Albany (NY) Daily Photo

Random Veggie Sighting

2012-01-31T09:40:00.004-05:00

On my last trip to Albany Rural Cemetery, I wandered into the adjacent St. Agnes' Cemetery. Not far from the main gate, something on the ground next to an old headstone caught my eye. It turned out to be a rather random eggplant just lying there next to the marker. I've come across a few interesting things in cemeteries, but this is a first for me.

Lost Pants

2012-01-29T17:44:00.001-05:00

A pair of abandoned jeans on a bench in Dana Park.

Snow?

2012-01-11T14:45:00.004-05:00

No, it's not snow on the Empire State Plaza...just the pile dumped by the Zamboni after the ice rink is cleaned.

Eat More Kale

2012-01-10T11:53:00.002-05:00

A pro-veggie sticker on a car parked along Dove Street.

The Pelican

2012-01-07T08:40:00.001-05:00

An intricately carved pelican on the First Presbyterian Church overlooking Washington Park at State and Willett Streets.

The Church Grounds Project

2012-01-06T09:11:00.002-05:00

Ice between rows of graves in the Church Grounds section of Albany Rural Cemetery.

The Church Grounds were created when graves were relocated from the old State Street Burying Grounds (now Washington Park).

I've been posting about various gravestones found in this lot at my other blogs, Albany Rural Cemetery - History In Photos and Albany NY History. The more I explore this area of the Cemetery, the more I'm fascinated by its historic significance.

And I have decided to create a blog focusing on the Church Ground burials.

Many of the Church Grounds stones are broken or badly eroded so I know going into this project that I will not be able to transcribe every one, but I want to document as many as I can before time completely erases them.

The new blog can be found at:

The Albany Church Grounds

The Plaza Rink

2011-12-31T10:49:00.002-05:00

Today, that sign comes down.

After being closed for several years (due to State budget problems), the ice skating rink on the Empire State Plaza will open again today.

I don't skate. Well, I don't skate well. Last time I tried, I spent the entire time clinging to a rink's wall in desperation. But the Plaza rink has been a familiar sight since childhood and I'm glad to see it open again.

Skating is free, skate rentals are about $4.00. Which isn't a bad deal at all.

Holiday Hardware

2011-12-13T09:01:00.001-05:00

A tree decorated with paintbrushes and tools - and topped with an saw-wielding angel - stands outside a soon-to-open custom framing shop on Lark Street.

Holiday Cheers

2011-12-12T10:21:00.002-05:00

A Christmas tree decorated with corks outside a wine shop at the corner of Lark and State Streets.

Santa Speedo Sprint 2011

2011-12-10T18:07:00.007-05:00

Today was the 6th annual Santa Speedo Sprint on Lark Street. This crazy, fun event has become my favorite holiday happening. It's festive, silly, irreverent, and all for a good cause.

This year's sprinters included scores of scantily-clad Santas, a variety of elves, at least one Christmas tree, the traditional Gingerbread Man, Wonder Woman, a "drunken" Beaker ("Meeeeeep"), a biker, Jesus, Spandex-wearing reindeer, a Sock Monkey, and an older man in nothing but a black g-string, sneakers, a white Panama hat.

Next year's Speedo Sprint is set for December 8. Looking forward to it already!

Santa Speedo 2010
Santa Speedo 2009

Not A Winner

2011-12-08T09:45:00.001-05:00

Old scratch-off lottery tickets litter the floor of an empty building on Broadway.

Bronzed

2011-12-07T06:23:00.000-05:00

Impressive bronze doors give a rather imposing flourish to this building on lower State Street.

Albany Evening News

2011-12-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

Looking up at the former Albany Evening News building (attached to the gorgeous old D&H Building on Broadway, now SUNY Plaza).

Skeletal Stairs

2011-12-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

Stairs inside the long-empty Trailways station at Broadway and Division Street.

A Church Door On Chestnut

2011-12-04T08:19:00.000-05:00

An old church doorway on Chestnut Street

New York City And Points South

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

A very worn sign on a departure gate at the former Albany bus station on Broadway, a distinctive building which has been vacant for years.

