Driving around New England Pix's

[FrankG]

Worcester has a lot going for it. The university campuses are definitely worth looking at too.

 

[Lrfox]

I do love Worcester. The view from Holy Cross is excellent. Downtown is very nice as well.

 

[Boston02124]

Friday brought me to Taunton Mass. Lots of big old homes and a nice downtown!

my destination!

new addition to the court house

went thru Dighton and Rehobeth but saw nothing at least on 44 east! then into Seekonk

then on to Providence R.I. I'll save those pix's for tommorro!

 

[Ron Newman]

Is that still an active synagogue, or has it been converted to another religion?

 

[Boston02124]

^unsure? Providence pix's

next up more of Worcester,Brockton,and I finally transfer my pix's from my old pc,long lost Chelsea and New Haven Conn.

 

[Corey]

Glad to see you are still traveling around New England and sharing your shots. Providence looks like a nice city. I will have to visit someday.

 

[Boston02124]

my favarite!

next up!

 

[Lrfox]

Thanks for all of these pictures. I think what I love the most about your "driving" photos is that you take what you're given when shooting. You don't get to carefully pick and choose how you frame the shot so we get to see these places "as is."

Still, those shots of Taunton and Providence bring back a lot of nostalgia. I used to take dates to the Rangeway Mini-Golf/Driving Range in Taunton during high school. You can wonder why I went on a lot of First Dates and not too many second ones.

Providence is incredible architecturally. We often get caught up just thinking of the area around the river basin and the mall (and the new construction there), but the Jewelery District and the rest of "Downcity" Providence have some incredibly ornate buildings and you got a few photos of them. College Hill and the East Side (I lived on George Street for a bit) have some great buildings too. I can't wait to get back to Providence for a bit.

Looking forward to Brockton. Campanelli Stadium is one of the nicest minor league ballparks in New England. As far as the minors go, I only really prefer McCoy in Pawtucket. Hadlock and the field in Manchester (State Farm?) are third and fourth respectively.

 

[Boston02124]

^ Thanks I'm glad you and others understand how this works,I always wonder if people think I suck as a photographer lol! And your right I want the veiwer to feel as if they'er driveing into these cities and town and seeing them as I see them,most of my pixs while driveing are of the dash board or I miss the shot alltogether so you do get what you get! here's an example...original shot

 

[commuter guy]

Its been a few years since I've been to downtown Providence. Is the district behind City Hall called downcity? I was quite surprised when I first visited that area to see such a large district of intact historic bldgs in a central business district. It was bit eerie as a good amount of the buildings seemed to be unoccupied or under utilized, but it had a great feel with the small scale footprints and narrow network of streets almost unscathed by demolitions and ill planned redevelopments. Its been a number of years so maybe the area is more vital and lively now.

 

[Lrfox]

^ Thanks I'm glad you and others understand how this works,I always wonder if people think I suck as a photographer lol! And your right I want the veiwer to feel as if they'er driveing into these cities and town and seeing them as I see them,most of my pixs while driveing are of the dash board or I miss the shot alltogether so you do get what you get!

Hahaha, I know what you mean. You do a great job. I try to follow your lead sometimes, but I have a manual transmission and shifting, braking, accelerating and snapping photos (especially in an urban area) never works out well. I do have a couple from Providence I'll post since you have a few.

This first one is from I-195 West. I like this one (though it's a BIT blurry) because you can see the brick building with the faux-facade cleverly painted on its blank side (45 Province should take notes). It's in the bottom left corner of the photo... red brick. If you look at it closely you can see that the bottom right hand corner of the building is "peeling upward" to reveal that it's painted... otherwise you would never know. I always love seeing it.


The Westin Complex:

Its been a few years since I've been to downtown Providence. Is the district behind City Hall called downcity? I was quite surprised when I first visited that area to see such a large district of intact historic bldgs in a central business district. It was bit eerie as a good amount of the buildings seemed to be unoccupied or under utilized, but it had a great feel with the small scale footprints and narrow network of streets almost unscathed by demolitions and ill planned redevelopments. Its been a number of years so maybe the area is more vital and lively now.

