2016 San Diego Comic-Con will bring fans a new version of the familiar Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. trolley wrap. This year, the design features a burning chain! Ghost Rider, perhaps?
We’re still a month away from 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, but a few signs of its approach keep popping up. Today I got some more photos. Most notably, I got pics of another completely new Comic-Con trolley wrap for this year. It appears a bit like the familiar Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. design that fans have seen in the past, but this time the bold graphics includes a fiery burning chain!
I also got pics that show what the San Diego Symphony will be up to this year. Check out the photos to see for yourself!
Another older model San Diego trolley car has been wrapped with the new Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. graphics, for the upcoming 2016 Comic-Con. I’ve seen several of these cars in the past few days!Now that San Diego Startup Week is over, the Doctor Strange street lamp banners have been hung throughout downtown–in the Gaslamp, by the convention center, along Broadway, and along the Embarcadero.Many shops in the Gaslamp Quarter and Horton Plaza have placed pop culture and superhero gear in their windows, in anticipation of Comic-Con.Even the street artists are getting ready. A kid was having fun near the USS Midway posing by this Incredible Hulk art!The San Diego Symphony has nearly finished erecting the stage for their outdoor summer concerts. The portable box office advertises two special performances during Comic-Con.During Comic-Con, there will be two performances by the San Diego Symphony at the Jacobs Music Center. Final Symphony includes music from several Final Fantasy video games; music from The Legend of Zelda will be featured the following evening.
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Avoid urban decay. A funny image on the window of a dentist office in San Diego’s East Village.
For your enjoyment, here’s another random batch of funny photos taken around downtown San Diego!
Don’t break into this downtown San Diego business. A sign on the door warns: Beware of Attack Cat!A very odd sign near a parking lot simply states: MEOW.A bench shaped like a mustache. A fun sight in front of a barber shop.Funny quote inside a store window. I only drink champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.Photo of funny shirt inside a Gaslamp window. We must learn to take life with a grain of salt, slice of lime and a shot of tequila.A wonderfully bizarre downtown San Diego poster. Perhaps I need to eat here. Fear the power of Sushi Burrito. Finish off your evil hunger!Funny sign on East Village sidewalk. Rubbing an eye to wake up. Maybe some coffee will help!
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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!
A happy clown face decorates the Fourth Avenue sidewalk, a block north of Broadway near the center of San Diego.
Should you ever walk along Fourth Avenue in downtown San Diego, you might stumble upon a delightful surprise. A bit north of Broadway a clown face smiles up from the sidewalk. Above him is a heaven of old circus tile artwork, depicting exotic animals and performers in every sort of crazy pose. The art decorates a building which is now home to Halah’s Market.
It isn’t the sort of thing one expects to see in San Diego! At a Las Vegas hotel or casino, perhaps!
I can find nothing about the origin of this circus artwork. If you happen to know something, please leave a comment!
Halah’s Market in downtown San Diego has a storefront with some fantastic, nostalgic circus artwork. The canopy above the entrance resembles a carousel. Searching the internet, all I learned about this building was that it was built in 1925.Acrobats and performing animals of every description . . . including elephants, penguins, zebras, camels and bears. A circus atmosphere in an unexpected place!A singing pig is joined by a trapeze artist and a seal in a hat. One often sees images of surfers, Hispanic culture or local landmarks in San Diego–not the circus!More fun animals in poses that suggest circus acts.A surprising clown greets walkers in downtown San Diego!
UPDATE!
I got a great comment! This location used to be the Chi-Chi Club San Diego! More can be learned here!
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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!
A painting of a market full of Mexican crafts and charm. It makes anyone walking down the sidewalk feel that life is good, just gazing at this colorful artwork.
Some new, very cool urban art has recently appeared on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights! Here are a few photos!
The street mural, titled Un dia de Mercado, is painted on the side of one small building. It depicts a Mexican marketplace, and many of the goods a shopper is likely to find there. The colors are vivid and happy. The artwork inspires joy.
Un dia de Mercado. A fantastic new street mural on Adams Avenue in San Diego’s Normal Heights neighborhood.Un dia de Mercado was completed on April 2, 2016. It was painted by several talented artists. Their signatures are evident in this photo. New colorful urban art in Normal Heights!A smiling face, a funny parrot, an umbrella, guitar, flowers, fruit and a sleeping dog. One day at the market!Beautiful artistry on the side of a building on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights!This street mural adds sunshine and happiness to an already very cool neighborhood in San Diego!
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Do you like to read short pieces of thought-provoking fiction? You might enjoy checking out Short Stories by Richard.
Making fresh tortillas for people walking down the sidewalk. Eat these hot with melted butter and you’re in heaven.
I enjoyed an exhilarating walk through Old Town today.
