We arrived early – well before the announced start time at 730pm. As the crowd filtered in things were orderly. Volunteers shared a qr code with links to a festival map and schedule. Walking around the building before the show i commented on the pegasus with sea tail. We found our spot up close and to the left of center.
Baltimore has a distinctive character with rowhouses lining many blocks. This self-serve pop-up to sell fresh flowers is an interesting way to activate public spaces and provide a service, while earning some revenue. We wanted to try an ice cream place but it was closed. So we tried the best chocolate covered berries in Baltimore. Was fun to have a
Dr. Phillips Center and plaza are an important cultural amenity in Orlando. This massive light pylon with curved glass panels creates a sense of excitement when people visit the plaza in front of the center. Across the street in City Hall Plaza is POP! – a temporary public art installation with five towering monoliths that hold playful creatures that come
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
One of the first things we noticed upon arriving were the somewhat cluttered parking and mobile payment signs. Once feature that we liked, however, was the mobile directory sign with QR code. This provides a trackable measurement for visitation to the downtown. We visited the Lion’s Roar Brewing Co., a little bit off of the beaten path. Overall we enjoyed
Increasingly malls are becoming locations for innovation beyond the traditional model of long corridors lined with stores. We were pleased to find public art and a community hub on a recent visit to Bridgewater Commons in Bridgewater, New Jersey. British multi-disciplinary artist Lois O’Hara hand painted this expansive 75-foot art mural. Her vibrant and diverse practice takes in large scale
On a recent visit to New York a slow down allowed us to take in the Lincoln Tunnel approach from New Jersey. Somber preparations has begun for the 9/11 commemorations. I’ve always admired the Art Deco style pylons. We made a quick stop at Gotham West Market with different food vendors. Chrissy & Ed had Mexican. T and I chose
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
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
During a visit to Dallas we were able to drop in with our friends at Better Block. Between our last visit and this one they upgraded to a larger space. Their methodology has also been refined. Typically a 150 plus day pre-build process helps to define what people want to see happen in places they work. Then during an intensive