Category Archives: architecture

The fashion district

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I went to an urban planning conference in Los Angeles; a tour guide went on and on (and on and on) every time we passed by buildings that had seen better days. He would always say the building was in the process of becoming loft apartments. Loft apartments! By my estimate, based on how many future loft apartments he pointed out, there will be approximately one billion people living in downtown LA.

That’ll be something to see.

And yes: urban planning conferences ARE this exciting. The next one is in Chicago – you might want to attend. But if you don’t go, I will let you know the loft apartment situation there….

Los Angeles, California

PS – I am pretty sure this building had yet to be transformed into L.A. (loft apartments, I mean).

photographed 4.15.2013

Where do white doors lead?

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Near downtown Lamesa, if you wander down the right street, you’ll find this side yard of a business. There’s something about that white door that seems a bit menacing….

Lamesa, Texas

photograped 3.19.2012

Nice place; needs work

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Unfortunately, houses in this state of disrepair are not an uncommon sight in West Texas. At some point, it’s just cheaper, I guess, to abandon the old place and move into a mobile home.

near Fort Stockton, Texas

photographed 1.21.2013

Marfa: the men’s cafe

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Of course this place is really called Carmen’s Cafe. But the shot was more interesting with the c-a-r gone.

It also was less interesting in black and white, more interesting in color, and most interesting in this sort of faded look.

Do you worry that I am losing my edge with the non-stop black and white? After all it was only one week ago that I posted another color shot. Both of them were taken in Marfa – maybe Marfa is making me do it….

Marfa, Texas

photographed 1.18.2013

Rooflines

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I guess that we all knew it was just a matter of time before I posted another shot taken in an alley.

This alley is just off the main street in Marfa; I took the photograph at the request of my traveling companion. I add that to try to show that I am NOT the only one walking around alleys. But my companion would probably not have been in the alley unless I’d turned down it first, so my position re. alleys remains a little weak.

Marfa, Texas

photographed 1.18.2013

Important Update/Rebuttal
The previously-mentioned traveling companion offers the following rebuttal re. alleys and my allegations regarding her use – or lack – of them. Also, her daughter’s name is Allison, which will make sense in a minute:

As a New Orleans native, I absolutely and without reservation argue that I discovered and appreciated alleys long before you, despite both your greater number of trips around the sun and your upbringing in the ever fascinating country of West Texas.

To wit: every space between the shotgun houses of my youth is an alley; I personally explored most of the ones between St. Charles and Magazine, Audubon Park and jJefferson Avenue in my first ten years and haven’t stopped loving that alley feeling since.

Alleys were for forts, hiding, eating candy from Mr. Landry’s so your mother wouldn’t take it away (and eat it herself!), games of little boys and girls, playing our own home grown version of tag called “infintrationality,” hiding, walking through to look for discarded stuff.

Alleys are literally cooler and I remember that physical sense of relief in getting out of the sun.

Also: I named my second child what?

I think she rests her case!