This lovely little storefront was my neighborhood’s A&P store from at least the 1920s through the 1950s. What this means is that I’ve started my Pittsburgh research for Groceteria now. My database is already up to almost 900 chain grocery addresses, and I’ve only finished the data entry through 1940. For San Francisco, I only had 600 addresses total. Since both cities used to be about the same size, I suppose that means that SF was violently anti-chain even eighty years ago.
Downtown Pittsburgh from Troy Hill.
I thought San Francisco had left me too bitter to ever truly love another urban area again. But maybe not.
Pittsburgh really is sort of an amazing place, as I’ve mentioned before: urban without being pretentious, distinctly affordable, and possessed of a surprisingly stable population of working families. As I become more familiar with the city, I find that there are very few neighborhoods that make me nervous as I drive through them (yes, there are still a few). And there really is some new little bit of wonderfulness around every corner. Of course, your definition of wonderfulness may vary.
And after a (very) few initial moments of skepticism, I’ve come to love my neighborhood, Lawrenceville, as well. It’s nice to be able to walk to the supermarket and pick up something I’m out of while cooking dinner, or to a really good diner for breakfast. And Lawrenceville has urban texture like almost no other place I’ve ever seen. It ranges from the beautiful to the butt-ugly, just like a real urban neighborhood should. And I think I would actually be a little surprised to find my car window broken here, unlike South of Market, where I sort of expected it.
In fact, it has been suggested that part of my problem with San Francisco stemmed from the neighborhood I lived in, and there may be some slight validity to that. That said, in San Francisco, mere mortals can’t just pick and choose their neighborhoods, either. Nor can they afford whole houses in them.
Anyway, I don’t live here full-time now, and it’s not really likely that I’ll be doing so anytime soon. I hope my fascination doesn’t wear off. I don’t think it will.
I have lots of thoughts and little attention span. Thus, here are some more pictures. Pictures are easy.
South Side.
Carson Street, South Side.
Strip District from Troy Hill.
Downtown Pittsburgh from South Side Slopes.
What could be more fun than a brand new camera and a brand new city to use it in? These shots are of downtown Pittsburgh and Lawrenceville from the Washington Crossing (a/k/a 40th Street) Bridge.
After a long departure delay (thanks to rain and the yard…long story…) I am in Pittsburgh. I will be here all week. The hubby will be joining me for the weekend, and then I’ll be making a sidetrip to someplace Canadian, Illinoian, or who knows whatan next week.
Did I mention it was vacation season?
Shooting Star
You’ve Got What I Need , 1980
I pronounce this song (and this band) the long-rumored missing link between the 1970s and the 1980s.
Interesting post from Popdose that more or less precisely covers my high school years. I wouldn’t say that the majority of this stuff is good, per se (although some of it is) but it definitely has that “I haven’t heard that song in a long time, which may or may not be a good thing” quality about it.
This is someone who probably wasn’t listening to the top 40 station in town. You see, in those days, we had something called “AOR”, which stood for “album-oriented rock.” What that meant was dinosaur rock, surrounded by newer bands who sounded like dinosaur rock, with a sprinkling of just enough new and offbeat stuff to make it seem kind of cool, in a plaid shirt and Levi’s corduroys sort of way. The term stemmed from the fact that these stations “dug deep” and played songs off the album other than the hit single, although that usually meant they were just playing what would be released as the next single.
Maybe I’ll put together my own version one of these days. I have strong opinions on the subject of 1979, but my version might have some of the same stuff. Probably minus the Rainbow.
So I’m a little obsessed with the panoramic feature on my new digital camera. I know everyone else was probably bored with it three years ago, but it’s pretty cool for those of us whose favorite things to shoot are streetscapes (and who don’t mind a slightly surreal perspective). The “stitching” is obviously not perfect, but still…
Out my front door:
Tate Street near UNCG:
Greene Street and Carolina Theatre, downtown Greensboro:
Have I mentioned how much I love my husband? He always brings me newspapers when he flies home, but this time he brought an extra special bunch.
After a very hectic weekend, I’ve just now finished my last paper for the intense summer session class. Even though I have two more days of work and one more class tomorrow night, I am now officially declaring myself on vacation.
Yes, it helps my mood that I actually slept last night for a change.
And yes, vacation will be in Pittsburgh (where I’ll still be doing some work and where my hubby will also be visiting me), but it will also involve as yet undisclosed side trips.
Miscellany for a Friday morning: