Driving southbound on the I-5 and exiting Coronado Avenue heading west all the way down towards the…read morePacific Ocean, you will run out of road and hit straight into this beautiful red 3 poles together making John Banks' masterpiece overlooking Imperial Beach. Coronado Avenue turns into Imperial Beach Boulevard at 14th Street. If you turn right onto Seacoast Drive and glance toward the structures, the red poles will display the letter "A" "R" "T" and if you look at the collection from different areas, the 3 red poles will look like extended banners fluttering in the wind. It's a very interesting landmark gracing Imperial Beach. There are two benches on either side of the sculpture where you are welcome to sit and gaze out into the oceans to watch the waves roll in and tides dance about along the beach. I love this artistic landscape beautifying the entrance onto the beach from Imperial Beach Boulevard which literally punctuates this place as exactly what it is... ART! Come and check it out!

Wow! What a great place to park your car!!! They paved the road and there is lots of room…read more I parked my truck here. Then I walked up to the top of South Fortuna Peak. If you come up/down the south approach to the peak, I recommend you bring a walking stick because the trail is in bad shape. It is easy to fall. The ground is sandy and steep. If you walk the north approach, it's less seanic, but samer walking.

The pedestrian bridge that spans the little ravine at the east end of Clairemont Mesa Blvd that you…read morehave to cross over to get into Mission Hills Regional Park is sooooo cool. It is an iron frame construction bridge with wooden planks set in that you walk/run/ride on. The bridge will actually move a bit as you cross which is kinda a cool sensation. The area all burned (including the wood planks) in the Cedar Fire, and thus the area is quite interesting as it recovers from the devestating fire. I love this place to enter the park, as well as the bridge you cross. YAY for bridges. I heart bridges.

In recent decades, Grantville, an early suburb of San Diego, had devolved into a mess of bad…read moretraffic bordered by run-down apartments and old (not historic, just old) houses, used car lots, "massage" parlors and drive-thru junk food. But hope springs eternal, and strange and wonderful things are happening in Grantville. The Grantville Community Plan calls for road and traffic improvements, new and better housing and public spaces, and, importantly, "...[respect for] the vitality and livelihood of locally owned and operated businesses while promoting the expansion of new business opportunities." As evidence that civic planners can do good, I offer the soon-to-open PurpleMint - a vegetarian bistro set prominently amidst vendors of pizza, tacos and unhealthy sandwiches. The place hasn't opened yet, so I can't speak to the quality of the food, but it almost doesn't matter how well they cook. What's important is that PurpleMint's owners believe that the area will support alternatives to Arby's and El Pollo Loco, and they brought innovative investment to an underserved stretch of Mission Gorge Road. I'm not a fan of vegetarian cooking, but that doesn't matter, either. I appreciate the diversity that PurpleMint (and a few doors down, the vegan Donut Panic) offer Grantville's workers and residents. Now, if only Caffe Calabria would open a brick-and-mortar shop nearby... ****************************** Grantville Community Plan: http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/cpu/grantvillemasterplan/index.shtml The PurpleMint Bistro: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-purplemint-bistro-san-diego Donut Panic: http://www.yelp.com/biz/donut-panic-san-diego-3?hrid=keC5OlD8-VQlyEbjTlhcmQ Caffe Calabria: http://www.yelp.com/biz/caffe-calabria-san-diego

I've been calling this area home for the last 3 years, so far the longest I've lived in one area…read moresince moving to San Diego. I really like living in the area, which is a hidden secret to me. It's on a main artery into mission valley. Close to freeways. Very centralized, but not actually living in Mission Valley and not as far East as Santee! The Good... *The convenience of the freeways. You can easily get to the 15, 8, and 805. Drive a few more minutes to the 163 and 94 which are also close. * We have your basic shopping needs here. Necessities like Starbucks, Jamba, Petco, Vons, Home depot, Rite aid and a CVS. * Decent dining options. Nothing super fancy, but good variety for lunch or dinner throughout the week. * Close to Costco and Costco gas. Yes, I love Costco! The Bad.... *Even though the freeways are close, the morning and evening traffic is horrible. It sucks going onto the 15N in the morning. You can easily wait 20-30 minutes waiting to get on the freeway. Heading West on Mission Gorge is the worst! Same with trying to get into the freeway after 5pm. *The crime. I hate to say it... Tons of cars get broken into. Definitely don't leave anything worth something visible in your car when you park on the street. *The ridiculous speedway called Mission gorge road. Prior to the road construction. Cars and motorcycles literally race towards Santee from the starting line at Zion. *The construction on Mission Gorge road. It was a 6 lane speedway that has been reduced to a single lane in each direction. They found the road is susceptible to a sink hole from the giant newly built apartment complex... Thanks Verge... You suck! Hopefully they'll soon solve the road problem and finish construction. If you can go to work early like I do, you don't have to wait as long in traffic in the mornings. Overall a pretty decent neighborhood to live in.

