People walk and jog along San Diego’s Embarcadero near Tuna Harbor.
I did a lot of walking last Saturday! Downtown, Barrio Logan, San Ysidro… If I’m a little less active this weekend, it’s because my poor old legs are still sore!
Please enjoy some photos I took Saturday morning as I headed from Tuna Harbor on San Diego’s Embarcadero to 13th Street in East Village. I passed through Ruocco Park, walked a short stretch down Harbor Drive past Kansas City Barbeque, then turned east on Market Street.
Many of these sights you might have seen in the past on my blog. I did photograph a few new things, however, including the whale street art by Nicholas Danger, some Gaslamp Quarter historical artwork, and a very colorful mural by Pandr Design Co. Read the captions!
The photos you will see are the last I’ve taken with the old Canon Powershot that launched Cool San Diego Sights. Over the course of seven years my trusty friend must have recorded hundreds of thousands of images. But alas, its shutter began to stick and there have been other problems (which you might have already noticed), so I finally bought a shiny, much newer version Powershot, which I already love!
I hope my new camera successfully documents many more walks!
A couple hangs out by the Fish Tree, by artists Zbigniew Pingot and Toby Flores.A vendor on the boardwalk was selling lots of colorfully decorated Día de los Muertos skulls.Whenever I hear this friendly street musician playing beautiful music, I rest for a bit on a nearby bench to listen.Ruocco Park on a late summer’s day is very green and inviting.I’m about to walk through some unique public art titled The Riparium, by artist Roman de Salvo.Historical marker indicates the location of the San Diego Barracks from 1850 to 1921.Kansas City Barbeque is where a couple of great scenes from Top Gun were filmed.Street art by Mindful Murals, cool people I once met. I saw how they painted positive messages on handball backboards at Edison Elementary School’s playground.Looks like these sunlit leaves along Market Street are turning, anticipating autumn.Geometric street art near scooters parked in a straight line.Someone walks past this fun street art by Nicholas Danger, another cool local artist!Plaque in the sidewalk on Market Street recalls major renovations that were made in the once-seedy Gaslamp Quarter in 1981.A mixture of Gaslamp history and present day entertainment in one photo.As I passed Fifth Avenue, the hub of San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, I turned my old camera south to take a picture.The I.O.O.F. Building was built by the Masonic and Odd Fellows Lodges in 1882. Its cornerstone contains a stone recovered from Solomon’s Temple!Eating on the street during the coronavirus pandemic.Artwork on a Gaslamp Quarter utility box shows historical photo of the San Diego Mercantile Co.Here’s a relatively new mural on Market Street that I noticed before but failed to photograph.This colorful WOW mural is by the artists of Pandr Design Co., who’ve done work all over San Diego. Their artwork can also be found at various Major League Baseball stadiums!Sculpted dog holds open a shop door.There’s some construction along Market Street as I approach 13th Street.I’m greeted by this face on the construction site fence!
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
Some surprising and truly fantastic art can be observed on two adjacent street corners in Barrio Logan. I spotted these during a recent walk through the neighborhood.
I was looking up at some banners hung from a street lamp at Main Street and Beardsley Street when I suddenly noticed some incredible wire art suspended nearby! I have no idea who created this unique sculptural artwork! I think the creature grasping a bug has been up there for a while, because it’s visible on Google’s street view.
Fantastic wire art hung from a street lamp at Main Street and Beardsley Street in Barrio Logan!
The two square mosaic panels at Newton Avenue and Beardsley Street decorate a building of Perkins Elementary School. Colorful ceramic fish swim through water-blue tiles! I don’t know who made this artwork, either. Students perhaps?
If you know anything, leave a comment!
Two mosaics depicting colorful fish, located outside Perkins Elementary School at Newton Avenue and Beardsley Street in Barrio Logan.
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
Cool face of an East Village mural by Carly Ealey and Christopher Konecki.
I spotted a very cool face during my walk through East Village last weekend! It was spray painted in a nook that might be easy to miss.
The mural was created in 2019 by Carly Ealey and Christopher Konecki of Cohort Collective. If those names seem familiar, their fantastic art can be enjoyed all over the city. (They have another mural with a similar vibe and palette of colors on nearby Park Boulevard. See photos of that one here.)
