Yesterday I spotted some fun new murals in the process of being painted at Sheldon’s Service Station, a popular La Mesa breakfast and lunch spot. Many years ago this coffee shop’s building was a La Mesa gas station.
A friendly guy at Sheldon’s Service Station said an artist named Kara has been working on the two murals for a couple of weeks. Take a look!
One of two fun new murals being painted on outdoor walls at Sheldon’s Service Station in La Mesa.Funny animals in the imaginative mural include Droopy and tea-drinking pelicans!
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Local artist Suzka has created some colorful artwork that includes elements from San Diego Comic-Con, popular culture and comic books.
Check this out! There’s a bunch of cool, original San Diego Comic-Con artwork on display in an eatery not far from the convention center! Head a couple blocks up First Avenue and step inside Simon’s Cafe to see these colorful Comic-Con paintings!
The artist’s name is Suzka, and you can read her bio in one of my photos–click it to enlarge for easier reading.
This morning I had a lot of fun looking at this art inside the cafe while waiting for my breakfast burrito. (Which was pretty good, too!)
Biography of painter and writer Suzka. Some of her art celebrating San Diego Comic-Con can be seen inside Simon’s Cafe on First Avenue, a couple blocks north of Harbor Drive.Cool original San Diego Comic-Con art shows timeline of the international pop culture phenomenon.An enormous Superman seems to stand guard near a harbor.Dr. Fate is in a big hurry to save Inza from danger!Fun versions of Batman and Superman welcome everyone to Comic-Con!
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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!
Construction of a new fire station at Pacific Highway and Cedar Street. When finished this station will serve the North Embarcadero and Little Italy.
Many cranes now fill the sky in downtown San Diego. They seem to be concentrated in East Village and along the waterfront. I’ve lived in downtown for a long time, and I don’t recall seeing this amount of construction activity in many, many years.
As you might have noticed, I like to walk along the Embarcadero. During the past few months I’ve been watching the progress of several construction projects not far from the water. Every time I go for a stroll it seems that I have to tilt my head farther and farther back…
It’s fascinating to watch new buildings slowly rise into the sky–and to watch as old buildings are swept away. It seems that human ambition is like an ocean that crashes wave after wave, unceasingly changing the cityscape. The things we see today will in time be replaced, and, like ourselves, become a small bit of history.
Here are some photos. Most I took late this afternoon. (The first four photos, which show the new fire station construction, were taken very recently.)
Read the captions!
The new fire station is west of the railroad and trolley tracks, in order to avoid potential delays when fire engines are dispatched to emergencies near San Diego’s harbor.I took this photo (and the next) about a week after those first two photos. Huge steel beams have appeared!A new bayside firehouse is being built in San Diego!Graphic on the fence surrounding the now closed Anthony’s Fish Grotto. A new waterside dining experience is coming called Portside Pier.Portside Pier will be just south of the Star of India and include a dock for visiting boats. (Interesting that this graphic doesn’t show Point Loma, North Island or any land across San Diego Bay!)Portside Pier will include Brigantine, Miguel’s, Ketch Grill and Taps, and Portside Coffee and Gelato.Demolition of the Navy Broadway Complex has been underway for several weeks. I believe a remotely-controlled robot is being used to destroy the old building floor by floor, starting at the top level.Another look at the old Navy Broadway Complex being slowly removed. Heaps of debris are growing.Photo taken from Ruocco Park shows the Navy Broadway Complex demolition, plus the construction of the new InterContinental Hotel (left crane) and Pacific Gate by Bosa (right crane).The Navy Broadway Complex is being demolished to make way for Manchester Pacific Gateway, which will include four office buildings, a retail promenade, tourist attractions, a park and two hotels.A look at the demolition so far from Pacific Highway. The Navy Broadway Complex has evolved since the early 1900’s and has served the Pacific Fleet in various capacities.The tall Pacific Gate by Bosa appears to be nearing completion. Photo taken near intersection of Broadway and Pacific Highway.Construction continues near the base of Pacific Gate, a high-rise luxury condo.Pacific Gate rises in the distance, behind the construction of a new InterContinental Hotel, located at the site of old Lane Field. Photo taken from across Harbor Drive.When finished, this InterContinental Hotel will provide 400 luxury waterfront rooms for visitors to San Diego.I took some photos of ground floor construction as I walked along Pacific Highway north of Broadway.Another photo of construction of San Diego’s new InterContinental Hotel.Looking upward.Lots of cranes are in San Diego’s blue sky! A dynamic city grows and continues to evolve.
Here are a couple of later pics!
The new InterContinental Hotel rises.The old Navy Broadway Complex falls.
And one more photo of the fire station after months of progress…
In this photo the City of San Diego Bayside Fire Station No. 2 is approaching completion.
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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!
Stained glass window, and its reflection in a mirror, inside The Abbey on Fifth Avenue. The building was originally the Park Place Methodist Episcopal Church.
