Do
all beginnings have endings?
It all began on G Street between India and Columbia
with San Diego’s oldest park. This is a perfect
beginning for our walk, as the revitalization of Downtown
began in this neighborhood surrounding the park.
A statue of Benito Juarez standing proudly at the
entrance appears austere, yet determined and graceful.
His stern countenance watches over the carefree neighborhood
activities.
Don’t miss the surprising trashcan in the park’s
southeast corner, attractively decorated with tiles
of children’s artwork to create a mosaic of
young ideals and impressions.
We’ll walk under a canopy of trees so lush we
don’t sense the buildings around; breathe deeply,
smelling the soft jasmine fragrance.
Leaving the canopy we venture toward the two-story
red brick building with green and white awnings. The
late 1920’s Royster Building gives the corner
a sense of days past.
Continuing up G Street we marvel at the urban gardens
created by our new City Walk neighbors; imaging sipping
espresso at dawn.
Enjoy the contrasting indigo and pale orange hues
that turn darker and richer in the shade; feel drawn
to the intriguing private entrances, wondering what’s
behind the mirrored windows.
A few blocks away, a tower with pink and aqua façades
are tiered like a wedding cake, topped by a Byzantine
tiled dome.
As we reach that intersection, we notice the shift
below us as red brick pavers give way to giant ebony
and ivory piano keys. This urban chic building with
whimsical snake-like columns creates an artistic effect.
The garden trellis marching up the stairs compels
us to explore and discover the Renaissance’s
beautiful patio.
We follow the contrasting sidewalk between trees and
cascading vines, passing three marble water ponds
with water falling through slots to the ground.
When reaching Market, take time to really see the
surrounding buildings’ colors, textures, heights
and shapes.
Our eyes are drawn to the buildings resembling a Picasso
face and the curving fault line running between them
creating an urban canyon.
Traveling southward, the piano keys lead us through
liquid ambers to tailored columns of cypress trees.
Our senses are awakened as we view grassy knolls,
smell the cool air flavored with a hint of pine, feel
the bamboo stalks’ fresh spray, hear the light
sounds of a misty rain.
Turn towards the sculpture “Breaking the Chains.”
The metallic chain creeping up one side ends in an
open link, symbolizing a termination of the brutal
shackles of hatred.
After viewing the artwork, turn onto a pathway of
gray brick pavers with intersecting linear hedges
and fine gravel pathways. This area feels like arms
stretching out bringing the sights within our reach.
The J Street Inn’s animated corner entry beckons
us to cross the street.
We know we’ve arrived at a unique sector of
Downtown when we first glimpse a hidden tranquil garden
in the Chinese Museum.
As we turn the corner and walk through the Asian Thematic
District we’re taken back in time to buildings
used for opium dens, produce stores, and gathering
places.
On the edge of the district we’ll pass the combined
Brooklyn Hotel and her splendid Victorian attachment,
The Horton Grand Hotel.
Wandering on we behold a vibrant mural of a fluid,
breathing dragon, the Chinese symbol of good fortune.
Following the indigo accented urban fence, we see
stoops with planters adding dimension and greenery
to the path.
The façade of beautiful chocolate and cream
building awaken our taste buds for sweets.
On the corner of 2nd and Market, don’t miss
the commemorative plaque in front of the lavender
skeleton tower. Built in 1924, the Douglas Hotel was
dubbed “Harlem of the West” for its Creole
palace nightclub and stage where black stars performed.
Sit for a moment and look at the Renaissance towers
from a different perspective; glass perched precariously
at the edge of the world.
Walking past the vivid pastel colors of purple, pink,
and green contrasting with the dark foliage creates
a happy feeling reminiscent of Easter egg hunts.
Downtown’s only supermarket has colorful plants
along the outside seating area, perfect for morning
coffee or a great deli snack.
Walking past the wedding cake tower we come upon a
unique piece of art capturing what the keel of a magical
boat suspended in animation might look like.
Upon reaching the next intersection, we are fascinated
with the beautiful designs and crown molding on the
colorful 1913 Panama/Senators Building.