Here are some colorful photos of what you might discover while strolling down San Diego Avenue, just south of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
You’ll find all sorts of shops, Mexican restaurants and cantinas, a few historical sights, and sidewalks full of smiling tourists and locals enjoying one of San Diego’s favorite destinations.
A guitarist walks down a sidewalk in Old Town. You’ll find plenty of music and energy up and down San Diego Avenue.There are tantalizing sights everywhere you turn. The commercial part of Old Town is a popular destination for tourists visiting San Diego.Many colorful items for sale at shops up and down San Diego Avenue are from Mexico, or have a Mexican theme.I love rocks and minerals, so of course I had to poke my nose in here.Just a riot of color in one window! Mexican culture adds a great deal of life to San Diego and this region.I blogged about this public art a while back. Beyond the crazy cowboy shootout is the entrance to the Old Town Chamber of Commerce.
I stepped inside the Old Town Chamber of Commerce Information Center and checked out a few cool exhibits. In the event you ever visit Old Town, make sure to stop here to grab a map, brochures, and a bunch of valuable coupons for nearby restaurants and businesses!
A cool model of a Spanish galleon (I believe) and some useful free literature inside the Visitor Information center.Several interesting historical photographs can be found inside the Old Town Chamber of Commerce. This one from 1898 shows tiny Old Town San Diego at the base of Presidio Hill.Vintage photo of the famous Whaley House, the oldest brick house in California, built in 1854. (That’s what it reads. Every source I’ve seen says the house was actually built in 1857.)The Whaley House as it appears today on San Diego Avenue. It’s reputed to be the most haunted place in America! (Just to be careful, I stayed across the street. Those spooks didn’t have a ghost of a chance!)The Sheriff’s Museum on San Diego Avenue. I’ve yet to visit this place! So much still to do!The El Campo Santo Cemetery in Old Town is where many of San Diego’s earliest residents are buried.Many curios and crafts for sale in Old Town shops are related to Mexico’s traditional Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.A festive banner in a perfect San Diego sky.Rounding a corner, searching for more unique discoveries!This shop contains all sorts of Old West-themed stuff for sale. There’s so much on display, it boggled my mind!A walk down San Diego Avenue in Old Town San Diego is never dull!
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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!
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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People view photos and memorabilia in corridor of the old San Diego Police Headquarters located near Seaport Village.
In downtown San Diego, one can enter a highly secure jail cell, then turn around and easily walk right out! How? Simply visit the old police headquarters!
The Headquarters at Seaport is the official name of a relatively new shopping center on Harbor Drive, located right next to Seaport Village. The unique complex features several fine restaurants and specialty shops, housed in a restored building that was originally built in 1939. For almost half a century–until its closure in 1987–the fortress-like building with its large courtyard was home to San Diego’s police headquarters.
Anyone visiting The Headquarters can enjoy a free glimpse of San Diego history by checking out a modest exhibit in a corridor that leads to the old cell block and some restrooms. I took photographs during one walk that you might find interesting.
This beautifully restored building now contains shops and restaurants on San Diego’s waterfront. Built in 1939, it served for half a century as the city’s central police station.People amble past a doorway which leads into the past. A bit of San Diego history beckons the curious.Old jail cells and an interesting police department exhibit are inside!Fascinating photographs on one corridor wall show scenes from the old police headquarters.Many operations were under one roof, including administrative offices, jails, a law library, crime lab, pistol range, and even a police car maintenance facility.This photo shows officers posing in front of the iconic tower. The historic building is a mixture of architectural styles often seen in San Diego and Southern California.Display cases in this preserved hallway contain artifacts from local law enforcement decades ago.Vintage police shields and badges are among the interesting items in this museum-like display.Handcuffs, documents and law enforcement equipment educate visitors about police history in San Diego.Some patches that were worn proudly.Image shows original construction of the police headquarters in 1939.I believe someone who was arrested is being photographed. I see a clock, calendar, lights and identifying placard.The door of a holding cell in the old police headquarters corridor.Cells for prisoners and suspects were securely locked and unlocked using this mechanism.A look inside the eight cell, two level jail block. If you want to see what life was like behind bars, that last door is wide open!These jail cells are very simple and primitive. Comfort is not a priority.A few bare essentials and a pretty face.Visitors to The Headquarters old cell block look at mug shots on one wall.Prisoner Information. Personal property is surrendered, necessities are provided, hours for lights out and visitors, and two telephone calls are granted at the time of booking.Kids are photographed at the lineup wall. They look slightly suspicious!
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The Loading Dock is a large public mural painted by Linda Churchill of Muralizing. It’s located on the west side of the Ace Hardware building in Hillcrest.
Check out this public art! You can find it a few steps south of University Avenue on 10th Avenue, in Hillcrest. The large mural enlivens the Ace Hardware store building and is a cool sight for those passing by. It was painted by local artist Linda Churchill, whose work can be seen around San Diego. According to one article I found on the internet, “The Loading Dock” received an Orchid Award from the San Diego Architectural Foundation.
