Drove all the way over to La Jolla because of this library. I have a soft spot for libraries and an…read moreeven soter spot for libraries with unique architecture. My coworker mentioned that there was a library in San Diego that was like an inverted pyramid --- say no more! I am in! It looks a lot like a rose to me -- which made it even better. Turns out, the "Geisel" part of the "Geisel Library" is actually Dr. Seuss Geisel! Which is why they have a multi-level Dr. Seuss exhibit. Library has a great view of the Quad. Has tons and tons of study rooms and study areas, each with charging ports. Glass walls everywhere with an awesome view of Do Ho Suh's Falling Star. THIS was a very pleasant surprise!

Love UCSD's Geisel Library! Iconic building packed with great study spaces (quiet & group), amazing…read moreviews, and all the resources you need. Highly recommend it

I love hidden San Diego and honestly anything that's a little odd, so once I heard about this, I…read morehad to find it and see for myself. It feels a little disrespectful to say that a sculpture looks like a turd when that wasn't the artist's intent, but... it looks like a turd. It's hard to look at it and think of anything else. At least that's what I thought. When I sent a photo to some friends and family, they were all able to quiet the intrusive thoughts of poop for long enough to think of some other possible interpretations, including: * a Cheeto or cheese puff * a giant cashew * a snake emerging from the ground * a dinosaur-sized macaroni * a rock (less creative but classier, I guess) Now, I'll just have to come back and see it again for Halloween -- I've heard that someone (who would do this?) puts giant googly eyes on it. Keep San Diego weird!!

A piece of art that really moves you, get it?…read more Public art is always subject to debate, and in San Diego the preference tends to run on the "less-than classy side". Statues of dolphins, horses, and fishermen will barely cause a ripple on anyone's radar. However, there is one sculpture in particular that causes looks of befuddlement more than any where else. Representing a large bowel movement, this sculpture is often referred to as the "Scripps Turd" which remains its reputation to this day. The Abstract Sculpture, titled Okeanos, a.k.a. "The Scripps Turd" is made of bronze and was created by artist William Tucker. Tucker is a modern British sculpture and art scholar born in Cairo, Egypt. He attended the University of Oxford and went on to further study sculpture at Saint Martin's School of Art in London under teacher and mentor Anthony Caro. He has since received several awards and honors for his work, such as: The Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in 1986. The International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture in 2010. The title of National Academician at the National Academy Museum in 2011. People driving along North Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla had undoubtedly once noticed Tucker's big, hulking 13-foot piece of art in front of the Scripps Green Hospital. Despite the public's distaste for the art piece, the 3,500-pound sculpture was commissioned for $200,000 in 1987. The money came from donors in honor of Frank J. Dixon, the Director of the Institute for 25 years. Tucker named the artwork after the Greek god of rivers and oceans, Okeanos or (Ōkeanós), also known as Oceanus. Okeanos was a Titan who represented the ocean and was the eldest son of Uranus (ha) and Gaia. Tucker said the form, to him, suggested an ocean wave, and it was hailed by many critics when it was revealed. Michael Brenson, the former art critic of The New York Times, wrote of Okeanos in 1988: "The sculpture is a rippling curve that seems to spew out of the earth and curl up like a wave. It suggests not only water but also clouds and vegetation and human limbs." Alas, the public didn't feel the same way. Nor did philanthropist Edythe H. Scripps, who had "The Turd" moved to a new location by The Scripps Research Institute at the mere cost of another $40,000 (more money down the drain. I drew inspiration in recalling a smaller sculpture featured in the classic documentary film on the life of legend Joseph Dirtè (see tip photo). Upon seeing this work of art, the latter was most likely inspired by this same piece. A "chip off the old creative block" perhaps.

