Web of Stone

A carved spider on the State Capitol, just above the north side of the old Goblin Passage.

State Street Scraper

An iron railing with a boot-scraper on the bottom step. This house actually has the scraper on both sides of the steps, most have only one.

Previously: The Boot-Scraper

Rose Over Broadway

A rose mural adds a little color and charm to a rather dreary (but terribly interesting) stretch of Broadway. Expect a future blog about that brick building itself, too.

The Doctor's Bell

The old bronze doorbell plate on a beautiful red brick and gray granite apartment building on State (just below Lark Street) reads DOCTOR'S BELL.

Art Divided

A broken picture found along Willett Street.

Faces In High Places

I was sitting on the corner of State and Lodge Street over the weekend, staring idly up at the gargoyles on the bell tower of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. I love finding face and whimsical carvings on old building and, sure enough, tiny features caught my eye.

At first, though, I wasn't even sure if it was indeed a face because the carving was so high. But look below the gargoyle's foot and to the left. There's a man's face with a sober expression and a jaunty hat.

There are other carving up there, too...fanciful little creatures. And on the pinnacle just above the gargoyle, looking out into the blue sky, there's a head reminiscent of an Indian Head penny.

I really appreciate these wonderful details which artisans carved in place where few people would even see them.

That Little Building On Broadway

This tiny building stands on Broadway, just opposite Manor Street. It's just a little square brick structure with a tiled roof and boarded-up windows. Someone may have once told me what it was built for, but I couldn't have been more than two or three at the time. So, I'm not sure what it is...something related to railroads? A gatehouse or little office for one of the old industrial buildings that line this stretch of Broadway north of downtown Albany?

The Capitol Dog

An amiable canine face is one of the many carving on the exterior of the New York State Capitol. It can be found on the State Street side of the port-cochere which runs beneath the massive eastern stairs.

Other Capitol carvings I've blogged about:

Capitol Faces
Capitol Cherub

Sheridan Avenue Memorial

Tucked into the corner of Sheridan Avenue and Dove Street, this fenced plot of grass is home to a memorial which (according to a short 2002 piece in the Times Union) honors residents of Albany's 12th Ward who fought and died in World War II.

I remember driving past this corner often as a little girl. At the time, I didn't really distinguish between memorials and mausoleums. Which led to a rather macabre image of fallen soldiers actually entombed inside, just behind that flag. The flag, back then, was smaller and set against a blue background. I'm not sure when it was repainted, but I recall it was quite shabby when I was young.

Look At Me

A bit of graffiti on State Street, just a few steps east of Lark Street. The arrow points to a bit of blank wall and a narrow alley between two buildings. Nothing to look at, really.

The Bicycle Mural

When I was growing up in the late 70s and 80s, there were a number of large murals on buildings around Albany. Today, very few of those massive wall paintings are left. This one, a giant-sized bicycle and rider, can be found on the rear wall of a building at the corner of Washington Avenue and Henry Johnson Boulevard.

Other murals I've blogged in the past include:

The Mural At Madison and Main
A One-Dimensional Neighborhood (this one has since been painted over)

361 State Street

I'm rather fond of named buildings, especially older apartment buildings. This one, The Westerlo, is on State Street just west of Lark Street. A matching plaque on the left of the doorway gives the street number.

Returning To Normal

Though there is still a great deal of debris floating down the muddy and high Hudson River and there is still a vast amount of recovery ahead for communities affected by the post-hurricane floods, some places are returning to normal. The flood waters have drained from this pond along the Corning Preserve, though the surrounding vegetation is still covered with a dusty film of dried mud.