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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The Rolling Stones are ready to begin their highly-anticipated new Zip Code tour. And it kicks off this weekend right here in San Diego!
Walking about downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter this morning, I saw that Rolling Stones banners have been hung on many street lamps. Very cool! The classic rock band’s new tour will take them to a handful of select cities in North America, and possibly South America.
The last huge concert to fill Petco Park was Sir Paul McCartney on tour last September.
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Yesterday morning I walked south on Seventh Avenue through a thin slice of downtown San Diego. I began at the tippy top of Cortez Hill and ended near Petco Park. Looking about for random cool sights, just swinging my camera right or left, I took a few pics…
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Have you visited Balboa Park? Perhaps you’ve seen an incredibly enormous tree standing between the San Diego Natural History Museum and Spanish Village. It’s impossible to miss! That’s the over 100 year old Moreton Bay Fig!
Ficus macrophylla
“Moreton Bay Fig”
Native to East Australia
This tree was planted prior to the 1915 Panama-California International Exposition and was the focus of a Formal Garden located at this site. Because of its large size, it is listed as a co-champion with the Santa Barbara Fig in the California Dept. of Forestry Registry of Big Trees.
Age: over 100 years (now)
Height: 80 feet
Trunk Girth: 42 feet
Canopy width: 145 feet
The Value of a Big Tree
Trees contribute to our environment by producing oxygen; reducing temperature, carbon-dioxide and stormwater runoff; improving property value and providing wildlife habitat.
Scientists have developed a value formula to determine the cost benefit of trees. The Center for Urban Forest Research states that trees over 50 feet tall contribute about $65.00/year back to the environment. Smaller trees contribute $18-36.00/year. There are about 20,000 trees in Balboa Park which contribute a value of one million dollars per year back to our environment.
Beyond dollars, Big Trees like the Moreton Bay Fig enhance the park, provide a sense of history to our community and a legacy for our children.
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Chefs have taken to the streets of downtown San Diego! They can be seen almost everywhere! Cooks on every corner–but where’s my breakfast?
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Many San Diegans are passionate about their Chargers. The very real possibility that the much-loved NFL team might leave our city has energized the loyal fan base.
This evening a big rally and special public hearing concerning the possible construction of a new stadium in San Diego took place at venerable but decaying (almost half a century old) Qualcomm Stadium.
I work in Mission Valley very close to The Q, so after I clocked out I headed over to check out what was going on in the parking lot. Loads of fans turned out–thousands! Some arrived early and tailgated as if it were a Sunday football game.
Here are some colorful pics before it got dark outside!
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The other morning I took a stroll down Ninth Avenue in downtown San Diego, from the top of Cortez Hill south to hip East Village. My camera was out and ready. Here are a few fun photos that I took as I sauntered through East Village!
The Hiatt House, located in East Village near Petco Park, used to contain a cool little eatery named Café Noir. That was a few years ago. According to an article I read, during the first part of the 20th century it was home to several generations of a Japanese-American family. The grounds have also been the site of horse stables and a blacksmith’s shop, and the Latonia Hotel, a modest room-and-board for colored people back in the days of racial segregation. Today the Hiatt House serves as a psychiatrist’s office.
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I won’t be going to Mardi Gras in downtown San Diego this evening. I suppose I’m a boring old party pooper. But I did walk through the Gaslamp Quarter this morning while preparations were underway. Check out a few photos!
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A dozen very unusual, artistic street signs line Park Boulevard in the vicinity of Balboa Park. Drive north and you’ll see them standing at intervals, all the way from Presidents Way up to Upas Street. For many years I’ve noted them.
I’m not sure how passing drivers respond to all the crazy artwork. I’m pretty sure these unique signs aren’t included in the Department of Motor Vehicles driving test! I hope not!
UPDATE!
I’ve learned this installation of art is titled Night Visions, by artist Roberto Salas. They first appeared in 1988, a year our city hosted the Super Bowl. According to what I read, in 1989 Night Visions was the very first acquisition of public art by the City of San Diego.
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A little over a week ago, the new Barrio Logan gateway sign had a dedication ceremony. The welcoming sign, arching over Cesar Chavez Parkway between Harbor Drive and Interstate 5, is similar to others that can be spotted in various communities around San Diego. Its design, however, is notably different. The cornice contains a variety of symbolic elements inspired by this neighborhood’s complex history.
Small displays near the base of each column can be read from either sidewalk. They explain the significance of the cornice design:
“This Barrio Logan sign was created with input from the local community. Their ideas resulted in this unique and relevant design, representative of one of San Diego’s oldest and most culturally rich urban neighborhoods.
The design pays homage to Kumeyaay, Aztec, Mayan and all other cultures, representing many concepts including creation, the cycle of life, and evolution into the modern world. The pyramids symbolize cultures coming together as one society. The fish and corn symbols refer to the reliance on the sea as a food source, and fertility of the lands.
The designs on the columns honor the kiosk in Chicano Park. The columns are also adorned with the Conch, Sky and Earth symbols, which were inspired by indigenous cultures.”
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