It was inevitable…eventually. But it’s still a shame. The bold, celestial blue panels of the Kaufman’s Building in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia are coming down. They looked great as recently as December 2024, when I covered the building as an architectural novelty. Truth be told, it’s really more of a façade novelty, because the original
Country estates. Buffalo trace. Woodland grove. Rolling acres. Everybody is aware of it, even if they haven’t actively noticed it. It’s the adoption of rural, almost pastoral language in suburban place-naming strategy, almost as a hat-tip to what the developers bulldozed yesterday to get the strip malls and split-level ranch homes today. I referenced one
As a general rule I avoid subjects that are extremely timely, that reflect current events as they unfold. First of all, I prefer topics that have more staying power, which is something that rarely characterizes breaking news. Secondly, this blog is always only a side hustle, and, when I begin an article, I never know
As I strive to meet my January quota of five articles (having only achieved two so far for the month), I hesitate to focus on this subject—artifacts along the PA Turnpike—mostly because these contemplations seem to drip with condescension toward smaller towns. Anyone who has read a half-dozen of my articles knows that is not
Through this blog, I strive to be a “noticer”. In many instances, no doubt, I’m realizing shifts or trends that unfolded many years ago, either so slowly that almost everyone failed to notice them (the boiling frog condition), or I’m just slow at catching on. Hopefully not the latter, and preferably neither, as far as
Yes, this article is a filler; I fully confess. The demands of a November where I was out of the country for one-third, sick for another third, then in full Thanksgiving prep mode for the final third has made it hard for me to reach my quota. So I’m cramming this one at the end
It’s been less than a year since my article on the The Block, a small food hall in Annandale, Virginia (part of the affluent Fairfax County suburbs of Washington DC) generated a fair amount of buzz—at least by my blog’s modest standards. At that time I pointed out that The Block had bucked the trends
Crossing the Occoquan River from Prince William County to southern Fairfax County in Northern Virginia doesn’t yield a lot of surprises. Regardless of the county, it’s all suburbia, albeit a lot less dense and urbanized than Arlington County or other parts of Fairfax that are closer to Alexandria and, of course, Washington DC. But, while
I had visited this little shopping center just south of Alexandria, Virginia more than a few times before I ever noticed this bizarre little sign about flying projectiles. It didn’t occur to me during any previous visit, since I normally sat indoors to avoid the scorching summer sun, but apparently some people opt to eat
The historic, eponymous main street of Columbia, South Carolina offers an abundance of smartly preserved three-story buildings, some of which no doubt reflect an effort to preserve the character and details from their post-Civil War time of construction. Most of them look great, and vacancy rates, while far from perfect, are certainly better than a
It was inevitable…eventually. But it’s still a shame. The bold, celestial blue panels of the Kaufman’s Building in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia are coming down. They looked great as recently as December 2024,
Country estates. Buffalo trace. Woodland grove. Rolling acres. Everybody is aware of it, even if they haven’t actively noticed it. It’s the adoption of rural, almost pastoral language in suburban place-naming strategy, almost
As a general rule I avoid subjects that are extremely timely, that reflect current events as they unfold. First of all, I prefer topics that have more staying power, which is something that
As I strive to meet my January quota of five articles (having only achieved two so far for the month), I hesitate to focus on this subject—artifacts along the PA Turnpike—mostly because these
Through this blog, I strive to be a “noticer”. In many instances, no doubt, I’m realizing shifts or trends that unfolded many years ago, either so slowly that almost everyone failed to notice
Yes, this article is a filler; I fully confess. The demands of a November where I was out of the country for one-third, sick for another third, then in full Thanksgiving prep mode
It’s been less than a year since my article on the The Block, a small food hall in Annandale, Virginia (part of the affluent Fairfax County suburbs of Washington DC) generated a fair
Crossing the Occoquan River from Prince William County to southern Fairfax County in Northern Virginia doesn’t yield a lot of surprises. Regardless of the county, it’s all suburbia, albeit a lot less dense
I had visited this little shopping center just south of Alexandria, Virginia more than a few times before I ever noticed this bizarre little sign about flying projectiles. It didn’t occur to me
The historic, eponymous main street of Columbia, South Carolina offers an abundance of smartly preserved three-story buildings, some of which no doubt reflect an effort to preserve the character and details from their