Field Notes – Physical

Earlier we wrote about Wright Robins, the train station he built near Grove Avenue and Henry Street, and his role in the development of the Robinvale neighborhood of Metuchen between Grove Avenue, Woodbridge Avenue, and Jonesdale Avenue. Wright Robins owned the primary house south of Woodbridge Avenue. David Trumbull Marshall...

Where there are suburban streets and single-family houses today, Metuchen once had a number of sizable estates. While most are long gone their memory lives on in street names and written sources. Uplands was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Holden Spear (Upland Ave and Spear St today), Henry Redfield...

The marketspace at Westfield was a holiday market held on six days between December 7 and 22, 2019. The market took over a sizable ground floor space of a two-story building that was previously vacant. Curated vendors brought vitality to this block and surrounding area during one of the busiest...

Cans filling station Taharka Brothers Ice Cream Annoula's Kitchen Old Line Taco Love Grill Royal Farms World Famous Chicken phubs Southside Burger Bar List from Broadway Market website, 1/4/2020 Vikki's Fells Point Deli Sophie's Place European Deli Sal & Son's Seafood Fat Tiger Old Boy The Verandah Taharka Brothers Ice...

This statue has a complex past. Originally part of the monument on Court Street commemorating the Battle of Monmouth, completed on November 13, 1884, it was damaged by lightning on August 15, 1894. The statue was removed and this bust was used as a model for an 1896 replica of...

We only had a short time to visit so focused our walking and looking in the area around Van Andel Arena. This provided a surprisingly lively subject, even if it was a little top heavy with beer-related establishments. Grand Rapids Brewing Company HopCat J. Gardella's Tavern Tavern on the Green...

https://youtu.be/0-v3JLhKy2A This open-air canopy provides a covered space for markets and community events to occur. Loved to see a playful public art element near the market. The murals were simple but effective filling the wall and bringing "a little bit of happy" to those who pass by. Loved this cinder...

The Whiting Forest and their canopy walk are a relatively new addition to the much loved Dow Gardens. So popular, in fact, that my two boys insisted going not once or twice in a single week while visiting - but three separate times. I was lucky they brought me along...

We were invited to Hammonton, New Jersey, to participate in a press conference by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. The purposes was to announce the recently awarded Main Street New Jersey Transformation Grants. While there we discovered a downtown that was experiencing a resurgence driven by entertainment and...

These bistro tables and stools, and a rectangular umbrella show how even the narrowest spaces can be creatively adapted for outdoor dining. While the same building, these storefronts make themselves visually distinct with their differing paint and awnings. On the far right of the photo is a staircase leading to...