We continue westward on F Street to The Jacob Weinberger
Courthouse. This architectural jewel, also built in
1913, was home to the U.S. Post Office and District
Court & Customs.
F Street dead-ends into a contemplative fountain.
Close your eyes, image you’re walking past a
river stream, hear the gurgling of water rushing over
the rocks.
Take the path created by the vacated E Street. You
can’t help feeling delighted by the jigsaw puzzle
path, lush terraced foliage, and the sounds of children
playing.
Continue following the puzzle path as it curves to
the left, reaching a quiet place with hummingbirds
and fragrant flowers.
The sky also brings many treasures; look up into the
tops of the tall palms to see herons nesting on top.
We find a park bench under the enormous Moreton Bay
Ficus planted so many years ago, and contemplate coming
back to where it all began. |
Expanded
description on the Points of Interest:
It began in 1850 with San Diego’s oldest park.
Pantoja Park honors Don Juan Pantoja y Arriaga,
first pilot on the 1782 charting of San Diego Bay.
Pioneer women strove to keep the park’s young
trees alive by carrying buckets of water; now, the
Morton Bay Ficus trees and Natal Plum bushes are
over 150 years old. Pantoja Park makes a serene
retreat, nestled below the famous San Diego skyline,
surrounded by chirping birds and wonderful trees.
A stern, yet determined statue of Benito Juarez
stands proudly at the park’s entrance. Mexico’s
first President of native descent, Juarez endeavored
to make Mexico a Constitutional Democracy. Presented
from Mexico in 1981, the statue remains a symbol
of brotherhood. Don’t miss the surprising
trashcan in the park’s corner, creatively
decorated with tiles of children’s artwork.
Each square is painted with different colors and
textures, creating a quilt of youngsters’
impressions and values.
Park Row, the park’s western anchor, was the
first residential building Downtown. Built in 1983,
Park Row houses 224 Spanish tiled condos.
Marina Park, built in 1984, has 224 condos with
tones of tan and brown stucco and brick.
Directly across the street from Pantoja Park is
Watermark, 96 condos with an interesting H shaped
footprint. To the west (left) of Watermark is The
Brickyard, the only known owner-designed, custom-built
condominium project. The 18 latte colored units
with floor-to-ceiling windows were completed in
February 1996. Columbia Place, to the east of Watermark,
was completed in January 1989 with 103 condos. These
houses together completed the first neighborhood
in Downtown.
Renowned architect Rob Quigley’s 600 Front
St Apartments were designed with four façades
and corners responding specifically to the nature
of their respective orientations, rather than an
overpowering “single block identity.”
The recessed arcade reinforces the pedestrian nature
of G Street in a manner appropriate to the Mediterranean
climate. The four façades form edges that
hold the street, and the corners are celebrated
as special invitations. In San Diego’s unique
small block cityscape, it is the corners that are
most visible and offer special opportunities. The
corner entrances, as well as the small courts on
Front Street, disguise the reality of this security-oriented
development and give tenants “possession”
of the street. The northern corners contain public
rotundas. The cylindrical rotunda steps up to a
private garden court containing a 75’ tall
observation tower for the apartment residents. The
northern rotundas were intended to be retail. The
project was originally designed as a fortress to
be opened up when Downtown became safer.
The designers incorporated their vision of “a
garden in the city” when they built the Renaissance.
A garden topiary catches the eye as it climbs up
and over the site connecting the building to the
streets below. In between the building is rough
and wild, eroding away from the strong city walls.
The whimsical columns were originally designed to
mimic cypress columns, but instead turned into an
artwork of iridescent snakes. The tower on the north
side of the city incorporates the more sturdy, corporate
structures; in contrast, the glassy side to the
south plays off the modern glass structures along
our waterfront.
The 101 Market apartment complex is unique for being
built along one of California’s many fault
lines. This particular mini fault starts of Market
and ends on Island visibly running through the garden
and dividing the complex into two sectors. Abundant
windows, lofts, balconies and beautiful milk and
chocolate paint make this “faulty” building
special in many ways. Architect Rob Quigley feels
the building has three distinct personalities, ranging
from lofts and restaurants with a new age feel,
to a big bone feel for the larger scale boulevard,
and finally a homely feel for the walk-up townhouses.
