Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: dalethorn on November 28, 2008, 08:10:02 pm

Title: Urban Decay
Post by: dalethorn on November 28, 2008, 08:10:02 pm
I visited apartments in these buildings back in 1965, and they were ugly then, with the railroad right there in the back yards, and the only other buildings within a quarter mile being junkyards and salvage businesses. Still, solid brick construction that lasts nearly forever. Not well insulated for winter, unfortunately.

Panasonic LX3, F2.8 @ 1/500, ISO 80.
Title: Urban Decay
Post by: John Clifford on December 07, 2008, 10:19:18 pm
I think these are interesting, but I don't know if the photos do the buildings justice.

The building on the right says it was completed in 1816(!). Where are these buildings? Unless the location is really bad, seems that someone would want to buy it, fix it up, and turn it into some sort of a business. In fact, it reminds me of the building that Brooks Jenson runs Lenswork out of.

If only buildings could talk....
Title: Urban Decay
Post by: dalethorn on December 07, 2008, 10:46:34 pm
Quote from: John Clifford
I think these are interesting, but I don't know if the photos do the buildings justice.

The building on the right says it was completed in 1816(!). Where are these buildings? Unless the location is really bad, seems that someone would want to buy it, fix it up, and turn it into some sort of a business. In fact, it reminds me of the building that Brooks Jenson runs Lenswork out of.

If only buildings could talk....
Where are these buildings is the right question. In Akron Ohio on Case Ave. North of Market Street. This short stretch of road, about 3/4 mile long, was never a residential zone in my experience, going back to the early 1950's at least. But whatever businesses(?) abandoned these, the owners decided to convert them for use as apartments. And it's been a zone of desolation and high crime for at least 50 years, with no apparent change in all of that time. Just 1/4 mile from the end of Case Ave. on Market Street (an 11-mile long business street) sits the world HQ of Goodyear, which is in the process of being abandoned due to a new sweetheart deal with the city of Akron to build a new HQ a mile or so away from there, with all of the tax abatements we come to know and love. So it appears that the zone of desolation will widen soon, unless the city fathers have a miracle plan up their sleeves.

BTW, given heating costs in this area, and the unlikely situation that these buildings are insulated much, the only way I could see rehabilitating them would be to use a small portion of them for offices, and the rest for storage where heat requirements would be minimal or none.