I’ve walked past The Abbey on Fifth Avenue many times over the years. I often pause to admire the monumental building’s Classical Revival style exterior and take a photo or two. But last weekend I finally ventured inside.
That’s because The Abbey was open to the public during the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s OPEN HOUSE 2017. It was one of several fascinating places that I visited!
The Abbey on Fifth Avenue is utilized by Hornblower Cruises in San Diego for private parties, weddings and corporate events. In 1910, however, when its doors were first opened to welcome the people of San Diego, the building was a place of worship: the Park Place Methodist Episcopal Church. A gleaming gold leaf statue of the angel Gabriel stands atop the roof, blowing his horn, summoning eyes around Bankers Hill. Approach the building and one sees its dozen stained glass windows illustrating figures from the Bible.
Stained glass when viewed from outside a building can often appear a bit dull and unremarkable. When seen from inside, however . . . words can barely express the feeling. It’s like finding the end of a rainbow. It’s like stepping into a light-filled heaven.
Please enjoy some photos of The Abbey’s exterior and interior.
Today the Abbey on Fifth Avenue is operated by Hornblower Cruises and Events. Built as a church in 1910, the building has undergone various changes over the years. In 1984 it became a restaurant.Photo of The Abbey taken from the intersection of Olive Street and Fifth Avenue in the Bankers Hill neighborhood. A new building is under construction on the north side.Stained glass windows seen from the street outside.The 1910 Park Place Methodist Episcopal Church was built in the Classical Revival style, which is quite unusual in San Diego.Gabriel blows his horn. Light reflecting from the gold leaf shines brightly like the sun.This gorgeous stained glass skylight and purple floor lights tinting the walls make a memorable dining experience at these tables on the second floor of The Abbey.Another dome of stained glass in the ceiling.These doors on the second floor have beautiful floral stained glass panels.The interior of The Abbey on Fifth Avenue is a wonderland of colorful light.People pause by one of the south-facing stained glass windows.These tables along the second floor overlook a large space where people might dance or mingle during a special event.Stained glass shows classical columns and a cross in a crown.If I recall, this stained glass panel was in a door on the second floor. Those appear to be grapes.More stained glass behind dining tables on the north side of the second floor.The many stained glass windows seem to fill the historic building with magic.Close look at one window.Christ portrayed in one radiant window.Religious figures near wine glasses hanging in a bar on the second floor. An interesting juxtaposition.The beautiful stained glass is both mysterious and penetrating.Another vibrant stained glass window portrays a risen Christ in heaven.A scene from the Bible. One of many stained glass windows that fill The Abbey on Fifth Avenue with color and life.
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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!
Worker inside the processing window at Chesapeake Fish Company packages fresh fish. Their seafood products are used by nearby restaurants and shipped around the world.
Millons of pounds of fish are processed at San Diego’s Chesapeake Fish Company every year. The dock where local fishermen unload their fresh catch is just steps away.
Most visitors to San Diego’s Embarcadero don’t realize they can actually watch freshly caught fish being processed. Just north of Seaport Village, a window invites tourists and passersby to watch the fish cleaning and packaging operation. The friendly workers will even hold up the fish for photographs and sometimes wave!
The processing room is refrigerated, but this morning I still managed to get some decent photos through the thick, fogged, drippy glass window…
If you see this sign just north of Seaport Village, take a look into the big window. Workers inside might be cleaning fish caught in the ocean off San Diego!Near the processing window of Chesapeake Fish Co. is the small dock where fishermen unload their catch. Beyond is Tuna Harbor, full of commercial fishing boats.A worker holds up a de-boned fish for my camera!I believe these are the bones, heads and inedible parts that are removed from the fish during the cleaning operation.Two workers get dinner ready for seafood lovers!
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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!
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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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!
Last chance to enjoy Anthony’s at the waterfront. 70 years of great memories and seafood at Anthony’s Fish Grotto, which will close on January 31, 2017.
Time is running out. Anthony’s Fish Grotto on San Diego’s waterfront will be closing at the end of next January. The restaurant has produced fond memories for millions of people over the course of its 70 year history. You have one last chance to enjoy this wonderful, unique place before it’s torn down.
Next year, the Brigantine will introduce a new restaurant at this scenic location, right next to the Star of India. I was told by a gentleman who sells art on the sidewalk nearby that the new Brigantine building is now under construction, and will be brought in across San Diego Bay on a ship or barge. That would certainly be a sight to behold!
Late yesterday morning I walked down to the Embarcadero to devour some french fries and a yummy tuna melt at Anthony’s outdoor Fishette. I sat on the wood deck dipping my fries in tartar sauce and breathing in the fresh air. I simply gazed out at the water. Pleasant visions floated on the sparkling blue, including a visiting cruise ship and San Diego Yacht Club sailboats. Between licking my fingers, I took a few photos.
