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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Two weeks to go until 2015 San Diego Comic-Con! Signs and omens of the super popular event’s coming are popping up around downtown, especially in the Gaslamp Quarter. Here’s what I spotted in the past couple days…
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If you live in San Diego, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Alamo Flags. The cheerful specialty shop near the center of Seaport Village has been known to give away large, beautiful American flags on the Fourth of July.
To express his gratitude for his country, the owner, Mike Ismail, has created a tradition of presenting Old Glory to lucky shoppers on Independence Day.
Recently, he was recognized for this patriotic tradition by local San Diego Chapter 472 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Should you visit his colorful store, you’ll definitely see plenty of red, white and blue!
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Two weeks to go until this year’s San Diego Comic-Con! During my walk downtown today I saw that a few shops, bars and restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter have begun to get ready. A couple signs are up and a few windows are painted. Horton Plaza shops have many wares ready to sell. I suspect in the coming week, major preparations will seriously get underway. I’m looking forward to see what surprises pop up!
I altered the above photo a bit to make the superheroes really jump out!
UPDATE!
Here come more pics taken in the days leading up to Comic-Con! You’ll notice the Chuck Jones Gallery finally got a funny sign up!
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Several weeks ago a cool new small shopping center opened up adjacent to Seaport Village on downtown San Diego’s waterfront. It’s called The Headquarters at Seaport District, and it’s located in the old police headquarters.
I remember visiting the San Diego Police headquarters here back in the early eighties, before it moved.  For a couple decades these historic and beautiful buildings sat empty and unused. I’m glad that they’ve finally been restored!
Across Harbor Drive to the north you can find an interesting historical marker. First established as an Army supply depot, this was the location of the San Diego Barracks from 1850 to 1921.
I took the above photo on a sunny Sunday afternoon!
Little shops selling all sorts of colorful souvenirs, curios and crafts can be found everywhere in Old Town, both in the State Park and in the touristy area just to the south. Many of the items for sale are Mexican in origin or style. You can find pottery, painted tiles, jewelry, maracas, pinatas, lucha libre masks, and all sorts of unique leather and wood-carved crafts. A few stores have a Western theme and sell cowboy hats, boots, Native American art and other stuff related to the American frontier experience. It’s fun just to browse and soak it all in!
