City Mouse

The Garage: Rec Room or the New Front Door?

2009-04-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

Since society has become dependent on cars, the garage has become an essential part of the household architecture. While they may not be used solely for cars anymore, it seems weird to see a house without a garage nearby. Every house in my neighborhood either had an attached garage or one on their property. Here is the progression of the garage as viewed in the northern part of Lancaster, my hometown:

At first, garages seemed more of an afterthought, hidden behind the home or built as a separate entity. This garage seems more like a shed than a garage, and it doesn't even match the house's style, as the roof is facing a completely different way.

This garage is still detached, but at least has the same color and gable as the rest of the house.

I don't know what to call this... semi-attached garage? Not sure how well that covered walkway protects these homeowners from blowing snow/rain that comes at you sideways.

Finally, an attached garage! While this house is the same style as the one above it, I would guess the garage wasn't originally attached. However, the hallway-mudroom was probably built later on to utilize the garage as an entrance instead of just somewhere to store junk.

Maybe it is because I am just used to parking my car in the garage and heading into my kitchen, but I believe many people in my neighborhood utilize their garage entrance more than the front door. Unless you are the unlucky teenage driver who has to park in the driveway, most garages are the main entrance/exit in my area. This is a big plus on those snowy nights or below-freezing days when I don't have to scrape my windows off because I was parked in the garage all night, away from the elements! I also think if you read the Home Finder looking for a house in the suburbs, realtors/sellers no longer need to specify that garages are included, or even attached for that matter; I think it is just expected.

This breezeway from the garage to the main part of the house allows a nice view of the backyard from the street... These people now have three front entrances to their home. Where to ring the doorbell if you're selling candy bars?

This also seems to be another added-on mudroom, though the stairs give the side entrance a front entrance feel.

This home, (probably built between 1988-2000 like most homes in my development) appears to have a mudroom. However, it is nothing more than a walk through door into the garage, indicating this may be a 2.5 car garage and a fraud?

Jackson briefly discussed the three-car garage. I agree that it makes the home look larger and gives the indication of more wealth. A few of these homes do have more than two cars, yet often they are parked in the driveway because the three-car garage has become a basement addition (meaning that it stores a lot of stuff, leaving no room for cars!).

Another trend seems to be the attempt to hide the garage and make the door not visible from the street view of the home. Maybe it is so the house appears to be larger than it really is; a number of the homes pictured above even put drapes/shades in the garage windows so it looks like the rest of the house. Most of the homes pull off the look from a dead-on view, but the last two houses pictured failed, as they are actually on a corner lot. Everyone can clearly see their "front" facade is a fake as the garage is visible from the side street.

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, some homes seem to feature the garage as an element of the home. By building on top of the garage, as is so vital in the raised-ranch style, homeowners can utilize upward space on a narrow lot (much like skyscraper developers).

Other home builders seem to push the garage way further out in front than the rest of the home. It must also be to maximize square footage by building back into the lot, as in the ranch pictured above. The second home's garage seems to be wider than the front of the home itself. (Dolores Hayden calls these homes "snout houses", which I think is very appropo.)

Of course, the garage is no longer just for a car or storage. Many homes have converted their garages into family rooms or rec rooms. My aunt actually knocked part of her garage out to build a master bedroom on the bottom floor; she still has a garage door, and the house looks the same from the outside but since the garage is shallower, she can no longer park a car in there. Also, there are a number of homes on my street which have screened-in garages in the summer. I don't know if this is a Buffalo thing, but it's very common to see people playing ping pong or sitting on lawn chairs inside their garage through a screen in the summer. When the Sabres were in the playoffs (seems like a loooong time ago) screened-in garage parties were the norm, as the weather was breaking and rec rooms had invaded the parking spaces. A popular example of the all-purpose garage is that of Tim "the Toolman" Taylor on Home Improvement. He used his attached garage as a workshop, mostly for his hotrod restoration project, but in Season 1, episode 21, Jill invaded the "man space" with a pottery wheel and aromatherapy candles. I couldn't find the episode anywhere online, maybe one of you will have better luck; it's called "A Battle of Wheels." Jill also used the garage for laundry, especially after Tim souped up the washing machine.