See also:

Gateways and Getaways

Vaults

2011-12-02T14:54:00.001-05:00

Graceful lettering on a bronze plaque for a former bank on State Street.

Living In An Old Brewery

2011-11-22T17:06:00.003-05:00

A plaque on the wall gives a short history of the Knickerbocker Apartments on Dove and Jay Streets. This massive building was once one of Albany's many breweries and, like the former Hinckel Brewery near Lincoln Park, has found a new use as a residential building.

Titanic In Center Square

2011-11-21T06:51:00.001-05:00

One thing I love about living here is that, almost every day, I come across a place or thing with a connection to history...or a supposed connection.

In this case, it's a peachy-pink brick house at 50 Dove Street.

Erected in 1865 by prominent builder John Bridgford (he was later in charge of the early stages of the Capitol's construction), this house supposedly the home of Arthur John Bright who survived the sinking of Titanic and died in Albany in 1921.

The exhaustive Encyclopedia Titanica, however, lists Bright as passing away in 1955. This house was indeed occupied by a man by that name who is now interred the St. George's Society lot at the Albany Rural Cemetery, but was he the same man who served as quartermaster on the ill-fated Titanic?

Mechanics & Farmers

2011-11-20T06:24:00.000-05:00

At the corner of State and James Streets, the former Mechanics & Farmers Bank has always been one of my favorite buildings downtown. A few details on the building's history and a close-up on a floral detail on the front are in a previous post here.

Chestnut Angel

2011-11-19T07:10:00.000-05:00

A stained glass angel on Chestnut Street, just above Dove Street.

A Trick of The Light

2011-11-18T13:27:00.002-05:00

I recently spent yet another day wandering the Albany Rural Cemetery. It's one of my favorite places to explore and I was doing some research for a book. This most recent trip took me back to one of my favorite sections, the old Church Grounds.

Of course, walking from one section to another always takes a long time because I am constantly veering off my intended path to examine some monument that catches my eye...and no matter how often I explore a given section, I always discover something new.

Walking back from the Church Grounds to the main Lodge, I noticed a few interesting headstones on the South Ridge...including this small Civil War monument. It's one of scores of such monuments that dot the Rural Cemetery and very typical with its sword, scabbard, and soldiers cap.

It was almost closing time so I just meant to take a quick photo, then quickly double back for a picture of the Van Rensselaer lot. To my eyes, there nothing odd about the light as I took the photo. But as I stepped away to the right after...out of the corner of my eye...I caught a brief glimpse of long, fine beams of sunlight slanting towards me. For a moment, I hesitated and considered taking a second picture. I wanted to capture those golden rays of light, but all the same, I knew that might not be possible. The chances of positioning my camera just at the perfect angle were slim and, to be honest, my humble little point-and-shoot camera isn't very good at capturing light effects. So I walked away and two more interesting old monuments distracted me.

It wasn't until I got home and uploaded all three hundred photos that I realized I had - by some chance - captured this glorious trick of the light after all!

(This monument marks the grave of Douglas Lodge, a Captain in the New York 43rd Infantry who was killed in May of 1863 at Salem Church, near Chancellorsville, Virginia. He was twenty years old.)

Hello Kitten

2011-11-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

On the base of a streetlight.

Veterans Day Parade

2011-11-11T13:18:00.001-05:00

The Civil War represented at today's Veteran's Day parade in downtown Albany.

See also: The Soldiers Lot

Looking Up - 69 State Street

2011-11-10T09:57:00.002-05:00

View of a building designed in 1927 by Henry Ives Cobb. There's a hint of Egyptian influence in the brownstone details of the upper stories. The lower story incorporates Philip Hooker's original Bank of New York facade with its 1803 cornerstone still visible.

Getting Ready

2011-11-08T19:06:00.004-05:00

I'm not quite ready to hear Christmas music or browse aisles full of ornaments and Santa-shaped candies, but it did make me smile to see workers setting up the holiday tree on the Empire State Plaza on a gorgeously warm day.