Anthony’s has been a fixture on San Diego’s Embarcadero for 70 years. But their lease ran out and the Brigantine will soon build a new restaurant at this location.I’ve stood in this line many times. This is a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike.Eating seafood on benches inside a protected area of the informal outdoor Fishette, over the gently lapping water of San Diego Bay.Funny sign over the Fishette soda machine shows two fish in love.I’ll attest that Mama Ghio’s secret tartar sauce is a tasty concoction!Anthony’s Fish Grotto opened in 1946, right after World War II. I remember eating here many times as a child.Another photo of the small casual Fishette. I prefer dining outside, but many enjoy the more formal Fish Grotto restaurant, which occupies the interior of the building.In my opinion, some of the best seats in San Diego.A gull was patiently watching my fries.Activity on San Diego Bay included a refueling cruise ship. Those guys in the boat fishing were being watched by a circling sea lion.Here comes the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s historic Pilot boat, out on a harbor tour. Those sailboats racing in the distance belong to the San Diego Yacht Club.I love this place. It will be sad to see it go. (In this photo you can see the concrete posts where the Fish Grotto’s boat dock used to be. It was destroyed in that ferocious El Nino windstorm that I blogged about in early February.)Another beautiful day on the Embarcadero. Time marches on.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! 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!
Today I saw a new canopy and sign at the ever-expanding Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. It’s a food tent called Loaf and Fish! They’ve got one of my favorite things!
I’m not really a food blogger, but I have a terrible weakness for fish sandwiches, fish tacos and fish burritos. So when I saw a new food vendor was selling fresh fish sandwiches this weekend at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, of course I had to try one!
A bit down the pier you’ll find the sign that reads Loaf and Fish. Those are the nice folks you need to see. My grilled fish sandwich was really good! I was told they don’t have a website yet, but they’ll be there on the pier every Saturday morning, a tasty addition to the constantly growing Dockside Market!
(You can visit San Diego’s new outdoor fish market every Saturday morning on the pier just north of Seaport Village, next to Tuna Harbor.)
Loaf and Fish. Built, helmed and crewed by fishing families. The tasty yellowtail in my sandwich was caught by the fishing vessel Wild West!Oh, man! My fish sandwich is getting ready! Some tomatoes, avocado (yum), red onions, chipotle mayo, lettuce, all on a fresh bolillo roll. And, of course, grilled fresh fish!And here it is, with a smile! You know what? It was pretty darn good. I recommend devouring these!Everyone at Loaf and Fish was super nice to some strange blogger guy walking around with a camera. Good luck guys!
UPDATE!
Loaf and Fish has added a couple of items to their menu. You can now enjoy fish tacos and tasty fish soup!
The fish tacos are just as yummy as any you’ll find in San Diego. And keep in mind our city has the best fish tacos in the entire world.
I’ve also tried the fish soup and it’s really tasty! In addition to big chunks of freshly caught fish, there are fresh vegetables and slices of avocado floating on top! On chilly mornings this hot soup really hits the spot!
To top it all off, eating on the pier by the water–with the bustle of activity all around, including friendly fishermen and local fishing boats and the seagulls and playful sea lions barking nearby–it’s a feast for the senses that can’t be beat!
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Brand new artwork enlivens a familiar place on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
For over a year the small food concession at the foot of the Embarcadero Marina Park South Pier has been vacant. JJ’s Sunset Deli by the Bay shut down at the end of 2014. So I was surprised during my walk today to see another business has finally moved in! And I learned the new eatery with the same cool patio has been open for only four days!
Burgers, Bait and Beer looks like a great, relaxed place to kick back. The guys I met were very friendly. And the light salad I had was really good. I’m told their hamburgers are superb. So I guess I’ll have to try one next weekend!
Burgers, Bait and Beer can be found at the foot of the Embarcadero Marina Park South Pier, behind the San Diego Convention Center!A pair of standup paddleboarders have passed under the Embarcadero Marina Park South Pier, one of my favorite places to visit on San Diego Bay.This cool artistic heron is part of the decor at the new outdoor cafe, tackle and bait shop.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk. Once in a while I happen upon an unexpected discovery!
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Here are a dozen more funny signs and sights that I’ve spotted in downtown San Diego. Since many of these photographs were taken around the Gaslamp Quarter with its many restaurants and bars, it isn’t surprising that a popular theme is Eat, Drink and Be Merry.
A crabby sign. Eat me! Bite me!Two funny, silly mannequin heads in a shop window.Some call it bitching. I call it motivational speaking.Please leave quietly. Let the neighbors sleep.A sign warns: Beware of Little Monsters.Sea NileThe National Beer Pong LeagueThis alien lifeguard in a yellow hard hat is about to be clobbered by Superman!People who say “It’s the thought that counts” give shitty gifts.I distrust camels and anyone else who can go a week without a drink.One hundred percent of scientists agree that alcohol is a solution!
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