Home, Home in a Ranch

2009-03-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular vernacular house styles of the '50s and '60s was the ranch. Some general characteristics, from antiquehome.org, include:

**single story**, asymmetry, horizontally oriented to the street, hipped or gabled roof, minimal ornamentation, made of natural construction materials, and "new" amenities such as attached garages, sliding glass doors, and huge picture windows.
On the inside, a ranch features open floor plans with living room, dining areas, and family rooms blending into one another, and bedrooms clustered into another portion of the house.

Continuing on my journey through Depew/Cheektowaga (see previous post), I was able to find examples of many a '50s-'60s ranch. These pictures were taken in many neighborhoods off of George Urban Blvd. and Dick Road. Many different neighborhoods featured the same type of ranch, possibly demonstrating the same builder in different phases of his development.

The first three homes are basic cubical ranches with a hipped roof. The second and third have added wooden porches, possibly the smallest example of the "rambling" aspect of a ranch. The second and third homes have also updated by siding their homes, as most of the other ranches in their areas were made of brick (being from this neighborhood, I know the homes were originally brick).

These two homes from my childhood street, Jane Lane (in a neighborhood of girls' names, my street was the only one that rhymed) show the original porches, with the second being enclosed (also known as the house which always gave out apples for trick or treat on beggars' night, as Depew's trick or treat was on Oct. 30, not Halloween). The first features a two-car garage, which was an original option.

These three homes feature another option: the pushed-forward garage. This allowed for either a larger backyard or patio, or, more likely, a family room.

These next three ranches show a gabled roof with the ever-important picture window. Notice not all of them have attached garages.

These homes are less of the cube style, as they clearly form a rectangle shape. Legend has it that as land became cheaper, ranches were built on wider and wider lots, allowing for more street frontage and the loss of the square shape. The second brings a whole new meaning to "rambling ranch", as they ran out of room on the first story and apparently opted to ramble up and add a single bedroom on the second.

Little Pink Houses for You and Me

2009-03-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

Ah, the good old American dream: capitalize on the freedom you are guaranteed by this nations to work hard so you can buy a nice house for yourself and your family. Yet for many, the American dream transformed into the American nightmare, as the widespread sharing of this dream led to mass conformity. Criticism of this mass conformity began almost as soon as the dream started to be realized, as Malvina Reynolds wrote "Little Boxes" in 1962. Walking down Stevenson and Rosedale Blvds. off Millersport Highway (Grover Cleveland), the similarities between houses that show conformity were clearly evident. Most often, homes that were right next door to each other looked the most similar; apparently keeping up with the Joneses was a serious matter in this neighborhood.

These two homes, which are right next door to each other, have exactly the same frame, with the peak over the top right window and the semi-centered entrance. However, a few differences can be seen, such as paint color, addition/removal of shutters, and the option of a side entrance.

These homes, just across the street from the ones described above, offer the same little box shape with awning and porch options. We can possibly interpret this as a backlash against conformity; because the original owners may have had similar jobs, social activities, and family lives, an attempt at making their house their own and trying to add individual touches was possibly their only escape. However, it is clearly evident that the houses "all look just the same."

Still on Stevenson, you can see another type of house that wasn't exactly the same as the first style, but still has clones on the block. Once again, the side entrance and front step railings were an option to give homeowners a chance to "look different" from their neighbor, even though it was just a small change.

To continue with the discussion of house ornamentation, these homes on Stevenson in Amherst had the decorative bird which dominates Cheektowaga/Depew. Clearly the eagle has landed in another town, leaving the "Polish" theory open for debate.

