Much in San Diego will shut down starting tomorrow. I’ll still be working, but many San Diegans will not.
Schools throughout the city and county will be closed temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic. So too will popular attractions, including the Maritime Museum of San Diego and the USS Midway Museum.
I walked along downtown’s waterfront today, wondering what I might see. A cruise ship was docked at the Broadway Pier, but I saw no passengers. I noticed that the Portside Pier construction is well along. It’s Sunday, so lots of volunteers were busy at the Maritime Museum, but I was one of very few visitors. The usual lines at the USS Midway ticket booth were practically nonexistent.
A few tourists were enjoying a day on the Embarcadero, snapping selfies, but I saw no parked tour buses.
Several people were fishing.
I’m afraid I couldn’t resist buying an ice cream.
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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!
The photographs in my previous blog post show how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting life in San Diego. But they do not reflect all that I saw during my walk today.
I also saw beauty, optimism, creativity, hope.
Even in times that are dark, light persists.
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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!
A downtown fast food restaurant has changed its practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today is the first Saturday of the announced COVID-19 pandemic.
I thought I’d take a midday walk in San Diego, to see what I might see.
I headed from Cortez Hill up Sixth Avenue on the west side of Balboa Park, turned east on University Avenue in Hillcrest, then headed south down Park Boulevard. I meandered a little through Balboa Park, before returning to downtown San Diego.
I saw less traffic than usual. Fewer people were about. I suppose many are hunkered down, to avoid possible exposure to the coronavirus. I only saw a handful of older people, which is a good thing. They need to be particularly careful.
Balboa Park was much less crowded than usual.
As you can see in some of the upcoming photographs, various parts of the park have temporarily closed for public safety.
Balboa Park’s West Mesa was much less active than usual for a Saturday around noontime.The Little Italy Farmer’s Market has been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and these vendors had moved to a secluded spot on the grass near Sixth Avenue, hoping for some business.An older gentleman waits for a bus on University Avenue in Hillcrest.As I walked over Highway 163, I saw some traffic, but it appeared less than usual for a Saturday.Some folks were out and about in Hillcrest, walking down the sidewalk or dining outdoors.This old Before I Die interactive chalk board might have taken on a little more meaning during the current dangerous coronavirus pandemic.Human thought and endeavor endure in a bookstore window.On a door: Good to meet you. Come in.A lone jogger heads south down quiet Park Boulevard.A mysterious shoe. A moment in somebody’s life.The parking lot at the San Diego Zoo is much emptier than usual. Many are avoiding public places where there are crowds.The Balboa Park Carousel is shuttered on a Saturday afternoon.Closed until the end of March as a proactive safety measure.Many artist studios in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village were closed. This guy told me it’s a good time to do a little maintenance!Sign promoting shows in front of the Casa del Prado Theater is empty.A street performer and his dog on Balboa Park’s normally busy El Prado.Balboa Park was much quieter than usual for a Saturday, but some folks were still out and about enjoying the day.Hand sanitizing stations have popped up around Balboa Park.The House of Scotland at the International Cottages has cancelled its upcoming Tartan Day event.The parking lot in Balboa Park’s Palisades area is almost empty.So is this parking lot on President’s Way. Ordinarily it would be almost full on an early Saturday afternoon.Almost no traffic on Park Boulevard. Very unusual.The hours of this downtown coffee shop have been changed due to the current situation.Almost no traffic downtown on A Street.
Everyone, take care!
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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!
One of many great works of art a group learns about during a guided mural walk in Pacific Beach.
Today I was lucky to go on a really cool guided mural walk in Pacific Beach! The tour was led by Leslie Dufour of beautifulPB, which is a volunteer organization formed by PB residents and businesses who are working to create a sustainably beautiful Pacific Beach. You can learn more about beautifulPB by visiting their website here.
During the walk, I learned that the folks of beautifulPB have a PB Murals program, and they’re looking to add even more public art to their already colorful community.
The murals we saw today were all fantastic, and there were many that I hadn’t seen during my various Pacific Beach walks over the years. We even got to meet one the artists, Kathleen King. She painted an iconic PB mural that you will see in my upcoming photographs, plus the landmark America’s Finest City mural in downtown San Diego!
Today’s amazing tour began in a small courtyard area behind Randall’s Sandals on Garnet Avenue, where we learned from Leslie Dufour about the history of murals, particularly their early 20th century renaissance in Mexico led by artists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. That movement continues to influence muralists today.
After the fascinating presentation our group embarked on a looping walk of perhaps a mile or less. Future walks featuring additional murals are planned!
Thank you to Yerba Mate Bar & Empanadas, where we paused to enjoy some vegan treats that were really delicious! They intend to turn their outdoor courtyard space into a Pacific Beach arts center. Very cool!
Okay, let’s see some photos! Read the captions!
Our group heads through the beautifully painted walkway of Randall’s Sandals, where the long mural opens up for all to see.We learn about the history of murals beside the work of muralist Jared Blake Lazar.Mural by @MatthewMillington depicts a very colorful Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent diety of ancient Mesoamerican people.A mermaid mural by @LovePaperPaint (Katie Gaines) is inspired by the traditional La Sirena image in Mexican Lotería.This female superhero mural was painted by artist MDMN (John Moody) during a past San Diego Comic-Con.Our group meets prolific artist Kathleen King, whose 1988 mural was painted from a 1943 photo of Garnet Avenue, looking west toward Crystal Pier.Nearby plaque explains this mural depicts the corner of Cass Street and Garnet Avenue as it was in 1943.The historic brick building in this iconic PB mural still stands on the street corner.And here is that building!John Lennon with a daisy in his eye. A cool mural on the side of Five Guys that was painted in 2006 by Steve Gorrow, Creative Director of Insight Clothing.Left side of fantastic shark mural at Even Keel Tattoo, by artists Nate Banuelos and Kyle Walker.Right side of the same mural, which contains romantic, sea-themed elements.Learning about one of Pacific Beach’s many beautiful, creative murals during a guided walk!
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Today I enjoyed a very cool guided mural walk in Pacific Beach. I arrived early, however, so I walked along the beach just before a heavy wave of rain arrived.
As I approached Crystal Pier, the remaining sunlight on the breaking surf and the pier’s rows of white cottages contrasted very strongly with the black storm clouds. The photos I captured, just moments before a heavy rain, are visually interesting.
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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!
After taking an amazing sunset photo from the top floor of the Manchester Grand Hyatt (see previous post), I headed down the elevator and walked up the Embarcadero.
The sunset across San Diego Bay became even more dramatic as I passed Tuna Harbor, Ruocco Park and the USS Midway. I took one last photograph when I finally arrived at Broadway Pier.
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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!
One of my walks today was an easy loop through National City, which included a stretch of the Mile of Cars.
I ventured up National City Boulevard, north of Mile of Cars Way, wondering what I might discover. I knew I’d pass many car dealerships and parking lots filled with thousands of vehicles. But would I see any street art?
The few examples of art that I found were colorful and 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!
The Rolling Stones are returning to San Diego this year!
Monster Jam is coming to Petco Park next weekend!
The Shell, the San Diego Symphony’s new performance stage at Embarcadero Marina Park South, will be completed in time for this year’s Bayside Summer Nights!
I saw evidence of all this during my morning walk near Petco Park and behind the San Diego Convention Center…
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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!
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