Battling for stickball’s The Jillie in San Diego!

A little San Diego drizzle on an early September morning couldn’t stop 16 stickball teams from battling for The Jillie Championship Trophy!

Three days of competition during Labor Day weekend, on three asphalt “fields” in Little Italy, will determine the ultimate champion. Teams have traveled to San Diego from New York, Florida and Puerto Rico to have their name engraved as winners on The Jillie!

I walked down to Little Italy this morning to view several hard-fought games. Batters were concentrating, smashing the ball, sprinting, or sadly fouling or striking out. Fielders were making great catches and throws, occasionally flubbing or misfiring. Taunts and encouragement filled the air as a brotherhood of stickball players shook hands, win or lose.

Head down to Little Italy in downtown San Diego all this Labor Day weekend to watch the action for yourself! You’ll find the main field of battle in front of the San Diego Firehouse Museum at the intersection of Columbia Street and Cedar Street.

Enjoy these photographs…

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A mysterious little garden in Grantville!

A mysterious little garden can be found on the south side of San Diego’s Grantville neighborhood. It occupies a sliver of land at the corner of Fairmount Avenue and Alvarado Canyon Road–between a chain link fence and the channel that contains Alvarado Creek. Some homeless people appear to live nearby.

When was this small garden created? By whom? Why?

It appears this unusual garden, containing many cheerful flowers and plants, and a saintly statue, and a happy scarecrow, might memorialize a loved one.

Here are some photos that I took late yesterday as I walked down the sidewalk…

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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Labor Day stickball returns to Little Italy!

Young player on the Sidewalk Slammers team takes a swing during the early innings of a fungo-style stickball game.

Big news! After several years’ absence, the big Labor Day weekend stickball tournament is returning to the streets of Little Italy!

This will be the 25th Annual Labor Day Stickball Tournament, and will run all this long weekend, September 2 – 4. It appears there will be 17 or 18 teams competing, according to the San Diego Stickball Facebook page.

Come on down to Little Italy and look for the action! These tournaments are very entertaining to watch! And the players mean business!

The event has a fundraiser here to pay for the necessary permits, and to help a special family. This year’s theme is called “Fallen Heroes Stickball Tournament.” A few family members of a hero lost in battle will Honor him by participating in this year’s event.

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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!

Historic Route US 101 signs for South Bay!

Jack Gechter stands next to Historic Route California US 101 sign at South Bay Historical Society booth during Chula Vista Lemon Festival.

A very cool project is now being undertaken by the South Bay Historical Society. I learned about it last Saturday as I explored the Lemon Festival in Chula Vista.

A number of Historic Route California US 101 signs (like the one you see above) have been created, to be installed in National City, Chula Vista and San Ysidro along those streets where the legendary highway used to run.

Old timers might recall how US 101 ran north from near the US/Mexico Border in San Ysidro, along Beyer Blvd toward Chula Vista, along National Avenue (now Broadway in Chula Vista and National City Blvd in National City) to 8th Street, then along 8th Street west to Harbor Drive, before heading up through downtown San Diego and eventually into North County. Old U.S. Route 101 during its history saw various realignments, before being entirely replaced south of Los Angeles by Interstate 5 in 1964.

Here’s a great article detailing where the historic highway ran through San Diego and the South Bay cities. You’ll see current photographs of those places where it ran. Here’s another article with a map depicting an earlier US 101 Route, running up today’s National City Blvd to Main Street.

Many similar Historic Route US 101 signs have already been installed in San Diego County, particularly through the coastal cities of North County.

Once these new signs are installed, they will add a fine, nostalgic touch to those South Bay communities that the old highway once connected to the rest of California. And they will resurrect many fond memories.

Historic 101 Route Sign in San Ysidro, California. Image courtesy Jack Gechter.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Banners celebrate Wave players in World Cup!

Banners have appeared in downtown San Diego that celebrate the five San Diego Wave FC soccer players who are participating in this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup!

Street lamp banners have been hung for Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma playing for the United States; Kailen Sheridan for Canada; Sofia Jakobsson for Sweden; and Emily Van Egmond for Australia! One banner shows all five soccer stars together.

This evening I happened to spy these banners on B Street.

Congrats to the San Diego Wave FC for their incredible popularity, and the inspiration they provide for thousands of young people!

Yes, I need to watch a game at Snapdragon Stadium one day…

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!

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The rise of RaDD on San Diego’s waterfront.

The five buildings of RaDD (Research And Development District) have risen on San Diego’s waterfront. I walked along the Embarcadero yesterday and could now visualize how our city’s skyline will appear once these buildings are completed.

I photographed this project of IQHQ about a year ago when the construction was in a much earlier stage. See those photos here.

RaDD will include retail and office space, dining, green space, destination event space, public art, and, most importantly, research facilities that focus on biotech and life sciences.