Speaking of the Depew area, I know the neighborhood I grew up in definitely fit the "Little Boxes" conformity style. The following pictures are from Fairview Drive, Beverly Drive, and Alys Drive West, all off of George Urban Blvd. near Transit Road. Each picture is a different house, although you may not believe it.

Clearly each of these houses has the same floor plan and layout. They are all one story homes with no basement. While differences have been made with siding choices, brick patterns, or awnings, it is evident that each home came from the same cookie cutter and simply put on their own choice of frosting. This last red house was probably the most famous home in my entire grammar school. I took a close-up of the front window because if you look closely, it appears there are people looking back at me through it. However, these are not people, but mannequins. For as long as I and any OLBS alum can remember, the owners of this home have had full-size mannequins in the window, occasionally they change their outfits according to the season or holiday. In a neighborhood of conformity, this is sure one way to stick out! It has obviously worked, because discussions before the first bell would always include a mannequin update at every grade level. No other homes in the area got so much recognition.

Landmade vs. manmade

2009-02-24T16:56:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to travel to Europe, you must be interested in manmade/historical sites, at least according to Orbitz's top 10 European travel packages. (http://www.orbitz.com/App/PerformMDLPDealsContent?deal_id=europe&cnt=PKH) Say, for instance, you want to go to England. Clearly you need to sign up for the "TOTAL LONDON EXPERIENCE," Orbitz's #1 European travel package, which features Westminster Abbey, the changing of the guard, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London (to see the crown jewels, of course!), Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. You will not see any nature, even though you will be stopping at Covent Garden on this excursion. However, for those of you, like myself, who have never been to London, you shouldn't expect to see any plants in the Garden unless they are for sale. Upon further investigation, I discovered that Covent Garden is a piazza with shops and street performers, not rose bushes or trees. Even mention of the Thames River in the package details makes sure to let you know you can see the views of landmarks such as the Globe Theater or London Bridge (it apparently has not fallen down yet) while on the cruise.
The same type of deal is found in the #2 most popular travel package- Simply Paris. Here you will be immersed in the same type of sightseeing, stopping at the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, and strolling/shopping on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the most expensive real-estate areas in Paris. This package bills Paris as "historic," "romantic," and "fashionable." Once again, the only mention of nature is the Seine River, from which you can see all the monuments. Europe offers history and landmarks associated with its history.

The opposite is true if you're coming to America for a vacation from Europe (at least from Spain, as I used my Spanish skills and the website Destinia.) (http://www.destinia.com/www/searches/index.php) Apparently the only places of interest in Los Estados Unidos are New York City and a few select cities on the East Coast, and the "natural wonders" of the Western U.S. With the Western package, travelers will see every natural landform possible, including Yosemite National Park, valleys, waterfalls, forests, the Grand Canyon, and the Colorado River. Even when heading to Las Vegas, the travelers won't be hitting the casinos! They're going to see the desert and the agricultural communities who live/work there. In Santa Barbara, the travelers are more interested in the palm trees and beaches than the city itself. A day trip to Phoenix allows travelers to see Southwestern architecture, which may be of interest to Spaniards since it was Spain who colonized the area and they can see how their ancestors left a mark in the "New World."
Trips to the East Coast offer more of the same landscape-oriented destinations, such as the "legendary" Catskill Mountains (did anyone reading this ever know this mountain range was legendary???), Niagara Falls (by way of the Maid of the Mist), and, my personal favorite, the agricultural zone of Pennsylvania.
Cities take a backseat to America's natural wonders, except when they are important to our national birth. Washington, D.C. is a big draw for Arlington, the Washington Monument, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Casa Blanca. A stop in Philly is vital because it is where "the original 13 colonies declared their independence". Five of the seven packages offer stops in New York City, in order to see the rascacielos, or skyscrapers (as we know Europe doesn't have many). It's curious that the top destinations in America are mostly natural, as America was one of the sources of natural resources in the age of exploration, and institutions of their ideas of democracy, which is arguably the greatest export, at least the most far-reaching, and when Americans travel to England, they seem to want to see institutions of the government from which they rebelled. In many ways, travellers to/from Europe/America seem to be stuck in the Columbian trade agreement.

