Tag: windows

Mysterious musicians painted downtown!

Is a new live music venue, nightclub or restaurant coming to 640 C Street in downtown San Diego? It sure looks that way!

In the past few days musicians have been painted on the windows of the 1928 Hamilton Fine Foods Building at the corner of Seventh Avenue and C Street. I noticed today that the stylish artwork is nearly finished. There are images of musicians that seem be be performing jazz, blues and even some country.

(All I know about the Hamilton Building is that when I first moved downtown it was the home of the San Diego Computer Museum, which displayed some of the earliest computers and had a Computer Hall of Fame. I visited that museum once and it was awesome–but that was years before I started Cool San Diego Sights. The San Diego Computer Museum closed their doors in 2006.)

These painted musicians are a mystery to me!

UPDATE!

It occurred to me after I published this blog that I didn’t take photos of the historic building, with its striking “columns” and classical friezes.

I walked by at a later time with my old camera, and got a few quick shots.

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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!

Geometric patterns in a city.

Walking through a city is like navigating through a sea of geometric patterns!

On all sides: circles, lines, triangles, squares, rectangles!

Look up, look down. See the grates, ironwork, bricks, manhole covers. See the windows and reflections. You’ll find yourself surrounded by architecture designed mathematically.

Some of the patterns are simple. Others are complex.

When you walk through a city, what shapes and patterns do you see?

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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!

Little Italy gets ready for Christmas!

Golden nutcracker stands guard at west end of Piazza della Famiglia in Little Italy one early morning in December.
Golden nutcracker stands guard at west end of Piazza della Famiglia in Little Italy.

Looks to me like Little Italy is just about ready for Christmas!

Enjoy a few photos from early this morning!

A silvery Christmas tree and white snowflakes near the piazza's many outdoor tables and chairs.
A silvery Christmas tree and white snowflakes near Piazza della Famiglia’s many outdoor tables and chairs.
Felice 2020! painted on a restaurant window.
Felice 2020! Festive words and wreaths painted on a restaurant window.
A colorful nutcracker on India Street near the Little Italy landmark sign.
A colorful nutcracker on India Street near the Little Italy landmark sign.
Green garlands and red ribbons, colors of Christmas.
Green garlands and red ribbons, colors of Christmas.
Buon Natale. Buon Capodanno.
Buon Natale. Buon Capodanno.
Santa's elves are painting a huge candy cane.
Santa’s elves are painting a huge candy cane on this window.
A shining crystalline Christmas tree at Piazza Basilone in Little Italy.
A shining crystalline Christmas tree at Piazza Basilone in Little Italy. Have I arrived at the North Pole?
It promises to be another beautiful holiday season in San Diego's Little Italy!
It promises to be another beautiful holiday season in San Diego’s Little Italy!

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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!

The holiday season is coming downtown!

Holiday season decorations now line the streets of Little Italy.
Many festive holiday season decorations now line the streets of Little Italy.

It’s the week of Thanksgiving. Winter is coming.

I enjoyed a long walk this morning, knowing that a big storm is headed our way. The next couple days will be wet!

What did I see?

Signs of the coming holiday season are popping up all around downtown San Diego!

The City Ballet will perform The Nutcracker at the Spreckels Theatre.
The City Ballet will perform The Nutcracker this year at the Spreckels Theatre.
A nutcracker guards the lobby of the Westgate Hotel.
A nutcracker guards the lobby of the Westgate Hotel.
Beautiful holiday gifts are beginning to appear in some downtown shop windows.
Beautiful holiday gifts are beginning to appear in some downtown shop windows.
One of several elegant Christmas trees in the lobby of The Sofia Hotel.
One of several elegant Christmas trees now in the lobby of The Sofia Hotel.
The Salvation Army will be serving Thanksgiving dinner to the less fortunate again at Golden Hall.
The Salvation Army will be serving Thanksgiving dinner to the less fortunate again at Golden Hall.
Buon Natale!
Buon Natale!

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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!

Bad food, consequences, and the Hotel Chill.

There's a great sale on expired (antiqued) sardine cans.
There’s a great sale on expired (antiqued) sardine cans.

