Several days until Christmas, and the holiday spirit is on full display in Coronado!
Yesterday I took the ferry from downtown San Diego to the Coronado Ferry Landing. I walked down Coronado’s central Orange Avenue, circled the world-famous Hotel del Coronado, then turned back east along the opposite sidewalk.
Look at all the festive holiday sights!
The Coronado Ferry Landing is decorated for the holidays in 2024.Tall nutcrackers on either side of the front door of Cocina 35.Santa Claus stands beside a Christmas tree at the Coronado Ferry Landing.A fun holiday display in a front yard on Orange Avenue.A beautiful Christmas tree inside the Coronado Public Library.The classic movie Christmas Vacation playing at Coronado’s historic Village Theatre.Beautiful Christmas theme plates in a shop window.A festive wreath in a shop door.Poinsettias surround the Coronado Rotary Club Christmas Tree.The enormous Coronado Rotary Club Christmas Tree rises beside Orange Avenue.A small Christmas tree and decorations inside the Coronado Historical Association museum.Historical museum display includes this Merry Christmas menu from the Hotel del Coronado in 1974.Hotel del Coronado Holidays book displayed at the Coronado Historical Association museum.Back out on the sidewalk, I meet a giant blue M&M candy in a Santa hat!Lamb’s Players Theatre is now showing Respectfully Christmas, A Musical Celebration.Frosty the Snowman and friend inside a shop window.The big red poinsettia Christmas tree outside the Hotel del Coronado.Beachside Igloos at the Hotel del Coronado.A Christmas tree at the Hotel del Coronado’s outdoor ice rink.Skating By The Sea at the Hotel del Coronado.A wreath on the historic Power Plant door at the Hotel del Coronado.Holiday lights and sights greet those arriving at the Hotel del Coronado.Fun wreath contains sea shells and a bit of Hollywood. Some Like It Hot was filmed at the Hotel del Coronado.a Christmas tree outside the hotel’s lobby entrance.The gorgeous Christmas tree in the lobby of the historic Hotel del Coronado.Back out on the Orange Avenue sidewalk, now starting back toward the ferry landing, I encounter a smiling Old Town Trolley Tours guide!Elvis in front of MooTime Creamery is sporting a Santa hat, too!Can Santa sit on this Christmas cow?No, I see Santa Claus has already found a nice seat in front of Wag’n Tails!
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The installation of San Diego’s newest neighborhood gateway sign was completed today. It welcomes visitors to Old Town San Diego!
Both sides of this new gateway arch (which straddles San Diego Avenue at Twiggs Street) contain the words: The Birthplace of California – Historic Old Town San Diego. The arch stands at the edge of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and in front of the historic Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
Images incorporated in this new landmark arch, as I understand it, represent three different stages of San Diego history. Hawks represent the Native American Kumeyaay and the wild, unspoiled land they inhabited. Mission bells represent the Spanish and Mexican, or Californio, period. Wagon wheels represent the early American period.
Several days ago I noted how the two columns that support the sign had been erected. That blog post can be found here. Yes, the beautiful sign itself was installed quickly!
I’ve learned the arching gateway sign was designed by Robert Barros who works with the Old Town San Diego Chamber of Commerce. He is publisher of Old Town San Diego Guide and owner of Visual Media Group.
Check it out! A little more history has been made!
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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.
San Diego’s first Smart City touchscreen kiosk was installed last month in downtown, on the corner of Fourth Avenue and B Street. I encountered it for the first time several days ago during a walk!
The big, bright, digital touchscreen kiosk provides information in a way that might remind you of your smartphone. All sorts of great up-to-date information is available for tourists, residents, those who work or play downtown, and even those who are homeless.
The kiosk I observed is the first of 50 that are planned for downtown San Diego! The project is made possible by a partnership between the City of San Diego, IKE Smart City, and the Downtown San Diego Partnership.
Not only do these high-tech kiosks provide passersby with transit updates, event information, city attractions, maps, services and more, they provide free Wi-Fi!
I spent a few minutes goofing around with this first downtown kiosk and was really impressed! It’s a brilliant resource that anyone can freely and easily use!
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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.
Old Town San Diego will soon have its own landmark gateway sign! Two high columns that will support the sign were recently erected, and, according to a shopkeeper I spoke to today, the sign itself will be soon installed–he said next week!
Those who drive through different parts of San Diego know many neighborhoods have their own distinctive gateway sign. Soon Old Town will join them!
This new landmark archway will be located over San Diego Avenue at Twiggs Street, at the southeast end of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, next to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
An article from earlier this year explains the project. It states: The sign’s design will reflect the unique architectural and cultural heritage of Old Town San Diego, incorporating elements that pay homage to its Kumeyaay, Mexican, and early American roots…
Very exciting! I’ll post an update when I finally photograph the new sign!