UCSD has a series of artworks called the Stuart Collection. Various artists were commissioned to…read morecreate artwork for UCSD. I had a closeup look at the construction of Fallen Star. It was a unique experience coming to work each day and watching a construction crew building what appeared to be a Craftsman style house. I saw lots of them when I lived in North Park. When they finished construction a crane lifted the house into place near the top of the building. At the opening reception the artist Do Ho Suh appeared to talk about his latest creation. I saw him afterwards and had my picture taken with him. Fallen Star is one of my favorite works in the Stuart Collection. Looks very cool from the ground. Inside it's very disorienting as the floor isn't level and the angles are not what you are used to. This is one of the most unique and interesting artworks I've ever seen. Cool documentary about Fallen Star on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbVAv2AENfI I never saw Do Ho Suh again but he is still doing great work and his last exhibition was in New York in 2022. https://newyorkarttours.com/blog/art,artist,contemporary,critic,exhibition,gallery,newyork,photography,sculpture,tour,visualart/inverted-monument/

This is a review fo the Fallen Star in UC San Diego's Stuart Collection…read more The Fallen Star is for sure a must-do for students at UC San Diego. It is a great experience being in the house and it is super fun. It is available for everyone to go and book a tour. Beware! The spots get taken up really quickly so be sure to book far in advance. You book 30 minute slots on Wednesdays or 15 minute on Thursdays depending on whether or not you are booking with a group or not(Wed for group, Thursday for Individual). We did not book with a group as the group signups are extremely full (Backed up for 2 months) so we just booked multiple individual tours on the same day. You are supposed to arrive around 5-10 minutes before your time starts so you can spend the whole time within the house. Although our group for the tour was luckily pretty small(Only 4), sometimes they can be a bit larger. Parking can be a bit difficult as its around a 5 minute walk away from the event but I think its worth it. Its also free! Overall, I would recommend it.

May 15 2026 in La Jolla California is Birch Aquarium…read more Took my Dad and mom and brother to Birtch Aquarium. This Aquarium is amazing and wonderful. The staff are alwqys professional and polite. They alwqys greet you . And help if you need it. My dad loves the sea horses I live the sea dragons. And black and white clown fish It was some what busy today but we were able to visit and we all had fun and got to see some amazing fish and sea life. Thank you to all the Birtch Aquarium staff. I highly recommend them and I will be back

I had a wonderful visit in April 2026, if you get the tickets online and go in the afternoon you…read moreget them for a big discount. I had so much fun, the penguins were delightful. I didn't get to see the octopus awake I hope to next time. Going in the afternoon, you avoid the school field trips, which gives you space to see the aquarium. It was my first time visiting, and I will be back.

What a wonderful building! Rediscovering it as I came here years back for a brunch at the Sea and…read morethe horse restaurant and now come to the Exos gym via my workplace. So impressed with the design and quality. The big mural made of annual reports is amazingly cool, what a fun idea of creating art from numbers on paper. Financial fun and artsy, who would know! Super pleasant space to work while waiting for my gym class with mellow background music. Lot of effort put in the design of everything, from the lamps, to the royal blue chairs, their arts exhibition. What a privilege to be able to come here for my gym classes and enjoy the membership perks!

This is the end Beautiful friend…read more This is the end My only friend, the end The Doors - The End It is with great sadness I post this. I was not there at the beginning but I will be there at the end. June 2, 2016 the gallery will permanently close. There is a change.org petition: https://www.change.org/p/chancellor-khosla-stop-the-closure-of-the-university-art-gallery

The University Art gallery is located in the middle of UCSD's campus. I know because I skateboarded…read moreby it many times. The space is small, but the interior is as chic as any La Jolla gallery. The gallery features hardwood floor and it often times has exciting exhibits from up and coming artists. A lot of faculty and graduate students have their art work on display here, but artists don't have to be associated with the university to be featured at the gallery. The staff is friendly and the gallery has a lot of exhibit openings with free food and drinks and the receptions are always to the public. For a gallery, the University Art Gallery has a pretty relaxed atmosphere, but a lot of pretentious UCSD art students hang out here, but hell even they have to dig scoring the free food and drinks at the openings.

Found this gem in August 2021 when my 8-yo twins wanted to learn how to play violin and guitar. I…read moresit in classes with my kids during lessons and I'm super impressed on how patient the teachers are with beginners. At the end of 10 weeks lessons, my son is able to play Ode to Joy on guitar and my daughter plays 4 different pieces at the recital. I'm very happy with their progresses and will continue to sign them up for lessons. So very glad to find this place. The place is very clean and adhere to covid protocols. Staff and kids wear masks the whole time they're inside. Staff are friendly and approachable. They're responsive to email inquiries. Overall, I give Villa Musica a perfect score!