I see new walkways are being created so that pedestrians may safely cross Harbor Drive. Crosswalks will connect the 10 acre development to the Embarcadero’s bayside boardwalk.

During my walk I also noted that Manchester Financial Group’s One Broadway Hotel and Plaza project, which will occupy property between RaDD and Broadway, is now in the early stages of construction. You can get a glimpse of that in my final photograph.

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!

Greetings From Escondido postcard mural!

Greetings From Escondido, The Beautiful Hidden Valley. This cool postcard-like mural was painted a number of years ago, but I photographed it for the first time during my most recent Escondido walk.

The artist is Zane Kingcade. He has painted a number of colorful murals around Escondido.

The “Postcard From Escondido” mural contains images that represent this city in sunny North County. There are oranges, avocados and grapes. There’s the dome of Escondido’s distinctive Civic Center, and a rhinoceros at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. There’s Dixon Lake, a popular fishing spot.

The Spanish word escondido means hidden. Keep your eyes peeled! If you drive west down Valley Parkway, you might spy this easily missed mural on the side of King’s Pawn.

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!

The gas lamps of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

Have you noticed those four working gas lamps in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter? The ones that help light the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Market Street?

Walk beneath the lamps and you might notice bronze plaques embedded in the sidewalk. They indicate these working gas lamps were installed in 2002. You’ll also learn the idea to have real gas lamps in the Gaslamp Quarter was originated by the Coss family.

The Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego got its name because once upon a time, back when today’s downtown was called New Town, there were fifty gas lamps lighting the young city. Fifth Avenue was one of the principal streets, leading south to a wharf in San Diego Bay.

The dancing flames of today’s four active gas lamps are like spirits from the past. They add atmosphere to a historic district that features many old Victorian buildings, particularly at night.

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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!

Beautiful mosaics of Encinitas Up Close: north side.

A week ago, I posted photographs of 27 very beautiful mosaic panels in Encinitas. Those were only half of Encinitas Up Close, a permanent public art installation that can be enjoyed under Interstate 5 at Santa Fe Drive.

The 3′ by 5′ panels that I already shared are on the south side of the Santa Fe Drive. There are 26 more mosaics on the north side! These were also created by local students and artists. I’ll share them right now.

Enjoy!

Pacific Flyway, by Jennifer Hewitson.

3 Birds of Paradise, by Kathryn Weiss.

Hands and Acorns, by Isla Rindt.

Egret in Flight, by Sholeh Ashtiani.

Fish Under the Sea, by Micah and Crystal Sandoval.

Yellow Orchid, by Gary Timinsky, Debe Hersey.

Halibut Catch, by Luke Sansone.

Beach-Goers, by Mauricio Domingues, Ruby Geisler.

Carpool, by Jerm, Pollyanna, Henry Soda Pop, Leucadia Jane and Olive Grace Wright.

Del Sol, by Tatum Jamison Bless, NCL Del Sol Class of 2020.

The Path to Our Future, by Marina Alberti, Kiki Driver, Sofia Sanchez, Sathu Jois, Ryan Adams, Eric Salvador, Alee Saneff, Catherine, Oliver and Ava Blakespear.

Owl, Moon, Sun, by David Ulm.

Swami Garibaldi, by Carol Wolf.

Beach Bus, by Sydney Evans.

Red Tail Hawk, by Timothy J Lueker.

Pumpkins at Temple, by Al and Debbie Finocchio.

7 Day Weekend 2, by Tyler Adams Hawkins.

Nai’a, by Cheryl Tall, Elizabeth Joy Mueller, Anila Saier, Mary F McCarthy.

Moonlight Boat Home, by Kendall Landwehr.

Sea Goddess, by Anna Luna Engel, Tony Kranz, Kiki Driver, Sofia Sanchez, Sathu Jois, Ryan Adams, Eric Salvador, Alee Saneff, Jake Griffin.

Littlest Locals, by Haley, Patty and Alec MacKenzie.

Folklorico Dancer, by Naimeh Woodward, Suzie Sherwin.

Sinya, by Laurie Switzer.

Poinsettias, by Julie Hampton.

Girls Who Kick-Flip, by Lynn Adams.

Wise Tilted Tikis, by Fred, Yvette and Marty Hamud.

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!

The iconic Gaslamp Quarter Archway refurbished!

When many think of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, the iconic Gaslamp Quarter Archway at the south end of Fifth Avenue comes to mind. The landmark sign welcomes one and all to downtown’s popular historic district.

This morning I noticed the old archway is being refurbished! Workers on two cherry pickers had finished painting the structure and were beginning to apply new graphics.

According to this web page, the last time the Gaslamp Quarter Archway was refurbished was 2012. The arch was originally installed back in 1990.

Here’s a pic I took a few years ago…

And here’s what I saw this morning…

I’ll head back to the Gaslamp this afternoon and see what progress has been made. I’ll post an update with more photos!

UPDATE!

This is what I saw mid-afternoon…

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!