Tag: san diego

San Diego Memories at the Civic Center.

A large colorful mural greets people walking into Civic Center Plaza from A Street in downtown San Diego. The mural is titled What Do You Want to Remember About Our City?

This public art, commissioned in 2020 by the City of San Diego, was created by local artist MR (Melinda) Barnadas with input from members of the community. Near the center of the mural is a list of unique San Diego Memories contributed by many.

I saw the mural for the first time today. I hadn’t walked this way in a while…

What do you want to remember about San Diego…

Someone walks down the outdoor passageway that leads south from A Street into Civic Center Plaza. They pass by a large list of San Diego memories.

People dancing here in the Civic Center… a city bus… the sea… seeing a play as a little girl… fishing off the docks… surfing… Horton Plaza…

…submarines… Hillcrest… the trolley… Chicano Park… becoming a citizen… getting ice cream with a friend… lowriders in National City…

…Barrio Logan… Balboa Park… an outpouring of solidarity… Charles Lewis III Memorial Park… seeing John Lewis at Oak Park Library… the San Diego Zoo… OB Pier…

…watching planes in Point Loma… dancing in North Park… Old Town… trips to Tijuana… the world’s best tacos… seeing whales and dolphins… palm trees… the lighthouse at Cabrillo…

What Do You Want to Remember About Our City? By artist MR (Melinda) Barnadas.

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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 Twitter!

Donate online to help burn victims!

San Diego firefighters are out at busy intersections today collecting donations for the Burn Institute. Drivers roll down windows and place a bill or two into a firefighter’s boot! The annual event is called Fill the Boot!

The Burn Institute, serving San Diego and Imperial County, provides important services for those who’ve suffered from burns, and they provide fire safety education in the community.

Would you like to make a donation? Haven’t passed through an intersection with friendly firefighters this morning? Then donate online!

Make your online donation at the Burn Institute website by clicking 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 Twitter!

North County artists exhibit in Balboa Park!

An exhibition by the North County Society of Fine Arts can now be enjoyed in San Diego’s always amazing Balboa Park.

Paintings by over twenty NCSFA member artists fill Gallery 21 in the Spanish Village Art Center. The exhibition, titled North County Creates, continues through March 14, 2023.

Anyone in San Diego who loves art should swing on by the gallery to enjoy the many fine pieces. And there are friendly artists with whom you can chat, too!

Today I was fascinated by a variety of painting styles as I visited the gallery. I noted that nearly all of the pieces are for sale, just in case you’re looking for something beautiful.

I also noticed small works of colorful art available for a suggested donation of twenty dollars. Donations support the organization’s high school scholarship fund.

Very cool!

Pathway, by artist Doris Bertch.

Mirror, Mirror, by artist Minnie Valero.

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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 Twitter!

Jack Murphy statue at Snapdragon Stadium.

The other day I walked around the new Snapdragon Stadium, just to see what I might see. And I was pleased to stumble upon the old statue of Jack Murphy and his dog that used to greet fans at Qualcomm Stadium!

Years ago I took photos of the statue when it stood between the trolley station and Qualcomm Stadium. When that stadium was demolished, I wondered what would become of the bronze sculpture. Well, I see it’s now located on the north side of Snapdragon Stadium!

You can view those past photos and learn about Jack Murphy, the sculpture’s origin, and its artist by clicking here. (You’ll find out the name of the Labrador Retriever is Abe!)

I wonder, what happened to the second plaque–the one full of details about Jack Murphy Field?

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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 Twitter!

San Diego Loyal player in Chula Vista!

Look who has been spotted in Chula Vista! San Diego Loyal SC soccer player Alejandro Guido!

Alejandro, who is of Mexican descent, is the pride of Chula Vista, having attended Mater Dei High School.

Walk along Third Avenue in Chula Vista, south of E Street, north of the Vogue movie theater building, and you’ll see Alejandro. The defensive midfielder is running with the ball on a wall opposite Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres!

