February 2026 We visited as the work in Greektown was underway. The construction fencing and photographs were helpful. March 2026 Wayfinding signage helps to direct people around downtown Detroit. The streets are notoriously difficult to navigate due to the radiating avenues from Grand Circus Park. The Griswold Apartments, a modern residential addition built directly on top ofthe pre-existing 10-story 150
Hometown Bank Plaza is a scenic community gathering park located at 203 N Water St. This central plaza was constructed and donated as a gift to the people of Kent by Hometown Bank. It was built in 1998 to celebrate and commemorate the financial institution’s 100th anniversary of community banking in the region (the bank was originally incorporated in 1898).
Birmingham has a core of historic buildings; interesting storefronts with restaurants, bars, and shops; a variety of housing options; and features that make desirable public spaces. Taken together these make the downtown an enjoyable place to visit. The Ford-Peabody Mansion was built in 1878 by Frank Ford and given to his daughter, Alta, a year later when she married Burt
My first visit to New Orleans was in January 2006. As a FEMA contractor I was stationed there a few days because there was no place to stay in Baton Rouge where headquarters was. After returning home I recounted the visit in a series of weekly letters that were published in the Downriver Review. Later in 2012 I wrote a
In 1778, Lambertville was the colonial river crossing village known as Coryell’s Ferry. During the Revolution the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania and camped here from June 2022, 1778, on their way to the battle at Monmouth. St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church has an impressive edifice in the heart of the town. The present structure
The Lackawana Railroad terminal building has been creatively repurposed with a barbeque restaurant and bar. The Montclair Center BID is responsible for revitalization efforts in Montclair. The Montclair Historic Preservation Commission prepared these markers to help people familiarize themselves with historic properties in town. Large scale new development is relatively well integrated with the existing historic building stock. Note the
This handsome station and plaza are a common sight for commuters. One needs to walk a few blocks away to see some exciting things happening. These way-finding signs offer an important amenity, especially for first time visitors. Given their significant size, a missed opportunity is to have something on the back blank side. Given the efforts to position Rahway as
It’s not every day that I get chance to take multiple trains from my home in Metuchen to just across the state line into New York. When visiting for a few short minutes I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Suffern is a town with Revolutionary War ties and today has the character of a commuter town with a
This cast concrete block building on the edge of town makes use of this distinctive building material. Upon entering town this skinny vernacular cottage caught our attention for the detailed spindle work. The town of Occoquan originated in 1758 when John Ballentine built his home Rockledge. Grist mills, a foundry, and tobacco warehouses predominates. During the Civil War, Gen Wade
The entrance into Atlantic City gives a nice sense of arrival with these vertical pylons with stylized letters. A cluster of national chain stores makes it clear this is a shopping destination. The Nike store has pride of place while turning the corner towards the major resorts on the shore. Coach is located in the Tanger Outlets development, basically turning