UPDATE!
The sign’s installation was completed four days later. I took photos. See them by clicking here!
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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.
Those walking through or waiting for a bus at the Boulevard Transit Plaza in City Heights might feel inclined to pause for a moment. This landmark bus station on El Cajon Boulevard over Interstate 15 features colorful public art and a collection of historical photographs.
The large transit plaza is split in two, divided by El Cajon Boulevard. Opposite sides serve east and west bound buses. Stairs and elevators also descend to Interstate 15 below where passengers can catch Route 235 rapid buses.
Public art and photographs are found on both sides of the split plaza. On either end of each platform, a post is decorated with colorful mosaics and dedicated to an adjacent community. The four communities served by the Boulevard Transit Center are Normal Heights, Kensington, Corridor and Teralta West.
I recently got off a Route 215 rapid bus at this stop to walk around the plaza. The artwork I’ve photographed here was installed in the past year or two–if you know more about the project, please leave a comment!
(There’s additional public art on the freeway level platforms–both here and at the nearby City Heights Transit Center–that I’ll document at some future time.)
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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.
This morning, during a downtown San Diego walk, I spotted two huge new murals! They’re on the north side of the 800 Broadway high-rise, which has been under construction for some time. The tall building, when completed, will offer apartments with great city views.
People strolling down the sidewalk will have great views, too–of these big, super colorful murals!
I presently know nothing about the artwork. Should I find out more, I’ll provide an update. If you know something, feel free to leave a comment below!
On the Eighth Avenue side:
And on the Ninth Avenue side:
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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 X.
Many electrical boxes in Hillcrest are being painted this summer with beautiful new street art. I happened upon three artists today working on a box on University Avenue!
I’ve learned this latest explosion of Hillcrest street art is another project of the Hillcrest Business Association. Volunteer artists are adding more life and color to this already dynamic San Diego community!
Upon speaking to the three artists, I learned they’ll be covering this entire box with their beautiful work. And I learned they are helping to restore historic murals in Chicano Park!
Awesome!
Ni La Muerte Nos Separa. Not even death separates us.A beautiful sun and moon rise together on the side of an electrical box in Hillcrest!
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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 X.
Bus stop shelters around the city now feature art created by students from throughout the San Diego Unified School District. I’ve noticed a few of these displays in the past couple weeks, and I discovered another fun example today at the SDSU Transit Center.
The digital doodles in these photographs were created by students from Encanto Elementary and Hardy Elementary. The kids were given two themes: What makes San Diego your home? and How do you connect with San Diego?
According to the shelter poster, over 12 schools and hundreds of students participated in the “I am San Diego” project. The project was launched by Far South Border North, a City of San Diego-led regional collaborative that supports artists and cultural practitioners working in service of the health and well-being of communities in San Diego and Imperial counties.
Next time you find yourself walking down the sidewalk near an MTS public bus shelter, take a closer look!
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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 X.
Check out three colorful murals that I discovered last weekend during a walk down Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. All three were painted in the past year or so.
The bird mural at Pacific Beach Tattoo, above, is titled The California Least Tern Mural. It was created by artist Todd Murphy. According to a tiny sign that I spied while preparing these photographs, the beautiful mural is dedicated to the community of Pacific Beach on August 12, 2023 with the purpose of promoting conservation and awareness of this local endangered species.
The next photograph shows the latest Guru Tattoo mural. It’s by Bowen Bramwell (@illustrationbybo). Other spray painted Guru Tattoo murals have decorated this same wall in the past. You can see two of them (and other examples of street art in PB) here and here.
Finally, check out this beach scene mural beside the Broken Yolk parking lot. (Is that sandy Coronado Beach with the Old Point Loma Lighthouse in the distance?)
The mural was created by artist Emily Fallon in 2024, in collaboration with San Diego Paint and Stain.
If you’d like to see even more cool street art in Pacific Beach, I’ve photographed a lot of it over the years. Additional examples can be found here and here and here!
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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 X.
During my walk in San Ysidro last weekend, I discovered two relatively new murals painted in the Cultural Corridor. It had been a little over a year since I walked this way.
The San Ysidro Cultural Corridor extends north along Cypress Drive from San Ysidro Boulevard to the trolley tracks near the Beyer Avenue station. The alley-like corridor contains many colorful murals that change from time to time. Community development organization Casa Familiar is the driving engine behind this ongoing project.
Past blog posts that include photographs of additional murals in the Cultural Corridor can be found here and here and here and here.
My first images today show a happy mural on a wooden fence at the north end of the corridor. It was painted in 2023. The artist is Ivan Arevalo.
The second mural celebrates San Ysidro. It was painted by Ground Floor Murals. Sadly, you can see how the image of a proud bird of prey has been defaced by a tagger.
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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 X.
Cool San Diego Sights! 