Cold Marigolds

2011-11-01T09:16:00.003-04:00

After last week's messy and early storm, a marigold peeks out of the snow by the Albany Institute of History and Art.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:38:00.003-04:00

An old headstone in the Albany Rural Cemetery, one of my favorite "haunts."

The Old Academy

2011-10-26T10:34:00.002-04:00

The handsome copper cupola atop the old Albany Academy building designed by Philip Hooker in 1815. Located in Academy Park, the former school is Albany's oldest surviving civic building.

The Warehouse - A Year Later

2011-10-25T08:21:00.004-04:00

North side of the old Central Warehouse a year after a massive fire gutted the interior of the long-vacant cold-storage facility.

Spot The Spike

2011-10-24T07:52:00.000-04:00

Badly worn asphalt along Broadway (just past the rail bridge and near Van Woert Street) reveals old stone paving and a heavy iron spike.

Heron and Goose

2011-10-23T19:59:00.001-04:00

Along the Corning Preserve on a warm Sunday afternoon in late October.

Letter Box

2011-10-21T10:04:00.000-04:00

An old iron mailbox on a Jay Street apartment building.

Gray Sky Lizard

2011-10-20T09:55:00.002-04:00

A carved lizard perched above a window on City Hall.

Growing From The Inside Out

2011-10-10T14:07:00.003-04:00

Weeds choke a little basement window near Lincoln Park.

The Walls Have Eyes

2011-10-04T10:49:00.003-04:00

A mural of Governor Nelson Rockefeller overlooking Broadway near Livingston Avenue. It's part of the new Living Walls project.

Blue Eyes

2011-10-03T10:01:00.002-04:00

Writing found on the sidewalk near the corner of Washington Avenue and Dove Street. Maybe it's a tribute to someone's girlfriend or, maybe, Frank Sinatra.

Web of Stone

2011-09-27T11:20:00.001-04:00

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

State Street Scraper

2011-09-26T09:13:00.001-04:00

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

2011-09-25T07:53:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-24T17:56:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-21T12:20:00.002-04:00

A broken picture found along Willett Street.

Faces In High Places

2011-09-20T12:33:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-14T08:15:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-12T09:17:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-07T08:27:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-06T08:24:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-05T18:28:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-02T15:28:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-01T18:55:00.003-04:00

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.

A Distinctive Door

2011-08-31T12:43:00.003-04:00

This little building on Sheridan Avenue below Lark Street wouldn't have caught my eye if note for the damaged, but pretty tiles decorating its steps. But it's the use of a 19th-centruy fireplace insert on the door that stands out. I have an old fireplace with a similar insert and I've fond of these. Using it as window bars is a rather interesting idea.

The building used to house L'Esperance Tile Works (do check out their work...it's beautiful) and has most recently been used as workspace by the Upstate Artists Guild (hence the lettering on the door).

Post-Flood Mud

2011-08-30T16:56:00.005-04:00

Knowing that the post-Irene flood waters were beginning to subside, I went back down to the Hudson River today. I saw at least two different helicopters overhead, one circled back and forth for a long time. I assume it was assessing the damages.

Water had receded from the underpass exiting onto Broadway enough for cars to pass, but the sidewalks under there were caked with mud. Further upstream, the Maiden Lane pedestrian bridge was closed. So I took the elevated walkway that runs behind the DEC and Quackebush Square to the parking lot next to the old Central Warehouse. Looking down from the ramp, I could see a fine film of dried mud on the underbrush along the railroad tracks and a layer of dried mud covered much of the parking lot on the south side of the massive abandoned warehouse.

Coming down off the ramp, I could smell the river. Approaching the 787 underpass that's used as a rain location for Alive At Five concerts (like the awesome Village People show a couple of years ago), there was a lot of mud. Dried mud at the intersection, a thick layer of mud in a parking lot under 787...heavy, oozing mud everywhere.

Front-end loaders were busy clearing mud from the 787 underpass, but the pedestrian path approaching the Livingston Avenue bridge was just too mucky for me to venture any closer. I could see small Coast Guard boats on the river, heading north. And, while the river was still higher than I can ever recall, it had dropped considerably since yesterday. The supports of the old rail bridge were clearly visible above the rapidly flowing river...which looked like a chocolate milkshake that's to the dirt and debris in it.

