Established 1867

The sign on B. Lodge & Co. at the corner of North Pearl and Columbia Streets.

All Over Albany took a look inside this old-school clothing store.

The founder's son, Douglas, was killed in the Civil War and is buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.

A Dandelion Crown

The flowers are already withered, but someone took the time to weave a rather intricate wreath around the base of a traffic signal on the corner of Eagle and State Streets.

Spring Fountains

The weather is finally getting warm and the fountains on the Empire State Plaza are splashing high.

Wood Duck

A handsome (and slightly wary) wood duck saunters along the edge of Washington Park lake.  Mallards and Canadian geese are more common here and this is the first wood duck I've spotted in the park.

The Stockade Line

Another segment of the line marking the boundary of the old Albany stockade that was laid out during the city's Tricentennial in 1986.  This one cuts diagonally across Steuben Street above North Pearl.

JC

This older building on Central Avenue bears the letters J and C between the windows on its third story.  Perhaps these were the initials of the original owner or builder.

397 State Street

The work of architect Henry Hobson Richardson (best known locally for City Hall), the Grange Sard house is rich with details, including this decorative carving above the arched entrance.  It features a coiled snake, two fierce stylized animal heads, and two human faces which are said to be likenesses of stove manufacturer Grange Sard, Jr. and his wife. 

The Diner Sign

The sign above the old Quintessence Diner at New Scotland and Dana Avenues is dark; the beautiful old diner is closed and the property one of several recently acquired by the ever-expanding Albany Medical Ceneter.  While I wasn't a big fan of the diner's most recent incarnation, the building itself is a terrific classic diner and it would be wonderful if it could be moved instead of demolished.

Egg Horizon

Looking up at the Empire State Plaza

The Toothless Lion

The eyes of this lion on the State Capitol are still fierce, but he's long since lost his teeth.  I remember seeing short, broken stumps in his mouth when I was very little, but even those are gone now.  The buffalo on the opposite side of the Capitol is likewise missing his horns.

The Eye of Horus

The Eye of Horus - an Ancient Egyptian symbol of protection - looks out from a State Street window.

A Faux Fossil

A prehistoric snail creeps along the facade of City Hall.  It's yet another one of the many creatures and faces carved on H.H. Richardson's Romanesque building.

AC 65

Alexander Calder's Triangles and Arches is a familiar sight in the southernmost of the reflecting pools on the Empire State Plaza (and rather in need of a fresh coat of paint).  And, if you look at the just the right angle, you can see the artist's initials on one of the massive black panels.

Over

Graffiti on the vacant remnant of the Wellington Hotel.  This was the Annex on Howard Street (directly behind the main part of the hotel.)  The larger, newer building in the background is the State Comptroller's Office.

Another view (from 2011)

Filling Up

Now that Spring is (finally) here and the main platform of the Empire State Plaza is open again, the reflecting pools are being filled this week.  It won't be long before we see the fountains on.

E-Comm Dog

A stoic painted dog in E-Comm Square off Broadway.

Croci

Spring seems a little slow in arriving this year, but croci (or crocuses, if you prefer) are gradually appearing around the city.

Porch Envy

This house on South Lake Avenue features some incredible porches, especially the rounded one on the second floor.  I could imagine myself relaxing up there with a good book, an iced coffee, and about four Pomeranians.

City Hall Critter

A rather fierce looking rodent emerges from the heavily carved entrance to City Hall.