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.

You can purchase your tickets online at a discounted rate. Parking is free. They have several…read morehandicap parking spots available. I haven't visited this lovely aquarium in a couple of years, it is still well maintained. We arrived in time for the sea dragon feeding and penguin feeding. The staff is very knowledgeable, such a great place for children to learn about sea life. We loved seeing all of the sea animals, our favorites were the sea dragons, octopus & the touch pool. We loved the gift shop! Definitely check this small aquarium out.

I've always wanted to go to Birch Aquarium and so glad I finally made my way. I liked the right…read moreside of the aquarium the best. It was neat seeing the jellyfish, large aquarium display, and the seahorses! The interactive area outside was underwhelming and had very little sea life to explore. The view of the vast ocean was stunning though! The left side of the aquarium had one leopard shark. There was also an area for the kids to play. Overall the aquarium was small and would be worthwhile for them to consider an upgrade.

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.

Best birthday stay ever!!…read more When I first arrived, I was nervous because I haven't booked a place this fancy before and used Chase Travel to book for the first time. The staff immediately put me at ease and made me feel welcome. Lorenzo greeted me at the front desk and said happy birthday. He also gave me some free drink vouchers to use at the hotel restaurants and upgraded my room! The room was so big and clean and relaxing. My boyfriend has really bad insomnia but he said he actually slept great! I let him sleep in while I explored the hotel cafe and lounged on the balcony. There was a few parties and events going on that day (June 25th) but we couldn't hear a thing, at all. Our suite had a huge soaker tub and a huge shower that came in clutch, they even have complimentary bath salts and all the soaps! If you want more, they sell nice stuff in the gift shop, too. We also went to the cafe for breakfast burritos and coffee and both were a great way to start our day. Highly recommend staying here for a celebration. I felt like royalty and would love to come back. Shout out to Lorenzo and the team!

I booked a staycation on a Sunday, which happened to fall on Father's Day, using my Amex Platinum…read more Overall it turned into one of my favorite staycations I've had. With the Platinum perks, early check-in and late checkout are often available, but because it was a busy holiday weekend, they couldn't guarantee early check-in. They suggested coming in early and waiting by the pool until a room was available. Parking was easy: self-parking was around $46 per night with valet adding $10 more (roughly $56 total). Self-parking is only a short walk from the entrance so it wasn't inconvenient at all. Check-in itself was quick. The front desk staff provided a property map, and once I got to the room and dropped off my things, the whole resort honestly felt like walking into an oasis. The grounds are beautifully maintained and genuinely stunning. The pool area was enjoyable, but very busy, especially over the weekend. A note for future guests: lounge chairs go fast. I went around 4:30 PM on Sunday and again around 2 PM on Monday and most chairs were already taken. We were able to snag some on Monday, and it helped that the umbrellas can be adjusted for more sun or shade. The pool had a lively feel with families and kids, all well-behaved and enjoying themselves. There's also a nice jacuzzi and a pool bar where you can order food and drinks, plus a solid selection of craft beer. Dinner at Mustangs & Burros was a highlight. The burger was excellent, and the guacamole is a must-order starter. I also used my $100 Amex hotel credit here, which was a plus. The room itself was cute and comfortable, though fairly simple. It had a shower rather than a bathtub. The mattress was on the firmer side for my taste, and I would have appreciated complimentary bottled water in the room, but it was easy enough to have some delivered via Uber Eats. Breakfast at Greenfinch was the most underwhelming part of the stay. The Amex Platinum breakfast benefit covered up to $60 for two, but the quality didn't quite match the rest of the property experience. On the plus side, the resort grounds are incredible. The butterfly sanctuary, botanical garden, and wishing tree add a peaceful, unique touch to the property. I did wish there was a clearer setup for the wishing tree notes, but it was still a charming feature. Overall, the stay was excellent. The service was consistently friendly and efficient, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the property itself is beautiful. Despite a couple of small drawbacks, I would absolutely return. This was an ideal San Diego staycation. One note for future guests: make sure to carefully check your final bill at checkout. I was accidentally double-charged for dinner, charged for valet despite using self-parking, and billed for breakfast. They initially said everything had been adjusted, but I later noticed I had paid for self-parking on my credit card and then again at checkout. One of the restaurant charges also wasn't removed. The staff member I spoke with was very friendly and quick to help resolve it, but it was still a bit frustrating to leave thinking everything was settled, only to have to take additional time afterward to correct the billing issues.

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!