I'll be posting some addition photos in the Facebook album linked in yesterday's post.

After Irene

2011-08-29T15:02:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, what was left of Hurricane Irene swept through Upstate New York with heavy wind and rain. I live on high ground near the Center Square of Albany and got through the storm with no problems. The lights flickered once or twice, but the power stayed on and so did the internet. I spent most of the day following the storm on Twitter and Facebook.

Today, the sunny is shining and the air is so fresh. You almost wouldn't know a storm had passed...but don't let that fool you. There are major problems today. There's massive flooding to the south and west of Albany. Areas like the Schoharie Valley, Montgomery County, Scotia, and the Stockade in Schenectady are especially impacted as the Schoharie Creek and Mohawk Rivers rise.

Around noon, I went down to the Corning Preserve along the Hudson River. With hours to go before the Mohawk River crests and still more before the Hudson crests, the water was already the highest I've ever seen. The path leading north towards the boat launch was completely submerged and water was already spilling over the retaining wall at the amphitheater.

Walking south along the Preserve, I saw tiny (but swift) whirlpools near the OGS pump station. Further down, the water had flooded the road near the pedestrian ramp to the Dunn Memorial Bridge and was rising beneath the underpass leading out to Broadway. You could see water bubbling up through grates and even through little fissures in the pavement.

Just ten minutes or so after the photo above was taken, the water was already starting to edge across the compass inlaid in the pavement. Debris was also seen rushing down the river, including pieces of docks with boats still secured.

I've posted an album of photos on Facebook. The album is set to public and can be viewed here.

Pearl & Lodge

2011-08-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

Nice floral detail on the corner of North Pearl and Lodge Streets.

Bull's Eye Grating

2011-08-12T08:22:00.002-04:00

An interesting target-like grate on some sort of small drain in Academy Park.

Ivy

2011-08-08T09:31:00.002-04:00

A bed of ivy in the Empire State Plaza's Vietnam Memorial courtyard.

All Gone

2011-08-06T09:39:00.003-04:00

Not long after I started this blog, I wrote about a tiny, forlorn house on Madison Avenue. One of the oldest on the block, the little house had suffered from extreme neglect in recent years.

Sadly, this building could not be saved. Slowly, over the course of this spring and summer, the current owner demolished the building by hand. It came down beam by beam and brick by brick. Until there was nothing left.

The beams in the photo above are new. I don't know what the owner's plans are, but it's clear he is building something there.

See my original post about 402 Madison Avenue.

The Square Pie

2011-08-05T10:51:00.005-04:00

My partner is Brooklyn-born and raised and he knows good pizza. He's also very critical of most of the pizza available here. I'm a self-taught cook and learned to make pretty good pizza from scratch about fifteen years ago.

I've never actually been to L& V Pizza in Brooklyn (yet), but I've heard a lot about it. So, I decided I'd recreate one of their square pies...without a recipe. I figured he'd like that.

The result is pictured above. Sometimes, I impress myself. As good as it looked in the pan and on the plate, it tasted even better.

After dinner, my partner was busy texting photos of it to friends back in Brooklyn and posting pictures on Facebook. Which apparently resulted in people licking their phones and drooling on their keyboards

(I'm not a serious food photograph by any means. That's not counting the occasional cell phone pictures taken for Facebook. I'm usually too hungry to bother arranging the food just so for a nice picture.)

Skating Lounge Sign

2011-08-04T09:41:00.003-04:00

Stairs descending from the Empire State Plaza's main platform to the old Skating Lounge. The red sign strikes me as a tad ironic since the ice rink has been closed for several seasons already and, with all the usual budget issues, it probably won't open this year, either.

The Steps At St. Mary's

2011-08-01T10:22:00.001-04:00

A flight of enclosed steps along the side of Saint Mary's Church overlooking Chapel Street.

De Tocqueville

2011-07-29T04:46:00.001-04:00

It's easy to miss this plaque in Academy Park commemorating the visits of Alexis De Tocqueville to the Albany area in the early 1830s. His itinerary can be found here.

