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Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
San Diego: California's culture capital
When travelers speak of sunny San Diego, they talk about more than the weather. Sure, California's second-largest city boasts an average of 266 sunny days each year. But San Diego Symphony Music Director Rafael Payare says San Diego residents' infectious optimism and warm disposition also welcome visitors to join in on the good vibes. 'I am already going into my sixth year with the Orchestra, and being surrounded by the beautiful landscape of San Diego has touched me deeply.' With a population of 1.4 million people, San Diego is a bona fide big city with eclectic museums, historic art centers, and world-class performing arts. And yet, its charming neighborhoods and laid-back attitude foster a down-to-earth community vibe. Visitors to the city regularly join residents in the plush seats at Jacobs Music Center, located in Downtown San Diego, where the San Diego Symphony—the state's oldest orchestra—intentionally offers a variety of series that speak to a wide mix of cultures and age groups. 'Seeing the wonderful people that come to our concerts regularly fills me with gratitude, and we continue to deepen our connections,' adds Payare. 'Each concert is its own experience, but we are also building a history together that I believe heightens our sense of well-being and happiness.' Visitors can enjoy tunes al fresco and panoramic views of the Downtown San Diego skyline and the San Diego Bay at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. The Symphony shares space with locals who gather for yoga classes, summer singalongs, and epic fireworks. The arts offering a soundtrack to the city's daily life is a very San Diego way of doing things, says Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer. That community connection is palpable when you visit San Diego's 'cultural jewel,' Balboa Park. At 1,200 acres, North America's largest urban cultural park boasts 18 museums in stunning Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival buildings—each dedicated to genres fans love, from aviation to science and folk art to Comic-Con. Between the buildings, landscaped gardens and manicured lawns offer space to relax before choosing your next mind-expanding adventure. On Sundays, it's common to see people picnicking while listening to the 4,725-pipe Spreckels organ (the largest in the world), which has been here since 1914. And in La Jolla, the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center offers arts education, and world-class performances. In Point Loma, you can chat with artists in one of the 120 galleries, museums, and artist studios at the Arts District Liberty Station, a former Naval Training Center that has since transformed into a vibrant arts district and community hub. Its repurposed buildings house art studios and diverse local businesses, thoughtfully preserving the area's rich naval history. The area also boasts a 46-acre waterfront park with walking trails, playgrounds, and numerous events throughout the year. Plus, there's live music everywhere. You can pump your fist at a Petco Park concert or take to the dance floor at a live music venue like The Music Box. For those looking to connect with outstanding theatrical performances, San Diego delivers. LGBTQIA+ creativity is on display at the Diversionary Theatre – the country's third-oldest theater of its kind; multiculturalism is celebrated at the Old Globe Theatre, and Broadway musicals top the bill at La Jolla Playhouse, which was founded by actor Gregory Peck. You'll also find public art installations, book and film festivals, and creative cuisine throughout the city. San Diego is inseparable from its history, arts, and culture. And for visitors, the city's naturally optimistic, arms-wide-open hospitality is hard to resist. Funded In Part With City Of San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment Funds.
National Geographic
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
San Diego: California's culture capital
The Rady Shell at Jacob's Park offers space for locals and visitors alike who gather for yoga classes, summer sing-alongs, or to simply savor the sunsets. Photograph Courtesy The San Diego Symphony Orchestra By Heather Greenwood Davis When travelers speak of sunny San Diego, they talk about more than the weather. Sure, California's second-largest city boasts an average of 266 sunny days each year. But San Diego Symphony Music Director Rafael Payare says San Diego residents' infectious optimism and warm disposition also welcome visitors to join in on the good vibes. 'I am already going into my sixth year with the Orchestra, and being surrounded by the beautiful landscape of San Diego has touched me deeply.' With a population of 1.4 million people, San Diego is a bona fide big city with eclectic museums, historic art centers, and world-class performing arts. And yet, its charming neighborhoods and laid-back attitude foster a down-to-earth community vibe. The Jacobs Music Center, located in Downtown San Diego, is the home of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Photograph Courtesy The San Diego Tourism Authority Visitors to the city regularly join residents in the plush seats at Jacobs Music Center, located in Downtown San Diego, where the San Diego Symphony—the state's oldest orchestra—intentionally offers a variety of series that speak to a wide mix of cultures and age groups. 'Seeing the wonderful people that come to our concerts regularly fills me with gratitude, and we continue to deepen our connections,' adds Payare. 