Driving around New England Pix's

[Boston02124]

my destination town hall

this next pix was in Foxboro

 

[Boston02124]

my destination!

fire station

 

[shawn]

I had jury duty here in 2001!

 

[Boston02124]

So behind on posting to this thread! Today I was back in Maine. Portland drive by

Lewiston?

A quick tour of the capital area,downtown was across the river.

lots of ugly state office buildings.

^ Wish I could have stopped and got a better pix,must be pretty in the fall with that tree out front. nice old homes.some reused

look close there's a building in there!

my destination Maine DOT

again wish I had stopped and tool a better pix!

 

[Boston02124]

Re: Driveing around New England Pix's

drive thru FallRiver,Somerset and Prov. RI.

cheap sideing!

From 79 South

Prov. RI. fron I-195 west

 

[Lrfox]

Thanks for the shots!

The Braga Bridge (ugly, rusty greenish thing in Fall River) is about to be repainted, probably Blue. The new Bridge is coming along well.

I really like the photo of St. Anne's Cathedral framed by those two ugly apartment towers. Point Gloria (copper cap) is the only attractive mid-rise in town (there are no real high-rises).

I REALLY like the new Weston tower in Providence. A friend of mine has a condo there and it's gorgeous. 21st floor. Thanks for sharing.

 

[czsz]

I love Fall River's pretensions to great city-ness. Its "underground" highway, its "Government Center", its "skyline".

 

[Lrfox]

I love Fall River's pretensions to great city-ness. Its "underground" highway, its "Government Center", its "skyline".

It even has an "upper and lower deck." Obviously the exodus of industry (and people... this city of 92,000 used to have over 120,000) has been the biggest problem for Fall River; but I have a hard time thinking of a city in New England with more "scars" from the Urban Renewal era. The "Government Center" may be a Rudolph work, but it meant destroying a gorgeous gem of a city hall and the central part of downtown Fall River. The highway (I-195) literally divides Downtown Fall River in half with a scar that puts the mass pike to shame. Route 79 (upper/lower deck) separates the core of the city from the Waterfront area (which really is nice) with a hulking and unnecessary monstrosity (not to mention a giant retaining wall and a tower in the park housing development). The "Skyline" (with the exception of Point Gloria on the Waterfront) is communist looking 1960s/70s housing towers which are surrounded by parking lots and grass. A complete waste of urban space.

Fall River is a city that's likely going to be in "rough shape" for a LOOOONG long time despite the fact that it actually has some great assets. North Main Street (Downtown) is full of great spots as is Columbia Street (also Downtown) with its restaurant row and truly international flare. The Highlands remain one of the largest, prettiest and most in-tact historic districts in New England (named the best by "This Old House" for some 4 years running), but the bulk of the rest of the city is just plain struggling. There's NO nightlife, weak museums, very little arts (the Narrows Center is a glaring exception), and a handful of restaurants (unless you want Portuguese which there's plenty of).

 

[humphrey]

Check this photo out on Marcfoto's photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marc72/3913206597/in/set-72157602230943878/

He has some excellent before and after shots.

1920 Vs 2007

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marc72/1478039455/in/set-72157602230943878/

Kaboom!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marc72/1925543576/in/set-72157602230943878/

 

[Lrfox]

Great links, humphrey! Thanks a lot. I love the "city of the future" ad. Even in a propoganda photo, those boxes look terrible. Unfortunately, the roads ended up looking exactly like the ad. Fall River is NOT the city of the future.

Looking at the photo of the demolition is absolutely horrific. How on earth could they have thought that was a good idea? That old city hall was spectacular.

 

[Ron Newman]

In another nearby thread, we've seen a comeback described for New Bedford's downtown and waterfront. Can Fall River follow the same path?

 

[czsz]

Fall River only has a future as a back lot for films set in the Eastern Bloc.

 

[Lrfox]

In another nearby thread, we've seen a comeback described for New Bedford's downtown and waterfront. Can Fall River follow the same path?

Despite the geographic similarity and the demographic similarity, New Bedford has significantly more advantages than Fall River which made a comeback possible (inevitable, really) for New Bedford while Fall River struggles in almost every category and will continue to.

For starters, New Bedford's city center was in a lot better shape than Fall Rivers, it has a plethora of cobbled streets and historic buildings. Fall River on the other hand demolished the core of the city to make room for Gov't Center and I-195. While New Bedford has route 18 along the waterfront (it DOES have crossings and is being improved), Fall River has an elevated Route 79 and the braga bridge cutting its core off from the city center.