You can find this cool face near the corner of 15th Street and K Street, not far from the entrance to the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
Colorful art painted high on a building on Chula Vista’s Third Avenue.
Two years ago I walked along Third Avenue in downtown Chula Vista during the annual Lemon Festival. At the time I took a few photos of murals and public art that I happened to notice. To see those photographs, click here.
Last weekend I walked along Third Avenue again and discovered all sorts of cool sights that are either new or that I hadn’t seen previously. (Or, in the case of the street clock and big landmark sign, that I hadn’t thought to photograph.)
As you can see, downtown Chula Vista has a very friendly vibe. And the village appears to be getting even more inviting. I noticed that improvements along Third Avenue’s median are underway.
Forgive me if I don’t know who created much of the artwork. All of it is very cool, however!
Inspiring mural painted by Jorge Mendoza in Chula Vista. This is a message of strength and love.Cool sculpture that I spotted in front of an office occupied by attorneys.Chula Vista mural on Davidson Street with the names of local businesses and residents. I believe this was also created by Jorge Mendoza.This tasteful little mural is at the entrance to Groundswell Brewing Co.Abstract paintings by Rich Walker in the window of Art on Third.Beneath a window at Art on Third. I see a red door and I want to paint it black.A large colorful mural at the Third and F office and retail complex.A street clock near the intersection of Third Avenue and F Street in Chula Vista.The street clock was dedicated on April 28, 1984.The arching Third Avenue landmark sign welcomes visitors to Chula Vista’s historic downtown.According to a plaque on its base, downtown Chula Vista’s Third Avenue landmark sign debuted on September 5, 2003.Fun graphic in the window of Teriyaki Grill.Check out the unique, attractive architecture of the El Primero Boutique Hotel!Old photo on AT&T building shows a scene from Chula Vista’s early history.I spotted this graffiti wall a block east of Third Avenue at Alvarado Street.Cool sculpture near intersection of Third Avenue and H Street in Chula Vista.
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
Today I went for a walk through Chula Vista. My camera really started clicking on E Street outside the Chula Vista Yoga Center.
If you recognize the distinctive style of this very colorful, abstract mural, that’s because it’s by local artist Maxx Moses, and you’ve seen other examples of his work on my blog. His artwork, which seems a fusion of familiar forms and strange, layered dreams, produces a feeling that is both cosmic and spiritual. Definitely fitting for a yoga studio!
Very cool!
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
I wandered about Ocean Beach this weekend. I walked down an alley that runs parallel to Newport Avenue–on its north side–from Cable Street to the beach.
Lots of cool artwork can be found all up and down this alley! You might notice many of the murals appear like mosaics–those are community murals from past years. They’re painted by anybody and everybody who can use a brush during the annual Ocean Beach Street Fair And Chili Cook-offs.
I noticed the final mural with the painted SEASPELL and amazing turtle was created by local artists Christopher Konecki and Carly Ealey in 2019.
In the past I’ve photographed two other works of art in this alley. A mermaid holding a shell full of ocean gifts can be seen here. A very cool mural featuring Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash can be seen here.
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
This afternoon I headed to PB to check out a very cool mural at Pacific Beach Elementary School. (I’ll blog about that shortly!)
After having a good look at the mural, I kept my camera out for what might be considered a slightly weird walk. I headed west toward the Pacific Ocean and eventually found myself approaching the grassy park overlooking Law Street Beach. I then turned south and followed the oceanfront boardwalk down to Crystal Pier.
Exactly how weird was this walk?
A friendly guy with the welding company that owns this cool truck talked to me near a steel sculpture of a bison. It was in a work lot by the sidewalk. I forgot to snap a photo of the sculpture. Bummer.Who wants to take surf lessons? Make this the best summer ever!As I neared the Pacific Ocean, I found this peeling street art that seems to portray Neptune on a seahorse.Looking north toward the ocean off La Jolla from the grassy park at Law Street.After I took this photo, I rested on this bench for a little bit.In honor of our parents Bill and Jean Manion. Thanks for the sunsets and the dawns.Look at all the beach goers! I see Crystal Pier in the distance.Tons of surfing action and swimmers today at Pacific Beach.As I began south, I found another perfect bench overlooking the beach. A gull must think this guy has some food.The Pacific Beach boardwalk is part of the California Coastal Trail.Lots of bicyclists out on a warm summer Friday afternoon.I passed on a Chips Galore! ice cream sandwich this time.Wooden stairs down to the beach.Sign explains how marine protected areas stretching north from here–directly off La Jolla–safeguard our ocean’s beauty. (Click this photo and it will enlarge for easier reading.)I was very tempted to descend.Here come some inline skaters.A cool mural at Kono’s Coffee by @HannasMurals.La Playa Nudista? Never heard of it. Where’s that?Gone surfing.Stay weird.