^Actually, all of downtown Providence is called "downcity." It's just the term they use.

I love the fact that there are so many in tact buildings there too. Incredible architectural representation for such a small city. It reminds me of the Financial District's (Boston) smaller sibling (minus the newer towers). The district you're thinking of is usually considered the "Jewelery District" of downtown. Like you noticed, it's older and there's less life there except during the work day. Many of these older buildings downtown are office space and many more are used simply for nightclubs (Providence may have more clubs downtown than Boston). The mix of uses is poor and there are some empty buildings (getting better though). Most of Providence's street level activity is nearer to the mall and the newer developments over there. There is a large focus on revamping the old Jewelery District and the area behind city hall though. Newer "trendy" restaurants are opening, and Brown University just announced that they're opening their new medical school in a renovated building over there. In my opinion, the lack of residential options over there is the HUGE killer of street life and activity. This will change too. The city is in the middle of a conversion of an old power plant into a hotel and apartment complex. There are a few smaller scale conversions to residential as well.

Providence is working on their version of the Big Dig. They're Moving I-195 further from downtown (which it currently cuts in half). They've already moved one direction (Eastbound) away from town and are close to moving the Westbound traffic. Once they finish that (by the end of the summer) they will knock down the old elevated highway cutting through the middle of the jewelery district and replace it with parks and development (I hope to GOD that they took notes on the RK Greenway). This should reconnect the area with the city and allow for more growth there.

In short, lack of residential options in the area and the highway cutting it in half have really hurt the area but it's improving. More mixed-use is a must.

A GREAT source for happenings in Providence is the Greater City: Providence Urbanism Blog which you can find here: http://www.gcpvd.org/

 

[Boston02124]

I know I said Brockton next,but went to Greenfield Ma. again today and got another part of town

I luv these old ghost bill boards

I must have been in the school district! Wish I had time to go up to this look out,I bet it had great views!

Turner's Falls

 

[Ron Newman]

That tower is called the "Poet's Seat".

 

[Boston02124]

^thanks any info why it's called that? it's purposed?besides being a look out?

 

[Boston02124]

^my destination Brockton city hall one of my favorite's!

entrance to city hall

^ sign says it all

rear view mirror

this next pix is not mine

 

[Ron Newman]

What's the story behind that Fenway Park mural? Is this at or near the Rox ballpark?

 

[Boston02124]

I think it's just an advertisment for JB Mason ,I think they're based out of Brockton?

 

[underground]

Man, isn't Brockton one of those towns you wish you could play real life SimCity with? You know; go all "Hand of God" on it? So many great things surrounded by huge mistakes. I'd bet the Tipping Point for a revitalized Brockton is a lot closer than most people think. It just needs some leadership to push it the right way.

 

[commuter guy]

Your right, the fenway park mural is in Brockton Center on a W.B. Mason building. The Brockton Rox stadium is a couple of miles west of Brockton center.

Some of the old warehouses in downtown Brockton have been converted to residential use in the past 5 years. The were advertised in the Globe as 30 minute train ride to downtown Boston (the Brockton location was not prominently announced). From my understanding, the relatively low prices coupled with newly constructed interiors did attact condo buyers and renters to Brockton center. The biggest problem with Brockton is it continues to see a fair amount of middle and working class white flight to surrounding towns due to the hit or miss reputation of the school system. This has depressed real estate values even in relatively nice neighborhoods. The neighborhoods adjacent to downtown Brockton are full of 3 deckers and small mutifamily buildings with lots of poverty and high crime. There are plently of outlying well kept single family neighborhoods as well. Overall, the city seems to be doing okay. Also it helps the tax base that there are lots of modern office and industrial properties along Rte. 24.

 

[Boston02124]

^Thanks for the info! Today brought me to Sturbridge