We were only in Richmond long enough to catch a hotel room for the night and to say hello to some new people the next morning. While visiting I did my best to see the sights and catch a few other quick observations. Waking up to the Virginia State Capitol across from my hotel was a welcome start to the
Throughout my career it has been my pleasure to work with Main Street America. This week I was pleased to see a quote attributed to me at the top of the Main Street America Weekly e-blast that goes out to downtown revitalization leaders nationally. My full quote about the Main Street America Academy follows: This is a huge gift to
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
From the train sheds it is a short walk into the station. Whereas other stations are functional, this one is attractive to bringing people in like kings and queens. Warrington Plaza recognizes the planner who helped to start the NJ Transit system with the Hoboken station as the first property. This bank with Roman Ionic pilasters and parapet with enrichment