Happy Pavement

2011-07-28T07:19:00.000-04:00

I spotted this cheery face as I crossed Pine Street between Chapel and Lodge downtown.

And Yet More Vault Lights

2011-07-27T16:34:00.003-04:00

Yet another vault light; this panel is at the old Centennial Hall on Pine Street and still has the maker's name - J. McKinney & Son Iron Works.

More vault lights:

A surprise on Lancaster Street
Still more vault lights

More McKinney:

McKinney Iron Works
150 Washington Avenue
Coal Cover

Blue Bloom

2011-07-26T11:24:00.001-04:00

Flower along the Corning Bike Trail

The Madison Theater

2011-07-25T08:58:00.002-04:00

Badly painted detail on the facade of the Madison Theater.

This Pine Hills landmark was built in the late 1920s and its design was the work of Thomas Lamb. Lamb also designed the wonderfully preserved Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, several Broadway theatres, many movie palaces, and Manhattan's Academy of Music building.

When last I heard, the Madison was for sale.

More on its history can be found here.

A Blue Receiver

2011-07-19T08:33:00.003-04:00

Another Majestic package receiver. This one is hidden behind a large trash receptacle on a rear wall of the Boys & Girls Club building on Delaware Avenue.

Like Old Lace

2011-07-18T08:06:00.003-04:00

Beautiful old iron railings on a Westerlo Street house. The adjacent building has an identical balcony in black.

Bleecker Park

2011-07-17T07:52:00.000-04:00

A slim wedge of land along Madison Avenue just across from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Bleecker Park is one of Albany's oldest green spaces (Liberty Park, further east, is older). On a hot afternoon, some chubby robins were cooling themselves in its ornamental fountain.

Simply Symbols

2011-07-16T06:34:00.000-04:00

A group of small wooden symbols - a crescent moon, a star, a heart, New York State, and a tree - adorn the side of a building on lower Madison Avenue.

Like A Broken Record

2011-07-15T06:27:00.000-04:00

A broken record (and a playing card) found near the corner of Westerlo Street and Trinity Place.

Madison Place Sunflower

2011-07-14T07:05:00.000-04:00

A bee makes good use of a sunflower blooming on Madison Place, just below Eagle Street.

Cowboys & Indians

2011-07-13T06:45:00.000-04:00

Oh, and there's a few cowgirls, too, in this window along lower Madison Avenue.

Looking Back

2011-07-12T07:51:00.003-04:00

View of Albany looking south on the Corning Trail on a very hot afternoon.

I walked the full length of this bike path - from Albany's boat launch north to Watervliet yesterday. There are several interesting historical markers along the portion of the trail passing through Menands and Watervliet, but none along the Albany stretch.

A Little Light

2011-07-11T08:40:00.003-04:00

A decorative light hangs loosely from a tree in Dana Park at the corner of Delaware and Madison Avenues.

Lafayette Park

2011-07-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

Just across Washington Avenue and adjacent to Academy Park, a plaque and park honor the Marquis de Lafayette's services during the American Revolution and later visits to Albany.

The Corner of Maiden and Pearl

2011-06-30T09:04:00.003-04:00

The building at the corner of North Pearl Street and Maiden Lane (which now houses a busy Bruegger's Bagels) has rows of these very elegant cast iron lintels, as does the adjacent building on North Pearl. From a distance, they give the appearance of brownstone elements.

This building can be spotted in scenes from the movie The Other Guys.

The Albany Rural Cemetery

2011-06-29T08:54:00.002-04:00

Sign outside the Albany Rural Cemetery along Broadway (Route 32) in Menands. Since my photos of the Rural Cemetery could easily take over this blog and Albany (NY) History, I've recently created a companion blog dedicated to one of my favorite places. Please take a look at the link below:

Albany Rural Cemetery - History In Photos

Thanks!

Toothpick Guy

2011-06-28T16:52:00.002-04:00

Isn't he cute? I don't buy much in dollar stores because I've had bad experiences with items that are just so cheaply made they aren't worth the dollar I paid for them. But last week I had need of some envelopes and a Central Avenue dollar store was the nearest place to get them...and that's how I found this little fellow and his brothers (they're yellow and blue, respectively). I was low on toothpicks anyway!

