NORTH PARK 2020 PHOTO JOURNAL
Feb 2020 – North Park Main Street Executive Director Angela Landsberg gives a speech at the North Park Mini Park groundbreaking ceremony. Pictured left to right: Todd Gloria, Toni Atkins, Angela Landsberg, Roger Lewis, Andy Hinds, Chris Ward, Andy Field.
March 20th, 2020 – A photo of University Avenue taken during the first shutdown, when restaurants first transitioned into takeout only service, and so many businesses went into full hibernation. Streets were eerily quiet and no one was out. Photo by Han Tran, Shank & Bone.
March 2020 – The Observatory postpones all shows due to Covid-19. They take to their marquee to say “Be Kind, Stay Healthy.” Photo by Jason Castaneda.
Two Pigment employees in front of a sign that reads ‘We Got This,” referring to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Pictured in November, 2020.
March 2020 – Around the same time as the beginning of the first lockdown, University Avenue was closed for construction, leaving us with this fitting photo. Photo by Jason Castaneda.
March 2020 – Pipeline construction occurs on University Avenue, resulting in a giant hole in the pavement. Photo captured by Jason Castaneda.
March 2020 – The North Park Mini Park, located behind The Observatory, begins undergoing construction. North Park Main Street holds a fundraising campaign that gives people the opportunity to purchase a brick that will be cemented into the park.
April, 2020 – All businesses have shut down for indoor operations. North Park Main Street created ‘Open for Takeout’ signs in an effort to help local businesses promote their to-go services. Pictured is Freddie Carruthers holding one of the signs in front of Original 40 Brewing Co.
April 2020 – Young Hickory begins a coffee donation program that allows customers to purchase coffee grounds that are donated to Covid-19 frontline workers. Pictured are team members of Scripps Mercy Surgical Acute holding 5 pounds of donated coffee.
July 2020 – Salons reopen for indoor services with new Covid-19 safety policies. Pictured is a barber and client at Sovereign Barber Shop.
August 2020 – Gyms and fitness studios are permitted for outdoor operations only. Pictured is an F45 Training class working out on top of the North Park parking garage.
August 2020 – Pilgrimage Yoga teaches a yoga class at their outdoor yoga space located on 30th Street.
May 2020 – During this time, retail stores operated through curbside pickup or online ordering only. Pictured is an employee from The Fresh Yard helping a customer with their pickup order.
May 2020 – After being closed for two months, the North Park Thursday Market reopens under strict Covid-19 guidelines. Farmers Markets across San Diego are now considered essential.
May 2020 – Hidalgo Flowers Vendor poses at the newly-reopened North Park Thursday Market. Photo by Jamie Southerland.
October 2020 – The SDCCU North Park Festival of Arts looked a little different this year. Artists, chefs, musicians and business owners took their talents online. Pictured are the musicians who participated in the virtual Battle of the Bands event. From left to right: CWiTCH, Rashaad Graham, Ric Scales, Martin Luther Cream, and Micah Moffett.
June 2020 – A temporary mural of George Floyd painted on the side of Nomad Donuts. May 2020 through June 2020 was characterized by a global outspread of anti-police brutality protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd.
A Black Lives Matter poster on the window of an unknown North Park Business. Listed are victims of police brutality: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Lorenzo Dean, Eric Reason, Pamela Turner, Dominic Clayton, Atatiana Jefferson, Aaron Bailey, Alanzo Smith, Kevin Hicks, Miguel Espinal, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Tamir Rice, Felix Kumi, Peter Gaines, Sandra Bland, Nathaniel Harris Pickett.
June 2020 – Black Lives Matter protesters kneel on University Avenue after walking from Downtown San Diego to honor George Floyd and those affected by police brutality and systemic racism. Photo by Eddy Corral (@edweird_see).
June 2020 – an estimated 2000 protestors march from downtown San Diego to North Park to honor the black lives lost due to police brutality, and to advocate for police reform.
June 2020 – Black Lives Matter protestors walk down University Avenue towards North Park.
June 2020 – BLM Protestors end their walk from Downtown San Diego at the North Park sign on University Avenue.
June 2020 – Murals of Ahmaud Arber and Breonna Taylor, both victims of police brutality, painted on Peking Restaurant (Chop Suey) located on University Avenue. Murals and photo by @jonnypucci.
June 2020 – Artist Jonny Pucci paints a mural of Ahmaud Arber on the boarded up Chop Suey as BLM protestors pass by. Photo by @jonnypucci.
June 2020- A bartender from StreetCar Merchants prepares a to-go cocktail, as to-go alcohol is now permitted in hopes of helping bars and restaurants create more revenue.
August 2020 – Many North Park restaurants build outdoor “parklets” in order to allow for more outdoor seating and to increase their revenue. Pictured is Son of a Toast’s parklet.
Churchgoers gather six feet apart outdoors for a service at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. In 2020, church service were to be only held outside.
August 2020 – Pictured is the ‘parklet’ Saiko Sushi built in order to broaden and enhance their outdoor dining space.
September 2020 – Pictured is Dunedin New Zealand Eat’s outdoor dining space.
September 2020 – Hanna Gundrum (@littlehouseink) poses by the ‘parklet’ she designed and painted for Splash Wine Lounge.
November 2020 – Eppig Brewing takes the place of Waypoint Public. Pictured is a worker painting the new signage onto the building.
September 2020 – @coco_sandiego announces she is having a baby boy via The Observatory’s marquee. Since all shows and concerts were cancelled in 2020, The Observatory decided to rent out its marquee as a source of income. Photo by @coco_sandiego.
May 2020 – People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) outreach specialist Jessie Angeles, right, talks with Terrance Pullum, who had recently moved into a City Heights apartment after living on the street. Under a new contract with the city, PATH will bring similar one-on-one outreach to other neighborhoods throughout San Diego. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
August 2020 – Artists from Visual Art Gallery come together to bring life to boarded up buildings throughout North Park. Unfortunately, many businesses did not make it out of the pandemic and were forced to close. Some businesses boarded up their windows as a precaution in case of any looting during protests. Artists took the opportunity to paint these boarded windows and make something beautiful out something that may otherwise be seen as sad or ugly. The mural in the photo was painted by Jason Gould (jasongouldart).
July 2020 – North Park’s very own little free library opens 3601 Arnold Ave. @littlefreelibraryxo encourages to take a book and share a book in attempt to spread joy and positivity. Photo by @littlefreelibraryxo.
September 2020 – Art Produce holds a multi-site poster campaign commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, and to encourage citizens to vote in the then-upcoming November Presidential Election. Joe Biden won the election and became the 46th President of the United States of America.
September 2020 – Celeste Byers painted a mural on Folk Arts Rare Records encouraging citizens to vote in the Presidential Election and honoring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg who sadly passed away on September 18th, 2020.
November 2020 – Gregg Schloss stands in front of his business, A&B Sporting Goods in North Park. After 79 years in business, the store closed as a result of the pandemic. (Photo by: John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
November 2020 – North Park Main Street and SDCCU installed new banners designed by Visual Art Supply across North Park that spread positivity and promoted equality and local business.
December 2020 – North Park Main Street installs holiday decorations throughout North Park including the pictured holiday wreath on the North Park sign.
Pictured is a ‘Love Where You Live’ mural painted by Kim Curran (@kimcurranplants). “Love Where You Live” is a mantra that the North Park community lives by and truly believes in. North Park Main Street will continue doing our best to support the community, promote local business, and cultivate the best possible environment for the neighborhood in 2021 and beyond.