'Each concert is its own experience, but we are also building a history together that I believe heightens our sense of well-being and happiness.' Perfectly located on the waterfront, the Rady Shell is an ideal location for concerts, Symphony rehearsals, and yoga classes. Bring a blanket and picnic on the lawn while watching boats float by. Photograph Courtesy The San Diego Symphony Orchestra Visitors can enjoy tunes al fresco and panoramic views of the Downtown San Diego skyline and the San Diego Bay at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. The Symphony shares space with locals who gather for yoga classes, summer singalongs, and epic fireworks. The arts offering a soundtrack to the city's daily life is a very San Diego way of doing things, says Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer. San Diego is a city of music, innovation, and connection. The Symphony is more than just an orchestra—it's a place where communities come together, where music education transforms young lives, and where every performance tells the story of this vibrant city. Martha Gilmer , CEO, San Diego Symphony Orchestra That community connection is palpable when you visit San Diego's 'cultural jewel,' Balboa Park. At 1,200 acres, North America's largest urban cultural park boasts 18 museums in stunning Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival buildings—each dedicated to genres fans love, from aviation to science and folk art to Comic-Con. Between the buildings, landscaped gardens and manicured lawns offer space to relax before choosing your next mind-expanding adventure. On Sundays, it's common to see people picnicking while listening to the 4,725-pipe Spreckels organ (the largest in the world), which has been here since 1914. Head to the 1,200-acre Balboa Park to visit a myriad of museums, walk amongst the multiple gardens, admire the unique architecture, or experience one of the many hosted events at the Park. Photograph by Jon Bilous, Shutterstock (Top) (Left) and Photograph by f11photo, Shutterstock (Bottom) (Right) And in La Jolla, the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center offers arts education, and world-class performances. In Point Loma, you can chat with artists in one of the 120 galleries, museums, and artist studios at the Arts District Liberty Station, a former Naval Training Center that has since transformed into a vibrant arts district and community hub. Its repurposed buildings house art studios and diverse local businesses, thoughtfully preserving the area's rich naval history. The area also boasts a 46-acre waterfront park with walking trails, playgrounds, and numerous events throughout the year. Plus, there's live music everywhere. You can pump your fist at a Petco Park concert or take to the dance floor at a live music venue like The Music Box. For those looking to connect with outstanding theatrical performances, San Diego delivers. LGBTQIA+ creativity is on display at the Diversionary Theatre – the country's third-oldest theater of its kind; multiculturalism is celebrated at the Old Globe Theatre, and Broadway musicals top the bill at La Jolla Playhouse, which was founded by actor Gregory Peck. You'll also find public art installations, book and film festivals, and creative cuisine throughout the city. San Diego is inseparable from its history, arts, and culture. And for visitors, the city's naturally optimistic, arms-wide-open hospitality is hard to resist. Funded In Part With City Of San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment Funds.
Los Angeles Times
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pasadena Playhouse stunner: Back from the brink, theater reclaims control of its building
The Los Angeles Times declared the Pasadena Playhouse a 'theater of unusual beauty' when it opened May 18, 1925, and for the next hundred years it was a home for pure drama, onstage and off. Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill and F. Scott Fitzgerald staged world premieres, and Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman roamed the hallways of architect Elmer Grey's Spanish Colonial Revival landmark. But with that starlight also came periods of darkness, including years when the building sat empty and derelict. In 2010, the theater company nearly closed for good. All of which made the announcement Saturday night that much more startling: Pasadena Playhouse has paid $9.5 million to buy back the campus it lost in bankruptcy in 1970 — a remarkable feat for a theater organization, and a building, brought back from the brink. Artistic Director Danny Feldman announced the purchase to supporters and board members during the theater's 100th anniversary gala, held one day after the transaction was completed. 'As of yesterday at 11:35 a.m., we are now, once again, the owners of the building,' Feldman said at the gala, brandishing a giant gold prop key before a cheering crowd. 'This key isn't just the key to our building, it's the key to our future.' A projection of longtime supporter Carol Burnett filled the wall at the back of the stage. The Playhouse's Carrie Hamilton black box theater is named in honor of Burnett's daughter, who died of cancer at 38. 'I'm so sorry I can't be with you in person to celebrate this historic night for Pasadena Playhouse,' Burnett said. 'But I wanted you to know how very proud and grateful and happy I am that this magnificent theater is now back in the hands of the community that built it.' The money spent on the 70,000-square-foot campus, which includes the theater, a restaurant and a six-story annex of office space, is part of a $15-million fundraising campaign that has less than $4 million to go. When Feldman took over leadership in 2016, he said, the idea of owning the 686-seat theater was not on his radar. But after Pasadena Playhouse won the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, and received international attention for ambitious productions and artistic excellence, the dream no longer seemed so unattainable. The endgame isn't just to own the building. It's to make it a thriving, state-of-the-art theater for the next century, Feldman said. Arriving at an appropriate sale price for the historic structure proved complicated, Feldman said, noting that the process began over the summer. 