Truth In Advertising

2011-06-27T06:29:00.000-04:00

A panhandler's sign discarded near Lark Street.

North River Steamboat

2011-06-24T09:10:00.003-04:00

Above the side entrance to the beautiful old Albany Trust Building, there is a relief of the North River Steamboat.

Better known as Clermont (after the Robert Livingston estate where it made a stop on its maiden voyage), Robert Fulton's vessel was the first commercially successful steamboat and made its inaugural voyage up the Hudson River from New York City on August 17, 1807.

Steamboats would become a vital part of Albany in the coming years and, while they no longer travel the Hudson, they're not entirely forgotten. A McDonald's at the foot of Madison Avenue and Broadway stands near an area once called Steamboat Square and is shaped like a steamboat. A plaque at SUNY Plaza also commemorates the Clermont's first landing.

Located at the northwest corner of Broadway and State Street, the former Albany Trust Building is one of downtown's handsomest buildings. Designed by Marcus Reynolds and built in 1902, it features a rounded corner topped by a stunning eagle-crowned dome. The stone work on the ground floor - included the Clermont relief which overlooks Broadway - were part of later additions.

Rows of Ghosts

2011-06-23T07:56:00.002-04:00

A building full of bricked-over "ghost" windows at the corner of Maiden Lane. The first floor of this building used to house a shoe repair shop, but has been vacant for some time.

Weeping Ash

2011-06-21T08:20:00.004-04:00

This weeping ash tree is believed to be one of the oldest trees is Washington Park (or, as its sign calls it, one of the park's "senior citizens"). Beneath the branches, the air is very cool, almost cave-like and one of its trunks is carefully supported by a wooden brace. The venerable ash is located just northwest of the Moses fountain.

Cuff'em

2011-06-20T07:15:00.000-04:00

I found these on the steps of the apartment building next to my house yesterday morning. I guess someone had an interesting weekend.

Troy Lilies

2011-06-19T11:36:00.002-04:00

I don't get to Troy very often and that's definitely something I need to change. But this weekend, I ventured across the Hudson to attend RiverFest and it was absolutely worth it. It was one of the better street fairs I've been to in a long time (and one band - The Neanderthals - was hilarious) and it gave me a chance to admire some of the wonderful historic architecture in downtown Troy (I recognized quite a few places where The Age of Innocence was filmed, too). These lovely lilies were at the Atrium; the store in the background is the excellent Market Block Books.

A Little Iron Angel

2011-06-15T06:58:00.001-04:00

A petite angel atop a monument on the North Ridge of the Albany Rural Cemetery. She is missing one wing and no longer fastened to the stone, but someone must repaint her once in a while.

The Pot On Wheels

2011-06-14T07:34:00.005-04:00

This one is just outside Albany in Watervliet, just north along the Hudson River. It's a large iron kettle mounted on wheels and it's parked just outside the Passanno Paint factory and store on 5th Street. The site was once an eight-building mill complex. Founded by one James Roy, the mill manufactured woolen goods, particularly shawls. My guess is that this rolling pot is a relic from the wool factory and was used for dying or otherwise treating skeins of wool. Of course, when I spotted it, my first thought was, "Hmmm, I could make a lot of soup in that thing."

Patterns In Wood

2011-06-03T10:40:00.002-04:00

Gorgeous woodwork in a Maiden Lane storefront.

Eroded Grace

2011-06-02T08:44:00.002-04:00

A badly weathered marble relief by Erastus Dow Palmer on the back of a monument in the Albany Rural Cemetery.

More on Palmer:

The Angel At The Sepulchre
The Sculptor's House

A Turtle In The Sun

2011-06-01T08:04:00.003-04:00

A turtle sunning itself on a bit of debris near the outlet of Washington Park Lake. There were at least two other turtles visible just before I took this photo, but they vanished as soon as they heard me. This one stayed quite a bit longer, cautiously watching as I rummaged in my backpack for my camera and carefully poked the lens through the fence.