Dollhouse

2009-02-18T08:29:00.001-08:00

I drive past this house every day on my way to/from just about anywhere. It is located in Lancaster just outside of my circa 1980s subdivision, and its backyard actually meets up with backyards of the houses on my street. While many other people in the area have cookie cutter "suburban" houses, this home, to me, is reminiscient of the dream dollhouse I wanted for my Barbies growing up. It looks like an Eastlake version of the Queen Anne style with all that woodwork on the porch. I'm sure this house was one of the first built in the area and predates any home in "Heritage Heights" or whatever other named neighborhood is close by. As if the house wasn't over the top already, it used to have carousel horses (think merry-go-round in the Boulevard Mall) on display on the porch railing. No word on why they were removed, but those horses definitely took house adornments to a whole new level.

House Hide and go Seek

2009-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

The city of Buffalo is known for its gorgeous architecture, and it is easy to admire the charm of its old houses. It is much more difficult to try to find a specific type of architectural style since there are so many styles and so many homes. I believe I found some bungalows, a Prairie style home, a Sullivanesque style home, a few Stick style homes and an abundance of Queen Anne styles.

Queen Anne examples: This home at 614 West Ferry is asymmetrical, has an abundance of materials and colors, and also features a conical tower. What I liked most was the buffalo weather vane on the tower's finial.

This house at 65 Bidwell Pkwy. is also asymmetrical and has a conical tower. Its tall chimney and front porch are also characteristic of the Queen Anne style. It seems to me that the right peak has more of a Dutch style, and I doubt that awning was part of the original design.

This business at 1074 Elmwood Ave. may have been a home originally. Its polygonal tower and dormer window are Queen Anne touches.
This house at 72 Woodward Ave. also has a tall chimney and a conical tower. It also features a number of different building materials. It was actually being rehabbed as I snapped the picture, as evidenced by the man hanging out of the tower window. Though they were working inside, I wonder if that second story porch was an original asset.

Stick Style Examples:

This home at 44 Lincoln Parkway looks like an Eastern Stick style house with its external bracing, projecting gable, and whatever is protruding from the roof peaks.

This house at 23 Burbank Terrace has knee braces on the porch and struts/diagonal braces under the roof and between the second and third stories.

Prairie Style Examples:

This home at 625 Bird Ave. is a low two-story home with a widely protruding roof and large central fireplace characteristic of a Prairie style home. The last picture shows a close-up of the horizontal windows with stained panes in geometric patterns.

Bungalow Style Examples:

These bungalows at 83 and 79 Chenango are actually being rehabbed at this very moment. The top bungalow is an almost complete renovation that still holds true to the 1.5 story style, yet appears to have added a front porch with tapered porch posts, true to the design of bungalow style. The second home has yet to have exterior work done on it, and you can see the difference in porches from one house to the next. I bet the old bungalows didn't have central air, as these are advertising.

Sullivanesque Examples:

This home at 356 Richmond Ave. looks Sullivanesque to me. The enrichment along the flat roof and above the rectangular windows and the protruding roof were all reminiscent of the Guaranty Building, which was built by Sullivan himself. I don't think that porch was part of the original home, nor were the skylights.

Unknown Styles:
I know there are a million houses out there that resemble this house at 33 Burbank Terrace, but I don't know what to call it. Since it is such a common style I feel it should be identified or recognized by another architectural guide book other than the Blumenson one I used. Maybe its style didn't originate in America?

This home at 51 Burbank Terrace also was tough to identify. It almost looks like a Dutch Colonial home to me, but looked very out of place on this street. Maybe at one time it was someone's barn.

Other interesting houses:

This home at 91 Middlesex seems to be built in the New England Colonial style, with the second story overhanging the first and the triangles on the side of the house. Yet with its symmetry, it also looks like a Classical Revival home.