The Loading Dock, dedicated 1998 to the Community of Hillcrest by Joe Jeter, Bruce Reeves, Hillcrest Ace Hardware. Building our community one home at a time. Linda Churchill, muralist.The cool, nostalgic trompe l’oeil painting depicts an old-fashioned hardware store loading dock, complete with realistic Ace Stores delivery truck.This image of yesteryear appears to include some modern hardware store products, including shiny new garbage cans and a nice big barbecue grill.Two helpful Ace Hardware employees seem to have emerged from the past to welcome neighbors and shoppers who walk down the sidewalk in art-filled Hillcrest.
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Cool neon sign in shop window of Centre City Sports Collectibles.
Over time I’ve collected these photos. They’re just of colorful neon words that brighten downtown San Diego. I spot all sorts of neon signs during my walks, sometimes in daylight, sometimes at night. Glowing advertisements in windows, on building walls and marquees add life and character to the streets of any city. San Diego is no exception.
Neon words above downtown San Diego cafe door read Pastries Espresso Cappuccino.Patterned neon adds pizzazz to marquee of Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop on Fifth Avenue.Bub’s near Petco Park has its brilliant red name in this window.Neon in the distinctive Gaslamp Quarter landmark sign, which is instantly recognized by both locals and tourists.Classic neon signage is often seen in pawn shop windows.The Golden West Hotel near Horton Plaza has a flashy neon sign above its main entrance.Glowing neon Bail Bonds advertisement at this open-all-night Inmate Information Center.Off the Wall Tattoos has an “in the window” neon sign.Lots of super colorful neon at the San Diego Bike Shop on C Street.Neon words and their reflections broken up by a security grill in front of one store.Great Wall Express located on Broadway downtown has yummy Louisiana Fried Chicken, as you can see! (Admittedly, I eat too much of it.)Lucky’s Lunch Counter has a unique sign that really stands out.Crab Hut invites hungry passersby with its neon logo.Eye-catching neon sign informs everyone that pizza, chicken wings and sandwiches are on the menu.An awesome ice cream cone creatively rendered using neon. Okay, I suppose this doesn’t count as a word.These words instantly got my attention! I hope I have room after all that fried chicken!
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The elegant Jessop’s Street Clock stands like a vision from the past at the center of San Diego’s popular Horton Plaza.
San Diego’s top tourist attraction in 1907 wasn’t a zoo, a park, a popular building or location. It was an amazing clock. Word traveled far and wide about the elegant, beautiful, one-of-a-kind Jessop’s Street Clock, which debuted that year in downtown San Diego. San Diego at the time was a very small town. The large clock stood on the sidewalk in front of the J. Jessop and Sons jewelry store at 952 Fifth Avenue.
The idea for this street clock sprang from the imagination of Joseph Jessop, a jeweler who immigrated to America from England. He’d seen many beautiful public clocks in Europe. especially in Switzerland. Joseph hired mechanic Claude D. Ledger to build the complex clock, which took fifteen months of meticulous, precise work to complete. The fine clock has almost never stopped working. One memorable day the clock did mysteriously stop–the same day that Claude died.
The Jessop’s Street Clock was first displayed at the 1907 Sacramento State Fair, where it was awarded a gold medal. (The large medal of real gold was stolen, and so was the first bronze replacement!) Since then the clock has occupied several different spots in San Diego. The clock stands 22 feet tall and features 20 separate dials and 300 moving parts. It has an estimated worth of several million dollars. Much of the shining movement is gold-plated. The elegant clock contains tourmaline, agate, topaz and jade, local gems extracted from the Jessop Mine on Mount Palomar.
Today the historic clock occupies a prominent position near the center of Horton Plaza, where many shoppers breeze by with hardly a glance. I suppose very few people realize the importance of this clock, and how at one time, over a century ago, it was one of San Diego’s most well-known landmarks.
Shoppers walk past the beautiful Jessop’s Street Clock, a landmark in downtown San Diego for over a hundred years.Intricate, exquisite gold-plated movement of the historic Jessop’s Street Clock. The massive mechanism extends twelve feet down into the Horton Plaza parking garage!J. Jessop and Sons jewelers created this amazing clock, which over a century ago was San Diego’s top attraction!Thousands of hours have been spent over the decades maintaining, rehabilitating, moving and reconstructing the fine clock.The Jessops Street Clock was exhibited at the 1907 Sacramento State Fair. This is a bronze replica of the gold medal awarded to the master clock. The clock is property of the Jessop family.Base of the 1907 Jessop Clock in downtown’s Horton Plaza shopping mall. Plaque indicates Historical Landmark No. 372, The City of San Diego.Twelve dials on one face tell time in New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, St. Petersburg, Calcutta, Capetown, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Mexico City.
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Cool San Diego Sights! 