(Two days ago I discovered a mural of his San Diego Loyal teammate in Hillcrest!)

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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 Twitter!

House of India energizes Balboa Park!

Wow! The House of India in Balboa Park put on one of the most colorful, dynamic events today that you’ll likely to ever experience!

Their cultural lawn program at the International Cottages was jam-packed with dance groups leaping and twirling to upbeat music, much of it inspired by Bollywood.

A large crowd watched the entertainment while sitting on the grass and eating traditional Indian food, like tandoori and, my favorite, samosas.

When each dance number concluded, there was enthusiastic cheering!

I took a couple of photos at the House of India cottage, checked out an art creation station and a game of carrom, then sat down on a bench by the International Cottages stage just before two-o’clock to capture some of the fun!

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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 Twitter!

Tranquility with Flowers at ikebana show.

This weekend the San Diego Wabi Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana presented their Annual Flower Show in Balboa Park. I strolled through Room 101 in the Casa del Prado and was amazed at the beauty assembled before my eyes!

Ikebana is traditional Japanese flower arrangement, and a sign at the entrance to the show this year promised Tranquility with Flowers.

Each work of ikebana appeared like a perfect work of art. Color, balance, form, human creativity, adherence to formal rules, and nature’s inherent beauty are combined with skilled hands and eyes into what you see 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 Twitter!

More fun murals along Commercial Street!

Commercial Street east of downtown San Diego is an excellent place to spot colorful murals and other fun public art!

Perhaps you’ve already seen the giant robot, the trashy whale, and the fence full of comic book characters.

Yesterday I rode the Orange Line trolley into the Logan Heights neighborhood on a mission. I wanted to photograph more murals on Commercial Street between the 25th Street and 32nd Street trolley stations.

The first mural, which you can see below, depicts famous jazz singer Billie Holiday. This artwork was painted a couple years ago by the Southeast Art Team (@southeastartteam) on their Oya Art Gallery and Boutique building, a bit west of 28th Street.

The next series of murals can be found between 31st and 32nd Street. Read the photo captions…

This cool shoe mural was painted very recently at SD Custom Footwear by @colorsoner713

Colorful bird mural painted in late 2022 by @espy_dpt_znc

Mural painted late 2022 depicting piñata character Chucho and roses by SoCal artist Michelle Ruby (@MrBBaby).

Finally, at the intersection of Commercial Street and 32nd Street, a mural is now being painted on what appears to be a new home for San Diego beer company Little Miss Brewing…

(Spider-Man, Cyclops, Wolverine and other Marvel comic book characters were on this building a few years back.)

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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 Twitter!

River park at SDSU Mission Valley takes form!

The new river park at SDSU Mission Valley is noticeably taking form. Particularly on the north side of the Stadium trolley station.

I got off the trolley near Snapdragon Stadium today and observed that many plants and trees have already been introduced to parts of the river park. My first batch of photos shows planted areas north of the elevated trolley tracks.

The large area south of the tracks still appears rather barren, but I’m sure that will be changing before too long! Last I read, SDSU Mission Valley’s new river park should be completed later this year.

I previously blogged that mile markers around a long looping path are being created by renowned local artist James Hubbell.

The following two renderings on a nearby construction fence are handy for comparison.

In the first rendering, that’s the north side of the park in the foreground. Note the interesting shade structure…

And here’s the river park’s south side, which will feature wide expanses of grass…

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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 Twitter!

San Diego Loyal player honored in Hillcrest alley!

San Diego Loyal SC soccer player Collin Martin has been honored with a mural in Hillcrest’s colorful Art Alley. The midfielder is proudly kicking it among other alley murals, which you can find by clicking here.

I spotted this new mural during a bus ride down University Avenue east of Fourth Avenue, and I had to jump off at the next stop for a photograph. Turns out the mural was completed just a day or two ago!

The talented young artists behind this cool street art call themselves Ground Floor Murals. You’ve possibly seen their many awesome San Diego Padres murals all around the city!

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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 Twitter!