Blog Archives
The fashion district
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
Always good advice
Yes, I would concur with these instructions.
somewhere in southern England
photographed 10.2007
Where do white doors lead?
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
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
Rooflines
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!