Quigley designed the laundry room in the center
of the communal spaces to be a celebratory hangout
place, fostering a community feel created around
a simple gathering space.
The Children’s Park is both a civic space
and rolling green park, perfect for enjoying a picnic
and letting kids burn off steam rolling down the
shady, grassy knolls. Mexican fan palms encircle
a 200-foot wide, bright blue pond. In the pool’s
center, a grid of tall bamboo stalks topped with
sprinklers squirt a refreshing breeze. A gift from
the City to all children of San Diego, Children’s
Park transforms the traditional aspects of a park,
its flowers, shade, benches and water, into whimsical
abstractions.
“ Breaking the Chains,” created by Melvin
Edwards in 1993, was directly inspired by Martin
Luther King, Jr.’s provocative quote, “Along
the way of life, someone must have the sense enough
and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate.
This can only be done by projecting the ethic of
love to the center of our lives.” Edwards
hopes his memorial will “remind viewers of
the great human struggle and creative accomplishments
of which we are all part.” Shiny stainless
steel shapes lean against each other for support
while a metallic chain creeps up one side of the
artwork. The chain is broken open at the top, symbolizing
a termination of the brutal shackles of hatred.
Strokes on the metallic circle next to the broken
chain convey the idea of fireworks, erupting in
patterns over the circle’s face.
J Street Inn was treated as a site-specific sculpture
due to the density requirements of the project.
A grove of fast-growing bamboo and a waterfall adorn
an inner garden. A public deck on each floor permits
secure but visible activity. Since the Inn's opening,
the upper deck has been used almost constantly.
To further enliven the street, all common rooms
are located along Second Avenue. Look closely for
the library/garden room. The tile column is not
only beautiful but a vertical reinforced component.
The Chinese Historical Museum, built in 1927, was
originally a Mission dedicated to providing Religious
and English instruction for immigrants in addition
to being the community’s social center. The
diamond of the Asian Pacific Historic Thematic District,
the Museum houses a wealth of fascinating knowledge
about daily lives of immigrants employed as fishers,
miners, constructors, manufacturers and farmers
in historical San Diego. The helpful, friendly and
knowledgeable staff is eager to introduce you to
this fascinating world forever memorialized in their
collection. Don’t miss the exquisite Chinese
warlord’s bed and the tranquil garden with
a traditional Chinese gate, koi pond, footbridge,
stone pathway and statues.
The Asian Pacific Historic Thematic District is
a unique sector of Downtown, preserving and promoting
cultural and architectural history of the Asian
presence in San Diego. Composed of 20 historic structures
dating from 1883-1930, this district contains hotels,
cafes, laundries, markets, houses of prominent Asian
residents, and a Chinese Mission. Meandering through
the streets of the Asian district you might learn
what animal of the Chinese zodiac you fall under,
or discover an exciting cuisine, all the while soaking
up the continual preservation efforts of San Diego’s
Asian heritage.
The Quong Building is named after Mow Yuen Quong,
the businessman listed as operating this structure
from 1889-1928. This historical structure has quite
a shady past, at various times functioning as an
opium den, bordello, restaurant, and merchandising
store.
The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
is housed in a 1911 building originally used by
the Gee Goon Tong, an organization famous for its
help in plotting the revolution that made China
a republic in 1911. The CCBA was founded as an outgrowth
of the Tong, aiming to protect the interests of
the local Chinese community.
The home of Tom Ah Quin, patriarch of early Chinese
immigrants, dates back to 1888. He later leased
this property for the family produce business, whose
descendants still maintain the building today. Entrepreneur,
labor broker for California Southern Railroad, and
unofficial mayor of the Asian District, Quin also
fathered 12 children. Quin was instrumental in shaping
the smooth, gradual assimilation of the Chinese
into San Diego’s larger melting pot.