Finally, this home at 20 Lincoln Parkway reminded me of the class when we learned about different brick patterns. These spacers look smaller than normal bricks and the headers are protruding and look as though they have been painted or are a different type of brick altogether.

Initial Aspect

2009-02-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

Going back to Friday's discussion of house adornments, I decided to take a drive down George Urban Blvd. in Depew to snap a few pictures of the deocrations.

Since I grew up close to this neighborhood, I drove past this house every day on my way to elementary school. I liked to imagine that the K stood for Katie, but now reason gives way to me thinking this house must belong to a family whose last name begins with K.

This house is just a few away from the K's house. I don't know who decorated their house first, but the K's and the S's seem to have a case of keeping up with the Joneses.

This home is also right in the same area. Though it isn't adorned with an initial, it does have a bird in the "pediment" (had this been a Greek Revival house). My own personal theory, though I'm not sure if this is even close to being true, is that this bird could be an eagle. Going along with our hypothesis that house adornment is a Polish-American custom, this makes sense, as the eagle is one of Poland's national symbols (it's on the coat of arms and on special civil flags). If this had been taken in the spring, I'm sure there would be many more lawn decorations present, as they usually abound on this street. However, if you look closely, you can see windchimes on the left side hanging from the roof. For more examples of inital adornments, George Urban Blvd. turns into Columbia after it crosses Transit Road heading east and there are a few houses with initials there. Heading down George Urban near the Galleria Mall (George Urban east of Union and west of Dick Road area) I believe there are a few more.

Skyscrapers vs. Green Space

2009-02-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

Rome, Italy, and New York City are two of the most desirable travel destinations (at least in my mind.) There is a saying that goes, "If the United States is today's Roman Empire, New York City would be Rome itself." Yet in the following pictures, it seems that there are many differences between the ancient capital and the modern-day metropolis.

This is a view of Midtown Manhattan all lit up at dusk.

Here is a view of downtown Manhattan.

Here is another angle of downtown Manhattan with the Brooklyn Bridge in the forefront.

Here is another view of downtown Manhattan across the East River.

These views of Rome can be seen from St. Peter's Basilica.

When I think of a metropolis, I think of urban space with high-rises and skyscrapers dominating the terrain. New York City is the picture-perfect example of my interpretation. When looking at pictures of Rome, I can't help but asking "Where are the skyscrapers?" The tallest building looks to be, at the most, ten stories. The steeples and domes of churches seem to tower over most of the surrounding structures. I can't help but think of how St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue is dwarfed by the infinite skyscrapers and note the stark contrast between the cathedral and the churches in the top picture of Rome. Another difference is that Rome seems to have ample green space, trees, and grasses, even along what appears to be the streets. Maybe it's because Manhattan is pressed for space since it's an island, but I can't recall trees in any US city unless they were a part of an urban-area park or in a "square". Another big difference I can't help but noticing is the lack of water in pictures of Rome, and the abundance of it in the images of New York. Once again, it's possible to attribute that to the island geography of Manhattan, but Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Baltimore are all located on the water. I know the Fiume runs through Rome, but the city is essentially land-locked and is pretty far from the coast in comparison to US cities. No wonder the Romans utilized the acqueduct! I wonder if this is because "all roads lead to Rome" and therefore the transport system was on land, in contrast to US cities which depended heavily on water to transport goods. Based on this theory, Eastern seaboard cities could also then attribute trans-Atlantic trade to their coastal locations.

My Big Fat Greek Revival

2009-02-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

The Parthenon is in the upper echelon of ancient architectural structures. Its columns, pediment, and overall style has been mimicked for centuries. Buffalo is home to a multitude of examples of Greek Revival examples, from buildings that are almost exact interpretations of the Parthenon to some structures that have a vague trace of one of its details.

