Catalina Pools (Gone)
La Mesa, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

An oversized palm tree supplied the roadside oasis at Catalina Pools in La Mesa. No desert crossing required to appreciate this one. The tall sign brought a little vacation scenery to a business promising customers a place to cool off at home.

The palm was large enough to catch the attention of motorists along nearby Interstate 8. Along with the pool-company lettering, it turned the advertising into something more memorable than a list of construction services.

UPDATE: The Catalina Pools sign was removed in 2016, taking its familiar palm-tree silhouette out of the La Mesa roadside scenery. The company’s continuing pool business should not be confused with the survival of this particular display. The big roadside oasis is gone. 10-26

North Park Sign
San Diego, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

An immense neighborhood announcement rises along University Avenue at the North Park Sign. The familiar lettering catches the eye from well down the street, giving passing travelers a clear idea of where they’ve arrived. No small welcome plaque needed here.

The first North Park sign was installed in 1935, suspended above the intersection of University Avenue and 30th Street. Local merchants backed the landmark as a way to draw attention to their business district, putting the neighborhood name where motorists could hardly miss it.

The current version takes a different position, standing on a pedestal in the roadway median. Its lettering recalls the earlier sign while giving the busy street a centerpiece of its own. Check out the view as daylight fades and the neon begins to stand out against the evening sky.

UPDATE: Installed in 1993, the present sign brought the North Park name back after the earlier landmark had disappeared. It continues the neighborhood’s tradition of a big roadside welcome, with enough glow to make an ordinary drive along University Avenue a little more interesting. 10-26

Mission Hills Radio TV (Gone)
Mission Hills, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

A mission-shaped storefront gave Mission Hills Radio & TV a fitting home on Goldfinch Street in San Diego. The curved parapet added a little California character, while the neon let passing customers know where to bring an ailing radio or television.

The combination of mission styling and glowing lettering made the building worth noticing even without something to repair. Quite a bit of roadside appeal for a business devoted to getting the picture back.

UPDATE: Mission Hills Radio & TV is gone, and by 2014 a restaurant at the site displayed artwork recalling the former shop and longtime operator Jay Goodwin. The neighborhood repair stop had become part of the building’s remembered history. 10-26

Chito's Shoe Repair
San Diego, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

A busy little cobbler gives Chito’s Shoe Repair one of North Park’s more entertaining signs. Hammer in hand, the neon elf works on the sole of a shoe, repeating the task with the patience of someone who never has to take a lunch break.

The animated sequence moves the hammer through several positions, with a flash giving the fellow his familiar wink. Made for Wink’s Shoe Repair in 1949, the sign moved from downtown to University Avenue in 1960.

There’s a lot of personality packed into this small storefront display. A plain shoe-repair announcement would have done the job, but an elf hammering away certainly gives passing customers more to remember.

UPDATE: The winking cobbler is designated San Diego Historical Landmark No. 239. After disappearing following a tenant’s departure, the sign was tracked down and returned through preservation efforts. Chito’s relocated, but the landmark was brought back to its University Avenue home. 10-26

Flair Lighting (Gone)
San Diego, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

A little extra flair came with the marquee at Flair Lighting on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in San Diego. Check out the geometric shape and stylized lettering, both giving the store a look straight out of the mid-century roadside era. A fitting announcement for a business selling lights.

Known as Flair Lighting & Patio Furniture, the shop gave customers a place to browse for something to brighten the house or furnish the backyard. Out front, the pole sign was already doing its share of decorating, catching the attention of motorists through the busy Kearny Mesa corridor.

The unusual framing made this more than a simple store-name display. Its shape gave the lettering room to show off, adding a little personality above the traffic. Apparently the showroom wasn’t going to have all the interesting fixtures.

UPDATE: Flair Lighting operated through the 1980s and 1990s before closing. The property was later redeveloped into a multi-tenant shopping strip, and the distinctive roadside sign was removed. The old lighting-store marquee no longer marks this stretch of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. 10-26

Kmart (Gone)
Escondido, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

A classic Kmart sign marked this longtime shopping stop in Escondido. Out in the parking lot, the weekly gathering and an older car added another reason to look around before heading toward the store.

The tall red-and-white sign belonged to the familiar roadside scenery of the discount-store era. Spot the lettering from the road, find a space in the broad parking lot, and the shopping trip was underway.

Those lots could also serve as meeting places, giving local groups plenty of room to gather. On this occasion, the car supplied a little extra character beneath the big retail announcement.

UPDATE: The Kmart on West Mission Avenue was included in the chain’s 2003 closure program. The former retail site later gave way to CarMax redevelopment, and the classic Kmart sign disappeared with the change. Another familiar shopping landmark left the Escondido streetscape. 10-26