Moreover, New Bedford has a more established downtown area. It has always had the right ingredients and just needed a little push. We've already been over the fact that it has the historic district there, but it also has a wonderful and active theater in the Zeiterion Theatre, a nice Art Museum, and the Whaling Museum. The "push" that New Bedford got was UMass locating its College of Visual Arts in a renovated building downtown as well as BCC locating class space there and a brand new Ocean Explorium. The setup and constant foot traffic made New Bedford popular for the entrepreneurs that are continuing the revival downtown. Fall River has none of that.... instead it has a downtown that's plagued by urban renewal and no staple institution that provides significant relevance in order to attract businesses. Without significant physical change (i.e. capping more of I-195 and the removal of 79), Downtown Fall River won't attract the institutions needed to stimulate change like New Bedford has.

Another reason Fall River won't rebound anytime soon is, in fact, the resurgence of New Bedford. Fall River has some freight traffic in and out of its port. However, New Bedford is the most dominant fishing port in America and it's growing in that regard. In addition, New Bedford is on the verge of acquiring hundreds of millions of federal funding in order to update its wharves and piers to become part of the American shipping highway and solidify its role in Short Sea Shipping. Fall River, on the other hand, has again done everything in its power to spurn the growth of its port by fighting against the proposal for an LNG terminal. New Bedford by revitalizing will really make a name for itself as the primary city on the Southcoast (which it really has been for a while, but it's become much more obvious now) and Fall River will continue to fall behind.

One thing Fall River will benefit from is the commuter rail coming to town. However, while New Bedford is poised to grow a LOT economically from it, I see Fall River as more of an affordable housing alternative to metro Boston than a city that will prosper as a result of the rail connection. New Bedford's large, intermodal station will be right next to the downtown, working waterfront and ferry terminals as well as local and regional buses. Fall River will have a small platform near the battleship (close to downtown) and a larger one near Davol Street (adjacent to the Highlands historic district) that will serve an area that's just about entirely residential. Fall River is poised to become a large, dense suburb while New Bedford appears to be on the verge of emerging as an important and active satellite city.

I grew up next to Fall River (in Assonet) and still have friends in that town today. I love visiting and I do like Fall River (which really does have redeeming qualities). However, I can't see a revitalization in the near future. I don't see one ever without some serious reconstruction near the core of town. New Bedford is in the midst of a renewal... not just poised to do so anymore. Fall River has a long way to go.

 

[Frankie811]

I don't think I approve of czsz's sarcastic remarks about Fall River in this thread and another. No need for it.

 

[FSUViking]

I don't think I approve of czsz's sarcastic remarks about Fall River in this thread and another. No need for it.

Well go curl up in the corner and cry about it then. Jesus......it's the Internet. If your that sensitive about words on a computer screen, maybe you should just cancel your Internet.

 

[Boston02124]

ok^ back to my driving! Portland drive by, already covered Portland before,so did'nt take many pixs!

 

[czsz]

"What? The columns are supposed to go in the front!? Well, too late now..."

 

[Boston02124]

I've seen them on both the side ,back and front I luv the houses as I own one myself.

 

[Patrick]

not sure what this building was originally anyone know? Now it is owned by the Art College.

 

[Corey]

The building is currently owned by the Portland Museum of Art.

From the MECA blog, the Clapp House is "a Greek Revival home built in 1832 .... came into the possession of then Portland Society of Art in the late 19th century and for a while, it was the only building serving the college. In later years, it housed the administrative offices for much of the college."


And on the Maine Memory Network...

The Charles Q. Clapp House was built in 1832 and is located at 97 Spring Street in Portland. Businessman and architect, Charles Q. Clapp, had this home built for himself. This structure boasts gabled pediments supported by cornice, frieze and architrave that create the entablature. There are five Ionic columns that brace the overhanging temple fa?ade over the entry porch.

Ancient Greek classical forms and proportions reinforced the American ideal of democracy, rising equality and strength. The overall style is boxy, simply lined, symmetrical and heavy. The gable end entry mimics an entrance to a temple and doorways are often seen framed with transom and sidelights. Publications of the day gave designers and builders the knowledge to recreate Greek column orders (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian), pilasters, entablatures and other classical elements.