Main Street Now and Places of Worship

Isaac Kremer/ April 19, 2026/ Churches, Civic, Field Notes, Social/ 0 comments

Mary Means when she started Main Street America had three concerns which guided her – caring for historic downtowns, but also courthouses and churches which were threatened with being lost forever. This morning while at mass at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit, I was reflecting on our Main Street network and particularly how the conference is coming to Detroit

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Rebel Nell – Detroit, Michigan

Isaac Kremer/ September 26, 2025/ Economic, Field Notes, Physical, Social, storefront/ 0 comments

Rarely does a store stop me in my tracks because I find it so unique and compelling. Rebel Nell has a physical location in Detroit that doubles as their workshop. They are a social enterprise providing employment to women navigating barriers to work – whether housing insecurity, incarceration, displacement, disability, or other systemic obstacles. Reclaimed materials are taken and transformed

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Teatro dell’Opera – Rome, Italy

Isaac Kremer/ September 5, 2025/ Field Notes, Physical, plaza, Social/ 0 comments

Teatro dell’Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is a theater is located in Rome, Italy, and is known for its iconic 19th-century architecture and lavish productions. The interior features the traditional horseshoe-shaped auditorium with vertically stacked private boxes, ornate gold decorations, and red seating, which creates an intimate atmosphere. Also known as the Teatro Costanzi after its builder Domenico Costanzi, the

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Baths of Caracalla – Rome, Italy

Isaac Kremer/ September 5, 2025/ garden, museum, Physical, preservation, Social/ 0 comments

The Baths of Caracalla (Terme di Caracalla), are an ancient Roman public bath complex in Rome, Italy. The baths are located near the ancient Appian Way, south of the Circus Maximus in Rome. Construction of the vast complex began around 212 AD under Emperor Septimius Severus and was completed by his son Caracalla in 216 AD. They were the second-largest

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2024 Discover Central New Jersey Tourism Conference – Princeton, New Jersey

Isaac Kremer/ March 7, 2025/ beer, Economic, Field Notes, Social/ 0 comments

The meeting focused on promoting Central Jersey tourism, emphasizing agritourism, heritage tourism, and ecotourism as key pillars. Attendees discussed strategies to boost leisure travel, address uneven post-pandemic recovery, and prepare for the U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026. Jamie Volkert from Mercer County Tourism gave an overview of county actions including developing interactive websites, launching a passport program, and fostering collaboration among

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Visit to Baltimore – Baltimore, Maryland

Isaac Kremer/ November 29, 2024/ Field Notes, Physical, public art, Social, storefront, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

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

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Downtown – Lambertville, New Jersey

Isaac Kremer/ October 26, 2024/ downtown, Field Notes, Physical, placemaking, Social/ 0 comments

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

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Downtown – Rahway, New Jersey

Isaac Kremer/ September 4, 2024/ downtown, Field Notes, Physical, plaza, public art, Social, storefront, Writing/ 0 comments

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

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Main Street Now – Birmingham, Alabama (2024), Part 2

Isaac Kremer/ June 1, 2024/ Field Notes, Physical, preservation, Social, Writing/ 0 comments

Earlier we shared our story from arriving in Birmingham through the close of the Opening Plenary on Day 1. This post will cover the time after the Opening Plenary on Monday and before leaving Tuesday afternoon. A full day of programming was available Monday afternoon. I started by heading my way to the Shuttlesworth Screening. Despite being late, I was

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