The Dr. E. J. Meyer Building at 135 Linwood Ave. in Buffalo is a pretty close rendition of the Parthenon's shape with a modern paint job.

Just about a block away from the Meyer building, you can find another close replica of the Parthenon at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural site. This building is located at 641 Delaware Ave., close to its intersection with North St. One major difference between this site and the Parthenon, however, is its flat columns compared to the fluted ones of the Parthenon.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery on Elmwood Ave. near Delaware Park is another example of a pretty literal interpretation of the Parthenon style.

Just across the 198 from the art gallery is the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, which features a sculpture in the pediment, just like the Parthenon. Both also have Doric style columns, and, to me, this is the closest large-scale replication of the Parthenon in Buffalo.

A number of mausoleums in Forest Lawn Cemetery, also near Delaware Park, are miniature versions or variations of the Parthenon. Above are examples with Doric columns. The second-to-last of that set is the Birge Memorial, and the final one is the Letchworth-Skinner Memorial.

This mini-Parthenon is pretty close to the real thing, but its columns are Ionic style instead of Doric style.

This mausoleum has Corinthian style columns.

This is the Williams-Butler House, just across the street from the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration Site at the intersection of Delaware Ave. & North St.

Though it may not look like the Greek style from far away, this mansion at 540 Delaware Ave. near Allen St. has Ionic style columns surrounding its center entrance.

This mansion, also on Delaware Ave., also has Greek style columns along its front entrance. This mansion is located where Delaware and Edward St. intersect, and is just another example of Greek Revival in the area, which includes the Dr. E. J. Meyer Building, the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration Site, the Williams-Butler House, and the mansion at 540 Delaware Ave. I'd say there were a few instances of keeping up with the Joneses going on at the time of this revival in Buffalo.

While the Greater Buffalo Savings Bank hardly resembles the Parthenon, it does have examples of Corinthian style columns. This building, known affectionately in my family as the Gold Top Building, is located downtown at the intersection of Washington St., Genesee St., and East Huron St.

The Guaranty Building at Church St. & Pearl St. is one of Buffalo's greatest architectural gems. To me, the ornamentation along the top and the columns seem like the capital of a Corinthian style pillar.

This building at 110 Franklin St. downtown has a pediment just like the Parthenon. It also has modillions and dentils, which are decorative border features along the pediment.

Lastly, this home at 160 Windsor Ave. close to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery looks like a mix of the Greek Revival and Georgian styles. Its Ionic columns are definitely Greek-inspired, but the symmetric windows and the third-story attic windows are reminiscent of a number of pictures from Friday's class. Looks like the design plan was all Greek to the architect.

A "proper" home with money and class would not scream anything.

2009-01-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Dark brick, tudor details, well-maintained landscaping even in the dead of a Buffalo winter are exemplary of a house that screams money and class. The tree-lined street, appearance of a third story, and lantern-style light post add to its already evident "old money" vibe. Its corner location and spacious lot would convince me to buy, buy, buy, in a heartbeat (or at least make an offer) if I had the resources. One drawback: no attached garage. Another: I couldn't seem to even find the driveway.

Walking down Elmwood

2009-01-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

Though Buffalo is not as bustling of a city as, say, New York, the side walks are still pretty crowded. Here, though, they are filled not with people so much as things. Receptacles, boxes of all kinds, decorations, plants, and, of course in this technological age, machines, all cram themselves onto the pedestrian walkways in our city. Elmwood Avenue is no exception.
Patriotic symbols, most notably the American flag, have decorated streets in metropoleis and small towns alike for centuries. Machines such as the payphone, however, had not existed in any form prior to about 1850 when the telephone was first dreamed up. Telephones were probably kept indoors for many years and probably would not be located out on the street. With the inception of cell phones, pay phones will soon be rendered obsolete (as per the fate of the phone booth.)Parking pay stations are another symbol of technological change in the street environment. Taking over the job of the defunct parking meters, these electronic enforcers are a recent development to an age-old idea: cities collecting money from their citizens.
Street signs have probably been around for centuries, along with decorative touches which attempt to beautify the urban landscape. Items such as the light post banner and its mini sculpture are artsy additions to the eclectic Elmwood ambiance, whereas the red Christmas bow is probably more true to decorations past.