'How do you value a 100-year-old building with significant deferred maintenance, but also priceless?' Feldman said, explaining the conversations that were had with the former owner, Brandon Varon. Varon is the son of Burbank-based real estate developer Greg Varon, who bought the building in Bankruptcy Court for $4.5 million in 2001 after its previous owner, developer David Houk, filed for Chapter 11 protection. The city also had a hand in the building's Byzantine ownership structure after intervening to protect the theater, which was designated the State Theatre of California by the Legislature in 1937. Bank of America seized the building in the wake of the 1970 bankruptcy filing, and the complex sat neglected until 1975 when the city secured the building. Those were dicey days, Feldman said, because the building was not yet on the National Register of Historic Places (a distinction that came in 1975). The building, which had sustained some fire and water damage, was in danger of being razed. Pictures from that period show a moldy auditorium with ripped carpets and uprooted seats. Four years later, the city transferred ownership to Houk. He could restore the theater and develop the rest of the property on the condition that he lease the theater back to the city for $1 per year (an agreement that continued under Varon). The theater ended up sitting dark for 17 years until Houk reopened it in 1986. The first substantial gift for the recent purchase came from board chair Brad King and his wife, Pamela, Feldman said. The Perenchio Foundation provided the lead gift, which was matched by philanthropists Terri and Jerry Kohl. Other major donors include the Ahmanson Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Harmon and Lea Kong, Leigh and Harry Olivar, Jane Kaczmarek, Bingo and Gino Roncelli, and Erin and Jeremy Baker. Feldman, whose tenure began during another period of financial crisis, said that the theater needed renovations that would come only if the company owned the entire complex. 'We felt momentum. We had won the regional Tony. We were relatively stable. We were feeling good. We were starting to grow. We had launched our education program in a very significant way. And we were really firing on all cylinders, talking to philanthropists in town that hadn't necessarily supported us in the past,' Feldman said. 'So we felt like this is a good time to start those conversations.' Before the sale, Pasadena Playhouse paid market-rate rent for its third-floor offices in the annex and the Carrie Hamilton theater. Varon rented out the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the annex, as well as the ground-floor restaurant space, most recently occupied by the now-closed Bar Chelou. When a pipe sprang a leak in the scene shop, for example, it was unclear who was responsible for fixing it, Feldman said. During a tour of the property, Feldman showed off the theater's extensive prop room with its boxes of fans, hula hoops, hats and row after row of glassware and old liquor bottles; its chock-full tool room; its rare soup-to-nuts scene shop; its antiquated dressing rooms with a community piano and dining table just off the main stage; its laundry room; a vast tiled shower room; ancient, unused urinals; and rooftop vistas. Founded by Gilmor Brown in 1917, the Community Playhouse Assn. of Pasadena raised the funds to build a community theater that would rate among the finest in the country. In 1928, Brown created a school of theater arts, which initially attracted silent film actors looking to train for the talkies, and quickly gained a national reputation for excellence. Actors including Sally Struthers, Jo Anne Worley, Robert Preston, Mako, Raymond Burr, Jamie Farr and Anne Arden were on stage either as students or as cast members over the years. The concept of community theater was new at the time of the theater's founding, Feldman said. 'The struggle to bring the plan into being has only been accomplished by overcoming many difficult obstacles, because in character the project does not partake in the commercial,' a story in The Times about the theater's opening noted. 'It is really indicative of the growth and power of the community idea as applied to the theater, and in this respect the present playhouse is one of the most remarkable achievements that has been carried out anywhere in the country.' This achievement is what Feldman most wants to revive now that the company owns its home again. The Playhouse launched its education department a few years ago, and it has grown to serve hundreds of young actors annually. The program used to hold classes at a church in Altadena, but since the Eaton fire, children have been attending classes at the Playhouse. A senior citizen musical is planned for next year. Feldman envisions people of all ages roaming the campus, learning and participating in shows big and small. He wants to stage master classes, readings, experimental shows and salons. He hopes to do something novel with the restaurant space, but he doesn't want to get ahead of himself. The building needs to be made more accessible to the disabled and the restrooms need to be renovated. 'Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor,' Feldman said with a smile, quoting a line from 'Into the Woods.' There is much work to be done — and a solid business plan must be written. But first, the Playhouse will revel in this latest bit of history.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
17 Pilgrim Road in Photos
More from Robb Report Ellie Kemper's Central Park-View Apartment in N.Y.C. Is Up for Grabs at $7.5 Million A Filmmaker's 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival Home in L.A. Lists for $6 Million A 24-Bedroom Elmer Grey-Designed Compound in Bel Air Just Listed for $30.5 Million Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article. The front entrance. The living room. The dining area. The kitchen. The primary bedroom. The primary bath. A secondary room. A dedicated office space. A large gym is tucked away on the lower level. A slender terrace wraps around the living room. It widens at the opposite end. The pool is backed by undulating treetops. The two-plus-acre spread is just a 30-minute train ride into Manhattan.
