The Corner of Maiden and Pearl

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

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

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

A panhandler's sign discarded near Lark Street.

North River Steamboat

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

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

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.