We have had the pleasure to have both our girls ages 10 and 12 at Villa Musica. Both girls attended…read moretheir show choir class and really enjoyed it. My youngest practiced piano and oldest guitar also a Villa Musica with their instructors and have been excelling in their music learning. We are very happy with their learning and the care they have received there so far :)

My organization hosted a two-day event at the International House in February 2019. We had a great…read moreexperience! Barbara Ramsey, the Events Manager, made sure we had everything we needed and the rest of their events staff on site was equally helpful. We had no issues with the technology in the room and everything was set up as requested. We also used UC San Diego Catering services for lunch, coffee and refreshment breaks. The food was always on time and delicious. They made special accommodations for dietary restrictions in our group, which we really appreciated. UCSD International House is a beautiful venue with excellent service. We would happily host an event here again!

If you are going to live on UCSD's campus, I completely recommend living at the International…read moreHouse. I-House provides students with a unique living situation because UCSD students share housing with students from around the globe. There is a plethora of cultural activities for students to participate in, such as conversation tables, where they can practice their foreign language skills. I feel that students who travel across the globe tend to be more social. I have met so many people who forged great relationships when they studied abroad which is what makes I-House so great because you get a chance to really get to know so many different people from so many different cultures. I can honestly say, living at I-House was one of my most memorable experiences at UCSD.

I added a star back because their customer service has been top notch in communication. I've had…read moremultiple people reach out to resolve issues . Hopefully the things i noticed were a one off or deferred maintenance that just needs to be caught up. ​I came here to celebrate my birthday and I really wanted to love my stay. At first glance, the property is stunning. The room decor is charming, the staff was very nice, and we had a great meal at Mustangs & Burros (the Brussels sprouts were delicious). ​However, once we settled in, the lack of attention to detail became impossible to ignore--especially since I was staying with a broken ankle. ​The room cleanliness was disappointing for this price point. I found hair and grime on the coffee maker tray, hair on the floor tiles, and air vents covered in thick dust. The bathroom walls even had visible stains that hadn't been wiped down. The carpet was dirty when I got there. For a 4 star hotel I expected more. ​On top of that, maintenance issues made the stay difficult. The ice maker was broken , and the outdoor lighting at the exit and on the pathways around the property wasn't working. Navigating the property in the dark with crutches was very tricky, and seeing rusty screws sticking up out of the deck felt like a genuine safety oversight. ​It's a shame because the atmosphere is great, but the housekeeping and maintenance really need to step it up.

I can't speak for staying here as a guest but as far as just hanging out in the lobby bar, eating…read moresome fresh oysters and having a couple drinks is concerned, I think it's a pretty laid back and enjoyable experience. The bartender is an easy going guy and he makes good drinks. 3 stars because we ordered a dozen oysters twice, not a cheap endeavor, and twice had to let the bartender know that they only gave us 11 oysters! Both times the bartender had to holler at the kitchen to bring the 12th freakin oyster!! This, my friends, is no accident. There's not some poor uneducated schmuck in the kitchen that doesn't know what DOZEN means or can't count to TWELVE! This is robbery plain and simple so caveat emptor!! Why a place like this would try some shit like that is a mystery to me but that's what reviews are for right? Guess the moral is to count the effin oysters at this place, otherwise enjoy some good drinks and a solid bartender. Too bad cause the bar would have been 5 stars! ELJ, whoever the manager is that's condoning this BS needs to go ASAP!!

This place is trippy! I came to film to be an extra in a Sci-Fi thriller feature film. Russian…read morefeature film. Wow! The floor I was on looked totally like a Futuristic lab. Almost like the entire building is one huge computer. There's row after row of big machinery with little lights. I'm assuming all of this is parts of a server? It's very impressive. Since we were shooting a film w/lab coats it was a perfect setting to play scientist. Obviously the place was locked secured during our shoot so I don't really know what goes on here on a regular day. Nonetheless, I'm very grateful for the opportunity and a sneak peak into a world I would of been oblivious too. Where you suppose the kill switch is in this maze of technology? Would be awesome to flip the switch and hear the whole place shut down lol. Ok beam me up Scotty! Melly Mel out!