the public. They also work with hotels, restaurants, and businesses of all types, producing conference tables, benches, bars–you name it!
They even created a set of furniture out of reclaimed avocado wood for the studio of San Diego music legend Jason Mraz!
During my visit I was shown a big heap of wood salvaged during the Hotel del Coronado renovation. If you’d like to have them design something with this historic Hotel Del wood, make a request! I also noted they have wood reclaimed from the 1887 Grand Pacific Hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter!
Converting used wood that might have been tossed into a landfill into something completely new is also environmentally friendly. Brilliant!
Learn more about Old Fashioned Lumber and its founders by clicking here.
The following stack of wood is from the Hotel del Coronado…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
The giant Moreton Bay Fig tree just north of the San Diego Natural History Museum was not always so huge!
Years before any of us were born, this historic tree was planted in Balboa Park for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Visitors to the exposition might have viewed the tiny tree in one of the flower beds in a large formal garden. The garden stretched north of the Southern California Counties Building, which was later replaced by the Natural History Museum–the building visible in the above photograph.
I’ve found two images which show the young tree in the formal garden. Arrows have been added to mark the position of the small tree.
The first image is from a sign located under today’s Moreton Bay Fig, next to the observation platform. The second image is an old photograph–one of many century-old Balboa Park photographs that I posted here.
Did you know Balboa Park’s immense Moreton Bay Fig has a sister tree in National City? See my blog post concerning that here!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
A big celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was held this afternoon in San Diego. The House of Ireland presented their annual lawn program in Balboa Park, complete with Irish food, Irish music, Irish dancing, and Irish dogs!
A huge crowd gathered for the event. The lawn at the International Cottages was filled with humanity and a sea of green!
As the cultural entertainment began, traditionally dressed performers arrived in a festive procession. Soon thereafter, the Cameron Highlanders turned up the energy with their stirring bagpipes and booming drums.
Performances by several groups would follow. Sprightly Irish dancing earned tremendous applause. Musicians played Irish tunes. Several friendly Irish Wolfhounds took the stage, and we learned about their history in Ireland–the wolves didn’t stand a chance. Then more colorful Irish dancing by young people…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
The Soap Factory, at 2995 Commercial Street, is a mixed-use event venue in Logan Heights that features a historic brick building, lots of cool art, an outdoor garden, and even a small soap factory!
The public had the chance to take a look inside The Soap Factory last weekend during the San Diego Architectural Foundation Open House event.
I walked around the old building and found some great murals. Then I walked into the arched open air pavilion, which, as I understand it, was previously utilized as a garage by an auto parts company and Pacific Bell. During my visit, some workers were setting up a stage for an event.
I then stepped from the pavilion through a door, led by a friendly Open House volunteer, and found a bar, tables and assorted furniture surrounded by more eclectic art. In one corner of the building’s interior is a small soap “factory” which is the source of handcrafted Early Girl Creations products.
The spacious outdoor area, which now features a garden (including a robotic watering device!), once contained mock telephone poles. The poles were used to train Pacific Bell technicians who’d practice ascending them!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
This morning the big annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in San Diego!
Almost a hundred separate entrants in the parade would entertain thousands of people lining sidewalks in Bankers Hill.
Can you believe it? Over the course of almost eleven years, this is the seventh (lucky?) time I’ve taken photos of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. And this year it was just as wonderful as ever!
What is it like before the parade begins, as smiling people gather for the joyful green spectacle?
These photos provide a glimpse…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Superheroes and supervillains and other pop culture characters gathered this morning in San Diego to participate in the big annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade!
Members from several San Diego and Southern California cosplay groups gathered on Fifth Avenue before the start of the parade and posed for fun photographs! How many costumed characters do you recognize?
Hmm… I believe I see some sort of Green Lantern America, Alvin, Hermione, Spidey, Link, Elves from Middle Earth, Ghostbusters battling Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, good old Cap, a Black Widow, Obi-Wan Kenobi (and his apparent clone), Superman well-dressed in kryptonite armor, a bright green Irish Wookiee, Princess Peach, Batgirl, Gambit, the Jolly Green Giant (villains eat your vegetables or else!), a Tusken Raider, Dude Vader, and…
Super cool!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Look what I spied this afternoon during my walk around San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. I believe this structure will be a huge electronic videoboard. It’s now being installed in Gaslamp Square!
I spoke to some people who’ve been observing the construction of this steel framework. They believe this will be an LED video display. One side faces the San Diego Convention Center; the opposite side is pointed toward the iconic Gaslamp Quarter landmark sign on Fifth Avenue.
I’ve seen no news concerning this apparent videoboard. If that is indeed what it is–how perfect for Comic-Con and other big events that are centered near the Gaslamp! If I discover more in the days ahead, I’ll post an update.
Feel free to leave a comment!
UPDATE!
Several days later a worker confirmed this will be a LED messaging board–or I should say boards! There are two of them…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
A gigantic baseball bat tower has been installed inside Gallagher Square at Petco Park!
Check it out! That huge bat is actually part of a new, super cool playground, which, as I understand it, will feature a slide and bridge that connect to those other elevated structures!
Whoaa! To be a kid again! Families living in downtown San Diego and those attending Padres games are in for a treat!
While walking through East Village around Petco Park late this afternoon, I also noticed some Padres players street lamp banners are up for the new 2024 season!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
An exceptionally beautiful work of public art was installed today in Normal Heights. Kaleidoscope of Butterflies now takes wing on a corner of the City of San Diego Adams Recreation Center!
The artwork, consisting of eleven interlocking mosaic panels, features combined elements of very different butterflies. It was created by artist Kim Emerson, who lives a few blocks away. She and her husband, Dennis Reiter, are founding members of Normal Heights Urban Arts (NHUA).
Kim Emerson’s mosaics and sculptures have already been enjoyed by many San Diegans. You can see a couple examples of her fantastic public art here and here.
Kim’s website has a description of her Kaleidoscope of Butterflies and the history of its creation. Read her words, and see photos of the mosaics being pieced together, then installed on the Adams Recreation Center here.
Here’s an inspirational article about the artist, her work with renowned artist James Hubbell, and her calling to create. As we each can do in life, she picks up broken pieces and combines them into new beauty. But that’s not all. When this project is finished, Kim has decided that it’s time to pass on her knowledge to other artists and agencies seeking qualified artists, to help elevate the awareness of contemporary mosaic art. She plans to mentor other artists, teach mosaic from her home studio and experiment more with her personal mosaic work.
If you drive east on Adams Avenue near 35th Street, you can’t miss the Kaleidoscope of Butterflies. Plus many other butterflies that have been painted on nearby electrical boxes by Normal Heights Urban Arts.
I arrived this afternoon after installation of the eleven panels had been completed. I took the following photos under overcast, drizzly conditions.
The art is like sunshine for the soul.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 