It is bordered by the Otay River Valley and the city of Chula Vista on the north; Interstate 805…read moreand the neighborhoods of Ocean View Hills and San Ysidro on the west; unincorporated San Diego County on the north and east including East Otay Mesa and the San Ysidro Mountains; and the Otay Centenario borough of Tijuana, Mexico on the south. Major thoroughfares include Otay Mesa Road/California State Route 905, Otay Valley Road/Heritage Road, Siempre Viva Road, and California State Route 125. Otay Mesa is the second-least walkable neighborhood of San Diego.

This mural is on the side of the historic Mixon Liquor and Deli. It was painted in 2021 and is the…read morework of Evgeniya Golik, who painted the piece to show the diversity of San Diego as well as the nation. It took her and her team 3 weeks to complete. The mural was commissioned by Trust Me Vodka, who featured Golik's mural on a 20,000-bottle series of their vodka. It depicts a muse with wings, roses in her hair and a halo. Her arms are wrapped around her torso that is made from eyes of men and women all different ethnicities. To Golik, "Liberty" became a goddess that embraced all walks of life under her wings ... creating a sense of unity, equality, and freedom of expression without judgement. The background of the mural has a dark blue triangle with white stars above the Muse's head and a cloudy sky. You will also see a banner on the side of the Muse that reads "See the World in My Eyes", which is definitely a play on all the eyes in the muse's torso. And of course you will find a prominent advertisement for Mixon's on the left side of the mural. This is defientley a mural to see and has a lot to unpack. I love its mean and symbolism. For me, it just reminds you to walk a mile in someone elses shoes before you judge them and understand what they may be going through, The mural overlooks a parking lot, that is very difficult to get in and out off. I ended up parking on the street and was a lot easier for me to get in and out of. Much of the lower part of the mural is obstructed by parked vehicles, but you can still see a good portion of it. This mural has a good old American feel to it. The art work is amazing. Golik is very talented. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This is a mural by David Ybarra and you will find it on the side of Caps Pizza and Bar overlooking…read morea parking lot. It was completed in the Summer of 2021 and is a simple but powerful design that depicts a waving American Flag with the Pledge of Allegiance within the flag's stripes. It is a very vivid mural and is in great shape. As I mentioned, the mural overlooks a parking lot, that is very difficult to get in and out off. I ended up parking on the street and was a lot easier for me to get in and out of. The mural is up pretty high on the wall, so you don not have to worry about it being obstructed by parked vehicles. This mural has a good old patriotic feel to it.... Merica! The flag is pretty detailed and even though it is simple it still took some skill to do. This mural is dedicated to local entrepreneurs, George and Voula Caperell, whose mission it was to feed the homeless every Thanksgiving for over twenty five years and cook and feed anyone that needed it. You will find of few of Ybarra's murals across the city. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Vista Point is located on Camino De La Costa and Chelsea. An area north of Pacific Beach and south…read moreof La Jolla. Primarily, it's a scenic spot featuring the ocean, wildlife, and a promontory. It's a parklet, smaller than the average public park. Only about 4 parking spaces along the curb. There's a small rocky area with complimentary poop scoop bags for dogs to relieve themselves and wonder on their leash of course. There's a dirt and rock stairway which is uneven, to get to the cliff and vista point. Once there, you're looking downward at the cliffs, beach and ocean. Very limited in terms of activities to do here but relax and take it all in. Some benches facing the ocean to sit, relax and enjoy the views open to the public and it's Gratis. Recommend

F*CK YOU city council. No, life's not about having fun and enjoying yourself, it's about being…read morejudgmental, tyrannical, and telling other people what's good for them. OF COURSE! I had a great time at Floatopia when I went. Everyone was friendly, drunk and happy. We didn't even have a real flotation device; we used an air mattress with oars. It was f*cking cool. If glass is a problem, punish people who bring glass. If fighting is a problem, punish people for fighting. If littering is a problem, fine people for littering. This new law is goddamn absurd, even more absurd than the original ban on drinking on the beach. No one knows how to have just a little bit of fun anymore, and even worse, they don't want anyone else to have it either. It's just another ploy to keep the cops and politicians busy, and the people unhappy. F*CK YOU, SAN DIEGO!

Floatopia. As…read moretortured as I am about the current no-drinking-on-the-beaches law, I think there are a lot of things wrong with this year's Floatopia Thing 1: The beach/ocean got littered. Way to go bros of PB, for leaving your natty ice cans floating around in our beautiful bay like little aluminim zits on her ocean-blue face. Thing 2: Thanks alot for buying ALL boyant objects from every retailer in a 20 mile radius. Me and two friends had to visit 4 different spots just to at last find some floating swim noodles from target. Floatopia, you get 2 stars for having the right idea. Minus 3 for effing up our beach, being too crowded, and completely destroying the already tarnished image of beach drinkers. I earnestly am considering organizing a similar event this summer with a mandatory trash(ed) walk before and afterwards. What do you think?