The Horton Grand Hotel is an amazing restoration
of two separate hotels built at different locations
in 1886. The Grand Horton was an elegant, ornate
hotel while the Brooklyn Hotel toted a more cowboy
flavor. The Brooklyn Hotel was later affectionately
dubbed the Kahle Saddlery after the ground-floor
saddle and harness shop. In the 1970’s, the
two hotels were dismantled brick by brick, cataloged
and stored until they were reopened as one hotel
in 1986, exactly 100 years after their original
construction. The Hotel even boasts a few friendly,
playful ghosts. Free historical tours are offered
Wednesdays at 3pm.
The building now home to the Ying-On Merchants &
Labor Benevolent Association was constructed in
1925. This structure has been used by various different
Chinese Benevolent Associations and also provides
residence for a limited number of Chinese. The Ying-On
Benevolent Association bought the property in 1959.
An outgrowth of one of the three existing fraternal
organizations in San Diego’s Chinatown, the
Ying-On is still active today in the Chinese community
as both a business and social gathering place.
Encapsulated in smooth vibrant paint is a fluid,
breathing dragon, the Chinese symbol of good fortune.
A fiery mane of sunrays surrounds the dragon’s
face; its legs and tail emit blazing tendrils. Indigo
scales cover the slithering body. Flanking the dragon
on either side are guardian men, for it is considered
auspicious to have figures like these at doorways.
Their luscious, plentiful robes are finely detailed.
Clearly, artist Mirto Galindo paid exquisite attention
to detail, for even the borders and background of
this mural are ever vibrant.
The Douglas Hotel and its glittering nightclub,
the Creole Palace, hosted leading jazz performers
in the 1920’s. If you had been around back
then, you might have seen Joe Louis around the neighborhood.
The Douglas Hotel and Creole Palace was the site
of a vibrant black culture known as “Harlem
of the West.”
Downtown’s only supermarket is composed of
a medley of terra cotta, burgundy, and earthy-brown
colored bricks. Earthenware stones and a diamond-shaped
mosaic design liven up the entire building atmosphere.
A little outside seating area with bright and colorful
plants is perfect for morning coffee or a great
deli snack.
Two sculpted Greek women in flowing robes beautify
the entryway of American Specialty Health. Their
graceful links of flowers and laurel wreaths are
reminiscent of Boticelli’s famous painting
“La Primavera.”
Nestled in the western entrance to Downtown’s
shopping center, this unique piece of art captures
what the keel of a magical boat suspended in animation
might look like. Cords of aircraft cable tied to
two stainless steel poles of unequal height create
an intricate web. This sculpture is part of artist
Loren Madsen’s long examination of philosophical
and artistic questions of balance, weight and support.
The beams are designed to change color as they weather
with time (like decks of a ship), for Madsen wanted
his piece of be part of the human environment in
an open-air plaza.
The Panama/Senator Hotel, originally Hotel Panama,
was built in 1913 with 57 rooms. The room cost per
night, between 75 cents and under $1, including
free telephone service. The hotel cost $40,000 to
build, and boasted ground floor retail, a restaurant
and a saloon. The architecture exhibits progressive
trends of early 20th Century architecture, Renaissance
Revival and some Sullivanesque design. Recessed
panels set in mid-section piers are bordered with
fretwork, countered by raised panels and narrow
moldings echoing the delicate linear pattern in
the piers. The building almost has looks like a
castle, with cross motifs and a parapet resembling
a battlement crowning the cornice. Many buildings
and happenings were completed during this year:
opening of Panama Canal, Santa Fe Railway Depot,
Speckles Theatre, the U.S. Post Office, District
Court and Customs.
Now named the Jacob Weinberger Courthouse after
the prominent Federal District Judge, this historic
building opened its doors one April morning in 1913;
a strong wind knocked the postmistress off her feet
as she first hoisted the Stars and Stripes. Specifically
designed to accommodate the U.S. Post Office, District
Court and Customs, this architectural jewel now
houses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Take a look inside
at the archival libraries, beautiful wood-paneled
courtrooms, and grand marble floors. If you’re
bold enough, try to guess which elevator is the
original from 1913 and which is a perfect look alike!
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