Well, honestly, this particular walk didn’t seem that weird to me. But if sunshine, a beach full of sunbathers, distant surf, passing bicyclists, skaters and walkers, and an ice cream vendor with a tinkling bell on his cart are considered weird, I’ll take it!
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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!
Face painted on temporary outdoor seating at Pokez Restaurant.
I went on a random zigzagging walk through East Village late this afternoon and found some artwork that I don’t believe I’ve already shared, even though some of the street art is obviously years old and faded.
I walked south from Broadway down Tenth Avenue, east on F Street, and south again along Park Boulevard to Market Street, where the last photo was taken. And there’s a good reason to be excited by that last photo!
I then proceeded to the Quartyard, where I photographed a bunch of cool new murals, but those will be in the next blog post!
Colorful parrot in window of Seven Seas Tattoo.East Village painted on a sidewalk electrical box.Cool street art face on F Street in San Diego’s East Village neighborhood.Your Fate is in Your Hands. Palmistry is illustrated at East Village Psychic Healing Center.This street art is really old and faded, so I increased the photo’s contrast.This mural is amazing but a couple of years old, by Gloria Muriel and Dave Persue. For some reason I’ve never taken a photo until today.
Another very cool (and colorful) mural by the same two artists was on the above wall years ago. See it here!
I only got a glimpse of the above mural, because a construction fence won’t let the public into a courtyard area between the big, soon-to-open downtown UC San Diego Extension building and its adjacent residential tower.
Does this mural’s style look familiar? It’s by world-renowned illustrator and muralist Rafael López! His studio is just down the street!
Once the public gets access, I’ll try to get good photos. Plus there appear to be other murals in that courtyard!
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
Today I enjoyed a couple of fun walks in San Diego’s North County. After photographing a bunch of cool sights in downtown Vista, I found myself at the Oceanside Transit Center waiting for a train back home with about an hour to spare. So I walked around, of course!
The first photo was taken as I was walking from the Oceanside Transit Center south along Tremont Street. At Wisconsin Avenue I turned west and continued past the “ballerinas among sharks” mural and over the adjacent railroad tracks.
I continued all the way to a lifeguard station overlooking rocks soaked by a wildly splashing high tide. Then I turned back east.
Just before reaching the railroad tracks, I turned north along a virtually deserted bike path which followed a couple of empty paid parking lots. Even though my camera was in hand and ready, I really didn’t see anything noteworthy as I made my way back to the transit center. So my photos end near the beach!
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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!
Can your spirits be lifted by an old faded mural in a city alley?
Of course!
I spied a smiling sun and moon near the intersection of University Avenue and 46th Street in City Heights. The enduring message: WE RISE BY LIFTIN.
And I smiled, too!
UPDATE!
I received a comment by Amber M Jahn that provides information concerning this great mural:
You forgot the beauty painted on the alley side of building at 47th and University. The entire wall was first painted by Amber Jahn in about 2017 in which she writes the message “We Rise by Lifting Others” then 2 years ago half the wall was covered, erasing the word Others, and adding a noon to the existing sun…so now it says “we rise by Lifting”….I’d love to see a community day of free hot dogs and get a few local bands to play while the mural is updated, refurbishing the sunshine and adding the word Others to complete the project right. I personally funded the first mural, it would be cool if a lift could be procured for the tallest areas of the building since my 12 ft scaffold only reached 17 feet of the 21ft wall and has been left unfinished as a result. (I’m only 5’2” and did all the work alone one summer while living in a minivan on University Ave. It was a good way to keep my mind distracted from the crisis I was currently enduring. I like that I’ve received messages from local parents thanking me for giving their children something positive to look at on their way to and from school everyday. My pleasure!!
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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!
Cool San Diego Sights! 