Some time ago, I rescued a baby turtle that had stranded itself on the ledge of the dry Moses fountain nearby by picking it up and carrying it over to the edge of the lake. I always look for turtles when I walk along the lake and wonder how mine fared.

Coal Cover

2011-05-31T07:42:00.003-04:00

This metal disk is set into an older flag of sidewalk just outside the famous Jack's Oyster House on lower State Street. The name McKinney was the first thing that caught my eye since I enjoying spotting examples of his cast iron architectural elements on old facades around Albany. But, since it's far too small to be a manhole cover, I couldn't quite place what this was...at first. Recently, I realized I'd seen similar examples in Manhattan...coal covers. These iron caps covered sidewalk hatches through which coal was delivered to basements in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some coal hatches were designed to double as vault lights.

The Olympic

2011-05-30T07:56:00.000-04:00

The neon is long gone, the painted letters are fading, and there's no signs of life in the business downstairs. I'm not sure when the Olympic Bar closed. A quick search shows it was at least still open in 1990 when it was robbed by a knife-wielding man. I don't think I even noticed the place - or, more accurately - its worn sign - until 2005 or so when it caught my eye on the way to the Albany bus station down the street.

Texture

2011-05-29T07:48:00.003-04:00

Close-up of a wall along Maiden Lane. The texture of the wall - pebbles set into some sort of mortar - reminds me of the Gum Wall at Seattle's Pike Place Market...only less colorful.

The Mummy

2011-05-27T08:26:00.002-04:00

An abandoned, withered plant sits in an empty storefront in the old Arcade Building at the corner of Maiden Lane and James Streets.

In Progress

2011-05-25T08:29:00.002-04:00

We've started painting some of the rooms in our house, beginning with the dining room. This picture was taken as we began to move things out of the way and started taping.

As far as I know, this house was built in the 1840s and altered about fifty years later. I didn't appreciate this decorative fireplace when I was growing up and used the dining room as my play space. It just looked dark and drab to me. I've since learned to really like the black stone mantle and the faux gold marbling. It also features a lovely cast iron grate which we've temporarily removed until the painting and flooring is finished.

Capitol Park Plaque

2011-05-23T08:20:00.002-04:00

This plaque - one of the Bicentennial Tablets - is easy to miss as it's set low to the ground. Located in the park on the east side of the State Capitol, it gives a short, but significant history of the previous Capitol building on the site.

The View From The Plaza

2011-05-19T08:10:00.003-04:00

Looking slightly northeast from the main platform of the Empire State Plaza at part of downtown Albany. The large building with the red roof is the Office of the New York State Comptroller (the lobby has glass cases displaying some small items uncovered by archaeologists during the building's construction). The decaying brick building in front of the Comptroller's building is part of the old Wellington Hotel complex and the glass-enclosed archway (crossing part of Eagle Street here) is the walkway connection the Plaza with the Times Union Center.

Office Door

2011-05-18T12:19:00.002-04:00

Doorway at the old Union Station on Broadway.

The Hudson River Club Plaque

2011-05-17T12:59:00.002-04:00

Tablet on the wall of the former Hudson River Day Line ticket offices on lower Broadway.

Mural at Madison and Main

2011-05-16T08:12:00.003-04:00

When I was little - think late 70s and early 80s - a number of murals decorated walls around Albany. I remember the colorful silhouettes on Lark Street at Washington Avenue, leaping dancers on the wall overlooking the Dunkin Donuts at the other end of Lark, a wilderness scene of moose and bears on lower New Scotland Avenue. Most of the murals are long gone. This one, on the side of the Pine Hills CVS is one of the few that survive. The faded painting shows Albany's City Hall on one side, the old fire and police station on the other (the firehouse is gone and now home to the Steamer 10 Theatre for children, though the police station remains). In between are some of the businesses that called this stretch of Madison Avenue home. Many of those businesses are gone, too.

Salem 7, 1/3

2011-05-12T07:44:00.000-04:00

Salem 7 1/3, a sculpture by Antoni Milkowski, stands like a modern monolith near the eastern overlook on the main platform of the Empire State Plaza.