For your enjoyment and edification, I now present some photographic humor…

No more Mister Rice guy.
No more Mister Rice guy.
Beer Bank.
Time to make a withdrawal at the Beer Bank.
This candy cane must be left over from last Christmas.
This candy cane must be left over from last Christmas.
Ugh.
What happens when you eat all that bad food.
A call goes out. Good thing they have two fire engines.
A distress call goes out. Good thing they have two fire engines.
I think I'll lie down. Welcome to the Hotel Chill.
I really need to lie down. Welcome to the Hotel Chill.

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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!

Creepy creatures appear downtown!

Securely shutter your windows and lock every door! Creepy creatures have materialized throughout downtown San Diego!

As I walked about this morning, I suddenly realized that I was hopelessly surrounded. Closing in around me were witches, spiders, ghosts and an army of skeletons! Not to mention a few terrifying clowns!

The dark forces of Halloween were unstoppable! They had even caused the mighty Zoltar to retreat!

There was no escape from the madness!

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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!

An early morning walk in late October.

It’s now late October. We’re experiencing Santa Ana winds in Southern California, so downtown San Diego in the morning was clear, dry, and promised to warm up quickly.

I took a long random walk to enjoy the early sunlight. I started from the top of Cortez Hill and meandered through East Village and the Gaslamp Quarter.

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are fast approaching, and I noticed signs of the coming festivities.

Not all of these photos are pleasant. They represent a few of the many things that I saw.

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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 colorful walk through nerdy, artsy Leucadia.

Keep Leucadia Nerdy.
Keep Leucadia Nerdy.

Last weekend I walked up Coast Highway 101 through a good slice of Leucadia. The following photos are of various cool sights I spotted. I saw lots of great murals, too, but those I’ll feature in an upcoming blog post.

Come along and join me on a very misty, occasionally drizzly morning! We start a bit south of Marcheta Street in Encinitas and work our way north up the west sidewalk of Coast Highway 101 to a place around Avocado Street.

A cool old door.
A cool old door.
A giant yeti holds some Mobil oil.
A giant yeti holds some Mobil oil.
Stickers at Juanitas Taco Shop.
Stickers at Juanitas Taco Shop.
A smile in a doorway!
A smile in a doorway!
A cool design stamped in the sidewalk. Leucadia established 1875.
A cool design stamped in the sidewalk. Leucadia established 1875.
Butterflies on a blue fence.
Butterflies on a blue fence.
Lou's Records. New releases every Friday.
Lou’s Records. New releases every Friday.
A fish in a hammock stretched between metal trees by a parking lot.
A fish in a hammock stretched between metal trees by a parking lot.
Eating breakfast on a misty morning at Pannikin Coffee and Tea.
Eating breakfast on a misty morning at Pannikin Coffee and Tea.
Pannikin is located in an historic 1888 Santa Fe Railroad Station, which was moved to this site on Coast Highway 101 west of the train tracks.
Pannikin is located in an historic 1888 Santa Fe Railroad Station, which was moved to this site on Coast Highway 101 west of the train tracks.
An El Camino Real bell above the sidewalk along Coast Highway 101 in Leucadia.
An El Camino Real bell above the sidewalk along Coast Highway 101 in Leucadia.
Rotary International plaque near the base of the El Camino Real bell.
Rotary International plaque near the base of the El Camino Real bell.
Joggers heading down the damp sidewalk near some art on electrical boxes.
Joggers heading down the damp sidewalk near some art on electrical boxes.
A cool little mural with a tropical ocean scene.
A cool little mural with a tropical ocean scene.
An anticuados smile on a fence.
An anticuados smile on a fence.
Some outdoor decor at a Mexican restaurant.
Some outdoor decor at a Mexican restaurant.
A large flower on The Cali Life Gallery.
A large flower on The Cali Life Gallery.
Another cool mural above a window with a colorful beach scene.
Another cool mural above a window with a colorful beach scene.
A surfboard in front of Progression Surf.
A surfboard in front of Progression Surf.
Cool art at a small shopping center on Coast Highway 101.
Cool art at a small shopping center on Coast Highway 101.
The small, green Leucadia Roadside Park.
The small, green Leucadia Roadside Park.
A trashcan in the park features fun tile art.
A trashcan in the park features fun tile art.
Colorful sailboats by an outdoor table.
Colorful sailboats by an outdoor table.
Getting ready for another day at Solterra Winery and Kitchen.
Getting ready for another day at Solterra Winery and Kitchen.
Walking along.
Walking along.
Live. Love.
Live. Love.
Fanciful design on a wall.
Fanciful design on a wall.
Bicyclists head south on old Coast Highway 101.
Bicyclists head south on old Coast Highway 101.
Leucadia Coast Hwy 101. The art and soul of Encinitas.
Leucadia Coast Hwy 101. The art and soul of Encinitas.
Signs point to distant cities and to Seaweed and Gravel.
Signs point to distant cities and to Seaweed and Gravel.
A happy mailman by a bike rack at the Leucadia post office.
A happy mailman by a bike rack at the Leucadia post office.
More cool Leucadia street art on an electrical box.
More cool Leucadia street art on an electrical box.
A Kiss for You.
A Kiss for You.
Welcome to Leucadia in a window.
Welcome to Leucadia in a window.
A very tall carved mermaid by the sidewalk.
A very tall carved mermaid by the sidewalk.
This fierce tiki likes to gnaw on rope, it seems.
This fierce tiki likes to gnaw on rope, it seems.
Two dolphins leap by the sidewalk.
Two dolphins leap by the sidewalk.
The beach must be up these stairs at Bamboo 2 U and Beach House Too.
The beach must be up these stairs at Bamboo 2 U and Beach House Too.
There's a huge seahorse just outside that Beach House.
There’s a huge seahorse just outside that Beach House.
Organic tacos and a whale sighting.
Organic tacos and a whale sighting.
Furniture and Curiosities.
Furniture and Curiosities.
An elaborate design on an electrical box by the sidewalk.
An elaborate design on an electrical box by the sidewalk.
There are so many stickers on the Leucadia Donut Shoppe windows, I won't be tempted by what can't be seen inside.
There are so many stickers on the Leucadia Donut Shoppe windows, I won’t be tempted by what can’t be seen inside.

