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
Knox Street in Dallas, Texas repeats the same design on either side of the light pole. At one level it makes the brand colors, logo, and social channels more prominent. At another level it is a missed opportunity to have a more design driven treatment with different content, colors, or messaging on either side of the poles. The district is
Cleveland Plaza is a level of architectural intervention unusual for an older building. The canopy on steel and reinforced concrete armature gives a neat hat atop this structure. I was fortunate to get a peek into St. Michaels church down the block. The stained glass, while narrow and compact, had themes and coloration that made them stand out. Religious statuary
Toms River proudly displays how they are one of approximately two dozen Main Street New Jersey communities in the state on the entry signage to their downtown. As the county seat for Ocean County there is a preponderance of offices here for the county, the Municipality, various organizations, and many lawyers. A small entertainment and restaurant scene is here also
Ron Jon Surf Shop is the undisputed anchor for Cocoa Beach. There are a number of other businesses – both bars and restaurants – that contribute to a festive atmosphere downtown. Area142 is an outdoor performing arts venue with a private bar space for more contained activities. The “Downtown Cocoa Beach Main Street” mural has a googie aesthetic. Painting was
We drove from New Jersey for a chance to see one of the three Great American Main Street Award winners for that year. My colleague Hannah Davis joined me to give a tour of Florence to me and my two kids who were travelling with me. Right away we were struck by the presence of large institutions like this one,
Millburn has an ideal location, close to New York City and at the foot of the South Mountain Reservation. There are many assets here including the Paper Mill Playhouse and the Greenwood Gardens not too far away from the downtown. Here are a few highlights from a recent visit. Fantastical Garden, 2022 This sculpture by Dan Fenelon has signature vivid
As a frequent visitor to the Jersey Shore, we’d often pass through Point Pleasant Beach on our way to the shore. When an opportunity came up to visit and learn more about the revitalization happening there – it was too great of an opportunity to pass by. Right away we were struck by the incredible landmark quality historic buildings. This
Lawrenceville is a small town with a few blocks of commercial buildings. Most are transitional residential type buildings that have been repurposed for commercial uses. One of the nice features of the town are passageways connecting parking to the rear with the street. This is because the residential buildings were detached from one another giving space between them to walk.