Sidewalks aren't the only passageways that span the space between store and curb. Stairs invade the area in many forms; for reaching a cellar apartment and for fleeing from a burning building (or for dancing on if you're a Rent fan.) I would hope fire escapes have been standard additions to street scenery since the skyscraper took hold!

Bus stop shelters are a welcome development for those frequenters of mass transit. Though they may have had ancestors in the streetcar/trolley era, these protective people receptacles probably haven't existed in any form for more than a century.

Patios, much like stairs, are an intrusion into the sidewalk's territory. Yet they are welcomed by many restaurant-goers (more likely in the summer than in the winter, at least in Buffalo). However, every little intrusion on someone else's property has to be accounted for, usually monetarily. Just ask those restaurant owners who put bleachers on their roofs overlooking Wrigley Field how much that accountability affects their accounts.

Benches have been in existence long before the bus stop shelter, but if I had to choose yesterday, I would go with modernity and not the cold. One fixture on Elmwood's landscape has been around longer than any of the buildings, signs, or boxes: Snow.

Mailboxes are a convenient addition to the urban landscape, except after 5PM when you've missed the last pick-up of the day. Graffiti has existed for centuries, but in other forms. Just think of how easy it is for someone to pick up a sharp stone or pocket knife and carve initials into a tree trunk. Newspaper boxes have replaced the paper boy standing on his soapbox selling the latest edition and yelling out the headlines.

That electronic crosswalk button renders obsolete the crossing guard. Just another example of how society is substituting technology for personal contact. Fire hydrants are a must, and probably are here to stay for quite some time. However, fire alarm boxes seem to be on their way out (once again due in large part to the cell phone). I heard in my home town they were being removed, but on Elmwood they're thriving, at least for now.

Bike racks are a site for sore eyes, whether they belong to anyone nostalgic for their youth or those who have gone green. They must have replaced the hitching post.

Book drop-boxes are welcome features of the urban landscape, especially those who aren't too busy to read but are too busy to go into the library.

While Elmwood seems to have a lot of street furniture, it is still missing a few items. There are no power lines hanging along the side of the road. In Stilgoe's opinion, Buffalo must be a "real city." Well, at least it is to someone. Yet one element of a real city that seems to be missing from the sidewalk is the stairway up from/down to the subway station. If only I had walked down Main St. I could have seen the train in action..

Forgotten New York

2009-01-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hi all! This is my first attempt at blogging and I just wanted to share with you this website which I found very interesting. It's called Forgotten New York and you can reach it here: http://www.forgotten-ny.com/. It's got a lot of stories and secrets about "Old" Manhattan and many neighborhoods in the surrounding boroughs, including everything from the not-so-glamorous history of Times Square, or, "The Deuce", as the stretch of 42nd between 6th and 8th was called, to the gentrification/squatter riots in the late '80s in Tompkins Square Park, and the story behind the narrow 9 1/2 ft. residence at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in the Village. It can help you find remnants of yesterday in its section dedicated to locating cobblestone streets still in existence, and it points out the history behind streetlights in its lamps section. Though I'm not from downstate, I still love to visit the city (I try not to be an annoying tourist but I think it's inevitable), and I hope those of you from the area can find out a little about your hometown, those of you who may visit the city in the future will find something new to see, and even if you're not headed there anytime soon, there's tons of intriguing pages and pictures to flip through. Who knows, it may even help out with something for this seminar! Enjoy, I know I did, and if you're heading out to take pictures for this week, make sure you bundle up! It was cold out there today on Elmwood when I was taking pictures. I recommend picking an area where there is a coffee shop nearby to keep warm...