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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!

Art inside the Balboa Park Activity Center.

The Balboa Park Activity Center is a popular destination for San Diego residents who enjoy indoor sports. During a walk last weekend I poked my nose inside to see if anything interesting was going on. What I discovered was a whole lot of art!

A variety of beautiful artwork can be observed both inside and outside the Activity Center. Four years ago I posted photographs of the outdoor installation titled The Circle and the Self: A Picture Story, which is located in the south plaza. To see those photos, click here.

The photos I’m posting today are of the artwork inside the building.

Detailed information from the artist is displayed near the Activity Center’s front door:

Joyce Cutler-Shaw

In 1996, I was invited to be part of the design team for the Balboa Park Activity Center with architects Rob Wellington Quigley, Richard Blackman, landscape architect Martin Poirier and artist Raul Guerrero. It was a most rewarding collaboration. In April 1999, I completed five installations of my work, which are integral to the building. There are twenty-five drawings in terrazzo squares (@ 16″ x 16″), titled The Circle and the Self: A Picture Story in the south plaza (1); leaf “paintings” with shadows etched into the double glass panes of the sliding front doors (2); two terrazzo floor “paintings” in the entrance lobby at the reception desk and window wall (3′ x 20′ and 5′ x 11′) of, respectively, 26 colors and 68 color/chip combinations (3); and seventy-two metal plates at the corner connections of the gymnasium – these are another translation, by flame-cut drawing in steel, of The Circle and the Self: A Picture Story (4).

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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!

A warm tribute to Stan Lee at Comic-Con.

As I walked around the San Diego Convention Center late this morning, I came upon an artist painting the windows of the Sweet Things Frozen Yogurt shop in preparation for Comic-Con, which is now only four days away.

The smiling artist had painted a warm tribute to Stan Lee on one window, plus some popular Marvel characters who appeared in Avengers: Endgame.

The artist’s name is Shirish Villasenor. Her Instagram page is @arteatolondrada.

I have loads of 2019 Comic-Con photos coming up!

Stay tuned!

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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!