The Spreckels Theater Building was built in 1912. It was constructed to commemorate the opening of the Panama Canal. The number of seats was chosen to correspond with the Panama-California Exposition year, 1915. John D. Spreckels was a philanthropist and sugar heir.The stage was one of the largest stages ever constructed. Originally, it was only going to host live theater performances, but in 1931 it was converted to allow motion pictures. (from reading wiki)Old City Hall, built in 1874. Located at 5th and G Street. “This Florentine Italianate building features ornate 16-foot ceilings, 12- foot windows framed with brick arches, antique columns, and a wrought-iron cage elevator. Two floors were added in 1887 to accomodate the San Diego Public Library. In 1900, the entire city government moved in, with the Police Department on the first floor and the Council Chambers on the fourth. In 1955 stucco was applied to “modernize’ the exterior.” – https://gaslampfoundation.org/virtual-tour/old-city-hall-1874/1891 702 Fifth Avenue Architect: John Stannard Architectural Style: Mixed The site of the current Cole Building, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and “G” Street, is one of the earliest developed properties in the area. Albert A. Cole, an early San Diego capitalist, purchased the property from Alonzo Horton in December of 1868 for $900 in gold coin. The current occupant on the street level of the property is a popular sports bar, restaurant and nightclub named Whiskey Girl. According to the manager, Jerry Lopez, this lively and popular venue also appears to be haunted, as several very unusual occurrences have happened in his office late at night after closing. Additionally, before Whiskey Girl took over the venue, a manager of the previous business, La Strada, quit her job after claiming to have seen a fully manifested apparition. –https://gaslampfoundation.org/cole-block-building/The Golden West Hotel ~ This 1913 building is also known as the “Workingman’s Hotel.” It was built by John C. Spreckels to house work crews for the Southern Pacific Railroad, while rail lines were being laid to connect Arizona with Southern California. The Golden West Hotel’s designer was John Lloyd Wright, son of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. At this time, it serves low-income patrons. – https://sandiegodowntownnews.com/the-golden-west-hotel/“Trees indeed have hearts.” ― Henry David ThoreauRalphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 by George Albert Ralphs and Walter Benjamin Ralphs. The original store was located at Sixth and Spring Streets in Los Angeles, California. They’re popular here in San Diego.
The classic “Don’t Believe the Hype!” mural by Os Gemeos is STILL GOING STRONG after all of these years! Located on G street heading towards 1st.
This is a theatre with history in the heart of the Gaslight district. Built 1887.
The USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the 20th century. Named after the climatic Battle of Midway of June 1942, Midway was built in only 17 months, but missed World War II by one week when commissioned on September 10, 1945. Midway was the first in a three-ship class of large carriers that featured an armored flight deck and a powerful air group of 120 planes. -midway.org
“Orange Tree”
National Register #80000845 McClintock Storage Warehouse 1202 Kettner Boulevard San Diego Built 1925 The McClintock Storage Warehouse is one of the few remaining examples of a large commercial warehouse from an era which saw a tremendous growth of commerce in San Diego. It was designed by architect Herbert Palmer in the same period and same Mission Revival style as the adjacent Santa Fe Depot. The structure was built of reinforced concrete for strength, permanence and fire resistance. The builder, William Ernest Kier, was a giant in the construction industry, who built such structures as the Grand Coulee and Coolidge Dams. When the building opened in 1925, it was the site of the Greater San Diego Exposition, an exhibition of local merchants, manufacturers and automobile dealers. – noehill.comSpace Invader 👾 up high on Kettner Blvd.
“Breaking the Chains ⛓ “ by Mel Edwards, in tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Little Italy
In the vicinity of West Ivy Street in San Diego’s Little Italy district often comment on a mural painted on the brick wall visible from India Street (and the Ballast Point tasting room). The mural depicts a can of Ben-Hur drip coffee (best for all methods, vacuum packed to protect freshness), complete with its logo of a chariot and four charging horses. The mural seems to be old – the Ben-Hur brand of coffee and spices originated as a tie-in to the popular 1925 silent movie and disappeared in the 1950s – but it actually dates from 1982. However, it does mark the building where the popular coffee was once produced and which was home to what is considered to be the first coffee company in San Diego. Built 1913. -thewebsters.usWashington Elementary School’s STEAM students dreamed up a Mona Lisa mural — modeled after the very popular children’s video game, Minecraft, a game where you can build virtually anything with bricks. The mural was named “Mine-A-Lisa” and was constructed out of 1,600 painted squares to emulate the bricks in Minecraft that come together to create a 20-by-20-foot masterpiece.
Iconic HILLCREST sign: First erected in 1940 as a gift to the community from a group neighborhood female shopkeepers.
Gay Pride 🏳️🌈 HillcrestArtist Fizix
Artist Fizix
Long standing dive bar in Hillcrest
Gaslamp Quarter. 1888.
This downtown San Diego Hotel was constructed in 1890 as a tribute to the late George J. Keating. Originally from Kansas, George J. Keating moved to San Diego in 1886 with his wife, Fannie, during the westward expansion of their farming company, Smith and Keating.
Gaslamp Quarter. Built 1920.National Salute to Bob Hope and the military: Outdoor bronze statues depicting armed forces personnel listening to comedian Bob Hope.
“Embracing Peace” About the Sailor and Nurse: Interestingly, the woman depicted in the statue (and the famous photo) died in September 2016 at the age of 92. Mischa Elliot Friedman had previously told reporters that she didn’t know the sailor and didn’t see him coming before he grabbed her and planted the famous kiss all those years ago. The sailor, George Mendonsa, parted ways with Friedman immediately after the kiss. But that fleeting moment has now become such a famous landmark in San Diego and other places around America. The photo itself was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt and appeared on the cover of Life magazine, helping to cement its status as a lasting cultural moment. In interviews later in life, Mendonsa said that he grabbed the nurse on a whim after having a few too many drinks. After the kiss, they went their separate ways and did not stay in touch. In fact, Mendonsa did this in front of his girlfriend, whom he would later marry. Aftermath and Controversy of Unconditional Surrender Image: As you might expect, the statue and the story behind have become moderately controversial in recent years. World War II was a very different time than the 2020s, after all. Some folks are now uncomfortable due to the fact that the nurse was grabbed without her consent. Some wonder whether we should be glamorizing such a moment now that we’re living in a more enlightened era. -quirkytravelguy
The San Diego County Administration Center is a historic Beaux-Arts/Spanish Revival-style building. Completed in 1938. Nickname: Jewel on the BayOnce the tallest building in the Downtown area, the Centre City Building was designed by award winning architect, Frank W. Stevenson. Built in 1927.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is an Episcopal church located in the Bankers Hill district of the city of San Diego, California. It is the formal seat of the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. It traces its origins to the first Protestant church in San Diego, founded in Old Town in 1853, although the building itself was only completed in 1951. -wiki
Known as the Daniel O. Cook residence. Built 1898.
12nov16. Ocean Beach. San Diego, CA.
12nov16. Ocean Beach. San Diego, CA.