normal heights starsux

what is up with the new starbucks under the normal heights sign on adams avenue? did the corporate honchos say, "hey let's take this really cool old building in the heart of the neighborhood that housed a hispanic-owned market, and put up some really ugly stucco with an unremarkable patio out front"? seriously, if i want to go to a place that looks like this, i can hit any fast food joint in the miles of suburbs that dominate san diego county. it's ok to put up crap like this in the 'burbs, where people obviously don't care how generic-looking and devoid of character their communities are, but on a street full of interesting architecture like adams ave?

while the windows on the west-facing side of the building appear to have been retained, giving that side some respectability, the overall appearance is a big disappointment compared to the look of other urban neighborhood starbucks. of course, those are in buildings shared with someone else. i guess if it's a stand-alone building, you're stuck with cheap-ass architecture from a company that couldn't give a shit what the surrounding buildings look like.

art around adams

always a fun event, art around adams returns this saturday, june 2nd. various businesses along adams ave. in kensington and normal heights display work from local artists. hair drezzers on fire salon has been a highlight location for the past two events.

embarcadero meeting today

ccdc and the port authority will meet today to attempt to jump start the embarcadero makeover. first on the list:

The first phase includes narrowing Harbor Drive by 70 feet and building a 100-foot-wide pedestrian promenade between Broadway and B Street

this will be a great first step to making the area more pedestrian friendly. currently, the area is designed for driving and parking cars, which is a shame given that its the western gateway of the city to the waterfront.

given all the other activity planned for the area (lane field development, naval broadway complex, mundane office buildings), much of it uncoordinated, the meeting will also address this issue. let's hope the city's improving financial situation will get some momentum behind this long-overdue makeover.

balboa park international food fest

(thanks to c. hansen for photo above)
as i was biking downtown on saturday to meet jay (unfortunately the petco park lawn seats were sold out, so we just grabbed a slice of pizza at ciro's) and swung by balboa park, it seemed more crowded than usual. then i remembered the international food festival was going on over by the international cottages. the area was packed with people and several food tents representing various countries. unfortunately the lines were pretty huge, so i grabbed a combo plate at the phillippines tent (big surprise, i know) comprised of small portions of pancit, rice, lumpia and chicken adobo. while the plate could have been bigger, it was only $6, and pretty tasty.

while i was in line, this guy was raving to his girlfriend about how good the palestinean falafel was - the best he'd had. that was my first pick too, but the line was too intimidating. maybe next year.

speaking of balboa park, we're looking forward to the bi-annual c-note art event, where you can score some pretty good art from the park's art institute students for either $100, $200 or $300. you do have to fish through some crap though... but i guess we all have our own tastes. it helps to get there early - there's often a substantial line before it opens, and if you've spotted a piece of art you like during the preview, it might be gone by the time you get to it, which happened to us last time. but don't despair - more art is brought out each time a piece is taken off the wall. and don't take it off the wall unless you really want it - it's yours once you do.

"elegant": new synonym for "boring"

it has a crown. apparently that's enough to make the new pei cobb freed-designed building both "elegant" and "dignified". but let's be honest - it's boring. another prime opportunity for architecture that actually defines the new downtown san diego, from i.m. pei no less - and we get this? couple that with the still-blah naval broadway complex nearby, and you have the new buzzword for early 21st century san diego architecture - "meh".

philippe beltran restaurant coming to kensington

gayot reports that philippe beltran of vagabond has bailed from the restaurant. while james beard doesn't know what philippe's plans are, the ut does - a new restaurant named "bleu boheme" - french, we presume - to be opened in the space of the recently-closed green tomato on adams ave. stay tuned...

burger lounge coming to kensington

burger lounge is moving into the newly-closed just fabulous on adams avenue. while we'll miss the decadent desserts and fun design of just fab, a burger joint sounds pretty sweet for the 'hood. no info on this place yet but if it's anything like some of the hip burger places that have opened in LA, it should be a welcome addition to a recently subdued adams ave; the closing of green tomato restaurant and the evening closing of san diego coffee at kensington (due to a mass staff departure) have chilled the vibe a bit.

the fog

the fog rolled in yesterday as things cooled off from 86 at the coast the day before. jay got some neat shots from mount soledad above la jolla, and the marine layer.

savannah trip

we flew to savannah last weekend for a friend's wedding, and were fortunate to stay downtown so we could enjoy this very walkable city. tons of great old architecture - they've done an incredible job of preserving this city. i love all the squares and the interesting bars and cafes scattered around them. there's also a young, alternative feel to the city, due to the art school there. we did a (haunted) pub crawl one night, and while the tour guide was a dead ringer for dwight from "the office", it was really fun to check out all the unique bars in old buildings. there's also a pedestrian mall area named citymarket that we had a disappointing lunch at.
part of the mood of the city is set by the trees. long, graceful branches hang over the squares and the city streets, accentuating the historical feel. truly a special place.

savannah: j christophers

on sunday morning after the wedding, every cafe had long waits - we seemed to be catching the after-church crowd. after an unsuccessful visit to wall bbq (a hole in the wall place on an alley, but closed) j christophers managed to seat us at the counter within several minutes. lots of funky art on the walls, bright colors, and a neat use of a former garage space made for a very enjoyable breakfast before we headed to forsyth park, and then were on our way to visit a friend on saint simons island.

savannah: gallery espresso

gallery espresso is located on an old square in downtown savannah. there's several tables on the sidewalk where you can watch the constant tour buses buzzing by (why not walk?) and soak up the relaxed vibe. and the interior of the cafe is eclectic and warm. while the counter service was a bit distant, the everything bagel covered in hummus more than made up for it.

downtown pics

saw the padres for the first time this season on sunday; they lost to the dodgers, which makes that the 9th straight padre loss i've seen at petco, dating back to the 2005 playoffs. but we did get a couple of fun pics while we were downtown.